Western States Archives - Fixing Your Feet

Jul 2, 2017 · by John · In: blister care, Foot Care, Footcare, General, Health Tagged: blisters, Foot Care, maceration, Western States, wet feet

On June 12 I wrote a blog post Running a Wet 100 Mile Trail Run. On June 24, I found out many runners ignored my advice, to their detriment. Maybe they didn’t read it, or didn’t see it, or simply read it and ignored it. A typical year at WS has our foot care team at Michigan Bluff lancing and patching a goodly number of blisters. On toes, heels, ball of the foot, arches, and more. Maybe 50 to 75 blisters. Maybe more. We really don't count. This year I lanced and patched one blister. Yes, …

Jun 12, 2017 · by John · In: blister care, Foot Care, Foot Care Products, Footcare, Footwear, Footwear Products Tagged: blisters, Foot Care, maceration, Western States, wet feet

In less than two weeks is the running of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. I will be at the 55.7-mile Michigan Bluff aid station, along with Tonya Olson and others on the medical team. Our aim is to make sure you are healthy to continue on towards Placer High School and a good finish. For the past six years, the mountains have been dry and the trails dusty. Feet get caked with dirt. Blisters are caused by the dust and dirt as an irritant inside shoes and socks. 2011 was the last snow …

Jun 25, 2013 · by John · In: blister care, Foot Care, Health, Sports Tagged: blister prevention, blisters, bodyglide, calluses, Cold Heat, Extreme Heat, feet problems, Finish Line, foot blisters, foot problems, heel blisters, insoles, Michigan Bluff, Mile Endurance Race, Problem Areas, Rough Edges, Rough Patches, Second Sunrise, Sierras, sore feet, Squaw Valley, toe blisters, Water Crossings, Western States, Western States 100

This weekend close to 400 runners will start at Squaw Valley and make the trek over the Sierras towards Auburn – 100 miles away. It’s the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Race. I love the race, having completed it three times in the late 80’s. It’s tough and throws a lot at the runners. Cold, heat, extreme heat, streams running down the trail, rocks, dust and grit, water crossings, long ups and long down through numerous canyons – and for many runners, a second sunrise with renewed heat. I …

Jun 17, 2012 · by John · In: blister care, Foot Care, Sports Tagged: Athlete Foot, Athlete S Foot, Band-Aids, blisters, calluses, Emt, Fixing Your Feet, Foot Care, Footcare, gaiters, Holes, hot spots, Limited Supplies, lubricant, Medical Person, Mile Races, Miracle, podiatrist, Runners, socks, vaseline, Western States

Lets talk about expectations for foot care at races. I like this subject because being prepared is important. It can make my work easier and likewise that of everyone helping with medical and foot care at races. This coming weekend is Western States and there will be a lot of runners needing help with their feet. Over the years I have seen everything at 100-mile races. Runners with holes in their socks or socks so worn you can see through the material, severe Athlete’s Foot, long and untrimmed …

Jul 3, 2011 · by John · In: blister care, Foot Care Tagged: Fixing Your Feet, Foot Care, maceration, Western States

Last weekend I worked the Michigan Bluff aid station at the Western States 100 Mile Run. The 2011 running of this amazing footrace over California's High Sierras was different for several reasons. This was a huge snow pack year, resulting in many runners with wet feet and footwear for long periods of time. The temperatures were particularly mild, resulting in the highest finisher rate since 1993. As I worked the medical aid station, feet were my first responsibility. Somehow that's the …

Jun 29, 2009 · by John · In: Foot Care Tagged: Foot Care, Podiatry, Western States

Feet, socks, shoes, skin, toenails, gaiters, foot care - all things that are a huge part of my life. Saturday and Sunday I worked at two aid stations and the finish line at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Nine hours at Michigan Bluff, a brief stop at Foresthill, and then five hours at the finish line. In this post, I will touch on a few things I saw and learned from the runners I saw and helped. Then in the weeks ahead, I will elaborate on each of the things. Compression socks - …

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