FIXING YOUR FEET E-zine
Volume 7, Issue 9, September 2007
John Vonhof, Footwork Publications
Copyright, September 2007, All rights reserved
THIS ISSUE IN SUMMARY
This issue just barely makes it on the last day of September. Too much
to do and too little time. So this issue has a mix of items. An
editorial on Get Foot Care Advice, Give Advice, callus article
feedback, a bad feet photo, two foot care products, reader feedback, a
tough race, and an interesting non-feet product.
PURPOSE
The Fixing Your Feet E-zine is published monthly to inform and educate
athletes and non-athletes about proper foot care skills and techniques,
provide tips on foot care, review foot care products, and highlight problems people have with their feet.
EDITORIAL: GET FOOT CARE ADVICE, GIVE ADVICE
Some people say advice is over-rated. Some people listen nicely and then never put the advice to use. Some people turn a deaf ear to anyone giving advice. And, of course, some people have advice on anything – and are quick to give you their two cents worth.
I value advice and confess that I would not have learned all I know about foot care if I had not listed to those who shared what they knew. Over the years, as Fixing Your Feet evolved from its 1st edition to the current 4th edition, I have received lots of advice. In turn, I have given lots of advice. Some was given face to face and some by email but never with any strings attached. People gave me advice from their experiences, I tried it and added a few touches myself, tweaked it to work better if necessary. As I discovered new products, I told others about them. And others told me what new stuff they had found. That’s the essence of helping.
Let me share an example. George Earle had read my book, and by email I had given him some personal advice. That’s “Get Foot Care Advice”. Then he wrote back and shared how he had done and his routine to resolve his problems. That’s "Give Advice”. George is a great example of what I love to see – people helping people.
Here is what George wrote. “My experiences with calluses is generally isolated to the tips of my toes – especially the tips of two hammertoes on my left foot. These calluses cause me a great deal of pain if I don’t keep them filed down as much as possible. I must use some caution, because I can file through the callus into tender skin. When I file the callus thin the skin beneath is not blistered. The pain is not caused by an underlying blister but seems to come from the pressure of the hard callus against the skin and nerves underneath.
At your personal suggestion and advise from your book, I now use Kinesio Tex tape to cover those toes. Before a lengthy hike, or backpacking trip, I tape all my toes and find the tape prevents most soreness and blisters. Interestingly, the tape also seems to prevent pain from the calluses, even when the calluses are not filed down. I also find the taping will last five to seven days, even through daily showers. Good recommendations. Even for my "unusual" callus problem.
I generally use benzoin compound as an adherent. I have taped without the compound, but for me benzoin seems to make the taping last one or two days longer.
I also tried the suggestion from your book to apply benzoin compound and then a layer of Hydropel as another method to reduce soreness and blisters. But taping work better and last longer for me.”
Thanks George. Reading between the lines, here is what I took away from George’s advice:
1. Filing toe calluses can relieve the pressure on underlying nerves and skin.
2. Taping callused toes can reduce pain from the calluses.
This is a simple editorial but one that is close to my heart. I believe strongly in helping others. I love it when I have time to respond to a personal foot care question. I love it when someone has time to share a foot care tip with me. I love it when you take time to help someone else with his or her issues. If you don’t do that, you are missing a special part of life. Thanks.
I welcome your opinion on this editorial. Send me an email.
FIXING YOUR FEET, 4th EDITION
The 4th edition of Fixing Your Feet can be ordered through my FixingYourFeet.com web site, ZombieRunner.com, or Amazon.com. Completely updated, it has three new chapters and lots of new sections. The new retail price is $18.95 but these days no one pays full price! So, whichever of the two sites below you choose, the price is comparable.
WRITE AN AMAZON REVIEW FOR A FREE COPY OF HAPPY FEET
Those of you with the 4th edition can get a free copy of my booklet, Happy Feet: Foot Care Advice for Walkers and Travelers. Click on Amazon or Barnes & Noble to go to the book’s page—and write a review of the 4th edition. Then send me an email telling me which site the review is on and your snail mail address. I will mail you a free copy of this 36-page booklet. Use it yourself, or give it to someone else. The booklet is described below and has a $5.00 value. Sorry, but because of postage, this offer is good only in the U.S and Canada.
SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER
Please take a moment and forward this issue to a friend or two and encourage them to subscribe.
CALLUS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
Jan Herrmann wrote in response to My Best Blister Patch Ever in the August newsletter,
“Thanks for your message and for the great article. Now my feet are famous – for all the wrong reasons! I am happy to report that the dead skin under and around my right heel has completely come off now. The whole area is soft and smooth, and I intend to keep it that way! There are a few small spots left on the back of the heel which are still a bit thickened and hard, and I treat them with a callus file and cream. The left foot has healed much faster because the loose flap had properly re-attached. There are a few thickened bits and pieces there which I treat the same way as on the right foot. I started training for our Australian "Sea-to-Summit" 150 miler which is held in early December (summer down here). I will monitor my feet and report back how things go. Thanks again, and all the best.”
BAD FEET PHOTOS
The photo this month is one for which I have no named source. However I want to share it in order to 
show how a blister can be complicated. As you can see, the blister stretches from the back of the toenail along the side of the foot for several inches. I’d bet this blister formed from friction and pressure to the outer side of the big toe, probably from a shoe with a narrow toe box, and spread from there. The blood inside also makes it more complicate since if the skin tears, a large area will be exposed to possible infection.
Previous photos and their stories can be found in past issues of this newsletter (since July 2005). For photos before then, click here.
Just think; your feet could be featured in this e-zine for everyone to see! Submit your photo or short story by email or snail mail. Stories should be no longer than 250 words. Send them to me by email.
FEATURED FOOT CARE PRODUCTS
Dremel Rotary Tool
LeRoy, an ultarunner, wrote: “For some time I have had this toenail problem. It is the second toe of my right foot. It is black, built up and tender. I have tried everything to get the toe down to a reasonable. Every time I filed it, it was painful and took forever. So, this evening I used my Dremel. What a fantastic job it did. It only took a few seconds of actual sanding. Looks good, feels good and solved my problem. Add that to foot care books. It was a typical problem with blood blister that built up over time. No fungus. I sanded down most of the nail. It really looks good and feels so much better. It had been neglected. My fault. I just don’t get around to it or just don’t like the long drawn out file process.” If you are interested in a Dremel, check you local hardware store.
YogaToes
A reader named Brendan wrote about an interesting product. He wrote, “I found your site this summer 
when I took up running again, only to find that I had tailor’s bunions. Needless to say, I am all about my feet now. Thanks for a great blog. Here is a link to a foot gizmo that just might help a good number of folks out there. I am going to try it myself.”
YogaToes Toe Stretchers stretch and relax your feet. Ok, they look funny, and are not cheap… but they might work for you. Here is what Yoga Pro says; “Let YogaToes do the work for you. They work while you relax. YogaToes stretch, strengthen, and align foot muscles. This increases circulation, straightens bent toes, and can even realign the bones. YogaToes are truly revolutionary. Relieve foot pain while improving strength, flexibility and appearance.” These toe stretchers come in a variety of colors and sell for $49.95 with reduced prices when buying more than one. If you have toe pain, these may be worth trying. They come with a 90-day money back guarantee.
MY HAPPY FEET BLOG
If you like to stay informed about foot care issues and information – on a more regular basis than this monthly newsletter, check out my blog, Happy Feet: Expert Foot Care Advice for People Who Love Their Feet. This is different from this ezine. The Happy Feet blog will have a new short topic every week or so.
READER FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS
Bill Kossmann, from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada wrote, “Having read the 4th edition of Fixing Your Feet, a friend and I followed your advice and pre-taped our feet in advance of a 125KM trail race, the Canadian Death race. The result: not a single blister between us. Thanks very much!"
Editor’s note: Be sure to check out the information on this unique race later in this newsletter.
Matt Foresman wrote in response to my articles on calluses: “I completely agree with your position on calluses. Certainly, they represent a natural response the body is making to an irritant but they should be managed. I’ve participated in multi day adventure races and 24 hour Rogaine events and found my teammates that had calluses as protection from blisters had the worst blisters. I’m fortunate that I read and learned your thoughts on the subject or I’d been right there with a huge blister problem. While I can’t say I’ve not had a blister since I started managing differently I’ve certainly lessened the potential cause. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom.”
A reader with the email of D0ggYears wrote, “I took a pair of running shoes for a test run the day before I did IMUSA but I held off on buying them for two reasons: I wasn’t going to do a marathon in shoes I have never run in before and, well I work for Reebok and I get my shoes for free. I’m kind of kicking myself for not getting them now after my 10 mile run yesterday my right foot isn’t feeling too well …”
Reader feedback to this E-zine and its articles is welcome and encouraged. Please send me an email with your foot care ideas or tips that you have tried and would like to share with others, or ideas for an article for the e-zine.
THE CANADIAN DEATH RACE: ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH?
Think you are tough? Looking for a unique and different race? Check out this event held in August in Alberta, Canada. Here is information from their Web site:
"We designed the Canadian Death Race to ask one question: Are you tough enough? Find out if you’ve got what it takes to complete one of the toughest adventure races in the world! It’s all or nothing, and if you finish under the cut-off time, you win! Only by finishing will you earn the title of "Death Racer", plus 
a framed display case engraved with your name and finishing time that includes a scenic photo taken on the race course and a limited edition death race coin.
Please note that this is a 125 Km adventure race, and the great distances between aid stations, the remoteness of the territory, and the rough terrain will require racers to carry an adequate supply of water, food and safety equipment. The racers who finish the Death Race successfully will be those who are well trained and well prepared. This is not a 5 km race with aid stations at every kilometer: This is a wilderness adventure race of epic proportions! Read the Death Warrant Waiver that you sign. This is the Death Race and we ain’t kidding. It’s worth mentioning that training at altitude on the course is a great advantage. The trail is marked year round for training purposes, and we highly recommend you attend one of our training camps. We aren’t out to kill anyone, but be warned: this race is very unforgiving to those who are not prepared. One minute you’re on track to set a new record: the next minute, you’re being carried off the mountain on a stretcher." The dates for 2008 are August 2-5.
NON-FEET NEW PRODUCTS
Enlyten Electrolyte SportStrips are an innovative new product that replaces the electrolytes our bodies loses while exercising through cheek to gum absorption. This mode of absorption is very different than all 
electrolyte delivery predecessors. Gastric absorption is bypassed and the electrolytes are directly absorbed into the body. Additionally this will help to avoid the over-hydration that often accompanies the excessive consumption of sports drinks. Several Web sites I look at talked of putting anywhere from 3 to six strips in your mouth at a time. At SportsNation.com an Athlete Pack with 3 cassettes and 18 strips per cassette (a total of 54 strips) for only $8.99. Here are some of the specifics from the Enlyten Web site:
- Fast and efficient – Electrolytes absorb directly into your blood stream thus bypassing your GI track
- Quick Hydration – Allows athletes the ability to quickly hydrate when needed
- Easy to use – Place SportStrips in mouth between cheek & gum, and on tongue for optimal intake
- Safe and effective –Per strip: 0 Carbohydrates, 0 Sugar, 0 Calories, 14 mg Sodium, 4 mg Potassium
- Ingredients – Water, Pectin, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Natural & Artifical Flavors, Glycerine, Triglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Citric Acid, Cellulose, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, FD&C Yellow 6
HAPPY FEET BOOKLET
My booklet, Happy Feet! Foot Care Advice for Walkers and Travelers is in stock and ready for the walkers in your life. This booklet is 3.75 x 8.5 and 36 pages in length. In an easy read format, it gives advice on biomechanics and gait, buying footwear, fit, lacing, insole and toenail tips, skin care, powders and lubricants, blister care, sprains, foot care kits, and more. It’s on sale at 20% off for $4.00.
GOT A STORY TO SHARE?
I am always on the look out for stories to share about their adventures with some type of connection to feet. If you have something to share, please send me an email.
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