Missing in Action

[cewait]

Sorry folks but I went AWOL for a while but am now back; I hope. Sometimes work gets in the way of play and play must move off to the side. Hopefully everyone is doing well and miles are building as we make our way into December.

From a personal note, I have had a heavy race calendar this fall with lots of new Houston and central Texas half marathons popping up this year. I also find that I am suffering this year from the "I really need to be doing something else" syndrome on training runs. To date I have a lot of 13.1 mile runs and 0 greater than that distance. I hit the one hour mark and I am thinking about work, wife or beer (DOLT!). Usually training runs push all those thoughts out of the brain. I know from experience that I am OK at this point in time.

If there were any lingering Coach questions on the table fire away.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Glad to see you back Coach Charles!

 

[Hockeychic]

Hey Charles glad you are back!!!!!

 

[johde]

Good to have you back. You're a wealth of information for us on the forum.

 

[jmasgat]

Hey coach. We're all just glad to see you back. Hope you find the mix that works for you for training.

Maura

 

[rubato]

Welcome back. You've been missed!

 

[TnTsParty]

Thought about you the other day when I was out on on of my long runs and realized you were MIA. Glad you are back you were missed. You were a big help to me last year.

Actually I think a lot of WISHers are MIA and are slowly coming back on to post but its nothing like I remember in the past here.

 

[FFigawi]

If there were any lingering Coach questions on the table fire away.

What kind of beer?

 

[cewait]

what kind of beer?

cold

 

[John VN]

Welcome back

cold

X2

A dumb non technical question..What's up with the black toe nail?

I can understand the black nail on my right foot from the W&D since I hit one of the traffic cones and the sucker didn't move. I went down and did a face plant but jumped back up and got going again. The black is almost gone now.

On Halloween I did 28 miles and felt great but then a black nail appeared on my left middle toe. No pain just black. Still have it but it is finally starting to fade.

Is this a sign of poor shoe fitting or bad foot plant or just something that happens?

 

[cewait]

Welcome back

X2

A dumb non technical question..What's up with the black toe nail?

I can understand the black nail on my right foot from the W&D since I hit one of the traffic cones and the sucker didn't move. I went down and did a face plant but jumped back up and got going again. The black is almost gone now.

On Halloween I did 28 miles and felt great but then a black nail appeared on my left middle toe. No pain just black. Still have it but it is finally starting to fade.

Is this a sign of poor shoe fitting or bad foot plant or just something that happens?

It can be all the above. If your shoe box is a little small and you are bumping the shoe then that is easily understood. Think of the black nail as a blister under the toe nail. It is a repeated use injury. You may have had a fatigue created defect in your stride during the run or just enough bumping between teh shoe and toe that created the black nail.

Think of it as a badge of honor. A large percentage of runners in the race with you have one or more black, formerly black or partially grown in nails. For me it’s always a little weird as my training runs rarely produce a black nail while most all marathons will catch one of the big toe or second toe nails. I think in my case it is the fact I tend to retighten the laces from the toe up to the top the week before a marathon and that pulls the toe box up a little and in effect shortens the shoe a fraction of an inch.

 

[Saylan]

Can I ask a dumb technical question?

Fueling-wise, what is considered a good plan for starting fueling during a race to minimize the lovely wall effect before it hits? Before or at a certain point during the run? At what point in training do you start to work with different fuel sources to see what works? My long runs are starting to get to 6+ miles and I thought it might be time to test out some fueling. I've had powerade and gu recommended so far but tried nothing.

 

[FFigawi]

Can I ask a dumb technical question?

Fueling-wise, what is considered a good plan for starting fueling during a race to minimize the lovely wall effect before it hits? Before or at a certain point during the run? At what point in training do you start to work with different fuel sources to see what works? My long runs are starting to get to 6+ miles and I thought it might be time to test out some fueling. I've had powerade and gu recommended so far but tried nothing.

Now is definitely the time to start experimenting with fueling. You don't want to wait until race day to try something new. By starting now, you can learn what works for you in terms of frequency of refueling, types of fuel sources, and even which specific flavors or brands. For me, I start taking something about 90 minutes into a run or race and then have something again about every 45 minutes after that. The key is to take something well in advance of needing it. It can take 15 to 20 minutes for fuel to kick in, so if you wait until you're already dragging, it's a little too late.

My advice would be to start by taking something after 60 or 75 minutes and see how you feel at the end of your run. Keep experimenting with when you take the first one and any subsequent ones during your long runs, and you'll eventually find a time and interval that makes you feel good and doesn't get you feeling bloated or nauseous. Also, there are many different types of fuel out there - goo, blocks, jelly beans being the three most common. Try a variety of each type, flavor, and brand because some textures or flavors are difficult for some people to swallow and digest. I personally will use all three during a marathon because I like to have variety, but that's just me.

 

[verticalchaos]

I'd add that if you can find out what they'll be using on the course (Disney seems to be PowerAde and Clif products), try those out. If they work for you, great. If not, be prepared to carry your own stuff.

For example - I'm fine with PowerAde. But I'm going to be carrying my own GU and/or pretzel m&ms (I know...not orthodox, but they work for me) as my mouth and stomach just cannot do Clif Shots, the bloks make me gag they're so much like Whoppers, and their gel tastes too salty.

 

[verticalchaos]

It can be all the above. If your shoe box is a little small and you are bumping the shoe then that is easily understood. Think of the black nail as a blister under the toe nail. It is a repeated use injury. You may have had a fatigue created defect in your stride during the run or just enough bumping between teh shoe and toe that created the black nail.

Think of it as a badge of honor. A large percentage of runners in the race with you have one or more black, formerly black or partially grown in nails. For me it’s always a little weird as my training runs rarely produce a black nail while most all marathons will catch one of the big toe or second toe nails. I think in my case it is the fact I tend to retighten the laces from the toe up to the top the week before a marathon and that pulls the toe box up a little and in effect shortens the shoe a fraction of an inch.

Sort of a related question... It deals with toes anyway...

The past few long runs I've been on, I've noticed that my middle two toes (the one next to my big toe and the one next to that) on my left foot (and ONLY left foot) seem to go "numb" partway into the run. I haven't noticeably tightened the laces on that foot (that I can tell anyway), and it doesn't usually happen on my shorter runs. Any clue what's up with that? I was about ready to blame a weird sock fit in the toes until I wore the same kind of socks on a short run and it didn't happen.

I'm confused!

 

[cewait]

Now is definitely the time to start experimenting with fueling. You don't want to wait until race day to try something new. By starting now, you can learn what works for you in terms of frequency of refueling, types of fuel sources, and even which specific flavors or brands. For me, I start taking something about 90 minutes into a run or race and then have something again about every 45 minutes after that. The key is to take something well in advance of needing it. It can take 15 to 20 minutes for fuel to kick in, so if you wait until you're already dragging, it's a little too late.

My advice would be to start by taking something after 60 or 75 minutes and see how you feel at the end of your run. Keep experimenting with when you take the first one and any subsequent ones during your long runs, and you'll eventually find a time and interval that makes you feel good and doesn't get you feeling bloated or nauseous. Also, there are many different types of fuel out there - goo, blocks, jelly beans being the three most common. Try a variety of each type, flavor, and brand because some textures or flavors are difficult for some people to swallow and digest. I personally will use all three during a marathon because I like to have variety, but that's just me.

I generally agree but would offer that a first timer should start around the 45 minute mark with the first supplement. Most all supplements; gel, block, bar, bean come in 100-120 Kcal packs. That is the ideal size for running. Too much and the solids/gel sits in the gut and creates issues. Too little and you start to deplete glycogen reserves too much.

So I would start out with a favorite flavor preferably a gel. I would choose gel over others as if you can handle the texture and taste they are by far the most portable. For a run that will last longer than 90 minutes bring a gel along and take the gel around 45 minutes into the run. The proper procedure is to wash the gel down. I good way on race day is to grab a water sip, then gel and then wash down the gel. In training, make sure you have your water bottle handy and do the same. Once you start to take on supplements try to take one every 45 minute for the remainder of the event.

Practice with these times. What works well for me may overload you or visa-versa. The general rules of thumbs are to take on a gel every 30-60 minutes during an event and to not take on more than 200 Kcal per hour on the run.

Do not take on a sport drink at the same time you take on a gel or other nutrition. You can over load the gut and it will either shut down for a while or seek a means of egress. There is also a significant body of research that would suggest that if one were to overload the gut, it will draw needed liquids from the body to process and create a dehydration issue.

Do not purchase a case of any one type, brand or flavor of nutrition. Your body will change over time and what works well this week may not work well in 6 months. Also, athletes tend to watch out for preservatives so few nutritional products have a lot of preservative, if any creating a relatively short shelf life.

Caffeinated or not? Many supplements will contain the equivalent of 1-2 servings of caffeine. Caffeine is a performance enhancer that will allow you to run harder while it is in the system. However it carries a couple penalties. One it may push you over to the next porta potty line and it may dehydrate you. As long as you understand how you react to Caffeine, it is perfectly acceptable to have it in your supplement.

Try all types and flavors on your runs. You will eventually hone in on what works for you.

 

[cewait]

Sort of a related question... It deals with toes anyway...

The past few long runs I've been on, I've noticed that my middle two toes (the one next to my big toe and the one next to that) on my left foot (and ONLY left foot) seem to go "numb" partway into the run. I haven't noticeably tightened the laces on that foot (that I can tell anyway), and it doesn't usually happen on my shorter runs. Any clue what's up with that? I was about ready to blame a weird sock fit in the toes until I wore the same kind of socks on a short run and it didn't happen.

I'm confused!

There are a few ‘itises’ that can affect the tendons running through the ball of the foot. Likewise there are ample nerve pinching opportunities. Best to have a doc look it over if it continues to rule out a structural issue. The itis issues tend to go away with rest. The nerve issues can lead to a more permanent issue.

If you wear heals, try to go low. Ice and rest as much as you can. Get to a doctor if it continues. There is an orthotic treatment that may help and you can usually find it at some like the foot store. It is a felt like pad that you place just behind the ball of the foot and it will remove some of the tendon pressure from the run. They work well, if it is an itis

 

[rubato]

I take in my first gel at 40 minutes, and then, every 40 after that. It works for me. I'm still experimenting with flavors, but have found that Clif and Powerade products are working for me so far. I get to try my first caffeinated ones on Friday. The owner of my local running store highly recommended them, but since I've never done the caffeine before, I'll just bring one of those and the rest will be regular ones for my 22 miler.

About the black toenails: If you are brave, you can pop that blood blister with a needle, which will help to relieve some of the pressure against the nail. It's kind of creepy to stick a needle under your toenail, but it works. My problem is that I ran one 5 mile run in the wrong shoes and lost my 2nd toenails on both feet. I'm hoping they've grown back enough for a pedicure before marathon weekend!

 

[verticalchaos]

There are a few ‘itises’ that can affect the tendons running through the ball of the foot. Likewise there are ample nerve pinching opportunities. Best to have a doc look it over if it continues to rule out a structural issue. The itis issues tend to go away with rest. The nerve issues can lead to a more permanent issue.

If you wear heals, try to go low. Ice and rest as much as you can. Get to a doctor if it continues. There is an orthotic treatment that may help and you can usually find it at some like the foot store. It is a felt like pad that you place just behind the ball of the foot and it will remove some of the tendon pressure from the run. They work well, if it is an itis

Thanks Coach. I have noticed that when I become aware of it and consciously wiggle my toes while running or walking it tends to go away. I'll see what happens tomorrow in my turkey trot and over the next few runs and if necessary go and get it looked at. I'm sure my running club teammates have some good recommendations for me.

 

[John VN]

It can be all the above. If your shoe box is a little small and you are bumping the shoe then that is easily understood. Think of the black nail as a blister under the toe nail. It is a repeated use injury. You may have had a fatigue created defect in your stride during the run or just enough bumping between teh shoe and toe that created the black nail.

Think of it as a badge of honor. A large percentage of runners in the race with you have one or more black, formerly black or partially grown in nails. For me it’s always a little weird as my training runs rarely produce a black nail while most all marathons will catch one of the big toe or second toe nails. I think in my case it is the fact I tend to retighten the laces from the toe up to the top the week before a marathon and that pulls the toe box up a little and in effect shortens the shoe a fraction of an inch.

Badge of honor. I like that better than thinking I am a big klutz.

Will be in the Space Coast 1/2M this Sunday and I will try to be a little more observant of my foot plants. Thank you.