Toenail Update

Just to keep everyone posted...

My "ring-finger" toe toenail fell off tonight while I was reading in the library. Well, ok, it didn't just "fall" off. I was tweeking it a little bit - which I've been doing from time to time to promote its detachment - and it came off in my hand. Kinda gross, I know. It's a lot better though now that it's off. The loose nail doesn't catch on my sock or on the toe next to it. It also won't catch when I squinch up my toes to loosen them up during my runs. So anyway, if everyones counting, that's two toenails thus far...and no more look like they plan to - sorry to disappoint anyone.

My 24 miler yesterday was to say the least, horrible. So bad in fact, that I had to settle for a 20 miler. Most of the problem was that I didn't incorporate enough water stops into the run. My last two 20+ milers I ran in the rain so it wasn't a problem. But because of the nice and sunny weather, I was hurting. At the end of the run, my black shirt and my face was covered with salt - I joked that it was enough to season an entire Las Vegas buffet. My mouth also had the "I just squirted a whole bottle of Elmer's glue in my mouth" thing going on as well. I felt pretty tired and light headed for the rest of the day and into today as well. I had to skip Italian this morning because I still felt sick. All in all, not a good experience to have for my last long run before race day.

Just Push

Sorry it’s been a little while…

Shortly after my last update, my toenail of my middle toe on my left foot did fall off. So I guess I have fully turned myself into a marathoner. It actually looks a whole lot less gross with it off then it did with a black dead toenail hanging on. However, now my ‘ring-finger toe’ toenail is now black and loose. So if it doesn’t come off before the marathon, it will definitely be off a few days after it.

Speaking of the marathon, it’s only three weeks away. That means after today’s 24 miler I’m officially in taper mode. As bad as it is to say, I’m glad too because I’m just ready for the marathon to be over. I’m just getting a little sick of only running. I went for a bike ride this past Tuesday (which I maybe shouldn’t have done) and it was great to do something different for once. If I had my bike this past summer, it would probably be a different story right now. My anticipation for next year’s cycling season is also getting to me, especially because of a lack of a racing season this past year. I’m looking forward to going to Colorado to do some riding during spring break and oddly enough I’m ready to get out the rollers to ride inside. I really just want to get back on my bike. I want to hit my training hard. I want to move from the back of the pack in Cat 4 and blow people up. I want to come out of nowhere.

Lots of ambition? Hell yeah. I’m also not gonna stop running (as much as it’s bothering my now). I’m already planning to do some duathlons next spring/summer and then I also of course plan on doing a marathon next fall as well. Like my cycling season, I want to train super hard for that marathon so I can get a qualifying time for Boston. Ambition? Drive? Insanity? I’ll take it all.

Speaking of insanity, my last two 20+ mile runs have been pretty interesting to say the least. I did a 20 miler on the 9-3 and a 23.5 miler on 9-10. For the 20 miler, I waited to go out because it was raining like all day, and I saw a break in the storm on the radar. Of course however, at about mile 3, I just got dumped on with rain, and then continued to get dumped on until I finished the 20 miles. For running in a downpour, I had a very good pace, 8:14. The following weekend for the 23.5 miler, I was sprinkling and cold, so I didn’t really want to go out, but after the previous weekend I pushed myself out the door. With running two 20+ weekends in a row and not really wanting to run in the first place, I had a much slower pace, 8:54. Today there are clear skies and it’s in the 60s, so today will be an awesome day for a marathon practice run.

There’s a little bit of me that is a little mixed up right now. All of the doping controversies in cycling have me kind of lost. It started with Tyler Hamilton, then it was ‘Operation Puerto’ with it taking Ullrich and Basso out of the Tour, now it’s the Landis case, and just a little more than a week ago Frankie Andreu admitted to doping when he was still racing. A part of me has that sinking feeling; that my favorite sport has been lying to me. But then there’s that other part of me that makes me realize that it’s not the pro riders that I love the most about the sport. It’s my bicycle, myself, and the joining of the two that keeps me going. Luckily that part of me that makes me realize this is the part that I listen to. It makes me not care what any other rider is doing or taking, it makes me care about me, only me. It’s the part of me that keeps me going, keeps me pushing, keeps me me. That part of me yells, and my body yells back.

When you've got big feet...

...you have some big ass shoes! I stopped by the Shoe Shack when I was home last weekend and bought myself a new pair of running shoes. You know, a pair that, oh I dunno, won't give my toes blisters, give me black toenails, and make my toenails start to fall off! The shoes that I were running with were already size 13, so with my insoles, the folks at the Shoe Shack (thanks Alan - I think it was) fitted me with size 14. I had my doubts at first, but it definitely felt good to have room in my shoes for my feet to breath. They also are definitely lighter and faster feeling than my Asics Gel Kayanos, and anything helps when you're always one of the biggest guys in a race.

I also have to include a blatant advertisement for my SOLE custom insoles. I use them in my running and cycling shoes. However until this weekend I had never actually customized them to my feet. I had just been wearing them as is straight out of the box. But damn, I didn't know what I was missing! I stuck my new size 14 insoles in the oven for a bit (according to the directions), put them in my shoes, stood in them, walked around a bit, and my feet were like, "Where have you been all my life?!" Not only do my feet now feel better in my running shoes, but they also run better. I can noticably tell that my feet also are straighter and strike better with every step. So with all that, what are you waiting for? Go get some SOLEs!

As I touched on at the start of this entry, my feet, specifically my left foot, are not looking the best. The toes on my right foot are a little roughed up but my left food is well, freakin disgusting. It's middle toe and, for lack of a better description, ring-finger toe are blistered at the tip and their toenails are dead. Not only are they dead, but the nails are hanging on for dear life. The ring-finger toe toenail is black and has a good 'foot hold' on its toe, but the middle toe toenail is clinging on to its perch by a finger nail. You know the TV commercial where the little foot fungus guy flips open the big toenail like the trunk of a car? Yeah, my toenail can do that. I'm just waiting for it to come loose in my shoe or to get caught while I'm putting on jeans and get yanked off.

As I'm running at least 20 miles tomorrow, it's time for bed.