Let's take a shot at taping.<br><br><br>
Shave your legs about two to three inches above you ankle or removing the tape will bring tears to your eyes. Yes guys shave or your macho attitude will generate some loud expletives and burning from post race irritation.<br><br>
To over-simplify, it’s a series of three stirrups and three slightly above the ankle (two to three inches) going around your leg. Put your leg up a chair or bed and starting about two inches above one side of your ankle covering about one third of you ankle then under your foot and up the other side. Can you say symmetry. If you press the tape as you apply, it will follow the contour of your ankle and not be too tight. Other than the initial feel of the tape, it should not be pulling. You are NOT trying to keep your ankle in place. The tape simply comes along for the ride. Once you stumble and start to go over a few degrees the tape will hold. It will not be until that first time you twist you will learn to trust the tape. A little like a male baseball catcher that wears a protective cup – it’s not until the errant pitch that you learn to appreciate the protection an save Ernie and the twins.<br><br>
Back to taping. Remember you’re doing 1/3 of the ankle per stirrup. Your feet should be dry and clean and make sure the tape does not have any wrinkles especially under your foot. Once that first stirrup feels right (it make take a try or two to get the correct feeling but thereafter a no-brainer) wrap another band about two inches above your ankle. Then do the next stirrup overlapping the next third. The overlapping technique interlocks. Do the same with next piece around you leg by overlapping by a third. In essence you end up three overlapping interlocked under your foot and around you ankle. And not too tight around your leg either, you don’t want to stop or even slow circulation. I like to add another few loops around the top.<br><br>
If you’re wearing low socks the tape will stick out. The name of the game is protection not how we look. I don't usually stare at a women's feet to anticipate dating. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br><br>
As for tape there are many brands out there and some better than others. I have used 1 inch Johnson&Johnson athletic tape and it had it stay an entire race to include many water crossings and solid mud.<br><br>
While we are covering taping I’ll offer another place for preventative blisters. Even with gaiters there will be little bits of “trail nature” that work into your shoe invariably inside your sock such that you have take your shoe off to remove the piece(s). You can use that some roll of J&J tape and from the ball of foot to the heel area overlap pieces of tape under your foot and connect on top. Again no wrinkles. That layer of tape across the bottom and usually tender part of the foot will prevent those pieces of mother nature from causing blisters. Most times you will not even feel the small pieces and not have to stop.<br><br>
You can do none, one or both.
