A Case of the Runs

I guess it was just my luck to lose a nail (yes, that's what that is) during the marathon training. The damage was done during the Long Beach race but did not finish its course for months. In spite of how bad this may look, it was not painful, and it was replaced by a healthier one. How do you know that you've damaged a toenail? Well, if pain is a good indication. It might throb on its own or feel bruised to the touch. It may also change color. I've had these symptoms without losing the nail. So far, the pictured specimen is the only one I have so far. I never thought it would fall off, but months after the injury, I noticed it turned white (it was formerly bruise-colored) and very loose. It pretty much came off painlessly by itself. On the other hand, I had a worse injury as a result of a 16-miler and decided to intervene because it was a larger nail and looked/felt really bad. I gingerly released some liquid building up from underneath (had to repeat over days beca...

I bought this used at Amazon after reading reviews for numerous iPod mini armbands. I had been tempted to get a 1GB iPod 2nd gen Shuffle (the tiny silver thing, $80), but aft er much thinking, I knew I'd miss the 4GB capacity. Then, I thought about getting a Nano, but there was nothing wrong with old Blue-y besides it dragging my shorts during runs. So this was a $14 solution, and so far, it has been really great. Unlike other armbands I've owned, this one stays on my arm and doesn't even slip when I sweat (which gets extreme after a while). It comes with a thick skin, something I should have bought a long time ago, and a slit to shove the leftover headphone wire. Annnd, the velcro is secure yet peels off easily. Note: As of 04/27/07, I am no longer using this because I got a new iPod.

These shoes were recommended by a salesperson at A Snail's Pace . I ordered these Saucony Grid Trigon 3 Guide shoes (a mouthful) from eBay in a size 9 wide (yeah, keep your comments to yourself). Having grown up running in the cheapest shoes ever, this was so luxurious... I must say that the shock absorption is pretty good. However, that wore out quickly, as it does with most other shoes.

This is a tasty, salty, more condensed but calorically identical form of regular Gatorade. I had two sample powder packs of this, which lasted me about 3-4 long runs. They worked wonderfully during training; they gave me the energy to push through the long runs. I drank anywhere from 8-16 oz at a time, though I tend to dilute mine more than is usual. Note: I don't like Gatorade in any other flavor but lime, but I think this formula comes in Orange also.

I am going to try to start eating these more regularly during training. I had a piece of banana during the marathon, and I learned that it goes down pretty easily. After my calf-cramping episode, I realized that these two are given during races to balance electrolytes, potassium to be exact. Sodium and potassium need to be in balance, and if you're drinking Gatorade, there's your sodium. An imbalance can lead to cramping. Sounds simple enough.

Thanks to whomever invented bagels. My favorite is blueberry, and I only like the outside parts, meaning that soft ones are better (I can more easily remove the "crust"). This is good pre-run (in very small amounts) and especially post-run. I like carbs SO much...