Ugh, I’m susceptible to blisters.  always have been.  I try my best at prevention.  Keep my feet dry, wear thin running socks, even the double layer type that PROMISE no blisters.  Uh…yea…. not so much!

Last week I got a doozy of a blister.  A big one in between my big toe and my second toe on my left foot.  How did I get a blister BETWEEN my toes?  I guess while I’m running my toes are rubbing together like little sticks of firewood.  It’s their tiny contribution to my “burning up the pavement”!  Hahaha!  Well, not really, but I like the imagery.  Imagery works!

The secondary problem with blisters, is that — without realizing it, you are subconsciously changing the way you run — to try and reduce the pain from the blisters.  Halfway into last week, I began wondering why my right ankle and knee were starting to hurt after all this time?  It suddenly dawned on me — that its because I’m coddling my left foot because of the d@mn blisters.  UGH……Gotta solve this probem, before it creates a new one!

So when prevention fails…we gotta explore the cures.  So I splurge on the B.E.S.T. BandAids.  Oh yea, you can totally judge a person and their tendencies toward cuts, blisters and boo-boos by the quality of BandAids they keep in their house.  People that buy those no name brand bandages (I guess they aren’t even officially BandAids!)….these folks….nice people and all…..but they clearly haven’t experienced the pain and suffering of being cut by a razor on the heel or the kness while shaving!  OR the lingering, enduring pain of running in blisters.  OMG.

Well — as much as I love me some BandAids — they suck.  When running.  Nothing like a BandAid coming loose in your sock and rolling and rocking in your shoe in the middle of 6 miles, 10 miles…ANY miles.

So what’s next?  Advice from the sporty boys at work — Tape it up Diane.  Tape it up!  So off to Rite Aid I go, and I bought First Aid tape.  This was new.  The first run I did with the tape — I got a NEW blister on my second toe from the d@mn tape.  What The??

Ok, clearly NOT the solution.

Wandering up and down the aisles in the drugstore — I stumbled onto something called Paper Tape by Curad.  The box totally sells it.  At the very top, highlighted in orange, it boldly screams “GENTLE“!  Ohhh, yes.  Please.  Please be gentle with me.  I’ve been through soooo much.  Advertising that it’s “ideal for delicate skin”.  Ooooh, yes.  I’m delicate.  That’s me!  It goes on to say, “Curad, We Help Heal”.  Oh, again, ME, ME, ME,  I need healing.  Yes, ME!   I was sold.

So I wrapped up my toes with the Paper Tape.  Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum on the left foot, and off I go.  To run past my blisters.  Or in spite of them.  Left foot appears adequately catered to, hopefully enough to let the darn blisters heal, so I can feel Stronger.

Keep the learning coming…..I’m adaptive!

Ciao for now, Diane