During last year’s IMMOO, I started to feel “hot spots” on the soles of my feet at about mile 6. I had changed socks in T2, but the spots turned into blisters the size of half-dollars. The remaining 20 miles were agonizing, but I finished. I assumed the problem was shoes/socks. I changed running shoe brand and socks in the off season. I had done the MOO bike loop a couple of times this season on my road bike ( pedals with toeclips) with bricks – no problems. Yesterday, did the loop/brick on my tri bike with clipless pedals, and the hot spots returned. The spots are on the bottoms of each foot, and align in the exact position of the cleats on my bike shoes. I have done OLYs on this tri bike with no problems (even hilly courses). I now think my problem in MOO '08 was from the pressure my feet took against the cleats on the hills in these bike shoes. I tried new bike shoes yesterday (same Shimano pedals) but experienced the same problem. If the cleats are the cause of the swelling on the balls of my feet on this hilly MOO course, would it be best to:
- wear thicker socks
- take the inserts out of my running shoes and place inside the bike shoes
- combine numbers 1 & 2
- replace the clipless pedals on my tri bike with the toe clip pedals from my road bike, remove the cleats from my bike shoes and wear them in the toe clips
- consider your kind suggestions
I really would like to finish MOO this year without the agony ( and the Urgent Care visit the next morning ). I am at a loss for a solution. Thanks
Not sure if this is the answer, but here is a suggestion. The hot spots are caused by that portion of your foot moving within the shoe. I sometimes have a problem on long runs, 12 miles plus, with hot spots on the underside of my arches. I use Glide in the vulnerable areas and it solves the problems for me. I completed a 70.3 on Sunday, biking and running without socks, without a problem.
Thicker socks may not be the answer. For socks I have 2 suggestions, try a wicking fabric sock that gets the moisture away from your foot. The other is a sock that is a dual layer to reduce friction. I used a Wright sock. It is both wicking and dual a layer. I use the thin sock for cycling and then the Wright sock for running. It is all good now.
you could gob your foot with Vaseline then put the sock over that. Put it over the areas that are the “hot spots” prior to doing anything and this will also help reduce friction with the shoe/sock/foot.
I do not have this issue, so I am passing along somethign I have heard works.
A friend of mine will wear two pair of socks. One is a very very thin sock, almost like a nylon. not sure of brand or anything like that. I just know it’s thin.
The second pair is his normal pair.
That way most of the rubbing is between socks as opposed to sock and skin.
I’ve heard of other people using super glue. just rub some onto that area…it’s like a 2nd layer of skin. I have done that after having blisters…it helped reduce the pain a bit.
i have also had success with wright socks for my long runs. i used to suffer from similar hot spots. glide and wrights seemed to be my fix. they are thin but still double layered, this seems to help.
good luck!
+1 to glide. Also, one of the biggest things is making sure your socks are NOT cotton because cotton is very abrasive when it gets moist.
Buy hydropel…apply it in T2…it takes 15" to apply to both feet
You won’t blister
.
I’ve never blistered as a runner, but have in both of the tris I’ve done. I’m guessing it’s due to moisture after the swim, even with toweling off.
Someone suggested Gold Bond Powder, though that just seems like it would turn into pancake batter with the moisture.
Perhaps you didn’t read my post…
Buy hydropel…apply it in T2…it takes 15" to apply to both feet
You won’t blister
I learned early on that you have to train (at least a good amount) with what your going to do come race day. I often hear people complaining about blisters in a race after running sockless but when asked, they say they never train sockless. The point is that you have been training in toe clips, and you haven’t tried any of the things being suggested here. I agree with most if not all suggestions as being probably fairly good preventative measures. But as the saying goes… “nothing new on race day.” Again any number or combo of the above may work, but I think your safest bet it going with what you trained in. You will sacrifice time by not having clipless peddles and a stiff bike shoe, but you may ward off the pain you seem to be principally concerned with.
Best of luck!! And remember, “if it was easy, everybody would do it.”
With socks on…and hydropel…you won’t blister unless your shoes don’t fit you at all…
This is a simple thing to buy and do…and if you do it, you won’t blister…period
It’s a little late to be trying something like this, but anyways…
I’d actually suggest cutting a ‘donut’ from an old pair of insoles and fixing it so that the area of the bike shoe that is at the cleat has a thinner insole layer over it, rather than a thicker layer. If it’s from the pressure over the cleat, this will help. I’m not sure if this makes sense or not, but it’s worked for others.
Thanks to everyone who wrote in. I know it is late to try something new. The reason I trained on my old Trek with toe clips is that the Trek is heavier and slower. I thought that training on this bike would make my tri bike seem light and fast. My mistake was to neglect to have the same pedals on the road bike as on the tri bike. All along I thought that my troubles last year were caused by the running shoes, when, I now suspect, those troubles were caused by the bike. I suspected much too late, however. Experience is the best teacher. I will learn my lesson. Thanks again everyone.
You also might want to consider keeping Super Glue in your special needs bag. It doesn’t work as good on wet blisters as good as the dried out ones but it may buy you enough time to finish.
Try a double-layer sock from Wrightsock. They are awesome at preventing blisters.