Runner's Toes/ This One Hurt!

Let's just get this laugh out of the way right now. Those of you that want to laugh can, others that can show sympathy please do. Most of you who know me, know that coordination is not my main strength. So when coordination is a priority, look out. I'm in trouble.

This morning as I was preparing for my run of 14 miles, I was getting my running gear together and had to get something from the closet. As I exited the closet, my left foot didn't. I raked the door across my left foot with most of the blow coming to my little toe. Now, to say the next sounds you hear would have startled the neighborhood would be a bit of a tale. But it did bring my wife up to the area with a question that we all love to hear, "Are you ok?".

With the wild look of pain in my eyes and near hyperventilation coming on, I quietly uttered the words, "My toe! It really hurts!" Then the question of, "What happened?" Too proud to tell exactly what happened and knowing that my son Andy was coming over to run in just a few minutes, I said, "Oh nothing." Then I just walked around until the pain went down to about a "2" as they say. I then realized that I had to put this darling little now swollen toe into my shoe. The pain was intense. But then I crossed that runner's threshold and either it just got numb, or I did. I quickly walked around and did my pre-run stretching and thought that I would be able to somehow run today. I wasn't going to tell Andy. No way. I wanted to have a great run without him worrying about "the Toe". In an amazing turn of events, by the time he got there and it was time to run things felt pretty good. No need to tell the story now I thought. Time to run! We had a great run and I really had no pain at all. At least I didn't think so.

After he left, I thought it was about time to check the toe and see how it was. When I took off the shoe things appeared to be normal. But when I took off the sock, there looking up at me was a little toe twice the size that it had been when I got up this morning. It had all the colors of the NBC peacock, looking much like a boxer that had lost a fight. It was a mess. So I did what most of us would do. Applied ice. Well, the swelling went down and now it still as all the colors but is about half as swollen as it was and doesn't hurt all that much. My wife looked down at my "ultra' feet and said, "Your poor toes!" Yep, they're mine all right. Several missing toenails, a black nail that is soon to vacate its home I'm sure, and a host of other sad looking nails of various sizes, shapes and colors. Before you laugh too hard, take off your shoes and socks and look at your own toes. Not a pretty sight is it? Just call them runner's toes and and be glad your kid doesn't take you for sharing time at school!

By the way. Changing the subject. One of my favorite magazines is UltraRunning which I read while toesitting today. They have a great group of writers and great race reviews. It is a comprehensive magazine that makes you want to sign up for every race you read about. Articles are very well written and provide very good insight into the world of ultras.

Check your toes, and remember....

Forward we go! May your roads and trails be happy and safe!