Blisters Be Gone and a Sneak Peak

On my last couple of long runs, I've come home with a wicked blood blister on my left foot where my big toe meets my foot. I was unsure why as I have quality synthetic socks and slather on Body Glide like it's ridiculous. Maybe it was my shoes. I bought them at the end of January, and according to my Garmin data, I've run about 375 miles on them. That was the low-end of the mileage cap, but I thought it worth checking out.

So, when I got off work yesterday, I headed out to Fleet Feet in Chesterfield, where I bought the shoes in the first place, fully prepared to shell out for a new pair of shoes. The team member who looked over my shoes and insoles told me they are wearing evenly and still have plenty of miles in them. Nice! $150+ saved. She shared that since the humidity had increased (seriously, it's like swimming through the air here), she'd also been experiencing more blisters. It made sense...gross but I've been soaked through with sweat after runs lately, and I can only assume my feet are more sweaty too. I got another style of sock that fits more snugly on the foot to reduce friction even more. I also got a pack of Liquicell blister bands. They're just like the blister band-aids you may have seen, but the middle of the strip is filled with liquid that provides great protection (used them on this morning's run and it worked!). So, hopefully, my blister will soon be a thing of the past.

Since it wasn't busy, I also asked about my lower calf pain. She gave me a compression sleeve to try wearing during and/or after runs when it's acting up. I didn't wear it running this morning, but I put it on afterward and it really relieved the discomfort. She also spent time talking about marathon training and offering some suggestions for exercises to strengthen the inner thigh (for muscle balance), nutrition, and stretches to do on the foam roller. As someone who constantly bitches about poor customer service, I also have to give props when props are deserved. I found it  refreshing that 1.) she was interested in what I really needed, not on making the big sale, and 2.) that she spent time offering extra advice and encouragement.

In other news...I was recently contacted by CSN Stores about doing a product review / giveaway of one of the gazillions of items available on their online stores (there are over 200)! You can seriously find just about anything you could possibly want. I found stuff I wanted in pretty much every category...from fitness equipment to pet accessories  to housewares...and even a bathroom sink. No, seriously, they sell those too.

I haven't quite decided which product I'll choose, but here are a few of the items I'm contemplating...




Stay tuned! And, if you can't wait until then, check out the CSN Stores and do some shopping of your own!