Mark: Now, isn't it odd that we spent countless hours training to make ourselves faster yet
we can be crippled and brought to a halt by some pain or discomfort in our feet. I imagine
most of you out there have experienced a blister or some sort of foot pain before. It's incredible
how much they can hurt. Today I thought I'd run through a number of ways in which you
can look after your feet for running. [music]
Injuries aside, what are the common issues that you might experience with your feet when
running? Well, we've got blisters, aching, feet, swelling feet, hotspots, cracking, peeling,
itching, sore toes, even lost toenails. Embarrassingly, I've experienced all of these except losing
my toenails. I've got a fair bit of experience in this department, particularly with blisters.
In fact, I'd go as far as saying, I've actually refined the art of dealing with blisters and
preventing them as well in some cases. In fact, if you want some proof in this, I just
recently ran 100K in one go and didn't get a single blister. If that's not proof, I don't
know what is. Let's start off now by looking at your shoe choice.
[music] Well, this may sound obvious, but it is amazing
how often that this key point in foot care for running is overlooked. Now, obviously,
this is a very nice looking shoe, but it doesn't simply come down to picking a shoe that is
a nice color, a nice shape, and nice design. It means getting a shoe that suits your gait.
In other words, how your foot lands and moves through the running action. It doesn't mean
that you need to go breaking the bank and buying the best shoe out there, but equally,
I would really advise not getting the cheapest shoe out there because that is normally reflected
in the quality and the feel of the shoe, which leads me on to the fit of a shoe.
[music] Well, this is an area that causes a lot of
head-scratching because do you go for a size that fits perfectly, or perhaps do you go
for a size so that you've got a little bit of wiggle room? Well, if the shoe is too short
and too tight, this could lead to discomfort, sore toes, black toenails, maybe even the
dreaded lost toenails, but at the same time, if you go for something with too much wiggle
room and too much space towards the front, your feet could be moving around within the
shoe that could lead to friction and therefore blisters and other issues. Whilst it's probably
really unlikely if you've got really improper and badly fitting shoes, then that could lead
to calluses, maybe even ankle sprains because you're just not running correctly or other
injuries such as around the knee. Now, personally, when I'm getting a pair of
shoes, I'm always looking out for something that fits my feet snugly, holds them securely
whilst having a bit of wiggle room towards the front. That means that my toes aren't
jutted right up against the front of the shoe. When I run downhill, I'm not hitting my toes
against the front and therefore getting sore toes. Same time also, I don't want my toes
crushed together, so they're overlapping and friction between the toes. I'm also looking
out for any pressure points in the shoes because if you can feel anything walking around in
them, imagine what that's going to feel like after 5, 10, or 20 kilometers of running.
Well, I'm moving on to an area that is very often forgotten and overlooked, and this is
actually what you do and what you wear post-run. I actually have a bit of a routine here that
I hadn't really realized I was doing until I gave it some thought with this video. After
any long run or any substantial run, I actually let my feet breathe a bit. I refrain where
possible from putting socks on or any shoes on. I guess just let the feet relax. I'm not
really sure why, but I guess it also allows them to dry out. It can then reduce the risk
of any fungal or athlete's foot issues. Also what you actually wear on your feet before,
after, and around your running is really important too. Don't go squeezing your foot into really
tight-fitting shoes because you do want the feet to relax a bit.
Equally don't start walking around for hours in some really badly supported shoes or some
high heels or flip flops or something like that because rather than your feet relaxing
and recovering, they're then going to be working overtime. Now moving on to your sock choice.
[music]. Simply make sure that you're wearing a decent
sock for running and that it's put on and fitting correctly because a ripped up sock
or a badly placed seam can cause absolute havoc, but also don't wear a sock like this,
a casual cotton sock, for instance, because they're just not breathable. They're not really
designed for sports. Your feet are going to end up getting quite hot, quite sweaty and
damp, and that can lead to them getting swollen and maybe even blisters. Instead, try and
get yourself some specific sports or running socks. These are made from a material that's
more breathable, often even moisture-wicking. Then even in some, as these have here actually
got padded areas around those that take more pressure when you're running.
Then also moving on to something that's probably easier said than done, but try to keep your
feet dry where possible. Well, wet feet and wet socks can not only increase your chances
of fungal or athlete's foot issues but also friction, rubbing, and blisters. Now, I appreciate
you can't go avoiding the rain, but if there's any big puddles or streams that you can avoid
running through, I really would advise it. Also, you might just want to get prepped anyway
by lubricating your feet and applying something like a Vaseline or an anti shave balm. Well,
this is actually something I do prior to most of my long runs, actually. I'll apply a little
bit of Vaseline in between my toes, along my arch, and sometimes even on my heel, and
that just provide an extra layer and I guess almost glide between my sock and my skin.
The big question though is if you do get a blister, what do you do? Pop or not? There's
a big debate. Now, any healthcare professional will probably tell you to not pop it and actually
put an extra layer or padding onto it just to relieve the pressure if you're going to
walk around or run on it. Personally, though, that has never worked for me. In fact, it's
often made it worse. It's spread the blister, made it more painful. I've always popped mine.
I don't know if that's the right thing to do or not, and I'm not telling you to do the
same, but I've always used a stabilized pin. Then I've cleaned it out, then allowed it
to dry out naturally. Then, actually, if I am going to go and run on it, I'll then use
a pad, a gauze, a swab of some sort just to go over it to relieve that pressure and then
use some tape to hold that on. Like I said, that's just what I do. It's worked well for
me. I'm not saying that's the right thing to do.
Finally moving on to an odd subject, but your toenails. Sorry, I know this isn't the most
glamorous of topics but it is an essential. You really, really do want to keep on top
of your nails particularly, so again, if you're going to be running hard, fast, or doing a
long run because any long nails could end up sticking into some of the other toes causing
quite painful cuts or blisters or jutting into the front of your shoes and causing those
black toenails, maybe even lost toenails. Well, I think that is everything about caring
for your feet when running. You could take it a step further and really pamper your feet
from time to time. Maybe just rub some moisturizer into them and massage them, and that might
prevent them from drying out, becoming cracked, or even peeling.
If you've got any questions, please as always drop them in the comment section below. I
hope you've enjoyed today's video. If so, give it a thumbs up. Give it a like, and don't
forget, you can follow GTN over on our social media and subscribe to us on YouTube.
[00:07:46] [END OF AUDIO]