Day 200

It's been more than a week since my last post and I apologize. What can I say? It's been busy, it's been tiring, it's been eventful ... basically just more of the same.
This past weekend was the 2nd of our 2 long back-to-back weekend training walks. Last weekend was 18 & 15. I managed the 18 on Friday without too much difficulty, but settled for 12 (of the 15) on Saturday.

I am still nursing the blisters on my heals (mostly my right foot). I was so proud of my training so far and the fact that I was blister-free ... I'm hoping I didn't jinx myself. Until 3 weeks ago I was doing awesome, then I tried breaking in a new pair of shoes for the walk. The salesman insisted I needed a 1/2 size larger and I figured he was the expert, so I listened to him. Obviously it didn't turn out so well. After about 10-12 miles (I never wore them for more than 6 miles a day) I discovered that they were slipping just enough around my heals that I was getting friction. I tried tieing the shoes differently, etc. but the damage was already done. I returned the shoes and went back to another pair that was a 1/2 size smaller and they seem to be working. My problem now seems to be that I keep re-inflaming the existing blisters each week when I walk. In a perfect world I would take a few weeks to let them properly heal, but my world isn't perfect.

I need to find a way to protect them the best I can while still walking & training. I'm using vaseline, moleskin, good socks, good shoes. I just need help finding the right combination I guess.

The walk is now only 4 weeks away. I'm hoping that we will catch a break with the heat. We should be accustomed to walking in the heat by now that we'll be used to it, but it would still be kind of nice to not be so hot & humid for the 3 days. Although it will be August and it's still Michigan (which can be unpredictable), so we kind of already have 2 strikes against us.