How I Prep My Feet Before an Ultramarathon

[@PittsburghDisneyFans]

I have been running in Injini's for about 3 months and truly has changed the way my foot feels in the shoes, it just feels like it lands so much more balanced. I was also using too thick Super Feet insoles and switched to their carbon which is basically a glorifed sock liner and have not had any blister problems yet. Perfect video Holly. And good to see the huge clock is still up and running in the kitchen

[@jassaljs]

Good morning Coach! Very helpful 👍 Yes I was hurting my big toe and had super blisters, Inji Inji and taping cured all this🤗

[@desmondlee8654]

Super awesome tips. especially, putting on the toes socks and avoiding older socks for actual races. Such astute advice! Thanks, Coach!

[@gofarsogood]

@@desmondlee8654 happy to help you!! Thanks for watching.

[@kingtrumpet123]

Thank you Coach Holly, I can see a lot of these tips benefitting a wide range of runners besides the "ultramarathon "ones. Certainly overweight and older runners, and those of us that have fluid fluctuations in our bodies, our feet swell periodically, definitely the toe protection will help us. Wool socks, most definitely are the best socks. Have a fantastic weekend Holly.

[@christinawarren1187]

Running my first ultra in May, taking all the tips I can!

[@jeremyvangheem3765]

Gold, just gold.

[@BenButcher-v3i]

Such a in depth and helpful video, Thank you. Thank you for the book recommendation too.

[@starsharp3500]

I know this is for runners, but my brother is a postal mail carrier and this is good for those folks too. On his mail route he walks about 17 miles a day. In rain, sleet or snow the mailman is walking to deliver the post. So while this post is targeting runners these are good recommendations for folks who walk and stand for a living. Take care of those feet, you only get one pair. Thanks for another good video Holly.

[@gofarsogood]

Yay that's awesome - we forget how much walking is involved in a lot of jobs! 17 miles is a ton.

[@jhiaaa]

Loved the tips, I got myself some injinjis and they were a bit weird at first haha

[@dbigatti]

As always, very useful info… THANK YOU!!!!

[@mid-lifechallenge]

Super helpful. I'm training for something called a double Everesting challenge later this summer. Not a typical ultramarathon, but will likely take 48 straight hours or more. Wasn't sure how I would deal with my feet. This was great. Thanks for sharing.

[@gofarsogood]

Happy to help! Sounds like an awesome challenge.

[@beachnap]

Thanks Holly, you're the best! I am very lucky to never get blisters or hot-spots. However, I have had multiple incidents of the dreaded black toenail (they fall off and later grow back, but it can take months😱) - both happened in a marathon/ultra when they've never happened before in training. Is this preventable? My shoes feel so good and seem to fit well, I really don't know what I could do differently.

[@gofarsogood]

Good question! I haven't dealt with this much but my guess is maybe the feet are slamming into the front of the shoe on downhills? Could try a new way of lacing up the shoes to lock the feet in place.

[@maldo007]

Thanks for your information and advice. I'll try the toe socks. Also, I use the loop to tie my shoes.

[@alexcheyenne8284]

So glad I found this video and your page before my 50 miler!! Just ordered everything you use from Amazon 😂😂

[@gofarsogood]

Yay perfect!! Hope it works for you.

[@robertsaxon2383]

Great info 👍 I will try out some of these ideas for my first 100 mile in July. Any advantage would be awesome 👌 no matter how big or small . Cheers and thank you 😊

[@gofarsogood]

Awesome! Hope it helps.

[@MonteComeau]

Thanks for doing this. Great job on the video, very descriptive. I am going to give the taping a try on tomorrows long run. Great tips! I need to make a toolbox…🇨🇦

[@AlexisRunsOnCoffee]

Something I started doing last summer as a preventative measure was putting Vaseline on my toes at night and then sleeping with socks on. This helped soften the layers of calluses I had on the tips of my toes from the years of blisters. You HAVE to be consistent with this one to see results but it’s worth it. I haven’t gotten blisters on my toes and I’ve run a marathon and plenty of 13mi+ long runs since doing this.

[@gofarsogood]

I love this tip! Thank you.

[@Imctu678]

This is so helpful, thank you!

[@bhangrahopeful]

Thanks for this super-helpful video, Holly! I have a question about changing socks when taping. Do you find you need to change socks/clean feet as often when they are taped? I had been planning to change my socks 4-5 times in my upcoming 100 (Run Rabbit Run), but I'm wondering whether I'll need that many changes, and also whether changing socks too often will disturb the tape? Thanks for your thoughts!

[@gofarsogood]

Great question!! 1) I don't think you'll need to change your socks 4-5 times. I'd say twice for sure, 3x max. 2) I find the tape to stay generally. Sometimes I will layer over top (or add bandaids between or on the outside of toes etc), but very rare that I would replace tape mid race. EXCEPTION: I use tape under the seams of my sports bra and with how much I am sweating, I do have to replace that 1-2 times throughout my race if chafing is getting bad. Hope this helps you!

[@bhangrahopeful]

@@gofarsogood Thanks Holly, that is super helpful!

[@gracephosa3539]

Thank you for the advice. I am struggling with black toes. I developed blisters while wearing asics kayano 30. I had to take it back to the shop and run with asics nimbus 26. I am really struggling with shoes and i use 2 sizes up now. One size up alao problematic

[@gofarsogood]

I’ve got a lot of people dealing with black toes right now! I wonder if your socks are fresh and tight to the feet? Sometimes when they’re old or dry rotted, you slide around in the shoe more. Could also film yourself running barefoot right up to the camera and see if there’s anything strange about how your foot lands. Some basic foot strength (ex: towel scrunching) exercises might help your foot land more solidly as you run also.

[@Claudia-in8ob]

Thank you sooo much for this video!!!!

[@seagypsiesbellydancers3047]

Thank you ❤

[@gofarsogood]

Of course!

[@PittsburghDisneyFans]

Ok here is my product shaming and product praising comment: I can't say enough about Injinji not only the way your toes splay better but also the way your ball of your foot strikes more centered. I run also in wide shoes since my foot is right on the brink of regular and 2E. Feetures elite socks caused me bursitis because of the constriction they caused. I ran in Balega No Shows and they did well although a thicker sock. I never got good results using KT tape on my feet. I did you leukotape P on my Pittsburgh Marathon and found the non-stretch qualities and extreme adhesiveness was excellent for the long miles. The only problem is that some sticky residue comes off and gets on your socks and they are so very ruined. Kt and foot glide both seem absolutely useless to try. Also the powder to shake it socks was not only messy but also not productive. I have not tried chamois cream yet like Holly used yet in this video. And finally, I do not do a full blown runners knot, but rather a lazy man's version where my top eyelet is just ran from outside in, instead of normal inside out with a normal tying technique. This way it brings the top just a tad closer to my foot but not constricting and I save some lace since we get shorted by it by most companies Paying attention to detail, its interesting that her Speedgoats have stock sock liners in them. So many running stores shove insoles down your throat. "When you buy tires (shoes), you need the correct size for your car(insoles). Bs! Not every runner needs that extra support and need. Coach, are you stock sock liner inall your trail and road shoes? Hope this also helps as I battled blisters my entire running career. Mainly I have just soft skin feet that makes it very hard not to get hot spots.

[@gofarsogood]

Meant to say...THANK YOU for sharing your insights!

[@wk633]

Toe socks don't work for me. The trick I learned from an experienced ultra runner, and works for me, is a very thin silk sock liner (I like Fox River on Amazon) under a double layer Wrightsock. Also, I have issues with my toenails catching on my socks and moving slightly with each step. I file them smooth and put on clear polish, but that only helps. What I also do is use silicone tubes that come in various toe sizes. That does the trick. And lastly, test your solution on training runs by intentionally running through water. Or even hose your feet down with a garden hose first.

[@gofarsogood]

Super helpful. Thanks for these tips.

[@ellensilva3122]

My last 100 both my little toes degloved, nail and all 🙈

[@gofarsogood]

Ouch!

[@jq9474]

Have you tried body glide on your foot?

[@gofarsogood]

Yes! Many years ago. Maybe I should try again.