Discussion: Foot care tips for 24-hour Rogaine?

Competed in my first 24-hour Rogaine over a weekend. Great course by CNYO but very wet:) Felt like feet were wet the whole race. Was wearing nice Brooks trail running shoes, smartwool socks (changed socks twice), knee-high gaiters, applied Aquaphore to feet before race. Did not get blisters but somehow felt that came very close to getting them on the balls of my feet.
Wondering what tips experienced racers have to keep feet relatively dry and 'operational'. Do you change socks? Do you apply lubricant? Which one and how often? What to do if badaid/tape does not stick to wet feet?

You got through a 24-hour Rogaine without blisters?!

Sounds like Olga should be giving advice, not asking for it!!! :)

There is a book called "Fixing Your Feet" that has a lot of good advice. However, some of it, particularly the parts where they show survey results, is contradictory. For example, some people say they have to keep their feet dry to avoid blisters, and others say they get blisters unless the first thing they do is walk in a stream to get their feet wet.

I've also heard (and experienced, a couple of times) that having wet feet helps avoid blisters.

Me too! I'm one of the walk through a stream asap when I'm wearing O shoes. In trail runners I wear wool socks and try to stay as dry as possible. I rarely get blisters.

As a chronic blister-sufferer, I'd have to say you're all mad. I get my best results from a combination of:
* Bodyglide
* Strapping tape
* Spending good money on socks, preferably Injinjis.
* Staying the hell away from water. :)

Yep, no wet feet is the only way I avoid blisters, plus good hiking socks and Salomon shoes. I used to wear two pairs of really crap socks over each other but that was a dismal failure every time (both would have holes but in different places). When my feet get wet it's all over.

In every 24hr rogaine that I've competed in, we got wet feet within the first 30 minutes and stayed that way for the remainder of the event.

The only tips that I can offer is:
*strap your feet before the event, sports tape will never stick to damp skin
*change socks at least once during an event, I usually changed mine around 2am when I needed something to make me feel more positive about.
*accept that the last several hours always be painful and after talking with teammates this is just something that we have accepted and push through.

Sometimes a product to make your feet slightly waterproof can help, although this seems to be personal preference as to it's use.

I'm in the "it doesn't matter whether my feet are wet or dry, as long as I don't mess with my socks once they're on" category. Before socks go on, however, there's rigorous ankle taping and then Vaseline application over all areas which remain untaped.

Plenty of vaseline in my toe-socks that then go inside a normal sock has (after 20 years of blisters at every rogaine in dry Western Australia) seemed to have had the best outcome. Taping the feet lots pre-event also helps (but doesn't go with vaseline!), but with munted toes like mine I also get deep blisters that I cannot prevent.

Toughening up the feet by going barefoot for a few months helped me.

from backpacking experience, which I think could be similar...

hydropel was amazing, but I think its discontinued. so I use badger balm now.

my experience, don't wear anything waterproof. need breathable. change socks/wipe off feet and apply more balm during the day.

Pro backpacker..

http://andrewskurka.com/2012/why-waterproof-shoes-...

wear Wright double socks and don't worry even though your feet may be wet for a long time. Though we always come in after about 12 hours for food, a rest and to dry the feet out. And I changed shoes for the next day (Icebreakers the first day, then trail runners)

Some rogaines it is possible to easily avoid wet feet by sensible route choice. Others, like the CNYO rogaine a week ago, avoiding wet feet would have pretty much meant avoiding about 80% of the controls. My own experience is that shoe fit is the most important thing for blister avoidance, sock variety of significant but secondary importance, wet vs. dry feet doesn't make a lot of difference. I find it frustrating that shoe manufacturers seem to wish to change their models yearly, so that after being able to count on a particular shoe working well for many years, it may require three or four tries to find another good fit to my feet when that particular model is discontinued, or version 7 unaccountably undergoes a major shape change. Generally, though, I make it through the 24 hours without any blisters, or only one or two small ones that I really don't discover until taking the shoes off upon returning.

Ian Adamson gave a really good talk on foot care at CPT nationals a few years ago. He said to use hydropel for a few days before the race so it really gets into your skin.

Injinis work pretty good for me, but I almost always get blisters after 10 miles.

looks like hydropel is discontinued( Did anybody find a good replacement?

Well done on the rogaine, olga! And CONGRATULATIONS!! :)

I like Aquaphor, because it's already in our kid supplies, but plain old generic Petroleum Jelly is probably just as good (it's the main ingredient in Aquaphor anyway). That's a different main ingredient than Hydropel's dimethicone though. I think Body Glide uses dimethicone in at least one product, and there's Remedy Dimethicone Cream (sort of 'generic' alternatives) as well.

I agree with you eldersmith, it's incredibly annoying the way shoe makers change their models. I would pay good money for several types of older shoes that are no longer available, because of the perfection of their fit to my feet. Which of course is the #1 thing you can do for your feet: wear shoes that fit. If you're getting blisters after 10 miles bobjenkins79, that says to me that the shoe doesn't fit: either size or shape (or both!).

I second the "Wrightsock" vote by mbo. They're so thin and light I sometimes wear two pairs (for four layers!) when I know I'm going to be in particularly rough terrain (rocks, roots, debris, steep contouring). The cheapy alternative is 2/3/4 pairs of men's dress socks which you can often buy at your discount clothier by the bag for a ridiculously low price. For that classy look. :)

looks like hydropel is discontinued( Did anybody find a good replacement?
BodyGlide

Sportslick is another good lube.

My father uses amolin a baby nappy rash cream to rub on his feeds. It helps stop blisters which he rarely gets.Make sure to trim your toe nails.
Getting wet feet in my dad's opinion makes things worse. You may not get blisters but very sore feet similar to chill blains.
Also wearing good socks in particular those that have a right and left foot helps.

just got back from my first Rogaine without blisters. Looks like I found nice replacement for hydropel - Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/120400156377?_trksid=p2059...

It has the same active ingridient : dimethicone. Also they have single packets which was very convenient to carry during the race. Following some advises for using hydropel I started applying new cream a couple days before the start. It worked nicely - no blisters at all even after 21hours of harsh terrain run/walk mostly with the wet feet. My feet felt slippery even a couple days afterwards.