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Insole Quandary

May 30, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: Foot Care Products, Footwear, Footwear Products Tagged: insoles, replacement insoles, sports insoles

There are two kinds of athletes when it comes to insoles. Those that buy new shoes and never change the stock insoles, even when they become paper-thin. And those that use the stock insoles for a bit, or even right from the start, and then purchase new insoles. I think stock insoles have gotten better, but many are simply a cardboard style insole that may have some sort of pressed form around the heel or arch. They may work okay for a while, but over miles and miles of wear, they lose what …

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Taping for Wearing Sandals

May 18, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: Foot Care, Foot Care Products, Footcare, Footwear, Footwear Products, General, Taping Tagged: taping feet, taping for flip-flops, taping for sandals

There are times when an athlete may switch from wearing shoes to sandals. This happened in the 2019 Six Days in the Dome when runners were trying to get as many miles as possible in six days. A runner was having issues with his shoes. His feet were hurting and he decided to try wearing sandals. The design of his sandals was a strap running from between the large and second toe where it then split to attach to either side of the sandal mid-foot—just like on flip-flops. After making the …

What Went Wrong with These Toes?

May 7, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: blister care, Foot Care, Footcare, Health, Sports, Taping, toenails Tagged: badwater ultramarathon, patching blisters, toe blisters, toenails

Every so often you capture one of those pictures that are perfect for a teaching opportunity. This is one of those pictures. There are actually two pictures, both from the same runner. These are from last July’s Badwater race in Death Valley. In the first picture, the first thing you notice is the blisters. Three of them. All are fluid-filled. The middle one appears to have a tinge of blood in it. The one on the large toes is just starting to drain—notice the drop of fluid going down the …

Blister Taping in the Toe Joint

Apr 26, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: blister care, Foot Care, Foot Care Products, Footcare, Taping Tagged: blister taping, cover roll tape, joint taping kinesiology tape, taping, toe taping

I want to share a tip on taping a blister in a toe joint. It can be used on any toe joints and even on finger joints. Blisters in the crease of the toe joints are quite common. Occasionally, an athlete develops a hot spot or blister at the base of a toe—right in the joint or crease where it flexes and bends. It can be hard to patch this kind of bister. Start by cleaning the whole area to be taped with an alcohol wipe, draining the blister, and applying a small dab of antibiotic ointment …

The Power of Nathan’s Story

Apr 13, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: blister care, Books, Foot Care, Foot Care Products, Footcare, Travel Tagged: blisters, Foot Care, proactive foot care, racing the planet

Today is National Storytelling Day. When I saw this in an email this morning, I thought of the perfect blog post. This story was first told in the 5th edition of Fixing Your Feet back in 2010—and it’s in the 6th edition too. Right in the front of the book. This is a story about being proactive. I hope you’ll take the time to read it. Here’s the story. I received an e-mail from Nathan, who lives in the Kimberley region of northwest Australia. The week before, he had finished the seven-day, …

Let’s Support Each Other and Learn

Apr 1, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: Books, Foot Care, Foot Care Products, Footcare, Footwear Products, Health Tagged: Foot Care, virus

Most of us, in today’s new world of COVID-19, no matter where we live, are using social-distancing techniques. I pray all of you are well. I also hope you are able to get out a bit for a run, hike, or bike—while also being careful to avoid exposure to someone who might be a COVID-19 carrier. Since most don’t know they might carry the virus, we need to exercise caution at all levels. So here’s my post for today in the new world of social distancing. I know some readers are working at their …

How Often Should You Change Your Running Shoes

Feb 17, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: Footcare, Footwear, General, Health, Sports Tagged: changing shoes, david dack, running shoe wear, shoe wear, when to buy new running shoes

Today’s guest blog post is from David Dack, an established fitness blogger and running expert. Your running shoes might be built from some solid materials, but they won’t last you forever. Even the most expensive shoes can only take so much, but how do you know when it’s time to get a new pair? To help you make the right decision, in today’s post, we’re going to look into why (and when) you should replace your running shoes, and what to look for to determine when it’s time to pull the …

Free Introduction to Ultrarunning Webinar

Feb 9, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: General, Sports Tagged: Ellen Westfelt, Introduction to Ultrarunning, Johnny Hällneby, Ultrarunning Academy

Most people like “free.” If you are one of those and want to either get into running ultramarathons or get better at running them, this is for you. It’s a free webinar, an Introduction to Ultrarunning. The webinar is sponsored by the Ultrarunning Academy, founded by professional ultrarunners and coaches Johnny Hällneby and Ellen Westfelt in 2013. The latest addition to the team is Jënni Jalonen, ultrarunner, adventurer and coach. On Feb 22 and 26 they will offer a free webinar with useful …

Q&A – Hot Spots Quick Fix

Feb 7, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: blister care, Foot Care, Foot Care Products, Footcare Tagged: engo, fixing hot spots, hot spots

Here’s a question I received a while back—but is relevant anytime. I’ll have some extra comments after the Q&A. The Question I am hoping you can give me some advice. I am running AC 100 in three weeks, and the last couple of long training runs I have done on the course, I have had hotspots on the bottom of my foot, near the front of my foot, just before my toes. The hot spot lingers several days after my runs as well, but I don't have any blisters. I am getting a little nervous because …

Q&A – Forefoot Hotspots and Blisters

Jan 22, 2020 · by jvonhof · In: blister care, Foot Care, Foot Care Products, Footcare, Footwear Tagged: blisters, engo, forefoot hotspots, hot spots

I get emails from runners asking for foot care advice. I’m going to run some of these occasionally to share the problem and what I suggest as a solution—because many times, these are common problems. If pictures are included, I’ll add them here too. You’ll see my thought process as I try to analyze what is happening and why. I welcome feedback from others. I will keep the names out of the emails for privacy’s sake. The question I am hoping you can give me some advice. I am running AC 100 …

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