Maintaining proper foot care is essential for keeping your marathon training schedule on track and avoiding any unnecessary debilitating issues. Because you'll find yourself wearing a sweaty pair of running trainers each day (unless you have two), you'll be at higher risk from fungal growths, which are attracted to warm moist skin especially between the toes and around the nails. If you do find yourself with any of these infections, locate a podiatrist in your local vicinity and pay them a visit, they'll be able to offer all the advice and guidance you need to combat the issue.
Fungal Nail Infection
Fungal nail infections won't always be painful or debilitating; it depends on how much growth there is and how it affects the nail in question. At the very least it'll be unsightly and at the worst the nail can become thick and brittle, which can be painful when the toe flexes. Fungal nails are often whitish or yellow in colour and tend to thicken up, because of this it can be very hard to treat the nail, because when applying liquid treatments they won't always be able to saturate all of the infection. Therefore when applying tea tree oil or a dedicated fungal treatment, clip the nail or file it down. With enough consistent treatment, the infection will go, but this can take months of consistent daily treatment.
Athlete's Foot
Athlete's foot can present itself as red inflamed skin that's sore to touch and often builds up between the toes. Just like a fungal nail infection, this is caused by moist damp conditions that encourage fungal growth. There are many sprays and creams available from your local pharmacy that you can use to treat the condition; however, try preventing it from occurring in the first place by wearing clean cotton socks, using talcum powder on your feet to keep them dry, and buying a second pair of running trainers so that you can let any sweaty ones dry out before wearing them again.
Dry Feet and Calluses
Dry feet and calluses are common amongst runners because the constant pressure on the pads of the feet can cause large patches of thick skin to build up. This can be unsightly and even painful at times, especially if deep fissures appear which can split when flexed. Try to keep your feet well moisturised using a dedicated foot cream, and if needed use a pumice stone before you bathe.
