Tips for painless long-distance walking

As many BH readers know, I will be participating in Toronto’s Weekend to End Breast Cancer (September 12-13) along with a team we’ve put together that includes web editor Kat Tancock. I recently found out that a colleague in Montreal, Suzanne Dillon, is actually a walking coach for TMT Marathons in Montreal and San Francisco’and she has done the Weekend walk three times, so I figured she is the PERFECT person to be able to give me some prep tips! Here’s what Suzanne says:

“In order to avoid blisters, always smear your feet with either Vaseline, Neutrogena foot cream or Glide before you put on your socks. You’ll be amazed the difference it makes. If you get one (or more!) blister and it hasn’t broken yet, clean the area with alcohol, prick it with a sterilized pin or needle to drain and then apply antibiotic  cream and cover with a Band-Aid, second skin or sports tape. And…. you’ll be good to go again!

“Another problem walkers and runners often have is losing your toenails (don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt’much’and they do grow back). To avoid it, make sure you have your toenails cut nice and short and that they aren’t rubbing on your running shoe in any way.

"Lastly, I always thought I had shoes that fit me properly until I went to The Running Room and they fitted me. What a huge difference. They really know what they are talking about."

Thanks to Suzanne for the great tips’and keep ’em coming!

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