Hiking, Shoes and Training Blisters

Training walks

I have read many times that the best way to train is by walking and that makes sense. I’m trying to get elevated on my walks, but on a different note, the 3 people who work with me suggested I do weights too. My left Achilles tendon is healed, but when measured, that leg is half as strong as the right leg. So, I go to the gym several times a week, do yoga every day and do split squats for the left leg and some for the right leg. I am doing all my training walks at 30 pounds as I am estimating that will be normal with my base weight plus 4 liters of water and 5 days of food/snacks.

Last week I did a 20 mile day with breaks every 2 hours to eat, air out my feet, and rest. This worked out much better than a 16.5 mile day with just a 10 minute break. That day resulted in the dreaded shin pain in my right leg. I also learned that 4 liters of water was not enough for me when the temperature was in the low to mid 80s. I used some water for granola cereal at break one, some water for cooking lunch at break two, and the rest was for drinking. I ran with a mile to go. Fortunately I didn’t need them for the bidet or washing my hands. So next time it will be 5 liters, since I am not going to filter urban runoff water. 🙂

The goal for March is a lot of 15 mile days with a 1/2 hour rest in between. That is a feasible day of more than 5 hours. I want to put in 2 consecutive 20 mile days to see how things go, but there’s a lot of time and I need to get the job done. I was asked why the goal of 20 miles a day and it’s just what math tells me to do with zeros and zeros so I can finish before it snows in October. Plus, that pesky “work” thing will start again in October.

Some of the flowers from my recent walk in Carlsbad: Red Bush Monkeyflower, Garland Daisy, and Coast Morning Glory.

Shoes

Shoes are like beer, everyone has their preferences. During rehab, when I transitioned from protective boots to regular shoes, I went to an independent shoe store called Foot Comfort Store, owned by a husband and wife duo, and asked about Altras. Jessie just shook her head, smiled and said no, no Altras for you. Jessie explained that with my Achilles tendon recovery, zero drop shoes are not the way to go. He put me on a pair of Topo Ultraventures with a 5mm healing drop and they immediately felt amazing. While I won’t belittle the knowledge of people at the larger chain stores, a guy like Jessie who has had a lot of training and certifications can’t be beat. I also had a healing pain when during the first surgery a hole was drilled in the bone, the FHL tendon was placed in the hole and secured with a screw. Jessie poked at the scar and identified the location of the pain. I then cut and glued a horseshoe shaped piece of cushion to my insole to support the area around the pain. Now he was no longer pressing on that place. Problem solved. The point is not so much to praise Jessie, but to emphasize that it is important to go to a shoe store that has highly trained people who know what is best for each person. A year later and I’m still singing the praises of Topos. I have tried several insoles and with the Ultraventure I like the Superfeet Hikers. I also have a pair of Ultraventure boots for snow walking and they are too tight with the Hiker insoles.

Some more flowers from the walk: Shrubby Rock Rose and a different colored Red Bush Monkeyflower.

Blisters

Happily with my Topos and Darn Tough socks I haven’t had any blisters! That said, Wilderness Basic Course (WBC) staff member Ginny and I talk a lot about blisters and foot care. Ginny recommended reading “Mending Your Feet” by John Vonhof and Tanya Olson (7th ed.). That book has really pointed me toward various strategies for standing up.

I tend to have a hot spot between two of my toes and what I learned from WBC is to stop and take care of it at that time. Don’t wait for it to turn into a blister. There are a few options to prevent blisters: Leuko or kinetic tape, shoe liners, or some type of lubricant. At this point I have found that on the trail a little bit of Gurney Goo goes a long way and I apply it when my hot spot tends to form around 6 to 7 miles. Hmmm, maybe I should try applying it before the hike? I also tried the Body Glide anti-chafing balm on the hot spot and it works too. I wear gaiters to keep sand and small pebbles out of my shoes and that helps noticeably with less sand between my toes.

One element that comes up a lot in reading is that feet swell and seem to grow during a walk and many people increase the size of their shoes. So far my shoe size remains stable on all of my training hikes, but this is just training and not day in and day out on the trail. As far as caring for existing blisters, I haven’t read much into the Fixing Your Feet book, but I’m getting there. My conclusion is that when the hot spot starts, it’s time to stop and fix it.

Well that’s all for now, next up might be an article on PCT beers.

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