Run Well Juliet McGrattan (microsoft ebook reader TXT) 📖

fluid is also acting as a cushion to protect the delicate skin beneath. If you’re mid-ultra and absolutely need to pop them to be able to continue, then the ideal technique would be to use a sterile needle and syringe to aspirate (draw out) the fluid. If this isn’t possible then use a sterile needle to make a small hole and gently milk it out. Follow with a sterile dressing and tape it down firmly. If you’re not popping or your blister has popped on its own, then the goal is to keep it clean, dry and cushioned. Warm soapy water is adequate to clean it. Pat it dry and then apply a padded dressing. I like the hydrocolloid ones. Small blisters will shrivel up on their own within a few days; larger ones may take a couple of weeks. See your pharmacist or GP if you think your blister is infected – there may be redness which is spreading further and further out from the blister or it may be filled with pus.

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Heel lock

One cause of blisters is your feet moving around too much inside your shoe. If you have a narrow heel and ankle and your feet aren’t secured properly, then this can create a lot of movement. You might find your toes hit the end of your shoes during downhill running when your feet slip forward. This can cause toenail damage as well as heel blisters. The handy ‘heel lock’ is a trick that many runners don’t know about – it’s why there is that extra hole for lacing at the top of your shoe which is usually ignored!

1 Lace your shoes up in a criss-cross pattern, finishing with the laces coming out of the shoes in the top hole.

2 Create a loop by taking the lace and threading it back in towards the shoe through that second spare eyelet on the same side.

3 Cross the laces and pass them through the loop on the opposite side, from inside to outside.

4 Pull the laces tight to lock the heel in place and tie the laces as normal.

Q Is being outside a lot damaging my skin? How can I protect it and what signs of damage do I need to look out for?

A It’s a good idea to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays as much as you can when you run, especially on sunny days. You can do this by wearing a good sunscreen (at least SPF 15), a cap or visor, and covering your shoulders and arms if you’re going to be out for some time. Wear good quality sunglasses to protect your eyes. Runners often complain that sunscreen slides off when they sweat and ends up stinging their eyes, but there are many sweat-resistant ones available. Remember that you can still burn on cloudy days.

The first sign of damage is an obvious one – sunburn. Don’t be the runner who forgot to put cream on before their marathon and has painful sunburn as well as DOMS to deal with! Ultraviolet radiation damages skin cells. The skin tries to limit damage and begin repair by dilating blood vessels to increase circulation to the area. That’s why skin turns red when it’s burnt. The skin then dries out and eventually the top layers peel off. The DNA of skin cells can be harmed and altered by ultraviolet rays, potentially leading to skin cancer.

Another sign of damage is changing moles. Any mole which is growing in size or thickness, bleeds, itches or crusts, needs to be checked by a doctor. So do moles that are becoming darker, changing shape or appear to be spreading outwards into the surrounding skin. These are all potential red flags for the serious skin cancer melanoma, so don’t put off getting checked. You can take a photo on your phone of any moles you’re unsure of so you can see if they’re changing.

You may not have heard of actinic keratoses (also called solar keratoses). These develop over many years of sun exposure and are more common if you’re over 50. You might notice a dry, rough or scaly patch in areas such as the face, forearms or on a bald head. They vary in colour from a pale pink skin colour to deeper red and often have a white, crusty scale on the top. Actinic keratoses aren’t actually harmful and will often go away on their own, but because there’s a small risk they can turn into a type of skin cancer, called a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), they’re usually treated. Treatment may involve freezing them off, applying cream or having the patches scraped away.

Finally, older runners should be aware of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), another non-melanoma skin cancer that is related to sun exposure. Lesions are usually on the head and neck and more common in men than women. BCCs tend to start as a small, painless lump, just a few millimetres across, which is either pink or pearly coloured, and grows very slowly over months. Sometimes they can bleed, develop a crust or ulcerate. BCCs rarely metastasise – spread to other places in the body – so treatment is not as urgent as for a melanoma.

In summary, because of potential high sun exposure, it’s wise to take steps to protect your skin, be skin aware, check moles regularly and see your doctor about any skin lesions you are unsure of.

Did you know?

According to Cancer Research UK, melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and over the last decade its incidence has increased by almost 50 per cent.

Q Will running make my face sag?

A It’s not unreasonable to think that the repetitive up and down movement of running might make your face sag, but there’s no evidence that runners have more droopy or wrinkled skin than non-runners. In fact, exercise can be anti-ageing (see here). It’s largely your genetics that determine the elasticity of your skin and how