Changes

** 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.

** Getting runners to eat only what appealed to them rather than what they believed was the right food made a difference in a number of cases.

** Getting the runner (or the pacer if available) to carry a couple of cookies and/or crackers with them out of the aid station for later consumption if they appealed also seemed to work in a number of cases.