blister question...

[Plant Based Caveman]

Hi,



Need an opinion or two. I have been running barefoot for 3 weeks. First week 1/3 mile (twice a week), second week 3/4 mile (twice a week), this week 1 mile (twice a week). Anyway, the second week I got a sort of blister (on the pad of my left foot below my middle toe) that became separated from the skin under it but there was no fluid in it. It's like a dry blister. It kind of reattached a little to the skin underneath during my rest days. When I ran again, the same thing happened. Yesterday it happened again. It kind of got a wrinkle in it that was bunching up on one end and it was affecting my running. After the run I had soreness in my right thigh from running the mile while trying to adjust to the annoying blister thingy.



I know it must sound a little funny to call it a blister thingy, but every blister I ever had, had liquid in it. So what do I do? Has anyone had this type of blister before? What are my options? Should I cut off the dead skin? I have a feeling that it is going to be a problem again next time I run. Any ideas? Thanks,



Joe



Btw, I'm really loving BFR... i hope this doesn't put a damper on it for me...

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Damper, samper!  What's a

Damper, samper! What's a little blister now and then? Seriously. I've seen every type of blister possible from running barefoot, either on me or someone else. There are many types of blisters you can get and many reason why: temps of the ground (too hot, too cold), the wetness of your skin or the ground, the type of friction you're experiencing (pushing off, scraping, shearing), the type of terrain you are covering, but I have never heard of one person experiencing non-stop blisters, meaning they eventually do resolve. We all get over them. You just have to have the patience to work through them and figure out what you are doing wrong to correct them. Your skin will eventually thicken, condition, and you won't blister as much, if ever again. I have had the dry, white blister you are talking about, and I trimmed the skin away. If the thickness of the skin is not too thick, then trim it. If it's deep, then leave it be, or you will end up creating a very tender crater in your foot. Not fun.

 

[Haselsmasher]

Not sure what to tell you

Not sure what to tell you about cutting off the dead skin. I think the worry with a normal blister is that the raw skin underneath is very susceptible to infection. If the skin under the "dry" blister is pretty healed and closed up my guess is there is not an issue with cutting off the dead skin.



A thing to consider is why this is happening. When I looked for reasons why I was getting my blisters and abrasions Jason Robillard pointed me to this page. It sounds like issues with the balls of the feet are an indicator of overstriding. Maybe shorten your strides a bit?



http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/2011/08/14/barefoot-and-natural-running-form-how-do-i-know-if-im-doing-it-right/



Jim

 

[Plant Based Caveman]

Thank you both for the

Thank you both for the comments and links. I'll read up on the articles. I'm going to take a few extra days off and try one more run. If it happens again, i'm just going to stop and call it a day. I'll go home and carefully remove the dead skin. The weird thing about it is that it isn't punctured (that I can tell), yet it doesn't have any air or liquid in it like a traditional blister. It's like a flat, dry, blister. It does get painful went it bunches up to one end though.



I agree that I am causing friction in that area. One of my legs is ever so slightly shorter than the other. You can't tell in person, however, the difference is significant enough that I have to get each pant leg hemmed individually when I need to have them tailored (it's visible if you use one pant leg as a measurement for both legs).



Anyway, I was thinking that perhaps the left foot, since it is slightly shorter, might not be making solid contact at the ball of the feet when it is cycling onto the ground. The shorter length is creating a "skimming-planting" of the ball of the foot, instead of just a "planting" of the ball of the foot. That's the theory I'm surmising for now. It would also explain my right thigh hurting after the run. I was bending my right knee a tiny bit deeper to compensate for the shorter leg. These are really micro-adjustment issues I'm describing. They're very subtle. It is something I am going to have to figure out. I understand that Michael Sanders has one leg shorter than the other. Perhaps I could try to contact him to see how he compensates for it?



Thanks again for the replies,



Joe

 

[Haselsmasher]

First of all - I hope your

First of all - I hope your "call it a day" comment means you won't push it on that run - not that you're going to conclude barefooting isn't for you.



Regarding the leg length discrepancy: I'll be interested to have others chime in, but my belief (if I understand correctly some of the form mechanics for barefoot running) is that a leg length discrepancy shouldn't require any effort or change to "deal with it". The right BFR form needs a foot plant under the hips where basically you're setting your foot on the ground. Then you pick it up. If one follows the Pose Method concepts (which I know in itself might be controversial - but Pose is very similar to what most would call a barefoot form and Pose done correctly should be a successful BFR form) then you're supposed to let your foot passively fall to the ground. So if each leg passively falls to the ground when under your hips it doesn't matter whether one leg is shorter than the other.



I think the earlier comment about why you're getting this blister is - as you said - your foot is sliding forward as it hits the ground. That's the overstriding problem - not a leg length difference problem.



My $.02.



Jim

 

[Plant Based Caveman]

Thanks for the comment Jim.

Thanks for the comment Jim. You might be right. There is no definitive answer right now. However, I will be looking to close my stride more, even though I'm not sure I am widening it. I'm willing to try any suggestions. It's a good suggestion and it can't cause any harm. I'll try to be mindful next time out.



A question about the foot plant thing. I have had a hard time understanding it when interpreted in strict terms. Planting the foot when it comes under the hip would be running in place wouldn't it? What is the dynamic that creates forward momentum? Is it the kick? Thanks



Joe

 

[Haselsmasher]

You raise a good question. 

You raise a good question. The method of movement is a slight forward lean. Your mention of running in place is a good way to learn that. Run in place. You're not moving forward at all. While running in place very slightly lean forward from the ankles. (The ideal is to maintain a rigid - but relaxed - body that leans forward by pivoting at the ankles.) You'll start to move forward. It hopefully feels like you're leading with the hips. Some try to get the lean by pivoting at the waist and this can cause a variety of subsequent form issues - such as overstriding.



When running in this manner it will probably feel like you're landing with your feet behind you.



The "kick" you mention is what is referred to as "pushing off" - which is a no-no. When barefoot pushing off will lead to blisters. Check out this video of Dr. Romanov (Inventor of Pose. I'm not trying to push Pose - I just happen to be familiar with it.) Obviously he wouldn't be able to move like he does on ice if he were pushing off.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_pNb01YoSA



Jim

 

[Plant Based Caveman]

Jim, Thanks for the link.

Jim,



Thanks for the link. Very interesting. The visual helps.

From various videos and books I gather that I should bend at the ankles and lean forward (but keeping my body straight) using gravity to sort of "pull" me along as I create just enough resistance to keep from falling over forward so as to keep forward momentum?



There is talk of the sensation of falling over forward. I'll definitely have to get used to that...



Joe