AlanT
Guest
Looking for advice about how to heal a small cut on the sole of my foot - and keep running barefoot. (I think I already have the answer to this, but it would help me to talk it out. So please bear with me.)
About five weeks ago, I ran over a sharp stone, bruising the center of the ball of my right foot, and also got a small cut there. Got home, cleaned the area, and applied polysporin.
I kept to my training schedule for the marathon that was coming up coming up three weeks later, but was forced to do both my training and the marathon in my VFFs in order to allow the cut to heal.
After the marathon, I went back to barefoot runs. The bruising had almost entirely gone, and the cut had healed. The skin around the cut had healed too, but was still a little bit thin . I had a good week's barefoot running, got back up to 15K barefoot, and then the small cut opened up again.
I've got a 50K coming up in about two weeks, so am back to running in VFFs in order to keep my distance up.
Common sense says that the answer is to run in VFFs (i.e., with some protection), until the cut heals over really well. Then start again slowly, with short distances, and not push things until the skin on the ball of my foot is not only healed but nicely conditioned.
I know that. But.
I want to run barefoot. Running keeps me sane, but running barefoot makes me saner - and happier. I don't want to run in VFFs any longer or more often than I have to.
So my question is... Is there any else I can do/might do/could do - besides being very, very patient - that will help me get back to barefooting as quickly as possible?
Alan
About five weeks ago, I ran over a sharp stone, bruising the center of the ball of my right foot, and also got a small cut there. Got home, cleaned the area, and applied polysporin.
I kept to my training schedule for the marathon that was coming up coming up three weeks later, but was forced to do both my training and the marathon in my VFFs in order to allow the cut to heal.
After the marathon, I went back to barefoot runs. The bruising had almost entirely gone, and the cut had healed. The skin around the cut had healed too, but was still a little bit thin . I had a good week's barefoot running, got back up to 15K barefoot, and then the small cut opened up again.
I've got a 50K coming up in about two weeks, so am back to running in VFFs in order to keep my distance up.
Common sense says that the answer is to run in VFFs (i.e., with some protection), until the cut heals over really well. Then start again slowly, with short distances, and not push things until the skin on the ball of my foot is not only healed but nicely conditioned.
I know that. But.
I want to run barefoot. Running keeps me sane, but running barefoot makes me saner - and happier. I don't want to run in VFFs any longer or more often than I have to.
So my question is... Is there any else I can do/might do/could do - besides being very, very patient - that will help me get back to barefooting as quickly as possible?
Alan
....just make sure you clean it first, so you don't "trap" anything in it....I am huge fan of just pouring rubbing alcohol on any cut or abrasion. Kills everything. Drys fast too....then just put a little glue on it. Also, if I am getting a "soft spot" due to my propensity to over train, I'll make a small "film" of super glue over that spot...still can condition the skin undernieth it while giving just a little protection 
