Urgent advice required...

[jimbob]

...is there a podiatrist in da house?

Take a look at this beauty...


I have a triathlon on Sunday and most off the bottom of my heel has come off!
This stems back to Cader Idris at the end of May when descending with wet feet, my Innov8's caused a similar injury. A bit of self surgery with a Stanley knife removed the rolled up flaps of skin ad after a couple of weeks the soft flesh underneath had hardened up and there was hardly any evidence of what had happened before. However, on subsequent races (particularly when wet) the same problem has reocurred despite switching to Walshes, two pairs of socks, Bodyglide...etc. I have avoided swimming until last week to try to make sure it doesn't get too soft and it was ok. Swimming last night, had to do several sets wearing fins and the result is as seen. Bugger. What can I do short of amputation? It has been suggested I try Compeed patches, but do they do them big enough? I only have tomorrow to buy something so mailorder remedies are out of the question. Whatever it is needs to survive 10mins in the pool before I get my shoes on. Any ideas guys?

[Wheeze]

Buy a big roll of white zinc oxide tape. Your local chemist should have it. Buy it at least 4-5 inches wide. Then use it to cover the skin of the heel, coming up the sides higher than the top of your shoe.
This stuff sticks like sh*t to a blanket so don't try pulling it off afterwards. Just let nature take its course. It will usually come off on its own after a day or 2. I suffer exactly the same problem and this works for me, even with a fresh blister. If I know I am in for some serious fast descending, I always use it else I'm in agony for days!

[jimbob]

Is it waterproof?

[Swoop]

...is there a podiatrist in da house?

Take a look at this beauty...

Looks just like my foot after Knowl Hill last year.
Didn't realise anything was wrong until I took off my sock and this Pringle fell out!
Sparth's mum sorted me out brilliantly but I wasn't about to do a triathlon, sorry.

[jimbob]

So Wheeze, do you recommend that I cut the "pocket" of skin off before applying the tape? If I get 4-5" wide as you suggest won't it crease if I try to wrap it around the heel, or do I cut it into strips?

[Wheeze]

Unless its really loose and hanging by a thread, I leave the flap as it provides protection for the forming skin beneath. Also, if you cut the flap off you are always left with a rim that digs into the sensitive layer underneath...oww!

When you apply the tape, take care to stretch it around the curves to avoid creases especially over the blister itself. You want the minimum number of 'egdes' which is why you should get the widest tape you can.

[jimbob]

Thanks very much Wheeze, any ideas whether it is likely to survive 10mins thrashing about in the pool?

[Wheeze]

Not subjected it to that but it survives bog trashing and 3 hour sweaty runs!
If you have concerns, why not wear one of those neoprene verruca socks to keep it covered? Its another thing to put on and take off but a triathlon seems to me to an exercise in extended faffing about, so one more thing should not make a difference!

[jimbob]

I was thinking along those lines, not the faffing about...I try to minimise that (even thinking of wearing my fell shoes on the bike leg as its a forest run after), but the verruca sock. Not seen those since I was a kid though. Got to be worth a try though, thanks again.

[jimbob]

Wheeze, thank you man...I owe you a beer.

But did I struggle getting the tape! Finally, after three Chemists giving me blank looks I finaly got some in my local Chemist (that I never normally go in as it doesn't look like it has anything worthwhile), not only that the Pharmicist waqs doing the same triathlon..bizarre. Anyway, the tape was only about 2 inch wide, so I put one strip over the "Pringle" and then overlaped two strips over the top of that and then a bit up the sides. They also had the verruca sock (which nobody else had either) and so I put that on and taped the top to stop water going in as suggested on the box.
All went well until half way through the swim when it felt like my foot was being "interfered with". I though someone was trying to get past but it was the sock that was now ballooning with water. Nothing I could do, so carried on, the run from the pool to the transistion was fun..splosh..splosh..splosh. Then I yanked it off and showered the guy next to me
Tape seemed ok so got on my way, no problem on the bike or the run. Had a shower, still firmly stuck, got home, messed about, had a shower still firmly stuck. Now this morning I'm starting to wonder whether it will ever come off! But seriously though, top tape! Cheers.

zinc oxide tape after triathlon and two showers!