It was time to rest the sore feet, legs and thighs after completing 25.27 ks long run this morning in a time of 3:34:27 (washroom , water refill, walk breaks included). So happy and thankful that there was no sign of any discomfort or pain in the left calf that forced me to stop my training for a month when I had a muscle strain during one of my training runs. Thanks Lidia and my other friends for the prayers. Congratulate me for earning my badge of honor as a runner, as one of my toenails (the fourth toe on my left foot) finally turned black. I wonder if this is quite common among us runners. Have you had a black/dead toenail?
Early afternoon was the exact opposite of the start of our run at 7:00 am this morning, when it was cloudy and foggy/misty the first one and a half hours of our run. It rained lightly intermittently during the rest of our run and it refreshed as a bit, because the air was so humid. It turned sunny and nice this afternoon, just ideal for relaxing at my deck with my feet up . Sat on the bench, read my National Geographic, and just savored the beautiful sunny day (we haven't had much this summer, it's turning to be a rainy summer season here)
Right after the long run, I had a hearty lunch of paksiw na ulo and tiyan ng bangus, that my wife bought from a Filipino restaurant in Scarborough, the Golden Valley Restaurant. It was so good, with the talong and hot green pepper, I had to have a bowl of rice (no dieting today after the long run) with it. Then, to replenish the sugar I lost during the run, I had 2 pisngi of ripe sweet mango (we buy mangoes at a nearby Chinese store) and left over ube (from our family halo-halo gathering last weekend).
Before all of the above, I treated my tired feet, leg, thigh, butt muscles to ice bathing, something I learned from elite Pinoy ultrarunner Rick Gaston (365me). First, I filled my bath tub with cold water, high enough to reach my belly button when I sit on the tub. Then, I added about 10 big round blocks of ice just enough to get the water very very cold. Then I got myself a magazine to read and jumped in and sat on the bath tub. Brrrrrr. The trick was to have my legs, thighs and butt under the cold water, and it's supposed to aid in faster recovery of sore running muscles. It is amusing to note that as soon as I sat on that freezing cold water every part of me shrank! I mean my toes, feet, legs ,thighs . Wrapped my upper body with the dry towel to fight the cold feeling, all my sweat pores must have closed and had the immediate urge to jump outof the bath tub as my skin felt the freezing cold water. Stayed there for 10 minutes, out for 2, back again for 10, 3 repetitions total. Please try it and let me know if it works for you as well as me. :)
Hey great job! I wish I could run- but oh my, my feet would never be able to. I have to recommend to you the cream I use for my sore feet. It is the Topricin foot cream and it is great. My feet always hurt and it helps soothe the pain AND inflammation. I also have really dry feet so I like to use it as a moisturizer too. It really helps and it's great for athletes. I know it works for me...maybe it might help your feet too? Just a thought. Take care and great job!
ReplyDeletewow bong, i don't know if i could stand that iced water regimen =)
ReplyDeletecongrats on your new badge =) but i do hope it normalizes soon =)
I got mine on the same toe -- plus on both big toes from running a trail ultra-marathon and day-long canyoning down a swollen river on consecutive months. Congratulations :)
ReplyDeleteI've had two dead toe nails--both on the big toe. In fact this is the first time in more than a year that I don't need to put nail polish. Lucky for us women we can hide it this way.
ReplyDeleteMy toe nails are pretty bad. When I was running roads and training for marathons I had no problems, it was when I switched to ultras and trail. My toes just get hammered by the distance and the constant downhills. They get squished up front sometimes and after many miles of this they just get ruined. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteBoy you stayed in there for a long time. I usually just do 15 minutes. Don't forget to stretch before since the muscles will be really stiff when you get out. All that shrinking is supposed to aid with getting all the swelling down in your legs. Great time to catch up on reading too.
Thanks smilinggreenmom. I checked the internet on topricin and seems like it is worth trying. I've been using Chinese nutmeg oil on my feet and joints, and I think it works except for the smell lingering in the air too long.
ReplyDeleteTry icebathing Jet for 10 minutes after a long race or training run and just like me you'll be a convert to it. My toenail on the index toe on the same left foot is also starting to turn red. I know, it's only a matter of time before it turns black too. Enjoy the runs.
Hi miraclecello, thanks, yes, long distances, bad terrain, downhill runs are obviously the main causes. I wear running shoes that are a size bigger than my casual day to day or work shoes and you'd think that it'll prevent black toes but it hasn't in my case.
You guys are hardcore. If I were running ultra trail runs, I would not be talking about black toes, but sprained ankles, bum knees or even a broken leg. :)
You ladies are indeed lucky Mayi, if I try covering them (my toenail on the left index toe is starting to get red too) with nail polish, I may get a questioning look from my wife and daughters, ha ha. :)
Hey Rick, congratulations man! That was awesome! A 9th place finish in a 100 mile ultra in 22 hours, has any other Pinoy runner ever completed (officially) so many 100 milers? Was it nine you've done already ? If Sir Jovie's dream of having an ultramarathon or ultratrail event added in the Olympics, you should be our best bet (unless of course I take up ultratrail running, he he :)).
Still doing the icebathing thing, your legacy to me, among many.
It was a delight to read this update. First, praise God your injured calf muscle did not complain, and second, praise Him you got what you worked so hard for - your badge as a runner.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I know you ar feeling proud of yourself.
Wow, that lunch of ulo and tiyan...plus the pisngi ng mango...
so mouthwatering
and now talking also of dying toenails and tired feet... icy baths? Did you rest your feet before jumping into that cold bath? Baka ma pasma, what do you think? Old wives tales in our country say we should never wet our feet and body until we have rested at least one to two hours after a strenuous activity.
Again, congratulations! By the way, try extra virgin coconut oil for moisturizing your whole body, especially feet and hands (and face for the women). IT REALLY WORKS. We take two tablespoons of it everyday after a full breakfast. It is good for weight loss, and many other health concerns. Again, IT REALLY WORKS.
Thanks again Lidia for visiting my blog and praying for me to get well from the nagging injury. I still continue to visit your site religiously, and almost always find some peace and serenity in the midst of my busy life here, from reading your writing, looking at the beautiful pictures and listening to your music.
ReplyDeleteI will have to try the extra virgin coconut oil, as the suggestion comes from you, and when you say IT REALLY WORKS, it really works.
Take care.
Ha, ha! I must've sounded s0 emphatic about virgin coconut oil (VCO) in my last comment. That's because the daughter of Dr. Conrado Dayrit, the major proponent of VCO in our country, is my friend. And we have been trying to dispel some common myths associated with the product.
ReplyDeleteHere's a helpful and informative link about VCO that you might want to visit:
http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/