Whenever I've trained to run a long-ish distance, (which, for me, means anything over six miles or so), I experience the same things -- a little knee pain, a bit of plantar faciitis, and, of course, blisters. Most runners I know have experienced blisters, some to a debilitating extent, and it flat out sucks to sit out a workout because of blisters.

There are lots of ways to treat blisters, and shoes and sunglasses, what works for one person might not work for another. In the gallery, I've pulled together a few popular treatments for blisters, but I'm curious to hear about your solutions, too. Let's hear your best blister beaters in the comments!

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Recently I came down with my first case of poison ivy. And it's a doozy. A trip to the doctor last Monday has me on medication that's clearing it up quickly, though. I'll be happy to see it go away completely! Since this was my first case of the scratchy stuff, I did a little research online and discovered that a lot of the things I thought were facts about poison ivy turn out to be nothing but myths.

• Scratching will cause the rash to spread. Technically, this isn't true. The rash is caused by contact with urushiol oil from the poison ivy plant. If your skin still has traces of the oil and you scratch, you could transfer the oil to another part of your body. But, once the oil is gone, scratching will not spread the rash. However, take it from my personal experience, you don't want to scratch. I'm on a heavy-duty antibiotic to clear up the infection I have as a result of scratching.
  
• Poison ivy is contagious. Again, only contact with urushiol oil will cause the reaction. The rash itself is not contagious.
  
• Once allergic, always allergic to poison ivy. Not necessarily. Your sensitivity can change over time.

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We all have skin issues, and we all spend a lot of money and use a lot of chemicals trying to get rid of them. Summertime is especially hard on the skin with sunburns and bug bites on top of year round issues like breakouts and eczema, leaving your medicine cabinet full of tubes and ointments for everything you can think of. But did you know you might be able to do away with many of them just by heading to the kitchen when you need something? By combining simple ingredients you might already have you can not only treat issues like cold sores and blisters successfully, but in an all natural way.

Read this article for home remedy ideas you probably would have never thought of on your own, like using apple-cider vinegar on a sunburn or taking digestive enzyme pills to help heal eczema.

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The season of sun and summer fun is almost here, and the season of new peely sunburns is here now. The aisles at the drugstore are filling up with sunscreens of every type, and making sure you get stocked up is as important as ever. It is also important to understand the factors that put you at particular risk for getting a sunburn so you can take necessary measures to protect yourself. As humans we are all at risk of getting burned by the sun if we aren't careful, but special risk factors to consider are:

• Babies and children with fairer and more delicate skin.
  
• Adults with fair skin tones (although remember: everybody can burn!)
• Spending time outdoors during the peak hours of 10am to 4pm
• Using a tanning bed
• Spending time near or on reflective surfaces like sand and water
• Using certain medications that increase your sun sensitivity, like some birth controls and antibiotics

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I just went in to a convenient store to grab a newspaper and came across a disturbing conversation. As I got in line to pay for my paper I stood behind a woman with a large triangular white bandage across what I thought was her nose. Apparently I was wrong. She no longer had a nose.

What really got to me was the conversation she had with the clerk, who had about four reddish black sores on his face. Both were dealing with melanoma - skin cancer - and both were joking about who would die sooner. Of course laughter was probably a relief to the stress they were feeling, but it stressed me out.

Folks, Melanoma is not funny at all, in fact it is the most serious form of cancer. It is deadly and the mere thought of having pieces of my face removed frequently to remove cancerous moles......nonetheless removing my nose makes me want to go buy a closet full of sun block and hats. Don't screw around! It's summer, the sun will be blazing and it is dangerous.

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One of my personal training clients showed up today, and shot a fitness tip in my direction for a change. She's a super fit girl with very muscular legs and as a result experiences chafing during long runs. Randomly she decided to tell me about Body Glide, which looks likes deodorant and glides on the same way.

Body Glide contains one percent zinc oxide and claims to be the "anti-friction skin formula" that will prevent blisters, chafing, dry cracked skin, saddle sores and rash. It's made with Vitamin E and aloe and is a no mess, non greasy, oil free product.

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In today's fast paced world, getting hurt or injured can put a serious kink in your plans. Whether it's something major like a broken bone, or minor like a paper cut, I'm sure most of us would agree that the faster it heals the better.

So, what if you do break your arm? Believe it or not, there is something you can do to help that cast or sling come off faster than it would with usual methods: ask your doctor about ultrasound therapy. Ultrasonic waves stimulate cell growth in the broken bone, and can save you as much as one third the time, or 2 months, of invalid status.

Other remedies for speedy recovery? Put antiperspirant on a nick from shaving, have steak and cranberry juice for dinner to cure a urinary tract infection, and moisturize moisturize moisturize a skin scrape. Click here for other creative healing ideas for things like headaches, blisters, and side stitches.

I'm seriously curious now if any of these really work?

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