KT TAPE » Shin Splints

New KT Tape Applications for Shoulders, Shin Splints, and Wrists

Jim Jenson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:15:44 +0000

Here are three more video’s- as requested by @tkdsoulkat, @R_Cha_3, and @jlusardi on Twitter. If you’d like to request a video please let us know.

AC JOINT

First, is an updated version of our ac joint pain video. AC Joint injuries can be very painful and take a long time to heal. For most separations or injuries to the AC Joint, this KT Tape application will drastically reduce pain, provide needed support, and speed the healing process.

SHIN SPLINTS

This video is an update for our anterior shin splints application. This application can be used for a variety of ankle issues including ankle sprains, stretched ligaments, inflamed tendons, or general ankle weakness. The added support will give you the confidence and support during the rehabilitation phase of an injury as well as the stability and pain relief during activity.

WRIST

This application is a brand new one for wrist pain. KT Tape is appropriate for Grade I and II sprains, and Grade III sprains after seeking medical attention. KT Tape provides stability through proprioceptive feedback and mechanical support. Additionally, KT Tape is very comfortable and allows for slight healthy range of motion in order to speed the healing process. Other treatments include rest, ice, NSAIDs, and in very severe cases surgery. It is very important to get an accurate diagnosis is moderate to severe cases in order to avoid complications in the future.

We have many more new applications to come so check back tomorrow for more. For a full list of new applications see check here. Leave a comment and let us know what you think? Thx!

Are You Tough Enough for a Tough Mudder?

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:07:10 +0000

After running five half marathons – three in Vibram Sprints – I wanted a bit more of a full-body challenge. I wanted a race that required more than just strong legs and good lungs. I wanted something I’d be proud to finish. Props to Brian Jones, James Schreiner, Michael Wills and Michael Yarnall for running with me. Also thanks to KT Tape and Vin Vallejo of Pro Fitness AZ for the shin splint help and Andrew Hangartner for the extra training.

Tough Mudder isn’t your typical distance race. There were training runs, road races, adventure hikes and weightlifting sessions. There was a lot of helping, more mud than pigs would be comfortable in and enough small rocks to make me rethink my choice of Vibram Sprints.

Then there was the electroshocks that knocked me down, blurred my vision and for a little while, made me thank anyone I could find that it was over. And after months of gym visits, a few cold showers BEFORE training runs and a half day spent crawling on rocks, jumping in and out of a pool and carrying a 14-lb medicine ball for two miles (during my 8.5 mile TRAINING the week prior), the inaugural Tough Mudder Arizona was over.

Here’s my obstacle-by-obstacle recap* of my Tough Mudder run at the former GM proving grounds in Mesa, AZ.

1. Braveheart Charge
Our first obstacle was an eight-foot wall jump, followed by a rousing speech surrounded by about a hundred other potential mudders. We all pledged to make this an adventure and not a race, to help anyone who needed it and to value finishing over our times. After a bunch of grunting, the Star Spangled Banner played and we trotted off for what seemed about a mile run.

2. Kiss Of Mud
All hope of avoiding heavy mud was lost at this obstacle. We crawled, lurched and pushed our way through mud on our bellies, every second wishing the person in front would flail their leg and kick mud into our faces (it happened anyway).

3. Arctic Enema
A 40-foot ice bath is no picnic in any weather. This obstacle required us to walk through a trough filled with ice (a bulldozer gave us a fresh batch), water and some green food coloring that looked like creamy Kool-Aid. Halfway through the chest-high water there was a board lined on top with barbed wire, forcing us to submerge to go forward. The sensation of ice cubes on my head as I came back up was a little unsettling, but I hopped out ready to go.

4. Berlin Walls #1
Only monkeys could scale these 12-foot walls quickly. Each of my team required a little boost to get up the wall, but all made it over quickly. A few people toppled over head first, but no one seemed to get hurt. This was far harder than I thought.

5. Jumpin’ Bale
Jumping between five-foot-high hay bales wasn’t tough as long as you could build up a good head of steam, but with so many other people around you, that was tough. None of my team fell, but we were a bit worried each time we took to the air.

6. Zombie Apocalypse
Beat-up cars, acrid smoke and a whole bunch of tires greeted us here. I punched a windshield, jumped on a roof and tried to break a back window, but my fist isn’t capable of such. I feel better prepared for an outbreak now.

7. Bump N Grind
Crawl over sharp rocks as noted on the map, but I don’t remember it on the course. Or maybe it was just too muddy for the rocks to be a problem. Anyway, I crawled on sharp red rocks LAST weekend as prep, and I’m still sporting scars. So there’s that.

8. Devil’s Beard
Low-slung cargo nets threatened to impede our progress, but as long as we all stayed close, the nets were easy to lift. I kinda wanted to go on top and have people launch me into the air.

9. Boa Constrictor
A hands and knees crawl through sand, then muddy water, then sand. The pipes were too small to float through, and I had to get really skinny to get out. As soon as I figured out to put one knee directly in front of the other, I made it just fine.

10. I don’t remember. Sorry.

11. Bale Bonds
This wasn’t hay, rather a series of small mud hills that looked hay-like. If you can picture the short jumps from Excitebike, you’ll get it. And just like Excitebike, if you lost speed or took a wrong angle, you’d face plant.

12. Twinkle Toes
You’d think that wearing Vibrams would make this easier, right? That my superior grip with my flexible shoes would enable me to channel my inner ballerina and fly right by, yeah? That worked until I got to the middle and the wood dipped, swayed and snaked. Into the water I went. Water was nice, though. Except for the mud.

13. Hold your Wood
This was something like a 3/4 mile trot while carrying a log. Some people teamed up to carry a larger piece, others went solo. My teammates and I each grabbed our own. We ran the first quarter mile, walked the second and ran the third. The carry was awkward, but not terrible.

14. Shake N Bake
We were supposed to be hosed down here, but instead we just crawled in muddy water while live wires hung down and stung us. The shocks weren’t bad, the footing wasn’t great and I was happy to get out.

15. Berlin Walls #2
Crap. More 12-foot walls that I couldn’t get over the first time. My first attempt here resulted in me falling off the wall and stumbling backwards across the support, but I got back up, pushed my way up and bruised my inner arm, forearm, inner thigh and knee doing so. Oh, the drop back down sucked too.

16. Mud Mile
Not really a mile. It didn’t really matter, as this obstacle only served to make the mud and small pebbles in my Vibram Sprints multiply. We trudged through.

17. Mystery Obstacle
I think this was the mud wall. Or maybe it was 20 jumps. Or maybe something with mud and water. I’m sure it sucked.

18. King Of The Mountain
At first I thought we’d all have to fight to the top and then throw all challengers off, but apparently this wasn’t THAT kind of ‘king of the mountain’. We climbed, pushed others and did our best not to trip on the twine trying to hold the hay bales together.

19. Log Jammin’
This was where the team and I started to get frustrated. Because we had run the entire time, save that 1/4 mile during the log jam, we caught up with the earlier heats and were slowed down by longish lines at obstacles. While the cardio break was nice, watching out-of-shape people belly themselves over logs grew tedious. Once we started and realized that the top logs were closer – forcing us to lean BACK to go up – we were slightly more sympathetic. Oh, and the lower logs that we were supposed to go under had barbed wire twisted around them.

20. Walk The Plank
15 or so foot jump into a muddy hole. I hit bottom, but none of my teammates did. A few other participants waited at the top for what seemed like forever, but none of us hesitated. The water did nothing to help with the rocks still in my Vibram Sprints, but it was refreshing.

21. Dirty Holes
Mud slog separated by mud hills followed by more mud slogging. Felt a bit quicksand-ish and thankfully my straps held my shoes on.

22. Spider’s Web
Up and over cargo nets. Easy had we not been in a hurry, but annoying if cold and being pushed, which we were.

23. Berlin Walls #3
This sucked. It ain’t easy for a 5’11″, 215 lb dude to get up and over a 12-foot wall when he’s fresh, let alone when he’s muddy, tired and the wall is super slippery. No casualties, but my shoulders and back screamed after this one.

24. Shocks on the Rocks
I think this was earlier in the race, but I crawled through so many mud pits with barbed wire overhead or in a tube I can’t really remember. Pretty sure this one had tarp down, but that made it harder.

25. Turd’s Nest
Cargo nets are great on the side of ships and below trapeze artists. They catch everything. Problem is, getting out is a ton harder. While we weren’t quite as cramped as the Rebels in Return of The Jedi, falling through was a worry. Our spectator friends told us to log roll through it, but there wasn’t room. I crab- then bear-crawled through.

26. Cliffhanger
Super-muddy mountain with few footholds and a whole lot of slippery here. I fell back three times and was saved each time my my teammates. A helpful hand from another mudder got me over the top and then I nearly fell navigating the muddy top. My legs were now stiff.

27. Everest
By far the most feared obstacle, this greased half pipe proved a worthy foe. The idea was to run as fast as you can as far up as you can, then dive forward and hope someone on top grabs you. Once there, completion was just a leg hook away. We watched a few people try to get up this for almost twenty minutes. Hilarity was watching them slide back down, unhurt. A few dudes seemed to be a little shy in grabbing the women to help them up, but each girl I heard said they didn’t care who grabbed what, they just wanted to get over. I did it on the first try.

28. Funky Monkey
I’ve never liked monkey bars. Some people went across bar by bar, others hooked their legs first and crawled upside down and backwards. I made it two bars and then my grip gave out, dropping me into more green, cold water. By this time the sun was gone and clouds had taken over, making the water less refreshing and more uncomfortable.

29. Electroshock Therapy
When I first signed up for Tough Mudder, I figured this was a bit exaggerated. No way they’d hit us with 10,000 volts right? And even if they did, that’s not enough to hurt, right? That’s some BS right there. The line here was long as everyone was scared to get shocked, so the organizers started challenging us to cut in and dive through. We could smell and hear the burns and zaps, making it less than exciting to be almost finished.

Here I watched two guys before me lunge through the live wires, only to fall flat on their faces ten feet away. Since the ground was another mud pit, I figured they had dove. Heh. NOPE. They had been shocked so hard it knocked them over, as I found out seconds later. I made it one step before my first shock and another one before I plunged into the deep mud right behind them. After face planting, I raised my head up only to be shocked AGAIN, only this time it blurred my vision instead of pushing me into the mud. We crawled through the rest of the windy 20 feet to emerge frazzled, but alive.

30. Finish Line
And that was it. I roared when I got up, then almost fell three times as I made my way through the thigh-deep mud around the finish. I had done it. I’m now a Tough Mudder.

I enjoyed my time on the course, but I think I’ll stick to road races in my Vibram Sprints. Were I to run this again, I’d wear something with a bit more sole, like a KSO Trek or possibly a Luna Sandal (iffy because of the mud). There were a lot of sharp rocks on hard ground that made running painful, and I’m a bit bruised today because of that.

Totally worth it.

*As best I can remember. For this article, I checked the official map and wrote down what I remembered, but I know it wasn’t exact. I suppose I should have taken notes, but I couldn’t find anything mud, dirt, water, shock and impact proof. We finished the course in about three hours, fifteen minutes.

Special thanks for Tyler Hurst for giving us permission to re-post.

KT Tape Rollin’ Through Chicago

Jim Jenson — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:00:39 +0000

The KT Tape Events Team spent last weekend in the Sports Authority booth at the Chicago Rock’n’Roll ½ Marathon Health & Fitness Expo taping up athletes and getting ready to rock’n’roll on the race course Sunday morning!

We love hearing the success stories of our KT Tape Fans at these events, especially from those who have never used KT Tape before, such as Carolyn (check out the KT Tape on her shin pictured above). Read below for her testimonial:

THANK YOU!!!!

You taped me up on Saturday, which was my first use of the tape for a bad shin splint I have been battling for 5 weeks. I only ran the Rock n Roll Sunday out of pure stubbornness as I hadn’t put in the necessary mileage, and I was really afraid of not being able to finish due to the pain.

The tape is AMAZING! For the first time in weeks, on Sunday I could touch my shin without finding a hot spot that hurt like hell. I ran the race with no shin pain and still feel great. My only regret is not finding it sooner!!

Thanks again!

Congrats on a great race, Carolyn! We’ll see you at the next expo!

The Skinny on Shin Splints

Jim Jenson — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:30:49 +0000

Skinny doesn’t refer just to those long, skinny strips of KT Tape running up your shin! Here is the skinny on one of the most common running injuries we encounter:

What are Shin Splints?

The shin is the common name for the front of the lower leg bone (tibia) and its associated muscles and tendons. Muscles on the front of the leg (primarily the anterior tibialis) serve to point the toes and foot upwards (dorsiflexion).

What is the difference between Anterior and Posterior?

Anterior shin splints exist on the front of the leg. Posterior shin splints present pain along the inside edge of the lower leg.

Anterior shin splints can be identified by pain when the foot is bent upwards. They are typically brought on by new activity such as running, court sports, or other sports that require frequent stopping and starting. The problem is most common when these activities are performed on hard surfaces. Posterior shin splints present pain along the inside edge of the lower leg. In some cases, bumps can also be felt along this area. They are typically caused by various muscle imbalances in this part of the leg. Flat arches, over-pronation (eversion), and activities that require frequent changes of direction can all contribute to posterior shin splints.

What causes Shin Splints?

Poor shoes, running downhill or on the balls of the feet, or overactive calves (muscle imbalance) can greatly increase the chances of developing shin splints. Many times the shin splints arise from pain in the muscle due to overuse, but often the pain can be due to stress fractures in the bone. This is often seen in those who “tough it out” and continue the painful activity without allowing for sufficient recovery.

How are Shin Splints Treated?

Treatment always entails rest and avoiding the activity that caused the pain. Shin splints start out as a minor annoyance, but can become debilitating if not allowed to heal in the early stages. Ice and anti-inflammatories will help reduce the pain and inflammation, but should not be used to continue the painful activity. Correcting poor running form, fitting for appropriate shoes, and stretching before and after activity will aid prevention.

What does KT Tape Do?

KT Tape provides an excellent means of helping the muscles to relax and facilitate the healing process, as well as helping to reduce inflammation. As with any overuse injury, use the tape in conjunction with rest to promote the healing process and see reduced recovery times.

What Else Can I Do To Avoid Shin Splints?

In addition to KT Tape, check out these Shin Splint Stretches from on Active.com:

Runners often develop shin splints when increasing mileage or when adding speedwork to their routines.

The following exercises, courtesy of Rick Braver, D.P.M., will help prevent shin splints:

1) Stand with your heels together and toes pointed out. Slowly raise up onto your toes and lower yourself back down. Repeat 10 times.

2) Stand with your big toes together and heels far apart. Slowly raise up onto your toes, then lower yourself back down. Repeat 10 times.

For professional KT Tape application, click here to find a KT Tape medical professional near you.

Jamaica Track & Field Stars Sport KT Tape at Penn Relays

Jim Jenson — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:15:08 +0000

Check out the event report below from the chiropractic team that used KT Tape at the United State’s largest Track & Field event last month:

As a tradition, the best of Jamaica’s Track and Field athletes convene and compete at the biggest track and field event in the USA, the Penn Relays. This is the fourth year in a row where Team Jamaica employed a sports chiropractic team to provide care to their athletes. A popular component of their care was proprioceptive tape. KT Tape was provided this year in Jamaican Team colors: Black, Yellow and Green. As expected, the most common taping was for lower extremity conditions such as shin splints and hamstring strains.

Click here to see more pictures from the event!

Shin Splint Pain? Easy Stretches for Prevention

Jim Jenson — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:00:11 +0000

Shin splints is an injury almost every runner experiences at one time or another. KT Tape can be used to treat shin splint pain both during and after running or sporting activity, but it can also be used preventatively. In addition, check out these shin splint stretching tips from Rick Braver, D.P.M. on Active.com that will help prevent shin splints going forward!

Runners often develop shin splints when increasing mileage or when adding speedwork to their routines.

The following exercises, courtesy of Rick Braver, D.P.M., will help prevent shin splints:

Stand with your heels together and toes pointed out. Slowly raise up onto your toes and lower yourself back down. Repeat 10 times.
Stand with your big toes together and heels far apart. Slowly raise up onto your toes, then lower yourself back down. Repeat 10 times.

Three shoe-shopping tips

When you shop for shoes, do these three things:

Go late in the day, when your feet are their largest (feet swell during the day and during running);
Bring along the socks you’ll wear while running; and
Have both feet measured by a salesperson, even if you think you know your shoe size. (One foot is often larger than the other, and you’ll need to be fitted for the larger foot.)

For more tips about Shin Splints, visit the KT Tape Instructions or Active.com

What’s up this weekend?

Jim Jenson — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:30:39 +0000

Friday is here again- what will you be doing this weekend? We want to know if it includes KT Tape. Here is a sampling of weekend plans from our KT Tape fans. Tell us what you’re doing!

“I’m KT Taping my knees tonight and hitting an 8-mile in the morning.” –Mike

“I’m KT Taping my heels and running the Tokyo Marathon… wish you guys were here promoting your fantastic product!” –Satoshi

“Soccer (futbol) tournament in Riverside, CA… this weekend for my 13 year old girl…” –Jose

“I am KT Taping my knee and hitting 7 miels tomorrow, and 13 miles on Sunday!” –Matthew

“Tapering for Little Rock” –Daniel

“I will be recovering from my vacation where, ironically, I did a whole bunch of KT TAPING… loved it!” –Joe

“Performing massages and taping runners at the Disney princess marathon… they really wished you guys were there! LOL” –Desmond

“Taping up the foot and shin. Hyannis half marathon Sunday. 8 weeks to Boston.” –Emmett

“Tapin’ my athletes at the Western Athletic Conference swim and dive championships in San Antonio!” –Steve

“Just taped up my knee and ankle for the Walk for Life tomorrow morning!” -Amanda

Tell us about your weekend plans, and don’t forget to check out KT Tape’s events and instructions pages before you go!

KT Tape Love Fest

Jim Jenson — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:45:44 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day! We are always excited to hear that our customers LOVE KT Tape, so on this Valentine’s Day we decided to share the LOVE and post our customers’ own words:

I LOVE KT Tape- it helps me so much with my runner’s knee. I run an average of 20-25 miles a week- What a difference KT Tape makes. I’m running in a half marathon every month this year and probably would not be able to do this without the help of the KT Tape. Thank you so much! -David T.

Well I want to tell my story!! Ran at the Thunder Road Marathon and I was going in with sore calves from calf pulls. I saw the vendor there at the expo and he KT “taped” me up—I ran a half marathon with NO calf pain! LOVE IT!!! -Kelly

I’ve had horrible shin splints since November and I couldn’t train for the Arizona Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon the way I’d wanted to. It was my first half and I was really worried I would end up walking it. I saw the KT Tape booth at the expo and figured, what the heck? Well, after KT Taping I felt better instantly and I was able to run the Half Marathon with NO pain (something I haven’t done in 8 weeks!, and finished 5 min ahead of my goal time. I LOVE KT TAPE! -Chrissy S.

I’m a runner who recently fell in LOVE with KT Tape. My son, an 8 year old competitive gymnast, is in LOVE with it, too. He calls it “Miracle Tape!” He recently had a lot of pain in the top of his foot, and after asking about it on the KT Tape facebook page and getting some super advice – I was able to tape his foot with great results. He was back in the gym the next day! He had no pain during his floor routine and, even I – a diehard KT Tape fan – was surprised when he had no pain on dismounts from rings, highbar, or P-bars! Thanks so much for helping me get my little gymnast back in the gym! -Jacquelynn L.

I LOVE KT tape. I had a grade III AC separation, and I tried the general shoulder taping method and it works well. Thank you, KT Tape rocks! - Eric L.

Why not join in on the LoveFest- Why do you LOVE KT Tape?

Taping for Baseball Injuries

admin — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:30:22 +0000

The General Sports Baseball Expo was this week which reminds us that even though it is still biting cold and snowy out in most of the country, spring is coming up on us quickly. It’s never too early to start your training and getting into shape for America’s favorite pastime.

Unlike treating baseball injuries with traditional athletic tape which can be restricting, using KT Tape kinesiology therapeutic athletic tape offers full range of movement along with support. Problems like shoulder pain and shin splints can be easily treated using our easy online application videos. You can also find a KT Tape clinician for professional application.

Let KT Tape help you knock your baseball pain out of the park this training season.

When Shin Splints Get You Down, KT Tape Comes to The Rescue

admin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 05:05:00 +0000

When training for your first marathon, there are so many things you need to take into account and prepare for. That’s why the last thing you want to think about is your shin splints. We received this great testimonial from Patricia Heuvel on how she discovered KT Tape and how it put her right back on track in her training for her first marathon on October 24th.

From Patricia Heuvel:

“After six days of dealing with shin splints, I am walking normal again thanks to KT Tape! I am running in my first marathon Oct. 24. With race day just four weeks away having to recover from shin splints does not fit into the training plan.

I have seen KT tape on athletes, but it wasn’t until my husband, who deals with achilles pain, did some research last night that we actually considered using it ourselves. My husband, also training for the marathon, was heading out of town to play in a soccer match. He planned on picking some tape up and applying it before his game.

He sent me a text with his first impression. “first impression, tape is pretty decent. keeps things tight so you don’t notice the pulling/stress.” I couldn’t wait to try it myself, but my training run wouldn’t wait so I ran my scheduled 14 miles in pain.

My husband’s second text “kttape gooooooood”

Upon his return my husband found me reclining in my lazy boy, shin compressed, ice pack on. He handed me the tape. I watched the instructional video one more time and viola! I felt relief INSTANTLY! I used the taping position for shin splint anterior and it worked immediately. I got up out of the chair and thought that nothing short of a miracle had just occurred!

Thanks KT tape for the video instructions and this miraculous product. I will recommend this to everyone I know!”

Thanks Patricia for your awesome testimonial and good luck on your first marathon!

Click here for full taping instructions.

KT Tape Product Review and Giveaway

admin — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:05:23 +0000

KT Tape got an awesome product review on The Hotlegs Runner blog. Even better? They are doing a giveaway for a free box of KT Tape. Read Below for the full review and how to enter the giveaway.

What is KT Tape?

It is a strong, elastic athletic tape that reduces muscle pain, increases mobility, and enhances athletic performance. KT TAPE is pre-cut so that it is fast and easy to apply. Just tear off a strip and apply it to the injured area. KT TAPE provides relief and support for muscles and joints and can be used to prevent or treat hundreds of sports injuries.

How Does it Work?

By applying KT Tape over affected tissue, athletes experience an external support which helps to prevent further injury and allows the body’s damaged tissue to rest and heal naturally despite continued activity. KT Tape also reduces inflammation and increases circulation which prevents muscle cramping and lactic acid buildup.

Most of my runner friends know that I’ve always had a problem with my ankles. I always feel a pinching pain in my Achilles tendon and posterior tibial tendon area. I was able to somehow alleviate this by getting the right running shoes for my gait. I over-pronate you see. And lately, I’ve been feeling pain in the heel and arch of my feet.

When I run long distances, I always, ALWAYS feel that familiar pain which I somehow learned to pay no attention to. Short of saying — I got used to it. Not good. So I chanced upon this sport tape while I was surfing the web and immediately went to the sports store to see if it will work for me.

Here’s how it went down…

I was scheduled to do my long run (19 Kilometers) today, so last night, I asked Mike to tape my right foot. Yes —JUST the right one. Just an experiment. I wanted to see if there will be any difference between the one that was taped and the one that wasn’t.

And there was! At 13K my left ankle (no KT Tape) started “acting up.” The KT Taped right ankle — still okay. I was completely PAINLESS on my right ankle until I finished my 21K run. Yeah you read correctly. I was just supposed to do 19K but ended up doing 21K! I still had some energy and my right ankle took me all the way up to a half marathon distance — pain-free!

I am pleased to announce…Yes, IT WORKED for me!

Additional Review

FABRIC

Light-weight, Durable, Breathable, Water-proof

DESIGN

Comes in cool colors: black, blue, pink, beige, red and green.

OTHERS

Includes step by step instructions on how to apply the tape

Pre-cut strips (no cutting required!)

So, if you suffer from ITBS, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, knee pain or you just need the extra support, may I suggest you give this a try. See if it works for you as it did for me and these awesome athletes! Uh-huh…this tape is not only designed for runners but can be used for every sport that you can think of (Swimming, Volleyball, Golf, Soccer, Water Polo, etc.). I think it will even be good for dancers!

GIVEAWAY

And now for the giveaway! First, thank you KT Tape for sponsoring this giveaway. Second, I will choose two lucky readers who will win this giveaway from random.org on October 11, Monday, 11:59 PM (PST) You will each get one box of KT Tape. Yey!

WHO CAN JOIN?

This is open to all residents of the U.S. and Philippines only. For Philippine residents, please read this before joining.

HOW DO YOU JOIN?

*remember to leave separate comments on this post for EACH of the things below. The more entries, the more chances of winning!

Mandatory

1. Must be a FOLLOWER of my blog. I’m doing this because it’s my way of thanking you for being one! =) Click the Follow button located at my right sidebar. And let me know that you are following already by posting on my comments. I am always happy to see new people following.

2. Let me know which color you would like. Post it on my comments again.

Extra Credit

1. Follow me on Twitter (hanagirl28) and leave a comment that lets me know you already do.

2. Follow KT Tape on Twitter (kttape) and leave a comment that lets me know you already do.

3. Like the Hotlegs Runner on FACEBOOK and leave a comment that lets me know you already do.

4. Like KT Tape on FACEBOOK and leave a comment that lets me know you already do.

5. Subscribe to KT Tape here and leave a comment that lets me know you already do.

6. Share this giveaway on your blog, Twitter, Facebook. Let me know when you’ve spread the word.

For more on KT Tape click here.

For taping instructions click here.

For retail store locations click here.

Customize Your Running Shoes With These Tricks

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:05:04 +0000

KT Tape can help with that bad case of runner’s knee, biting shin splints and all sorts of other running related aches, pains and injuries. But what do you do about those pesky shoe fit problems? Buy new shoes? Well, you may not have to. The solution may simply be in the lacing. See the article we found from Runner’s World by Susan Rinkunas, to help customize your running shoes by switching up the lacing.

From Susan Rinkunas, Runner’s World–You went to a running specialty store, tested out several models, and bought a pair that felt great. So why are your new running shoes rubbing you the wrong way? Even if you are fitted with a pair that suits your arch type and weekly mileage, your feet may have characteristics that make the seemingly perfect shoe less than comfortable over the long haul. Luckily, the solution could be as easy as relacing your shoes, says Richard Bouché, D.P.M., of the Sports Medicine Clinic in Seattle, who provided the techniques below. “Before you get a new shoe, try adjusting the lacing to enhance the fit,” Bouché says. “It’s a small change that can make a big difference.”

PROBLEM: “MY SHOE RUBS ONE SPOT ON THE TOP OF MY FOOT.”

Solution: Eliminate pressure on a “hot spot” by lacing around it, not directly over it.

Technique: Place a lipstick smear on your hot spot. Slide your bare foot into your shoe and take it out. The mark on the underside of the tongue tells you which set(s) of eyelets to skip. Lace your shoe until you reach the eyelet before the spot. Take the lace back under and pull it up through the next eyelet on the same side. Take the lace across and continue to lace. Repeat this on the other side. You’ll have an empty spot on the tongue where no laces cross it, which should eliminate your pressure point.

PROBLEM: “MY BIG TOENAIL TURNED BLACK.”

Solution: Lift the upper material above your big toe up and off it.

Technique: Thread one end of the lace through the eyelet next to your big toe. Pull the end of that lace up to the last eyelet on the opposite side, bringing the lace through to the outside. Leave just enough slack at the top to tie a bow. Take the remaining portion of the lace straight across toward the outside of the shoe and then diagonally up toward the inside of the shoe. Repeat until all of the eyelets are laced. When you tug on the outside lace, it will pull the material above your big toe up and off your nail.

PROBLEM: “MY SHOE IS TOO TIGHT ALONG THE TOP OF MY FOOT.”

Solution: Use parallel lacing to secure your foot without putting pressure on the top.

Technique: Lace the first two eyelets on the big-toe side of the tongue (not the first eyelet on either side of the tongue like you normally would). Bring the lace from the first eyelet straight across to the first eyelet on the other side of the tongue and push it through. Pull it straight up the side, skipping one eyelet, and thread it through the third eyelet. Pull it straight across the tongue, and push it through the third eyelet on the opposite side. Repeat until all eyelets are laced and tied.

PROBLEM: “MY TOES FEEL CRAMPED.”

Solution: Reduce forefoot constriction by using four shoelaces instead of two.

Technique: Remove the laces and measure them. Buy two sets (four laces) half that length. On both shoes, use one lace for the bottom three eyelets and a second lace for the upper three eyelets. The end result will be two bows on each shoe, allowing you to tie the bottom laces looser to accommodate your wider forefoot.

PROBLEM: “MY HEEL SLIDES UP AND DOWN.”

Solution: Create a more secure fit around the ankle without tightening the entire shoe.

Technique: Lace as normal until one eyelet remains on each side. Draw the lace straight up on the outside of the shoe and bring it through the last eyelet. This will create a loop. Repeat on the other side. Cross each lace over the tongue, thread it through the opposite loop, and tie. The loops help to cinch in the material around your ankle to prevent your heel from slipping without making the rest of your shoe any tighter.

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