60 Miles in 3 Days...

“I'm wondering if the creator's of that slogan realize what guys think of when they "think pink"?”

“There is the big pink ribbon tho and everyone knows what that means!”

“It means they thought pink, got pink, and now have more than they bargained for ;)”

“Hey Everyone,
I am so excited! I've passed my 100 mile mark in my training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk for Susan G. Komen....

This past weekend, I put another 30 miles of walking in! :-)

The good news is that I'm off for the summer, and am able to train more!

The bad news is that I seem to have developed some small blisters on the inside edge of the balls of my foot. (not on the foot bed, but on the outer edge, towards the big toes...

I didn't have any trouble until I put the mileage on this weekend... :-(

Any suggestions as to how I might be able to correct this problem? I don't want to aggravate the situation!”

“Different shoes? Changing your socks more frequently so your feet are nice and dry?”

“My shoes seemed fine until I put all those miles on this weekend... I'm going to try some different socks to see if that helps.... the ones I had were kind of thin and not much padding. The guy at the running shoe store suggested that I try some "Thorlos".

I was wearing some athletic Dri-wicking socks (NO COTTON) from K-Mart which seemed to be okay... (and I had bought many pairs to train in!)...
I am going to try the Thorlos tonight...

The blisters are little but enough to bug me--seems that I always get them in the same spot! :-(

Normally, I don't get them when Hiking, but then I also wear a heavy wool sock with a sock liner....
last edited: 6/01/05 5:07:22 PM”

“Maybe the sock changing will help. I walked for 3 hours and 10 miles yesterday. I didn't change socks during the walk and it was pretty warm outside...

I have Saucony running shoes... they seem to be okay otherwise...”

“pink, my low hikers are the most comfortable thing....for the first 3 miles. Then they always give me a hot spot along the side of my heel. Sometimes shoes do that, I guess.”

“DUCT TAPE.”

“:-(
Tried a different pair of socks, put moleskin on and walked another 5.5 miles tonight...

The moleskin didn't help much. The blisters got bigger...I guess I have to take it easy tomorrow! :-(

I think it might have to do with my having done some exfoliation of my callouses... I have wide feet and it seems that this is where I sometimes get blisters when I first wear sandals and "summer shoes"....

Pixie--
I was fine at 8 miles the other day...But yesterday was a lot warmer (mid 70s) and much more humid... the 2 extra miles must have put my feet over the edge....

I've already walked about 70-80 miles in these shoes, so this really is a bummer... :-(”

“Try the moleskin. Round the edges and stick it on the problem area BEFORE you get a blister, if you feel a hot spot coming on. After you geta blister use the extra thick molefoam. Cut donuts to go around the blisters to cushion them. I use medical tape to keep them in place.
Take your shoes off and air out the feet at breaks.”

“pink, any reason you're wearing wool socks. If you feet sweat a lot wouldn't a synthetic sock work best to pull the moisture away?”

“Psst, she said she's been wearing syn socks and is thinking of trying thorlos.”

“Ewker---
Sass is right...
I wear Wool with a Synthetic liner with my hiking boots. For the running shoes for my walk, I'm wearing the wicking socks...

Sass-- I will try the donuts for the blisters... I didn't take any breaks when I did my 3 Hours/10 miles... Maybe that was the problem? Well, at least I'm learning about this now, vs. in 7-1/2 weeks! :-)

BTW-- I got really lucky at our fundraiser--We ended up winning the 50/50 and I got $165 for the pot! :-) I also sold about $30 in Think Pink Goodies and got $55 for bringing in 5 bowlers...

So, I ended up with $250 in donations! :-)
It's getting much more exciting as I see my numbers go up! I just passed my halfway point for Donations, but still need to get them rolling in! ;-)

Can't wait to get my 15 mile walk in so I can add another sticker to my walker's pass... :-)”

“nevermind..lol”

“Good for you, Pink, doing this to help others.

I've gotten those blisters backpacking when I had poorly fitting shoes and hiked long distances with a lot of elevation change. It's like the ball of your foot is rubbing inside the shoe. I attribute it to poor fit, and now only buy men's shoes, which so far have not caused it. I have wide feet, too. Over 30 miles, your foot may actually change size a bit.

I got the blisters on day one of a week-long trip. By day three, I would just take off my shoes, poke the blisters with the point of my knife, squeeze the fluid out, and march on. It hurt too much to do anything else. And I didn't get an infection or have any bad sequella. I must have had 5-6 on each foot and popped them several times a day. Yeah, I know, it is totally gross.”

“Update-- The blisters really swelled up last night, so I had to try to pop them... :-( Still hurts though!

I am wondering if I have to go up a 1/2 size for my 2nd pair of shoes... The guy fitted me with one 1/2 size larger the 1st time, but maybe that wasn't enough?

I have a pair of Ryka's that seem to be "on the edge" (I get a little bit of a hot spot on the bottom of the ball of my foot towards the end of my walks...

i just bought my 2nd pair of Saucony's for my walk, but haven't tried to break them in at home yet... I'm worried about whether I should just get the bigger size...

Any suggestions??? Should I go ahead and get the 1/2 size bigger (1 whole size up from my regular size?) or should I still stick with the 1/2 size up from my originals?


Seems I like I get blisters in the same place every summer... :-( Thankfully, that has never happened during our long hikes! I can't imagine walking on blistered feet for 3 days! Do you think that they will eventually callous over?”

“I now only wear trailrunners for backpacking. With a medium thick wool sock and no liner, I went with a size one and a half larger than my normal running shoe. No problems. I would at least try one full size larger if I were you.

It's funny, but I like a thicker sock for backpacking while preferring a really thin sock for running.”

“Pink, you're not supposed to pop blisters!

I think you should stick with the shoes you have and put moleskin on your foot where you get the blisters, before you start walking. If your shoes are too big you'll get blisters on your heels instead. The guys at runningfit really know their stuff, trust the size they put ya in or go back and talk to them again.
You're probably getting the blisters because your feet are hot. Mine do the same thing. I don't get blisters all winter, spring and summer and when it warms up, powee! Blisters.”

“I have never had a blister while wearing my boots for teh 3 years I owned them, but the first time I wore gaiters on a hot day I popped up 3 of them. I assume its because my feet stayed wet all day because my wicking socks couldn't wick the water away”

“Sass--
Oops! I drained them yesterday...
The are flat today... (no walking at all yesterday).

I notice that I'm developing some callouses just above where the blisters occurred...
I agree it probably has to do with the hot feet.

This is the first time in 4 years that I've developed blisters on that part of the foot!

Usually, if I feel a hot spot, I stop and put a moleskin on...
Guess I have to pay more attention! :-)

I'm going to try using the Thorlos today and see if the extra cushioning helps at all! :-)”

“Argh... :-(

Rested on Thursday, walked 5 miles on Friday and 11 on Saturday (5.5 and 5.5). Saturday was torture-- it was about 85 degrees and 100% humidity!!!

Made sure to change socks and rested about an hour in between my 2 walks....

The darned blisters came back with a vengence---Now, I notice that they are a teeny bit reddish around the blister-- if it doesn't improve tomorrow, I'm going to talk to my doc... :-( (Have to see him to get my medical form okayed anyways for the walk!)

Any other suggestions on how to get rid of these stupid blisters?? I tried the foam pads with the holes around the blister, however, I'm not sure if I was allergic, but they didn't feel right (a little itchy...) so I took them off after a while....”

“Probably best to talk to your doctor about it. Be prepared on the actual walk to just have to deal with it. And remember, its only 3 days of blisters for you, but for women dealing with breast cancer, its much longer. Remember why you're in this. But above all, don't hurt yourself too badly!!

What's your website to donate?”

“Did you put moleskin on the area before you had blisters?

~sassafras”

“Thanks Smiley!

Here's my walkers website:

[url}https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=61809&lis=1&kntae61809=8833583384FB4357BAA6E2E4908E20A8&supId=62093651[/url]

They told us that the "mail-in check" donations need to be to the site by Tomorrow or they might not post in time for the walk. (you can still send a check and it will get posted, but may not post until after we walk)....

You can, however, make a credit card donation and they'll post that until June 30th... (after that it may not post until after the walk.)

I'm getting close now! I have 1570 in donations so far! :-) only a little more to meet my $2,100 minimum! I'll take all donations, big or small...

BTW--I'm also selling things as a fundraiser:
pink rubber breast cancer bracelets:
Think Pink drink Coozies
Pink Ribbon Pins
Black (or white) think Pink logo hats

They actually have my "new" Think Pink logo which has a slightly different font for the text.

Email me if y ou are interested in buying one of my fundraiser items... I'll get more info to you!


Birch/Sass--
I didn't even feel the blisters coming until it was too late...

I had done an 8 mile walk before with no problem, I think it as the 10th mile on my 1st 10-mile walk that did me in...

I'm going to the doctor this afternoon to have him give me my medical release, so I'll have him look at the blisters as well...”

“PInk, put the moleskin on before you start walking to prevent the blisters.”

“Sass-- I think my feet get too sweaty or something... the moleskin usually end up bunched up and migrate after a while... :-(

I just bought some of those "Dr. Scholl's" blister pads, and will try them out after these blisters heal... Hopefully, they will work better....

For the moment, I'm hoping that these blisters will change into callouses and my problems will go away... LOL

In the meantime, I had to take it easy yesterday, because my feet hurt too badly!

BTW-- Would you be interested in working with my for a fundraiser?

'm thinking of doing another bowling fundraiser and/or possibly one that involves my friend doing a "foot pampering" party.... I'm thinking something along the line of what dhutch did a few months ago. My friend actually sells the cream you gave me... ;-)

Thought it might be fun to let walkers know and we could do some "mini massages" as well? Maybe get you some future clients and we can split the cost, so that you get some benefit from it as well?

Let me know! :-)”

“I'd do hour long ones, no shortys. I need to keep them to sixty minutes for school credit. Email me for date coordination if you're interested. I cannot take any payment for the massages, (although I can take gratuities), so there'd be no cost from me.


Yeah, those Dr Scholls blister pads suck. Use medical tape to hold the moleskin on. I think I've repeated all this stuff like four times now and am going to shut up about your blisters finally. Good luck!”

“Pink, moleskin always bunched and gathered on my feet as well. If you've got other caluses and hot spots, use duct tape. Any dr. will tell you never to do that, but its about the only thing that stuck on my feet. Though, I never tried Sass' medical tape tip. Use that on your blisters.

Have you tried using a sock liner and another sock over it? Sometimes the double layer will carry the movement and keep your foot from rubbing. Just another thought.”

“Pink, when you find out where the cheering stations are, will you please post them? I'd like to be out for part of a day and cheer all the walkers on!”

“That would be awesome Smiley!

I'm thinking of having either a pre or after party for my walkers.... (probably the week after)...I'm having my hubby help to coordinate our "cheering group"... :-)

I'm so excited! My team's raised over $22,000 (10 of us) and I might be getting another member, too! :-)

Woo hoo!!!!
The only thing I'm afraid of when using duct tape is sensitivity to the glue... I'll have to grab some medical tape and see if that helps-- but I'm not sure how much it will stick on my feet because they sweat so much! :-(

Sass--That sounds Cool! Closer to the walk, I may take you up on the offer... :-) Sorry to hear that you can't take any money yet... :-(

I know the training's really helping strengthen my legs! I walked 11 miles on Saturday AND still had energy enough to dance for an hour that night when my friend and I went to a Karaoke Bar!”

“I carry Johnson & Johnson Adhesive Tape for use with Moleskin. Fortunately, I have not had to use any of it myself for many years, but I have helped numerous others who were unprepared.

Moleskin was a good product until Dr. Scholl's took it over. Then it quit sticking.
last edited: 6/07/05 11:01:06 AM”

“That's what I'm finding-- that it's not sticking very well!

Good news!
My blisters are almost gone now... Bought some Walgreen's callous rings and they've allowed the blisters to heal! :-)

BTW-- Thanks to Smiley Girl for her donation to my walk!!! Smiley, Can you email me with your address?

:-)”

“Woo Hoo!
Thanks to Smileygirl and stratusloop for their donations to my walk! :-)

Hey Stratus-- don't forget to email me your address so I can send you your rubber bracelets! :-)”

“Got home a few hours ago...This was the most intense experience of my life... A Trip Report will follow after I recover from the walk!!!

:-)”

“You go girl.

You got class woman.

Blisters too I suspect.”

“Woo-hooo! let's hear it for Pink!!!
Proud of ya Pink. Good job!!”

“Congrats! I can't wait to hear about it, Pink!!”

“I wonder what kind of shoes she wore??? ;-)”

“....I was thinking about you over the weekend....hope you finally met your goal....your enthusiasm is inspiring especially as it regards the sole purpose of helping others.....now this is impressive......you're awesome in my book!!!

Hey...I hope Eric had a nice cheering section just for you......

Peace out....joe”

“Just got up, and my legs are sore, but I survived!!!


Thanks you to and other generous donors, I DID make my minimum! :-)

I wore some Saucony Shoes... (Omni 4)-- see the "Shoes are Da Bomb" thread... :-)

Now that I'm awake, I'll have to go about putting together my written story of my journey...

A tiny preview of my trip report...

Thursday night: I couldn't sleep at all... Got to bed at about 2:30 a.m. Tossed and turned until about 5:00 a.m. and then at 5:30, 2 of my teammates and I headed to the Opening Ceremonies....

We got there just before the ceremonies started and as soon as I crested the hill and saw the 1600-1800 people standing in the opening area, I just started to tear up.... My training journey had ended and I was finally there.... I couldn't help crying...

Friday's walk was intense-- I don't know what the temperature was, but I'm told it was in the mid to high 90s.... We felt every ray of sun, as the first 10 miles were practically all under full sun, (we were in some business/industrial areas in Pontiac, MI and walked near the Pontiac Silverdome.) Although I had trained on some small rolling hills, the heat and humidity seemed WAY more intense on Friday.... Also, I was walking way slower than during my training walks… It added to the withering heat and took a greater toll…. The 2nd half of the day wasn’t quite as bad (we were going through more neighborhoods and wooded areas on the “Rails To Trails” trail in Pontiac/West Bloomfield) By the end of the 1st day, my feet were sore, but unblistered… I looked forward to a Spaghetti dinner and it felt good to come into the gate, even though I was close to the “Caboose” (the last person)…. I got to soak our feet in an icy cold tub of water—it was frigid, but really helped sooth my sore feet.… J After a nice hot shower, my teammate and I crawled into our tent and went to sleep… During the night, there was a thunder and lightning storm… I was really glad I was so tired that I never heard or saw the storm (I am extremely afraid of lightning!)… I just zipped up the tent flap once it started raining and just fell into a deep sleep…


Saturday, I started off in "nicer" weather-- still humid, but cloudy, so it felt cooler and less intense. My teammate and I were slow in starting, so again, we started in the back of the pack. But things seemed okay—the weather wasn’t as hot as Friday! About midway through the morning, the rain started—it felt nice at first—because the water cooled me off...but then, just before I got to one of our pit stops with a little shelter it downpoured!!! I had a plan before hand and got some “ construction booties to put over my shoes—it kept my feet and shoes decently dry until 1 of the booties disintegrated… I took it off and then my left foot was completely sloshing around in my shoe…. My right foot was okay for a little while longer, but I finally had to give up on both. The rain was so bad that it really didn’t matter if you had a raincoat or not, your shoes and feet were going to be completely soaked….All of the walkers got delayed at the lunch stop for 3 hours before they let us walk again! (by that time we were all getting stiff and sore again....) My teammates and I were quite upset, as it broke up our walking rhythm! And, the rain raised up some blisters where I didn't have them before... (a lot of people got them after the rain). The afternoon brought clouds which turned into some sunshine, and I finished the day with no further weather problems....We did, however have to sleep in a hot and muggy gymnasium of a high school, but were glad to have access to running water and flush toilets vs. the stinky port-a-potties. (I think I can count it as a bag night--I was in my sleeping bag! There wasn’t any air conditioning!)

Day 3... I was excited to get into the home stretch—My teammate and I were determined NOT to be the last ones out of the gate—I didn’t want to be in the caboose or “swept” into the closing ceremonies—I joked with my friends that we had come “Hell AND high water” (Day 1 was Hell, day 2 was high water) and I wanted to go into the closing ceremonies with my head held up high! The day also started off on the slightly gray side, but soon turned back into the blistering sun…. The walkers were blessed by having lots of people in the neighborhoods hosing us down with water, offering us popsicles, candy, lemonade, etc. I am amazed by the number of generous and friendly people that I encountered throughout the 3 days…. One family even had a sign offering the use of their bathroom! As the final destination drew closer, the excitement began to build…. I was almost at the end of my incredible journey!!! I did it!!! I walked 60 miles in 3 days… with only a few blisters to show for my hard work…(and a sock tan)…. ;-) I had met so many incredible women—some who were breast cancer survivors, others who had decided to walk as a personal challenge. When I walked into the final stop at the Michigan State Fairgrounds, I just started to cry… It was truly an amazing thing to see the cars lined up for a mile—filled with family and friends of the walkers…

Call me crazy, but I think I will plan to walk in next year’s 3-Day… If anyone else wants to join me, let me know!!!

(I am adding 2 incredible bag nights to my total this year!!)
last edited: 7/18/05 10:24:20 AM”

“That is soo cool Pink! I got goose bumps reading your report!

Did you use a daypack on your hike?”

“I just used an EMS "camel-back" imitation. Stuffed it full of my stuff-- Body glide, 2 pairs of extra socks, power gel, gatorade powder, hand sanitizer, lip balm, blister care bandaids, babywipes, a comb (gotta look fresh-- LOL) :-) and, of course my 16 oz nalgene bottle (for mixing the gatorade).

I also wore my Nikon D100 on the front of me (clipped it to the straps of my bag) and only took the 50 mm lens, so that I wouldn't have to carry a larger lens.. :-) )

I probalby carried more gear than than I needed, so by day 2, I left the nalgene bottle and the gatorade powder in my baggage and just took the powergel. :-)”

“Great report Pink! Congrats!”

“LOL-- my own "electronic journal writing" is going on 5 pages now... :-)

So many people I've met-- so much to capture-- I'm going to have to build myself a website just for this journey....”

“The only time I've EVER done 60 mi in three days, it was in a canoe.”

“congratulations pink - great job!”