Vasque Blurs come through in Primal Quest

Primal Quest is a long and tough race, so I experienced a significant amount of trepidation leading up to PQ Montana. One of my main concerns was how my feet would hold up. Particularly, since the foot sections were rumored to be over 200 miles. By the end of PQ Utah, my feet were a sore and blistered, and I came shuffling into the finish line with a gimpy gait. This time around I was determined that my feet would last the whole race.

I had been using Vasque trail running shoes for only about 10 weeks prior to the race. I took a pair of Blurs out of the box, threw in a pair of Sole Custom Footbeds, put them on, and ran the capitol peak 50k. I was extremely pleased with the Blurs that day, but I was uncertain how they would hold up off trail. The next test I put them through was the Kayak Lake Mead 26 hour race. Except for a few kayaking and swimming segments, the entire race was on foot and off trail. The Blurs treated my feet well in the dry dessert terrain surrounding lake mead, so I decided to use them for Primal Quest.

PQ proved to be long and tough. Record late snowfall meant great glisading, full rivers and, of course, lots of time spent trekking in the snow. The race put us through three mountain ranges: the Spanish Peaks, the Bridgers, and the Crazy Mountains. There was beautiful apline terrain, but every spectacular trek seemed to finish with a long trail or road section. The prerace briefing listed the mileage on foot at 330 km. Through all this, my feet suprised me. I was able to wear the same shoe for the entire race without my feet swelling up or getting blistered. My feet finally started to hurt from the week of pounding six and a half days into the race. Fortunately, we only had a few hours of trekking left at this point.

Overall my feet held up wonderfully and allowed me to see a tiny sliver of the great state of Montana. In addition to finding a pair of rugged lightweight shoes that fit my feet, here is a list of things that contributed to my feet doing suprisingly well:

Clipping my nails carefully prior to the race.
Drying my feet out during sleeps.
Applying Sportslick lube between my toes at TAs.
Staying hydrated with nuun.
Using Sole footbeds in both my running and biking shoes--for additional cushion and support.
Using Outdoor Research Flex-Tex gaiters to keep rocks and debris from getting into my shoes--get the S/M size for trail running shoes.
Bringing and using Leki Carbonlite trekking poles on each leg--amazingly light and tough.

Vasque Blurs: $85.
Sportslick Pocket Slick: $4.
nuun: $6.
Sole Custom Footbeds: $45.
Outdoor Research Flex-Tex gaiters: $30.
Leki Carbonlite trekking poles: $200.

Teko Socks and Sole Foot beds

It finally happened – I finished a 3 day expedition adventure race and walked off the course BLISTER FREE!! I owe my feet happiness to the well designed products of Teko Socks and Sole foot beds. The two of these together are a winning combination.

Teko Socks – Made from Ecomerino wool, these socks pull moisture from the feet and in turn, greatly reduce the change of blisters and chaffing. They are very breathable and soft to put on. The wool stands up after multiple washes and can take the abuse of mud, sand, dirt and water. I highly recommend these as a must for any outdoor enthusiast. Oh ya, and they dry really quick – another key feature for blister prevention.

Sole Footbeds – Because these footbeds are heat moldable, they fit your foot properly. Having the extra bit of cushion in your shoe is critical for races and training days where you will be putting miles in on your feet. These foot beds helped me to overcome my chronic pain of plantar fasciitis. Take care of your feet now so the future becomes foot friendly!

Written by: Jen Segger-Gigg

SOLE Custom Footbeds

When I go running or biking these days, you will always find a pair of SOLEs in my shoes. I even use them for indoor spinning. Correct knee and leg alignment is of paramount importance in these repetitive sports, and it all starts with the arches of the feet. The arches help to absorb each running strike and to transmit the energy of each pedal stroke. Well-engineered footbeds assist the muscles in maintaining the anatomical position of the arch. When the arch is not supported then it can lead to misalignment of the ankle and then the knees, hips and lower back, which can lead to injury in any of these areas.

I started using SOLEs in my running shoes after I first tried custom athletic orthotics from my doctor. I used my doctor’s orthotics for several months. They made my feet a little sore, but seemed to help my running. Then I used them in a foot race with a relatively new shoe. It was a hard race, and I developed the worst feet I have ever had. I was not sure if the problem was the shoes or the orthotics, so it was several months before I tried the shoes again. In the meantime, I had been given a pair of SOLE Regular Softecs, so I threw these in the shoes and went for a run. While I am not about to claim that SOLEs will always be better than orthotics you get from your doctor, this was certainly the case for me. It turns out the orthotics were too stiff and hard. Dirt and rocks had gotten between the orthotics and the arches of my foot and had worn my skin away. Once I started using the SOLE footbeds, the same pair of shoes that hurt my feet so badly, Montrail Continental Divides, became my favorite pair of trail runners. The SOLEs have just the right amount of cushion and help prevent blisters in addition to keeping my leg in proper alignment.

After much experimentation with mountain bike shoes I have settled on using Shimano SH-M120 (currently SH-M121). The shoes are rugged and comfortable, but the insole that comes with the shoe is flimsy and flat. After my success in using SOLE Softecs in my running shoes, I started using SOLE Slim Sports in my cycling shoes. When my feet swelled during Primal Quest last year, I went without socks on the bike. This strategy kept my feet dry and allowed them to heal on the long bike legs. If I had tried this with the footbeds that came with the shoes, I am certain my feet would not have fared so well.

You can find detailed advice on the company website, www.yoursole.com, but here are a few tips:
+ SOLEs come in whole sizes, so buy the next whole size larger if you are a half size.
+ They are heat moldable, but you can definitely use them without molding them.
+ Before you mold your footbeds, make sure they fit in your shoes:
- Take your old insoles out.
- See if the SOLEs fit snugly in your shoes.
- Your old insoles can help act as a trimming guide.
- Progressively trim small slivers from the front of the footbed until they fit.
+ Mold in 3 easy steps:
- Heat the oven to 200F. Put the SOLEs in the oven for 2 minutes.
- Take them out, put them in your shoes, stand in your shoes, and lace them up.
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart for 2 minutes. In this position you best approximate neutral and your arch is at it’s highest. The footbeds will cool down and take the shape of your shoe and neutral positioned foot.
- **For bike shoes do not mold in a standing position. Instead heat them up and jump on your trainer for two minutes and spin. SOLE will take the shape of your foot in a non-weight pedal stroke, rather than a weighted standing position.
- Get outside and enjoy!