subject: Top 10 Things To Have In Your Barefoot Running "med Kit" [print this page] One of the first things that people usually say when they find out I am barefoot running is, "what about all the glass?" or sometimes, "What about broken glass and rusty nails?"
Now, what I have to tell you is, there is truly a lot less broken glass and rusty nails out there for you to step on while barefoot running than you would think. It's not ALL glass and nails out there.
However, there still are times when you will come across some broken glass, or some other sharp objects, so it's wise to have a little portable med kit on hand when barefoot running, just in case. I have logged about 1000 miles of barefoot running so far, and in that time I have certainly stepped on some broken glass that I didn't see coming.
There are other injuries that I've gotten barefoot running as well; mostly blisters, blood blisters, and spots where the sole of your foot actually wears through or develops a "hot spot" because I am out barefoot running so many miles in a day (20-26 miles), so many days in a row.
You may not be so hard on your feet as I am while you are barefoot running, and in fact I hope you are starting out barefoot running only 5 to 10 minutes a day at first, so you don't get a lot of blisters or worn spots; but in any case you should have the following things just in case:
Top 10 Things to Have in Your Barefoot Running Med Kit:
1. Pair of tweezers
2. Moleskin
3. Band-aids
4. Superglue
5. Duct Tape
6. Benzoin (or alcohol wipes)
7. Gauze and/or non-adherent pads
8. Medical tape
9. Small flashlight (unless you have lighted tweezers)
10. Cell Phone
Short explanation of Med kit items:
Tweezers: are for pulling glass or thorns or whatever else out of your feet that you get barefoot running. Be sure to stop and pull anything in your foot out right away.
Moleskin: if you have a blister while barefoot running, you can cut out the center of a circle of Moleskin, and create a pad around the blister so it's lifted off the ground while barefoot running. Or pad areas of your foot that are sore or look like they are about to blister but haven't yet.
Band-aids: to use if you get cut.
Super glue: was actually invented to help seal wounds in the first place. I use it to seal over an area that is cut or sore, also I use it to actually glue the moleskin on my feet better while I am barefoot running.
Duct Tape: this can be helpful to keep Band-aids or Moleskin on your feet while barefoot running, but be careful not to tape around your foot too tightly and constrict your movement; also be wary of putting sticky items directly on a blister area as it may pull the blister off (ouch).
Benzoin or alcohol wipes: you should always be sure to disinfect any area you need to treat, both on the road and after you get home.
Cell phone: this is another good idea, especially if you are barefoot running alone. If you get a bad cut, get injured, or get lost, or have simply run too far out and you are going to tear through your soles if you have to go barefoot running all the way back, you can call for help.
Gauze and/or non-adhesive pads: in case you get a big cut or injury while barefoot running.
Medical tape: to hold on the gauze.
Small flashlight: helps looking for splinters or glass.
Ok, so that's your basic barefoot running med kit. You should be able to find all these items either at a local pharmacy or a hardware store, or both.
Bonus Tip: If you don't have a support person who can bring all this with them, then you will need to have most of it in a bag at home, but you can carry a few items with you while you are barefoot running, in a little waist pack (or in your Camelbak if you wear one).
Here's what you can carry on yourself in a small container while barefoot running:
1. Some band-aids
2. Tweezers
3. Super Glue
4. Moleskin patches
5. Alcohol wipes
6. And, be sure to have your cell phone.
That's it...Have fun barefoot running, and be safe!
Important! Before you start barefoot running: You will need to know about how to alter your stride to the correct running form for barefoot running (it's different than shoe stride), as well as how far you should run barefoot at first.
