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November 08, 2005
Phone Calls From Afar
I was awakened shortly after 7 this morning by the phone. Going on the theory that answering it would encourage people to call me at that hour (and also because I didn't feel like moving), I let the answering machine pick up. When I heard that it was my friend D. calling from India, I rushed for the phone, but he had hung up by the time I got there. D. comes from a small village called Khati high in the Himalayas. Khati is accessible only by a mule road, about two days' hike from the nearest jeep road (unless you're D., in which case you can do it in a day, probably less) and has no electricity or telephone. D. is, at the moment, living in Goa, running outdoor adventure programs at a couple of the big resorts and working on improving his English because he wants to come to the U.S. to teach courses at one of the big American outdoor schools. Being someone who has been handed easy access to the world by accident of birth, I'm a little in awe of him. I wonder if I had been born in Khati if I would have had the courage and tenacity to wander so far. I think it's good for me to have someone like D. to think of when I'm tempted to do the easy thing with my life.
At any rate, once the phone rang, I was up, my plan to sleep until 8 foiled. I ended up churning away at the treadmill around 11 again last night and didn't make it to bed until 1-ish. I started to run in the late afternoon, but my heel persuaded me to go get something to put on it before running any further. So, I got some blister pads which, according to the box, are supposed to last up to five days. Predictably, when I put one on it lasted not much more than five minutes before it squinched down to disappear somewhere in my sock. I had a decent run, for a treadmill run. I amused myself listening to the Evita soundtrack (my latest weird obsession) while doing 4 miles at 7:30 pace and 4 at 7:00 for a total of 8 miles. Looking down at my foot as I got off the treadmill brought Curt Schilling and his sock circa October 2004 to mind. Not pretty.
Today, however, I managed to craft a dressing that stayed put (it involved a blister pad and lots of athletic tape). I ran for a little over an hour -- outdoors! yay! -- on yet another beautiful, balmy afternoon. The only thing that kept the run from being perfect was some nagging blister pain. But it was one of those things that made me appreciate the run more -- if it had been perfect, I probably would have simply taken it for granted.
Posted by alweiss at November 8, 2005 09:41 AM
Comments
I'm so glad you're back!! Have you tried any liquid bandage type things, like NuSkin? That might come right off as well, but it might be better than something that sticks on in the traditional way.
That's some fast running you're doing! Nice. I have the Evita soundtrack as well. I listened to it for a while, but I haven't felt compelled to listen to it in at least a couple years.
Posted by: Alison at November 9, 2005 12:07 PM
Bulletbroof blister management scheme: Get Dr. Scholl's Moleskin. Cut a cicular hole in the moleskin the size of your blister and cut the moleskin down till there is about 1/2 inch of moleskin padding around the outside of the blister. Apply to your blistered area. If it's a biggun, you can do a second layer of moleskin to create another padding layer. If the blister itself is sensitive and painful, lay down a very thin layer of gauze, over the blister, then apply 1 or more layers of duct tape over the whole thing, fastening the duct tape sturdily (with the moleskin and gauze comepletely underneath the duct tape
) to your unharmed skin. It should last you miles and miles! Good luck!
Posted by: Meghan at November 9, 2005 09:21 PM
Thanks for all the blister advice! :) I think I (finally) have it under control.
Posted by: alweiss at November 10, 2005 09:46 AM