Blisters and hydration questions

Cali Girl

Cali Girl

Barefooters
May 12, 2010
141
1
0
#1
Hi all,



My first question is about blisters from my VFF's when I have never gotten them before. I've been wearing these all winter, sometimes with socks and sometimes without and have had absolutely no problems with blisters. Now all of a sudden after wearing them for a 5k mud run, they are causing small blisters on the same spot of both feet. Any ideas as to why? I thought maybe there was some grit left in there from the run, but I hosed them off and washed them then allowed them to air dry and am not feeling any dirt left in them. I'm only up to doing half of my run barefoot so really need to keep using these until I am able to go completely bare, but I really don't want to deal with blisters.



Next is about water. I posted a little while ago about suffering from fatigue and it was suggested that maybe I am not drinking enough water. I have a hard time because I tend to not really like plain water and figured this is an easy enough one to give some attention to. Problem is, what exactly is enough water? lol I've been trying to keep track of how much I drink and can say that I drink at least 64oz of water a day as well as my decaf green/herbal iced tea I tend to prefer as well. My tea is sweetened with stevia. I tend to always be thirsty and have noticed that I feel like I am dying for a drink after only 1.5 to 2 miles, which is as long as my runs are since I'm on week 7 of the couch to 5k. Anyone else deal with getting real thirsty on runs this short?



Thanks in advance for any and all advice/ideas.



Cali
 
#2
About the blisters.  Since

About the blisters. Since your feet were probably slipping around quite a bit in them through the mud, I would guess that's what did it, too much shearing.

The 64 ounces of water is basically a guideline for most people. It's possible that you need more. I too need to take more water than that, or I feel dehydrated and parched. Doe Stivia act as a diueretic?
 
#3
Try drinking water with Nuun

Try drinking water with Nuun (http://shop.nuun.com/Nuun). Maybe you're lacking some minerals and that's what makes you feel thirsty. Nuun has a light and pleasant taste, it will make you enjoy your drinks.

If you're thirsty while running, take a drink with you.
 
#4
About the blisters, perhaps

About the blisters, perhaps since you raced you may have lost your form and are now noticing it.



As for water, i feel your pain. I was a bartender when i started drinking water. I never liked it before, same with vegetables. I now fully enjoy both only after the growing pains of forcing myself to consume them. I can even eat a dry salad no problem and like my water room temp. How much water is enough? You have to figure that out. Just drink a small glass every hour and see how that goes. Likely in summer you'll drink more.



I believe if your getting so thirsty on your runs that your breathing through your mouth a lot. Stop. Breathe through your nose and only exhale through your mouth on tough uphills. That should help. I had problems with this as well but trained myself to do it. Growing up with asthma i never ran and when i did i breathed through my mouth.



Mike
 
#5
@TJ - I didn't get blisters

@TJ - I didn't get blisters during the run, only since then. As for stevia being a diuretic. I have no idea but don't think so although I will definitely do some reading up on it.



@sloutre- I have never heard of Nuun before. Thank you for the link, I will check it out. I thought about getting a small bottle to carry along with me. I guess I just feel like I really shouldn't need it on short runs such as where I am at it my capabilities, but may do so if I can't figure a way around it.



@migangelo - That very well could be. I never really pay much attention to my form other than trying to keep my steps small and lift instead of push. When I spend too much time paying much more attention than that I mess myself all up. lol

I do breathe through my mouth a lot while running! I've tried inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth but can't seem to get it. I have also tried nose breathing only to some extent but can only do so for the first mile or so. I will try some more and see how it goes. Sometimes my nose runs while I run and that causes issues with nose breathing. lol Does make me keep my pace nice steady and slow though so that could be a plus as well since I have a hard time pacing myself too.



Thanks all!
 
#6
My vff's got trashed during

My vff's got trashed during my mud run. I would assume yours are too. They strecthed out and ripped. Also the sole came apart from the upper in a few places and there was actually quite a bit of sand and gravel between the foot bed and the sole.

Try washing them out a couple more times and use a brush. Then let them dry completely and see if the sole came apart too. If so check to make sure there is nothing inside.

Hope that helps!

One other thing, it might just be that your feet are changing and they aren't fitting the same in your vff's? That would be my guess.
 
#7
Stevia is NOT a diuretic..

Stevia is NOT a diuretic.. but as a dietitian I can tell you that as a baseline for active adults we suggest 30ml fluid for each kg of body weight... athletes often need 35... and if you sweat a lot, it may even go up from there... 1000ml is 4 cups.. just to give you an idea.. weight in kg is weight in pounds over 2.2

If you are drinking at least that amount and still having issues- you may want to see a doc, it can be a sign of blood sugar issues or of mouth breathing.. I mouth breath and need a TON of water... I carry it with me.. I want to get a belt instead of my over the shoulder thing I have now to hold it... I have a water fanny pack thing from when I used to run and I need to dig in the garage for it...
 
#8
Ya my nose runs ALL the time,

Ya my nose runs ALL the time, even more so when i'm running. I carry tissue or even a handkerchief. If i don't have either being a man i'll just blow my nose on the bottom of my shirt.



You really want to work on breathing through your nose. You lose a lot of moisture breathing through the mouth and you don't get in enough oxygen which could lead to hyperventilating. Just slow down and work on deep breathing. Oh, i've done yoga for a few years and practiced deep breathing which helped learn how to breath through my nose while running.



good luck,

Mike
 
#9
Just as our feet evolved to

Just as our feet evolved to allow us to run, our thirst mechanism evolved to tell us when we need to drink. It might take a little while to re-learn listening to our thirst, but it's far easier that re-learning to run barefoot
wink.png


The whole 'you need to drink x litres of water per day' is completely overblown in my opinion. Most here would be familiar with the arguements for BF running...those same principles about our bodies and how they've evolved apply to thirst as well.

Marc
 
#10
Thanks all! This place is

Thanks all! This place is such a wealth of support and information. I really rocks! I have been doing yoga for a couple of years and so I worked hard during my run on Fri to nose breath and it did help wonders with my dry mouth and thirst issues. I'm attempting to listen to my body beter and drink when I even think I might be thirsty. As for sugar issuies. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia several years ago and get it checked every couple of years since there is a lot of diabetes in my family. So far it has been going well as long as I eat small meals more often.

I have 2 more weeks of the couch to 5k and after that I am hoping to start either an 8 or 10k program. Might be needing to look into something to hold water, a belt, pack, bottle etc although not even sure where to start with that. Guess I will start searchign through old posts here and see what folks like best.

Thank you all again for all the support!



Oh! almost forgot. I think the blisters were from actually fastening the velcro straps of my KSO's when I hadn't done so before the mud run. for some reason during my first two runs this week I fastened them down snug. Went to go do the same on fri and it dawned on me that I had never done so before so I left them lose like ususal and had no issues. Duh!
 
#11
Hydration waist pack: On my

Hydration waist pack: On my long runs I use this one: http://tinyurl.com/3jhjmb7

I chose that one because the pocket is large enough to fit an energy bar, my cell phone, a tube of Nuun, my huaraches and more if needed. And it's the most comfortable I've tried in that price range. I think you should try them in a store and find the one that fits your body shape without bouncing or being too tight.

I don't really like drinking out of a plastic bottle, I prefer metal or glass, but I use it only once a week and it's very practical and doest leak in my back. I could probably fit my kleen kanteen in there too.

I tried camelbacks but I hated having something so big on my back.

I drink a few sips every 15 minutes and it had helped me a lot. On a long run over 10 miles I try to refill the bottle in a restaurant or store and I drop a Nuun tablet in my water.

The extra weight is not too hard to get used too and I'm doing much better now that I can drink a little. I used about 30 ounces (1 bottle and a half) to run 13 miles yesterday. It's about the amount I drink for only 6 miles when I run in the boring indoor track.

You could also plan a route with water stops. Most restaurants or big stores will let you have a glass of tap water or let you use their water fountain.
 
#12
tutaepaki wrote:Just as our

tutaepaki said:
Just as our feet evolved to allow us to run, our thirst mechanism evolved to tell us when we need to drink. It might take a little while to re-learn listening to our thirst, but it's far easier that re-learning to run barefoot
wink.png
The whole 'you need to drink x litres of water per day' is completely overblown in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I've been suspicious of those hydration recommendations as well. They always seem like a LOT of water, and if I drink liters of water like that, I usually end up peeing it out, unless it's the middle of the summer and I'm sweating nonstop. Also, while my personal experience does suggest that water can affect comfort and performance in athletics, it takes a fair amount of exercise (45 min, an hour?) for me to get to the point where drinking more seems to make a difference.

Tutaepaki, it's interesting you talk about re-learning to listen to the thirst mechanism. It may not be so easy. I have been trying to listen to my hunger and fullness mechanisms for a while now. So many cultural things make it hard to pay full attention to eating, it was totally novel to me when I started experiencing actual hunger (see this post).

Drinking is even more social and habitual and hard to notice: coffee breaks, happy hours, cups of tea on the desk, etc. I think it will be hard to learn thirst when for the most part people don't experience it much. ??
 
#13
I read somewhere that the

I read somewhere that the recommended amount of water was actually suppose to include the water in the food you eat too.
 
#14
I'm a clinical dietitian by

I'm a clinical dietitian by trade: fluid amounts (typically 20-30 ml/kg body weight) include all fluids put into a body- so yes, fluids from food are included in that number. Activity levels and other health concerns are modifying factors.. I have seen congestive heart failure and kidney failure patients on 10 ml/kg fluid restrictions at times. some people who sweat a lot I've seen need up to 40.. if your kidneys function properly, anything extra will be excreted.. and when you change your intake level you will pee a lot for a week or so until your body gets used to it, even if you were running dehydrated before. Many American's run mildly dehydrated all the time.

Amie
 
#15
I've read that people who

I've read that people who sweat a lot are healthier than those who don't. Is this true?
 
#16
I hope so because I sweat

I hope so because I sweat like a man. lol I've been making sure to drink 64oz of water daily for the last several days on top of my decaf green/herbal iced tea, lifewater 0 and anything else I might think of to drink that does not contain caffeine or artificial sweeteners. I'm hoping this will make a difference in some of my issues.

I know I don't drink nearly as much daily as I used to when I fought fires. Back then I always had something in my hand to drink. It was just too dangerous not to be hydrated all the time because I never knew when I was going to be called out. I'm trying to get myself back into that train of thought.

Also, thanks for the recommendation on the belt. Good idea on going into a store to try them on. Thanks!
 
#17
I don't know that its

I don't know that its healthier.. it's different.. some people sweat more, some excrete more liquid in urine, but the big one is excreting it SOMEWHERE because it does remove toxins from the body both ways.. if you aren't peeing or your pee is dark, or you never sweat, I'd be worried about dehydration or body function issues.. hopefully the former as its easily treatable..
 
#18
hmmm, well, I beg to differ

hmmm, well, I beg to differ on the statement that "any excess will be excreted". That is most definitetly not the case. It's called hyponatremia, and it is FAR more dangerous than dehydration.



Anyone really interested in the myths around hydration and exercise should read the series on it here .All the science and physiology explained.



Marc
 
#19
Hyponatremia comes from

Hyponatremia comes from excessive sweat, dysfunctional kidneys OR the body not getting enough sodium to start with, NOT from a healthy person excreting extra via urine... and honestly- runners need more electrolytes for a reason- sodium included, they are part of what we excrete via sweat as opposed to part of urine.. fluids go to both though and excess FLUID is excreted no matter what unless there is a medical condition (ascites from liver disease, edema, etc.. )
 
#20
Marc,I just started reading

Marc,

I just started reading one of the articles you pointed to. I find it extremely interesting. Thanks for sharing.
 
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