Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes

Rating:
Summary: Feet, new and improved
Review: If it's not already, this book should be your bible for foot care. I used the first and second editions when I first started running ultras, appreciating the special tips for pre-taping and dealing with blisters. Duct tape? This was new to me. The third edition has evolved, once again. As the author, John Vonhof, has established himself as the foot expert, particularly in the endurance sports world, even more information, both medical and anecdotal, has come to him. He shares it all in this new edition.

Along with new information, the third edition provides a completely reorganized and updated layout with insets for tips, personal experiences, checklists, and product lists. It's very easy to find the information you are looking for just by scanning through the book. This book makes a great reference because it pulls together everything you ever wanted to know (and things you don't want to know) about feet. Much of the focus is on blisters, because they "can stop you in your tracks, end your athletic event, and sideline you for weeks." The prevention instructions are extremely useful, providing a full range of ideas to try out. This is the proactive phase. A good portion of the book is about this, supported by product lists and personal stories from athletes who use the tried and true prevention methods. And, should you develop blisters during an event, Vonhof provides instructions for how to be prepared to deal with it, and how to treat the blisters after the act. This is the reactive portion of the book. Even in reactive mode, there are ways you can be prepared: carry or have your crew carry a blister repair kit; know your feet and how they need to be treated.

The third edition adds information for adventure racers-specific problems they may encounter like "jungle foot" and extreme temperatures, and expands on multi-day event information. The forward is by Dan Barger, the director and founder of the Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race.

The personal stories add interest to the book. Some are helpful; others are plain horrific. Here is an excerpt from Jane Moorhead, working on feet at the 2003 Primal Quest Adventure Race: "Keeping feet dry is a must. One runner had such bad immersion foot that when he removed the tape from the bottom of his foot; he took a couple of layers of skin with it." Lesson learned.

Most of us have had or will have to deal with foot troubles at some point. For us, Fixing Your Feet is an invaluable resource. The few lucky people who never have foot troubles should read this book anyway, just to see what the rest of us are going through. I ended up reading the whole book over again. I feel like a total foot expert.

And the bottom line is always: take care of your feet. They are what move you forward. Oh yeah, and please, wear gaiters.


Rating:
Summary: Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof
Review: No matter what your sport, if you use your feet for it, this is the book for you! John Vonhof's 3rd edition of "Fixing Your Feet" is the most comprehensive yet. All one has to do is look at the contents in the outline to know how well organized and informational it is. It's easy to find the supplies for foot care too because he has already done the research and lists the contact information.
It covers every aspect for foot care including blister prevention and treatment, types of types of socks, lubricants, shoe fit, biomechanics that can contribute to problems, foot injuries and so much more. Whether you are a runner, backpacker, adventure racer or weekend walker, this book covers it all.


Denise Jones
The Badwater Blister Queen