I’m joining Marcia @ Marcia’s Healthy Slice at the Runfessional; last month’s Shoegate (read it here) brings you this month’s Toegate — and don’t worry, there are no photos. I’ll explain further down in the post.
I runfess . . .
My massage seat has been laying idle for way too long. The problem is that I have nowhere easy to store it. I finally decided I needed some shelves by my dresser, and Mr. Judy found me some — it’s now stored on its own shelf.
It’s still a little bit of work to get it out and set it up but I’ve already used it once which reminded me how great it feels!
I runfess . . .
I was sad when I got home from my parents last Sunday. Gizmo was always waiting for me and very happy for some lap time when we came home from my parents. The last time I went I was by myself, so the dogs eagerly greeted me. This time we took the dogs, so we came home to an empty house.
I runfess . . .
There are still no scheduled runs. It’s time to run for fun — so easy to lose sight that running is fun when we’re training hard. When was the last time you just ran for fun? Maybe it’s time to take a little break if you can’t remember!
I runfess . . .
The first run for the group I’m mentoring was extremely cold and windy and there was snow and ice on the ground. I really did not want to go. I gave serious consideration to running in my long down coat, knowing that this would be an easy run.
I’m really glad I went, though. The group is so inspiring, you always come back feeling better than when you started.
I runfess . . .
That I have never thought that black toenails are something to be proud of. In fact, I was proud of the opposite — that fact that I have kept all my toenails during 10 years of running. I always assumed that the runners with black toenails were just wearing the wrong shoes. Until I got my own — wearing the same model shoes I’ve run countless races and long runs in with no problems — and no, they still had some miles left in them.
I am still most definitely not proud of it — I don’t view it as a rite of passage, or making me a “real” runner. In fact, I’m still pretty PO’d about it. I mean seriously, after about 22 halfs — in the words of Nancy Kerrigan – why? why? And why didn’t it happen on my 15, 17 milers or my 18 mile race?
Running can be mysterious that way.
Have you donated a toenail to running?
Will you bail on a run when people are waiting for you if the weather is bad? I assume you contact them, of course.
When was the last time you truly ran just for fun?
What do you have to runfess from February? Come join us
I am also linking up with:
Chocolaterunsjudy 
I’m proud to say that I’ve only lost a toenail maybe 2-3 times? It’s not a badge of honor for me–it’s an annoyance. I can’t correlate it with any particular event, either! Weird…
I’m struggling with running at all–so I’m dialing it back a bit. I am not sure what is going on, but while I sort that out I don’t want to fight with my body. Sigh…
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I do hope you can find your answers. I know how important running is to keeping you feeling well mentally.
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Running is a mystery. I am prone to blisters so I wrap my feet in moleskin. Still get them. Last half since I was just doing it for fun I didn’t bother. No blisters. Did the moleskin cause them??
Still never lost a toe nail.
Never feel I have to run. Maybe a certain distance. But I realize you still don’t have to. You just may not reach your goal. Then again you may. I only all my long runs once and I was injured after. Have felt better if I skip.
Who knows if they’re a cause and effect.
As I said running is a mystery.
It makes me feel better at the end of the day if I do. I feel something lacking if I don’t.
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Yup, running is indeed a mystery.
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My coffee table has taken more toe nails than running! So sorry you were missing Gizmo so hard. It’s always those little moments we’re expecting them that get to us. Since I’m not good at following a training plan, I just about always am running for fun, even if I have a specific distance in mind.
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Oh no about the coffee table! We don’t have one. We do have a wooden platform bed and I’m forever bruising myself on it, although I love the bed!
Gizmo is always in the back of my mind, but coming home to a completely empty house is still so sad.
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I have lost a few toenails to running, but none lately. Hubby always has trouble with his. Sorry to read about yours! Right now, every run seems like fun to me. I hope I can hold on to this feeling. I hurt on every run for so long that I forgot how much I loved running, if that makes sense.
I got sick after the Marine Corps 17.75K last weekend and have been dragging around with a cold all week. Ugh! So sick of being sick.
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Sorry you’ve been sick too. I’m a lot better but still kind of back & forth which is really frustrating.
I do understand — I once had bad IT issues that kept running painful for months.
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I’ve kind of been back and forth too…
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Unfortunately that seems to be going around. I’m happy I didn’t get much congestion or a cough like others (not yet anyway).
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Yes, I’ve been there with the nails. Although mine was black ( or looked that way), I was thinking it was like that because there was a blood blister underneath the nail. How does that happen? I’ve lost a nail too ( or maybe it became so loose that I pulled it off..lol) TMI? It was so long ago i barely remember!
Thanks for linking up. -M
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That’s what happened to me — blood blister underneath. I left it alone, hoping it would stay, until I could see it was barely attached. 😔
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I agree that it can be to easy to forget that running can be fun!
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I have some friends that love to run but almost never race. But I do like to have a goal to work towards!
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I’ve been able to avoid the black toenails so far (knock on wood), but I’ve had a pretty bad blister before and that was definitely NOT fun and so painful – ouch!
Glad that you will be running for fun – you’re so right that we need to do that every now and then to remember why we like running in the first place.
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I avoided it for so long. I’ve done much hotter races. A longer, hot race. I’ll never figure out why it happened!
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I have lost 2 toe nails to running in maybe 10 years. Both happened after long races in warmer temps. I guess my feet swelled? Yesterday-I ran for fun it was glorious and just what I needed
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Glad you had a fun run! I’ve done so many hotter races. So weird.
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I am looking forward to running for fun too. It’s so nice to connect with the joy of running and have the down time to look back on when training gets hard.
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It’s funny how I say I’m happy to run for fun now — & it’s true, especially since I’ve been sick & there’s no pressure.
My friends are doing one of the Hot Chocolate races the end of April. I’m gonna have a lot of FOMO over that!
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I think I may have only ever had one black toe nail. I do get “white” ones, though, usually with my two middle toes (both feet). I’m convinced it’s the way my toes grip because there’s ample room in there. I get what looks like clear blisters UNDER those toe nails, which then causes the nail to separate from the bed…gross, I know, but they’re not that noticeable (even without polish).
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I’ve never heard of white toenails!
Yeah, the nail separating thing is gross. I don’t polish my toenails, so people will just have to deal with it if it ever gets warm enough to wear open toe shoes again!
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I ran for fun last Sunday. It was a glorious day to be outside playing. When Ihave bailed on a friend it has turned out to be a case of “oh good, I didn’t want to either” for the most part.
No toenail donation. Yet.
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Running for fun can definitely be — fun, LOL! Sometimes you forget about that. 🙂
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Have you donated a toenail to running? No. But I have had a toe nail cause bleeding. Puncture wound.
Will you bail on a run when people are waiting for you if the weather is bad? I assume you contact them, of course. No since I run alone or with my husband.
When was the last time you truly ran just for fun? It has been a long time. I like running & what it has done for my body/health but it is work.
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It’s nice that you can run with your husband. I’m always envious of that!
Sometimes it’s really good to take a step back & ease up on it. So says the woman who just spent a couple of years training pretty hard!
But I always appreciate a break.
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I totally understand missing Gizmo 😦 I still miss Elvis, though it wasn’t that long ago. And I really miss Frankie, who was really MY cat, loved me unconditionally and slept next to me every night for 18 years. He’s been gone a few years now, but still… these kitties you never really forget.
Most of the running I did over the last few months was for fun/ a bit of training. I’m glad I decided to just try for shorter distances up until my operation. For once I don’t feel completely destroyed by Half/Full Marathon training. It’s really good to take a break.
Unfortunately I’ve lost my 3rd toenail now. The first two were in the wrong shoes, but then I switched briefly to another Altra (after the first two pairs of Altras) and they were a little bit too small so… there went another one. takes forever for them to grow back too. so annoying.
definitely am not the one to bail – it’s usually the other way around. I’ve learned from years of being with the same coach that we run anyway despite the weather. The first time HE cancelled was because it had been snowing all day, just about 2 months ago, and no one was prepared for that.
(my blog is finally updated and moved – I’m over at runlaugheatpie.com now!)
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I rarely bail, too. I may whine however . . .
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I used to get black/falling off toenails when I was a faster runner, running more miles than I do now. Everybody told me it was because my shoes were ill-fitting but no. It was all about pace for me. I predict this coming summer may be the season of fun running for me.
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Well, as you know I’m not a faster runner. And I’ve run faster halfs, too — a faster half that was down a mountain (and in the same shoes, I think).
I don’t think I’ll ever figure it out and I’d personally would prefer to never get a blood blister again!
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I’m in denial about a toenail right now that has been not quite right since my second marathon! I tend not to bail on runs with others, although sometimes I probably should have!
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I wasn’t in denial about it, but it stayed attached so long I was really hoping. It was getting really long, though, so I finally clipped it — and then it was just barely hanging on.
I didn’t want to actually pull it, so I clipped it mostly off (it was already mostly off) — but there’s still just one little piece hanging on at the side. Hopefully that won’t be a problem.
The weird thing is that it seemed attached, right up until it wasn’t.
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