Most people think barefoot runners’ feet must be covered with thick calluses to the point that they are without feeling. I was beginning to believe them. I was developing calluses on the edge of my pad, and my heel, and it hurt. Part of my weekly foot care routine would be to sand down the calluses that were building up, and causing large painful cracks to form. Additionally, I developed a routine of washing my feet after each run, massaging and applying generous amounts of olive oil. Sometimes you could consider it an olive oil soak. If I could maintain this routine I would have happy feet — relatively speaking. What I mean by this is that if I missed doing my daily therapy, my issues of dry, callused, and cracking feet returned.
My feet would hurt around the outside edges of the ball and heel. This would be especially true if I ran a rough surface course barefoot. This was also why the calluses were building up. The only thing that helped was my wash, and olive oil soak.
One of the other issues that has plagued me, especially as my mileage has increased, is raw inner thighs. I tried many different things and settled on a combination of olive oil and vaseline. Put on olive oil, and then vasiline, and take some in the hydro pack. So one day I ran out of both of these products. I was desperate, as I was going on a long run, and I knew the consequences of no leg lube. I was at my mothers house and was asking if she had any resources that I could use. She did not. However she said “would some hand cream work?” I said “don’t know, but I will give it a try.” She gave me a half used tube of “USANA Sense Splash! hand cream.
As you might expect the tube was quite convenient, it worked, although it would wear off, and I carried with me to re-apply about every 6 miles or so. The cream at seemed to be a bit sticky as I first put it on and my thighs rubbed together, but as I would run it would prevent my raw inner thighs.
So back to the feet. I was neglecting my feet and they were getting bad, so much so that it was a bit uncomfotable to walk. I pulled out the tube of hand therapy lotion and slathered it on my feet. By the way I am not one for lotions. Most lotions that I have tried on my hands make me want to crawl out of my skin within minutes of application. I do admit that I like to wash my hands after application of the lotion to my feet as it is still a bit unnatural feeling, but I do not want to crawl out of my skin even if I do not get to wash my hands.
Now here is the revelation. My feet have been getting nice and soft, and I am doing tough runs with much greater ease. The calluseses and constant cracks are gone, no pain arround the edges (even after a tough surface run), and I am not sanding my feet — don’t need to. YES!
So here is the formula:
- Wash after each run
- Apply USANA Sense Hand Cream
- Massage feet and work cream into edges of foot especially the zones that are prone to crack
- Apply cream at night if needed
That is it.
Happy Running
Michael Carroll
Hi Michael,
I am from the barefoot running group and saw your post which got my interest. I too have dry feet issues but only during the winter months in here in Southern California. I live more inland than Ken so the humidity is lower. I too, apply lotion to my feet after washing when its dry out. I find that the dry are affects the integity of the skin itself and makes the feet much more sensitive to various surfaces. It can make such a difference that I will avoid some trails that are a bit r0ugh, which are no problem at all in the spring and summer. In spring and summer I don’t use lotion, the air moisturizes the feet with the higher humidity.
I just thought I would post here because the responses to my views didn’t seem to resonate with the others. Your views do. My point overall is that skin integrity matters, the healthier the skin, the more tolerant it is to rougher surfaces.
Larry
Larry,
You just gotta love So. Cal. It is one of my favorite places to run. Before St. George I was living in the Temecula Valley (Wildomar). St. George can be incredibly dry so I believe it is what exacerbates things. If you read my post on the St. George Marathon, I believe that my untreated feat (no lotion) was a significant factor to it being so brutal. What are you using for lotion?
Thanks for the comment, Michael Carroll
Hi Mike,
One of the best healing agent for your skin either short dips or longer foot bath is using your own mid-stream urine. It may takes awhile. I got my feet to baby-butt-smoothness in about three months with daily application at least once.
There are three approaches:
– collecting your urine, fresh from your middle stream of your pee, not the beginning and end of pee
– mixture of fresh and old urine, same mid-stream collection applies
– old, and sometimes real old urine. You will have a separation of the pure ammonia agent from the urine sediment
For short dips you can leave the urine on the feet as you can applying old urine and let it dry in. This will not stink when applying fresh urine. Or you can rinse with water quickly but not wash it off completely.
Remember urine is a disinfectant the first 15-20 minutes of fresh use. So you get a free disinfection treatment of your cracks and little cuts as well.
Cheers.
Wow, I have had a relative tell me to drink urine, but I dismissed the remark as a crack. So this is interesting and will have to ponder this. Why not just put pure ammonia on the foot?
Regards,
Michael Carroll
I usually pee on my feet in the shower in the morning or at night and that seems to do the trick.
Ok, you are the second dude that has suggested this. My feet are so cracked right now that I have not been able to run for almost two weeks. So I found some lotion with UREA in it and in two days I have seen a dramatic change.
Regards,
Michael Carroll