Last year I did my Sprints sockless with Kayano 11’s. I tried my Kayano 12’s this evening on a training run and I ended up with sore spots in front of my arch on both feet. It looks like I need to wear socks. This throws off my plan to run barefoot out of T1 and hop onto my bike.
What works to eliminate sore spots? No blisters so far and I don’t think my feet are irritated enough that they will blister. I am racing Saturday, so I need to figure this out by tomorrow.
What works to eliminate sore spots? No blisters so far and I don’t think my feet are irritated enough that they will blister.
so what’s there to figure out? if you’re really really paranoid you could do the common trick & wrap some tape around the balls of both feet. something ultra sticky & waterproof. works for me on longer races…
this said, i have never understood people’s fear of blisters. what’s a little irritaition for the duration of a sprint? guess i’ve just learned to expect them, but treat them quickly & safely when i get 'em.
(now i just know someones gonna post that terrible pic from the other day :oO)
Body glide all over the shoe where it’s rubbing. If it’s a sprint, this should be okay. I’ve never used nuskin or what ever it’s called, but I’d try some of that over the spots where you think you might get a blister.
Chances are the blister won’t happen until the last mile of the run, and then you can just gut it out.
The only way to eliminate sore spots is to let them calus, and the best way to do that is to wear the shoes barefoot.
I have a huge blister problem and normally run in the Injini socks, but for Columbia this past weekend, I couldn’t take the time to put the socks on in T2, so I went to my local runnign store and they recommended Blister Shield powder for me. I used some in my cyclign shoes without socks and threw some in my very thin running socks and had no issues at all.
So, Blister Shield, for me, is a good solution.
Bob
Does it really take THAT long to pull on some short socks? Maybe 10 seconds TOPS!
Have you considered a lighter shoe than a kayano for races? I used to run in them all the time, but now they feel like running with cement blocks on my feet.
Nuskin or other liquid bandage. Baste all trouble areas (heel, arch, little toe, whatever) liberally pre-race. It will not wash off and any rubbing will be against that surface, not your skin. I do this for all races. I don’t get blisters.
Does it really take THAT long to pull on some short socks? Maybe 10 seconds TOPS!
Nope. I put socks on in T2 at Columbia last weekend and still had the fastest T2 in my AG.
Maybe that says more about my AG compatriots…
I do not know how much time you have until your next race. However, the best way to toughen up your feet is to wear your running shoes around the house, while walking the dog, etc… I used to suffer bloody feet, but then I walked around with my running shoes on, without socks, for about two weeks. After that, my feet were calloused in all the pressure spots and I no longer get blisters. That said, you will still experience different sensations compared to wearing socks but the blistering and bleeding will be gone.
To respond to an above post, yes, putting on socks takes 10-20 seconds. But the whole point is to cross the finish line asap. There is no reason to wear socks for a sprint, an olympic, and probably even a HIM. From a tactical standpoint in any race, being 10 seconds ahead or 10 seconds behind coming out of T2 can make the difference in the mental battle that is the first 2 miles of the run. If you are behind you need to run faster to catch up and your opponent can more easily latch on to your shoulder as you run past. If you are already 10 seconds ahead of him, the pressure is on him to make the effort to catch you, pass you, and drop you. If all I have to do is walk around in my shoes for a week to be the person 10 seconds ahead out of T2, then I think I will find time to do it.
I just dump a ton of baby powder in my bike and run shoes.
The time it takes to put on socks varies by the quality of the run between the water and T1. Depending on the rock, sand, and wetness content it can take me longer to put on socks. I would not want to even imagine how long it would take if I used toe socks.
Do I understand that you have gone up a shoe-size? If the 11’s worked better, it is probably that the 12’s have your foot sliding around a bit. The short answer seems to me to get some different shoes. Another expense but what isn’t in this sport? A small price to pay. I’m thinking that the time savings for being able to (comfortably) run with-out socks will easily exceed those of a disk wheel in a sprint race.
I haven’t raced with socks in over 16 years. I use vaseline in the heel and toes of the shoes. Never get blisters or sore spots.
It may take some time for your feet to adjust to running without socks. Why don’t you do some short stuff without socks for a little bit and then determine whether or not your feet can handle running without socks.
Well, I did get a blister overnight, but it is a small one. I am not at all afraid of “gutting it out” on a 3 mile run. I am stuck on the fact that as a noob racer last year, I trained barefoot, and left my pedals clipped in for T1. If I were to put on socks at T1 I would then have to wear my cycling shoes through transition unless I ran in socks which doesn’t seem like a logical option. This messes up my flow. I was doing T1 < 1:00 from the first race and that time is valuable when I am not the fastest swimmer or runner out there !
I second the vaseline use in shoes. I’ve been doing this for years. I’ll still get the odd blister now and then, but not nearly to the extent that I did before.
Ed
I second the Body Glide.
What are socks? just kiddin’…I don’t even wear socks to work. I hate hot feet. Birkenstocks for work H-streets to run. Socks are for winter.
To respond to an above post, yes, putting on socks takes 10-20 seconds. But the whole point is to cross the finish line asap. There is no reason to wear socks for a sprint, an olympic, and probably even a HIM.
For me personally, if my feet were hurting and/or blistering, I’d lose alot more than 10 seconds on the run due to discomfort. Granted, I’m rarely in contention for a podium slot, unless it’s a small race, but I’m a sock guy all the way.
The question is who wears socks or Kayano’s for sprints,maybe try ping pong? LOL
tfun~
Seriously though, i third the vaseline…been using it for about 13 years, works like a charm even for up to half ironman or 70.3 what ever the heck they are called.
tfun~