I CONSTANTLY CLIP MY ANKLE WITH THE HEEL OF THE OPPOSITE FOOT. IS THERE ANY WAY TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM MYSELF?

M.B., Pocatello, Idaho

There's a story behind every cut and scar, and I bet your nicked ankles tell of long training runs and burly trail jaunts-that, or just some serious uncoordination. The fatigue of longer runs and the uneven terrain of an off-road run can cause changes in your stride that make you whack yourself. Solution: gaiters. The North Face, Outdoor Research, and Mountain Hardwear make gaiters for running that'll also keep trail crud out of your shoes. If gaiters are too geeky for you, wear running socks that come up higher on the ankle than the standard version. Defeet has a new line of socks called The Blaze, that come about five inches above the ankle and have two fabric options: wool and CoolMax.

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