Losing your Toenails?

Having black and even losing your toenails is a pretty common occurrence for runners.  I have experienced this once myself in College.  I lost my big toenail and it takes quite a while to grow back!

What causes this?

Black toenails are caused by constant rubbing of your toe against the front of your shoe. A blood blister forms under the nail, and the blister can't breathe, so it takes a lot longer to heal. Marathoners or runners who do a lot of downhill running are the most likely candidates for black toenails. You're more likely to get black toenails if you run in warmer weather because your feet swell more when it's hot.

The best way to treat these black toenails is to let it run it's course.  If the pain is manageable.  In my case it definitely was not manageable.  My big toe swelled up and was extremely red.  If that happens you should see a doctor and they will most likely have to drain it.  They drain it by drilling holes with a scalpel in the top of your nail.  This will drain the blood blister and relieve all the pressure.  This is the quickest way back to running if it is that painful but you will most likely lose the toenail.

To try and prevent this from happening you should always buy your running shoes a 1/2 size bigger.  This will give you plenty of room in the toe box.  Should always keep your nails trimmed but NEVER cut your toenails the night before a long race.  You could also go a little more extreme and permanently remove your toenails like these Ultra-Marathoners!  Great article from the New York Times.  I believe I will stick with the less extreme preventative measures though.

Softball and Baseball Comes to a Close

As softball and baseball comes to a close for Trey and Mya we are ready for a short but much needed break.  Both had a very good season this year.  I was Head Coach for Mya's U8 team and Asst. for Trey's U8 team.  Both teams were a lot of fun to be a part of.  They are all great kids!  Our Softball team finished with a record of 9-6 and 4th in the tournaments.  In tournament play, Mya went 13 for 16 from the plate and threw out several batters with great throws to first base.  I know it doesn't sound like much but at this age (6-8yrs) if they can connect for a throw out, it looks awesome.  It's a great accomplishment for those girls. Mya will be staying in U8 for one more year and I will be coaching again.

Trey's team played extremely well all year as well.  I was not able to be to all of his games due to conflicts with Mya's games.  I am not sure of their record but I believe we only lost 1 game in the regular season.  The team had a round robin like tournament.  We went 3-1 and tied for first place.  We beat Gibsonburg on Sat. 20-16 and then on Sun. they came back to beat us 13-12.  Two great games and the kids played hard.  Trey had some great #'s for the tournament.  He went 13 for 13 with a Triple, and three Doubles.  He played short stop the whole tournament and made a ton of smart plays!  Trey will be moving up to U10 next year.  He wants to start working on pitching to see if that is a possibility for next season.

Running in High Heat and Humidity

I have always run in just about any weather there is but when it comes to heat & humidity you really need to be careful.  I found this great article on Marathonguide by Mindy Solkin.  At the bottom of the article it explains her experience in coaching.  The article should help you decide a little better of how demanding you should be on yourself.

215.5 Miles for June!

This is my first over 200 mile month in more than a year!  It feels great to be on track again.  My racing is not where I need it to be but right now I think I am still adjusting to the mileage again.  I can tell I am getting stronger and it will come I just need to be patient.  The plan for July is to be in the 240-250 range.