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** My dislike of duct tape for [[Taping]] feet was increased at Umstead. The duct tape seemed to keep the skin under the tape quite wet, the tape tended to form creases, and the adhesive was not strong enough for a good bond.
** Several runners complained of blisters when none were evident. It appeared that the problem was localized swelling of the tissue under the foot or possibly some rubbing.
** One runner who tried to adjust their stride to avoid pressure on their blisters had catastrophic [[Muscle|muscle ]] problems. It’s hard to dramatically change your stride for a few miles, and attempting it in an ultra is impractical.
** Runners did not tie their [[Shoes]] well. Some runners forced their feet in and out of their [[Shoes]] without undoing them. Other simply pulled hard on the top of the laces and tied the knot, which changes the pressure on your feet. Instead, the laces should be loosened off completely down the length of the eyes, and then pulled back under gentle tension, working up to the top of the eyes. I find that pulling on the laces with the lace between the forefinger and thumb produces just the right level of pressure; wrapping the lace around a digit allows for too much pressure.
** I noticed that many of the runners with blistered feet were wearing Drymax socks. This could be because most runners were wearing Drymax socks and therefore I saw them more commonly, or because runners who are susceptible to blisters are more likely to wear Drymax, or because Drymax socks were not working well at Umstead.