Biking with a blister?

[ChickieBabe]

So, tonight I decided to go for a walk. The problem is, I was wearing flip-flops, and now I have a large blister on the ball of my foot, right in the middle. It hasn't popped (it's under the thick pad), so every step is painful and I can feel the liquid.

Do you all have any suggestions as to how I can keep riding with this thing while it heals? I've been training for a century that I am thinking of doing on August 4th, and I don't want to (1) hurt myself, or (2) ease off of riding to the point where I'm not in shape to attempt my first century.

Thanks!
Chickie

[mimitabby]

go to any drugstore and ask for moleskin. you cut a piece out as big as you need to cover the sore spot/blister and put it on.

[RolliePollie]

Ouch! That sounds really painful!

How about soaking your foot in cool water and then trying the moleskin suggested by mimi and giving it a day to heal up. My experience with blisters, although I've never had one where yours is, is that they go away pretty quickly if you can leave them alone. Of course, I usually mess with them until they pop If it does pop, I'd do some major antibacterial cleansing and Neosporin ointment. You may be amazed at how much better it is by morning. I'll send your blister positive healing vibes.

[VeloVT]

Having done two seasons of marathon training (nope -- haven't run in a marathon yet -- two long stories...), I've had my share of blisters, including blisters on the balls of my feet. Once they've gotten to the point yours is at, they'll heal fastest if you drain them. Use a needle sterilized in lots of alcohol, and bathe the blister liberally in alcohol after draining it (you may need to use the needle in more than one place), and don't peel away the skin. If you're going to be at home/barefoot or wearing sandals, use antibiotic ointment and a bandaid. If you're going for or a run or ride and wearing socks, there's no way a bandaid will stay there, so just try to keep the blister clean, and clean/cover it afterwards.

It's definitely possible to run or otherwise be active with a blister on the bottom of your foot if you drain it as necessary.

Moleskin isn't really useful before a blister has popped -- you cut it in a donut shape to go around the blister, and what it does is create a raised area around the blister so fabric/shoes/bandaids etc theoretically don't touch the blister -- a new blister will be higher than the moleskin, so it doesn't do anything. Generally I find moleskin to be more trouble than it's worth -- the friction/pounding of running and possibly riding still means that fabric/bandaid/etc will be pushed past the moleskin into the blister, especially if it's on the bottom of your foot. But every person is an experiment of one, so...

[sundial]

Have you tried Blister Block by Band-Aid? These band-aids take a lot of abuse and are water resistent and flexible. Be sure and clean the area first before applying and I have found that if I use rubbing alcohol on the skin around the blister to remove all the oil, the band-aid will adhere better and last almost a week.

[amymisk]

As an RN and spending lots of time researching wounds, I would never reccomend draining a blister.

First, a blister is a pressure sore. When it is intact, it maintains some protective elements for the underlying involved tissue.

Keep friction at a minimum on the affected area. If it is intact still, you can cover it with a clear tranparent dressing like tegaderm. This dressing will minimize friction and sheer allowing the area to slide decreasing the likelyhood of reinjury.

Stop wearing the offending flip flops.

Take a couple of days off riding, a few days will not affect your fitness level. Blisters will generally reabsorb in a few days.

Good luck!