"What the Hell is that on Your Foot?!?!?!"

That's the general reaction I got from most of my friends when I first started running. I had huge blisters on my toes, on the arches of my feet, and on my heels. What's worse is that I was missing half of my toenails...and the toenails I weren't missing were a dark purple-ish, black color. I'm sure if you ask any of my friends, they'll be sure to tell you how sexy my feet looked! My feet became so bad that it got to the point where I would have to take off weeks without running. On multiple occasions, I had a doctor try to drain my blisters, but some of them were so big that it took multiple needles to drain them. And they still came back the next time I ran! But I was stubborn. And cheap (something my friends will also attest to). I was not going to pay for new running gear. I mean, come on! There was nothing wrong with my $30 running shoes. Well, after I finished my first half marathon and was unable to walk for two weeks due to a foot injury, I realized it was finally time for new shoes...

If you're having problems with foot injuries/blisters, there are a couple solutions:

1. Buy New Shoes - Probably the best thing to do is to find a specialty running shoe store near you. I've come to realize that they're pretty easy to find. Just make sure the staff actually know what they're talking about. A specialty running shoe store will find a shoe to fit your exact foot. They will spend the time to measure your arches, balance, and gait to find the right shoe for you. Just make sure you bring the socks that you usually run in to the shoe fitting. Definitely spend the money on this. After all, it's NOT worth being injured!!!

2. Body Glide - I used to use this stuff all the time when I was swimming to prevent chaffing on my shoulders/neck. But I never thought about using it to prevent blisters until one of my other runner friends recommended it. Seriously, it works miracles! And it's cheap!

3. Experiment - When you run, try out different types of socks/clothing or different products (i.e. body glide or oils), and just see what works for you. Just never try something new on race day!!!




Also, your welcome! And not for the advice. I was going to share a picture of how badly my feet were messed up in the past.... but it's totally gross. So I'll spare you... for now.