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Introduction

This book grew out of my experiences of seeing and hearing the horror stories of athletes who suffer as a result of their foot problems. I have cut the socks off a runner's feet at mile 92 of a 100-mile run and see the skin fall of the bottoms of both feet. I have helped a runner who completed a 100-mile run and could no longer walk because of the terrible condition of her feet--and literally had to soak the socks off her feet. I have seen the macerated skin on the feet of a runner who failed to take care of his feet through his ultramarathon, and watched the grimacing faces of adventure racers as their teammates tried to repair their horribly blistered and batted feet. I have watched as well-meaning crews and teammates have tried to repair the feet of their fellow athletes and as well-meaning aid station volunteers have tried their best to fix the feet of athletes in their events. In all of these examples, the athletes, crews, and teammates have tried their best--based on their limited knowledge of what to do, and most often have done well. But often there is a better way or other options--and they can be found in the pages of this second edition of Fixing Your Feet!

There are few sports that do not use the feet. Most rely heavily on the athlete keeping his or her feet happy and healthy. Many of these athletes have learned the finer points of how to keep their feet in shape. There are many sources of conventional wisdom about footcare and while much of this wisdom is good, the best stuff often comes from athletes who through trial and error, have found unique solutions to what works for their feet--to what is effective in preventing and treating problems. I think Ronald Moak, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker (1977) and Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker in 2000, sums it up best, "I would like to think that after 30-years of backpacking, I'd have solved the little dilemma of my feet. But alas I'm not that naive." Ronald has the right idea, it's good to listen to all forms of advice then try different things for yourself. Don't be afraid to go against conventional wisdom. Just because it didn't work for others doesn't mean it won't work for you.

When running, problems with one's feet, whether in a 10K, a duathlon or triathlon, a marathon, or an ultra, are the most common factors that prematurely end or ruin the run. Likewise, in the world of hiking, many a trip has been shortened because of blisters. Adventure racing, typically a unique multi-disciplined sport, requires healthy feet on all team participants at the same time, often over several days. One participant's bad feet can spell disaster for the whole team. Consider the following examples.

Robert Nagel, one of the world's best adventure racers, recalls his experiences in the 1996 Extreme Games, "Our team had a strong and growing lead when my feet caused us to grind to a crawl. We continued, barely, losing over 12-hours in the process, but still managed to take third place." He remembers that ESPN was continuing to show tapes of his feet--16 months after the event! After that experience, he worked hard to perfect a regime that would prevent such a disaster from happening again.

Roland Mueser, in his book Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail, describes what he found when he surveyed hikers. "Problems with feet were endemic. Half of the hikers experienced blisters at the start; many of these were attributed to thrusting tender feet into stiff, heavy boots. During his first few days in Georgia, one hiker was forced into a hospital for an entire week with so many serious blisters that his trip was terminated. And even later when hikers' feet became toughened, the combination of rain, heavy boots, and wet socks meant trouble for one out of five on the trail. One foot-troubled backpacker reported having seven blisters at one time. And more than one hiker, squirming out of boots, was horrified to see socks soaked with blood."

There are no shortcuts to finding what works for each of us. What works for one runner's feet may not work for another runner. The foot care efforts of one hiker or adventure racer may work wonders for him or her but cause you problems. This book offers information that has been tested by experienced athletes: runners, triathletes, adventure runners, hikers, and backpackers. If you study the information and make the application to your specific foot problems, by trial and error, you will determine what works for you. There are hundreds of tips in this book, but the bottom line is that you need to find which ones work for you. Try one. If it doesn't help, try another. Remember though, what works for you today may not work for you tomorrow and what works for me may not work for you.

By doing your homework, you'll be closer to solving your foot problems. If you are constantly plagued by blisters and use a lubricant, try powders; if you use cotton socks, try one of the new synthetic socks or double layer socks; if you use moleskin, try one of the new blister patches. I recommend trying these in your training, not during your competitive events or on your long-awaited hiking trip. Time spent learning what works for your feet can mean more time hiking or running and less time fixing problems when you don't want them or need them.

Two words sum up the advice in this book: proactive and reactive. Prevention is being proactive--working to solve problems before they develop. When problems develop, everything becomes reactive--working to solve an existing problem. Being proactive takes time up front. Being reactive takes time when you often do not have the time or the resources available and may put the event in jeopardy.

Some of you will read the material completely and make intelligent decisions about how to fix your feet. Educating yourself about preventive maintenance and implementing some of the ideas will help reduce your time spent treating problems. Others of you will skip right to the Treatments section that describes the problem that you are now having without ever taking the time to read about and understand the components of preventive maintenance. You will very likely continue to have problems until you fully understand the importance of proactive prevention before reactive treatment.

The real eye-opener, as I researched material and interviewed athletes, even for this second edition, was:

• The extent of the problems so many athletes have with their feet
• That so many of these same athletes naturally expect to have problems
• What has worked for them in the past no longer works
• What they see other athletes do with their feet does not work for them
• They do not know what options they have to fix their feet

This eye-opener led me to: research related books, articles, medical studies; contact numerous companies about their products and services and what they could do for our feet; consult with medical specialists; and talk to runners, hikers, and adventure racers. What I envisioned as a short booklet quickly turned into a book. My office swelled with stacks of product brochures, books, magazines, and boxes of sample products. Encouraged by those I talked to, the project grew.

Dennis Grandy, D.P.M., the former Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run Podiatry Director, has treated the foot problems of many hundreds of runners. He has seen "... many conditions that were treated 'on the spot' with no medical reference ever being available. Blisters, although very common, are usually overlooked and often cause the runner to drop from the race." David Hannaford, D.P.M, is a sports podiatrist to many Olympians, ultrarunners, and other endurance athletes. Dr. Bill Trolan has served as medical consultant to adventure racing teams, fixing many participants' feet. Each of these doctors has treated many, many athletes whose runs, hikes, and adventure races are jeopardised because of foot problems. Their experiences underscore the need for this book about Fixing Your Feet.

Dave Scott, a good friend and very capable ultrarunner, put the foot problem in proper perspective when he said, "When you don't take care of your feet during a long run or race, each step becomes a reminder of your ignorance." My goal in writing this book is to give you the information necessary to make informed and intelligent choices in both the prevention and treatment of your foot problems.

No matter what your sport, this book can help your with your feet. Whether you are a 10-km runner, a triathlete, a marathoner or an ultrarunner; an overnight hiker or a long-distance thru-hiker; or a novice or veteran multi-sport adventure racer, this book can help you understand how to keep your feet healthy.

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