Losing Toenails

Pretty feet... I just ran my 3rd consecutive monthly marathon (Nov, Dec and Jan), and my toes have been a little sore. I know, weird right? I have sore toes but my legs feel pretty good. After this last marathon (Miami, 5 days ago) they were feeling really bruised although they weren't physically bruised, they just hurt. Last night, I feel like I have finally earned my rite of passage into the runners world. I lost my first toenail.
I have heard so much about lost toenails, black toes or black toenails and how common they are among marathoners, and especially common for ultrarunners. I have been running for a few years now, and completed 4 full marathons plus several halves and long training runs without any issues, imagine my surprise to have my nail, just fall off! I must admit... I am feeling pretty hardcore. I have earned this lost toenail and am going to embrace it!

When I told my mom I lost my first toenail, her response "Welcome to the toenail-less club!" Somehow, that made me feel so good! I finally, officially, have "runners feet". I will take pride in that!

So now for advice, if you lose a toenail or have bruised toes no need to worry. You earned that bad boy – embrace it if and when it happens. Don’t freak out.  It really is not a big deal. It is HARDCORE! Way to go fellow runner.

Now if you are really concerned about your toenails, or it happens frequently there might be a reason it's happening that is completely preventable. Worth a shot, right?

Here’s what LiveStrong says to do about it (source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/331008-how-to-prevent-losing-toenails-from-exercising/) 

Step 1
Trim your toenails so the edge is straight across and just above the nail bed. Cutting your nails too short or with curved sides will increase the risk of infection or ingrown toenails. Perform regular toenail maintenance to keep them at the proper length.

Step 2
Wear socks made from wick material to keep the feet dry during exercise and reduce the chance of blister formation around the toenail. Not all socks labeled as athletic have wicking properties. Look for socks made from merino wool or synthetic fabrics such as polyester or acrylic that have been specially designed to keep moisture away from your feet.

Step 3
Verify your running or athletic shoes have enough room in the toe area. A shoe that is one-half to one size larger than your street shoes will provide room for the foot to expand when it strikes the ground during exercise. Have your foot measured and fitted at an athletic shoe store if you continue to have problems with toenail damage. These experts can ensure that your shoes are long enough and wide enough to protect your toenails.

Step 4
Lace your shoes tighter than normal if your foot slides excessively back and forth in your shoe. Your foot should not slide enough for the toes to touch the front of the shoe.

Miami Marathon 2015 Recap #Miamifamous

2015 Miami Marathon race recap 

Mom & I on the red carpet

Well I still can't walk normal today, that must be a sign of a hard earned and unexpected Marathon PR. I want to start off by saying, I am so grateful to having such an amazing, supportive husband. Without him I would not be able to do what I love. The training, the races, everything would not be possible without him.

Race: Miami Marathon
Date: January 25th, 2015
Finish Time: 4 hours, 09 minutes
Distance: 26.2 miles
Gain/Loss: 1742 ft

We drove down to Miami Saturday (about 5 hours) and spent about 2 hours at the Race Expo. It was massive, as if I would expect nothing less from Miami than an "over the top" Expo. It was pretty cool walking down the red carpet surrounded by flags of all the countries that had people participating in the event.  There were runners from 80 countries, 6 of the 7 continents, and from all 50 states!
We didn't eat much all day since we were driving, and I was starving so we left to find some food. We had problems finding dinner so I ended up not eating my normal pre-marathon dinner. That made me a little nervous. We settled into the hotel around 5:30 and snacked on our dinner (chips with bean dip, hummus with pita chips and a slice of veggie pizza all bought from Whole Foods around the block from our hotel). I was so relieved and excited to run this marathon without any Lyme Disease symptoms to hold me back or hinder me. This was the first of the season that I didn't "feel" it for the race. That, on it's own, I knew would make the race so much better than my last 2 marathons.

The corrals at the start line

Woke up early Sunday morning after an expected sleepless night and debated what to wear. It was supposed to be 53 at 6 am and around 65 when we finished around 11. There was also light wind 5-10 mph. The great debate of pants/shorts hit hard! We both decided on shorts and tanks and I wore my arm warmers as well. Today, I will become a Marathon Maniac. That alone made this race amazing.  I kept that in my mind throughout the whole race. I was going to achieve my goal of 3 marathons in less than 90 days. Pretty exciting.

A view from the BLIMP of all the runners

We walked the 1.2 miles down to the start line at the American Airlines Arena on Biscayne Blvd. The corrals were crazy busy. The marathon was well organized, they were checking our BIBS to make sure you were in the right corral and the corrals gated off so people weren't going into the wrong corrals. We started about 25 minutes after the gun time in Corral F. There were so many people. The scenery of Miami in the dark (6am) was cool. So many flashing lights and colors, the architecture of the buildings was pretty cool too. There was a lot of "support" from local businesses and spectators. There were 24 aid stations with water and gatorade. Also roughly 10 stations with fresh fruit which was seriously amazing. They had cups of small peeled oranges, or pineapples at some stations, 1/2 bananas at others, some even had protein bars, GU chomps, pretzel rods and even cupcakes (provided by  the cutest little spectators)... such an awesome pick me up.

At mile 1 we encountered our first bridge. It was huge but the scenery was gorgeous. The sun was rising over the ocean and it was a beautiful site. The first 3 miles are ran across MacArthur Causeway. A long a line up of Cruises ready to depart later on the day. Around 6 miles we got to run along the Miami Famous South Beach.That was a cool site. Mom and I noted the cars that must've been left overnight due to too much partying. Bummer their car was going to be stuck most of the day while the Marathon continued!! Around mile 10 I remembered to enjoy the scenery. We were just running for fun, taking our time in hopes of finishing. The first 13 miles were at a very easy pace which included 2 bathroom stops (I wasn't feeling well, and with no breakfast my stomach was not happy about running). We had been staying near the 4:20 pacer in hopes of finishing near her. Mom mentioned she would be slowing down, and her feet were hurting. She had switched out her high arch insoles for a different pair this morning, she decided that was a huge mistake :(  She even joked about it being tempting to turn of with the 1/2 marathoners... I peeked over my shoulder to make sure she didn't ;)

The sunrise over the causeway

Mile 15 she started trailing a little and I assumed she would be back at my side by the next water stop. She wasn't so I just kept running. I passed the 4:20 pacer around then and continued running. I ran with the 4:15 pacer for a few miles, and lost them around mile 20. I was counting down "8 miles to go", "6.2 miles, just a 10k to go". I made one last bathroom stop around mile 22, shortly afterward because the race backtracked, I passed my mom who wasn't too far behind me. This gave me such a boost hearing her yell across the hwy "GO TONI!! GO!!" I was so excited to have seen her. I was still feeling pretty darn good. I was being silly to the photographers, and high-fiving spectators. They had beer around miles 9 and 23, beer? Yep this is Miami!

Some of the amazing fruit givers!

Haha. Mile 23-24 felt really long. I remember thinking I must have missed the mile marker it felt so long. It was probably the hardest part of the whole race. I knew I was going to come in around 4:15 which would be a PR for me so I kept picking up the pace more and more. I knew there was a chance and I was so excited to be that close to an unexpected PR. There were 5 bridges total for this "flat course". The final bridge being at mile 25 - SERIOUSLY?? I was so mad. Haha. I came over the bridge running faster and faster. I rounded the corner and could see Mile 26. OH MY GOODNESS I am almost done. Sprinting at this point I entered the finisher chute. I LOVE long finisher chutes. I ran down it pushing everything I had and crossed the finish line. I had no idea what my time was because of the delayed start, or where my mom was. I quickly checked the online live race updates while walking down the finishers chute... 4:09:35. WHAT!? I thought there must be a mistake, I refreshed 5 times and it stayed the same.

The after party!

The finisher chute was awesome, they had everything from pastries/bagels, cookies, protein bars, pretzels, fruit, Gatorade and water. Also tons of photographers. My mom crossed just a little behind me and we got our super cool finisher photos taken together. We had to hustle back to the hotel because of an early checkout time so we didn't get to enjoy the after party - but it looked amazing. It was huge and there was so much going on I wish we could have stuck around a little longer.

Miami Marathon for me, was the Race of the Unexpected PR.

I am excited  to say I am #Miamifamous and hope to run this beautiful, fun race again.

Waterfront 5k/10mile Race Recap

Waterfront 5k/10 mile race recap

My husband and I got up early and drove across town to European Village and found some parking under the toll bridge. I paid and registered in advance for the 10 mile race, but woke up not feeling well this morning so I didn't eat. We got down to the start line and I still wasn't feeling 100%, so I went and transferred from running the 10 mile race, to the 5k. Ugh, I didn't plan to run a 5k I planned to run the 10 mile. I was going to use it as my last "medium" distance speed run before Miami next week. I thought since I was only running the 5k - I better seriously push myself. I have been shooting for a 24 minute 5k for almost 2 years now... maybe I can get close. My previous PR for a 5k was 24:19. That's the closest official time I have gotten.

Race time.
The 10 mile race started 10 minutes before the 5k. It was an out and back course with about 4 miles on dirt paths, and mostly running along Waterfront Trail (by the inter coastal). Beautiful run! The 5k was also an out and back along the water. We started and I took off weaving around people on the narrow trail. The path was about 3 feet wide with a few wood boardwalks. The path weaved in and out of trees along the inter coastal. Total elevation change was 141 feet. Not much, but quite a bit for our area on such a short run! My husband ran the 5k as well, since it was an out and back I got to pass him and wish him luck (probably around the 1.75 mile marker for me).

From the start of the race, I was running along side of an older man. He was pacing himself well so I decided to try and stay with him. I studied him a little while running, and noticed he was very rhythmical while running. His breathing, his foot steps, his arm swing, all of it was in rhythm with each other. I took note of this. He pulled ahead of me around 2.75 miles and although I tried to keep up, I was also silently cheering for him. He finished about 20 seconds ahead of me, I came sprinting across the finish line at 23:44 (official time). To my surprise, I was the 1st FEMALE FINISHER of the race. What? How did that happen? I was certain there were woman ahead of me. I had people coming up to me afterward saying how fast I was, and how I was really "moving". I was kind've in shock. I've never been "fast". I have been training for distance. I know it was a smaller race (about 100 finishers), but having a PR for 5k was so amazing. Then finding out I was the overall fastest female finisher... I wish I would have realized that while running so I could have smiled for all the camera's that were at the finish line! LOL. My amazing super supportive husband also had a personal "official" PR of 30:25. He never ceases to impress me.

I talked to the man afterward (the older gentleman I was ran the whole 5k with) and he commented that he was trying to keep up with me, and pace himself with me! I laughed. We were both pacing each other, and both ended up having PR's for a 5k. Apparently his big goal was to beat his daughter who was running the same race - and he did! Sometimes I like to imagine why other people are running each race. Maybe it's their first or farthest distance, or are they just humoring a friend or family member, racing someone or possibly even using it as a training run? I enjoy talking to people afterwards and hearing the different reasons why they run. This older man will never know it, but I am so inspired by him. I believe he finished in the 60-70 age division. That's just incredible to me. Still running, even racing his daughter at his age, and he looked amazing. I want to be that some day. For now, I'll keep on running. Keep on improving. I want to be the best I can be.

#marathontraining #marathoncrazy #waterfront5k 

RunnerRant! Time for a rant!

There is an article going around that I have gone back and forth about responding to. The more I thought about it, the more I felt the need to respond, I mean, my page is called "RunnerRANT" so it's time for my first, official rant! I will start off by saying, I have always felt like runners, as a group, are the people I feel most comfortable around. We usually inspire and motivate each other, we are a community that doesn't judge each others "times" or "distances". We are there to encourage and celebrate our victories together.

This authors reasons why she will NOT be running a marathon in  2015  (or so it sounds, ever) followed by my responses..

• " OPRAH: Ever since Oprah ran the Marine Corps Marathon (with her time of 4:29:20) in 1994, marathons have been about completion. According to “How Oprah Ruined the Marathon,” Edward McClelland’s 2007 article in Salon, the queen of daytime television ushered in a new era of populist racing. Forget a competitive time—the point of running 26.2 miles could simply be … to finish? For better or for worse, I’m a perfectionist, an all-or-nothing gal, who wants to go big or go home. I’m not going big with a marathon so … I’ll stay home."

I was under the impression that anyone could run a marathon as long as they met the time cut off of (usually) 6 or 7 hours. I didn't realize you had to be a competitive Olympian to attempt to run a full marathon.  It sounds like maybe you are too scared to fail so you won't even try to run a marathon. That's sad to me. You claim to be a perfectionist, and a distance runner so my guess is you don't do any form of racing because you can't always be first place? Also, how dare you judge and attack everyone who runs a marathon "just to finish",  if only you knew how hard it actually is to push those physical and mental boundaries to JUST FINISH.  

• THE ME-ME-ME SHOW: Just like that pesky friend who’s always announcing her new-found pescatarianism (minus oil, minus dairy, plus chia), the hobby marathoner just rubs me the wrong way! From her Facebook posts about the amazing sights she sees on her long run, to the adoption of idiosyncratic lingo, to the epic race-day dramas (fueling stations! strains!): call me a scrooge, but all that attention just cramps my running style.

Talk about judgmental. GEEZ! How does "all that attention" on another person cramp your running style? The two having nothing to do with each other?  It sounds like you need to rethink your reasons for running. You very much focus on other people being proud of their accomplishments, and talking about it so much that it actually "cramps your running style?". So far the reasons for YOU not running a marathon all are because of other people. Why don't YOU really want to challenge yourself and your "perfectionist" running abilities? Don't you want the challenge? To see what you are capable of?  I love reading other peoples experiences with different marathons. I can learn from their mistakes, gain wisdom from their experience, and hopefully become a better runner from it. Believe it or not, I actually GO OUT OF MY WAY to read those "annoying" facebook posts and search the web for blog posts so I better know what to expect from each race.  

• NOTHING TO PROVE: Eight years ago, though, I had a different idea. I’ve always been a distance runner, so one summer I toyed with the idea of training. Slowly, slowly, I upped my six miles to seven to eight to nine to ten; for a couple weeks, I ran a comfortable fourteen. And then, it hit me. Fourteen miles took up two hours of my day. I’d put in the miles, felt good, but for what? I could imagine myself tacking another twelve-with-change onto that.

First I will say, being a "distance" runner is going to have a different definition to everyone. You claim to be a distance runner and mentioned that you run 6 mile runs... Personally, my short easy runs are 5-8 miles and my longer "distance runs" range from 15-22 miles (and beyond!). Anything under 10 I don't even fuel for or think much about, it's just another run. Claiming to be a distance runner puts a lot of pressure on yourself I don't even think you realize, then you follow it up with only running 6 miles, and bashing on people who run marathons or farther. Oh boy you are sure opening a can of worms here. I think you hit 14 miles and got scared that you couldn't run another 12 miles. I think that's why you wrote this article to start with, I think that's why you are so intimidated or offended by "marathoners". Why else would you openly attack a group of runners, a group from your "running community?" Doesn't make sense to me. We should be encouraging people to continue pushing themselves forward, not being complacent and under attack if they decide they want to push their limitations. 

• KNEES AND HEART: Only maybe is extreme distance racing beneficial for either.

Seriously? I don't even know what you are trying to say here?  "Only maybe is extreme distance racing beneficial for either?" I think this naive and confusing statement speaks for itself.

• THE JOYS OF MODERATION: Yes, all-or-nothing is great, but, contradictorily, I’m also a happy passenger on the moderation train. Maybe it’s the prospect of turning thirty in a month, but I want to be able to run for a long, long time. I’m happy to pace myself now to ensure I can run just as well later.

Yes you do contradict yourself, several times actually. I have never been on the "moderation train". I was raised to always do your best, and continue trying to be better. I have applied this to all aspects of my life, sometimes I fail but I can always feel good because I tried. I  know a lot of distance runners who are still running marathons and Ultras well into their 60s and 70s. As with everything else in life, it gets harder as you get older, but you still get it done. I, also will be thirty in a month and I have never been more motivated and inspired to push myself beyond the limitations I have previously set. I never thought I would actually run a marathon, and last year, even with three small kids and a full time job, I decide that was exactly what I was going to do. I trained, I ran, I completed, and I have never learned more about myself than I did during that process. This season, I chose to run a marathon each month of "season". My reasoning is my business and no one else's. If you feel the need to judge those of us that like to push our limitations than as I said before, I just feel sorry for you. I would applaud your 6 mile runs if you posted about them, and I think most of the running community would because that is exactly what we are, a community. Why on earth are you writing for runners world magazine if you don't like to read about people's runs? 

I'm tired of people feeling the need to judge people, put people down and assume they know anything when they really know nothing.  I feel like most people need to mind their own business and start focusing more inward than on everyone else. If you put the effort into yourself, think about how great you could be! This is just my two-cents. I hope this author is able to be open-minded  to everyone's responses that she has been getting, and realizes that she attacked a large community of people by making the accusations she made about why people run marathons, of course people are going to feel the need to respond.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with her statements? Disagree? 

Lofty goals for 2015

I feel like most of us set pretty lofty goals for our New Year Resolutions. As runners, we are no different. We want those new PR's, to qualify for Boston, Run our first Marathon or 1/2, bigger races, new distances, more frequent running, extreme races (Rim to Rim Grand Canyon, Super Spartans, Ultra Trail races ect)... Beyond  setting these big goals "resolutions"we should also start focusing more on how to get on track to achieve them, and remember it's about building those new habits of consistency into our lives in order to be successful. We need to focus on creating (or considering creating) resolutions based on the process instead of just the outcome. If we start out by setting smaller goals to achieve a bigger goal we can sustain momentum by celebrating small, frequent victories. By doing this, we can also avoid the "all or nothing" thinking that sometimes results in BIG disappointments or set backs.

A few examples: 
Running your first 26.2 (full marathon)
So your goal is to run your first full marathon. Start out by choosing your 5 month training plan. Compare your training schedule with local races and sign up for some races along the way to look forward to. Maybe sign up for a 5k the first month, a 10k the second month, a 1/2 marathon the 3-4 month (depending on your schedule) ect. Give yourself monthly races to look forward to that will all propel you forward toward achieving your ultimate goal of running a marathon.

Running a race PR
Which distance are you hoping to PR? A 5K? 1/2 marathon? (Adapted from Active.com). Keep track of your runs and compare your monthly pace/distance/time spent running.  
#1 Start by studying your stride, by lengthening your stride and running with proper running form you will start running faster with greater ease.
#2 Adding a substantial distance run, you should run a long run once a week that is 20-50% longer than your average weekly runs. Long runs boost your endurance, develop more  more extensive capillary network in your legs, increase the number of energy-producing mitochondria in your cells, and make it easier to run faster, for longer. Be conservative and start by adding 1 to 2 miles to your longest run every 2 to 3 weeks. This will help you not only increase your long run, but also your weekly mileage.
#3 After a week or two of running strides, you're ready to start an introductory workout like a fartlek (don't laugh—it's Swedish for "speed play"). Fartleks can be as unstructured as you'd like—run hard between telephone poles, and rest in between. These workouts are easier to understand when they're more formal. A more structured Fartlek would be 1 minute hard and fast intervals followed by a 2 minute jog and repeat 6 times. Incorporate these in every other week and slowly build up to doing this once a week.

I finished week one (Jan 1-7) completing my goal of running 35-40 miles a week. I finished the week with 36.6 miles. I hope to do this next week (Jan 8-14) and then drop it down to 30-35 miles week 3 (Jan 15-22). Miami Marathon is fast approaching and I am hoping to set myself up for success.

How did your first week go? Are you on track for achieving your 2015 goals? Have you set yourself up for success by having a plan?

Logging more miles for a faster Marathon

I recently read an article that stated "runners with more training miles finish marathons faster". I thought it was an interesting concept. The theory is "you get out, what you put in" and because you are more used to running on tired legs. Runkeeper and Runnersworld partnered up to do this study and they discovered the numbers were all pretty consistent with their theory.My numbers happen to match up perfectly within their chart on my average weekly miles compared with my finish times for each marathon.

With that said they also have found that the percentage of finishers is higher at any given time for marathoners who have logged more mileage. That seems like common sense to me, but maybe not. If I didn't have the "don't quit never quit" stubbornness there are several times I might have quit. Maybe having more miles helps you not hit that "wall" as hard, or you learn to push through when you are tired.

I am hoping that by upping my weekly miles, it will help me not hate those last 8-10 miles quite so much. I seem to "zonk" around mile 18, and hate every mile after that. Every marathon that I have finished I've said "I'm done doing marathons for awhile, I am going to switch to half marathons" because I am so miserable. My goal is going to be to run 35-40 miles a week for the next 2 weeks, then marathon week I will cut it way down. See if I can do anything to increase my speed for Miami 01/25. Weather is going to make a huge impact and I realize that, but I'm hoping I won't be quite so miserable toward the end. With that said, I am a little worried that more mileage isn't ALWAYS better. Doing too much too soon can often cause injury. I am a little nervous about increasing my mileage so much so fast because I don't want to get hurt.

What are your weekly miles while marathon training? How do they affect your finish times according to the chart above? Was it accurate for you?

Upcoming Races:
Jan 24 Waterfront 5k/10 miles
Jan 25 Miami Marathon 
Jan31 Warrior Dash

Feb 15 Donna 1/2 marathon

March 14 Gate River 15k Jacksonville

Mar 29 Tomoka Marathon ad 1/2

Happy New Year! 2015 Run-solutions

A new year, a new me. That's something we have all heard so many times. I don't want a "new me" this year. I want to find a few goals to help me #1 be a better person, #2 become a better runner and #3 make a difference. I love this time of year. Everyone is feeling motivated and setting goals "resolutions" as some say for the new year. I have been pondering what types of goals I want to make this year, and what steps will get me to accomplishing my goals.

My biggest goal this year I would like and am on track to achieving is to qualify for Marathon Maniacs #marathonmaniacs -3 marathons in less than 90 days will qualify me, I am 2/3 the way there with one more marathon this month (Miami on Jan 25 if I decide to run it).

Running in a Ragnar Race, Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Challenge, Running a marathon in a NEW state ect... I want to do things to continue pushing myself to become a better runner, and better person. Do you have any goals for this year? Why did you choose the goals that you chose? I would love to hear what your "run-solutions" are for 2015!

I kicked off this year with a morning run and breakfast at the pier with FCR (Flagler County Runners). Hope that's an indication of how the rest of this year will go! Great running, great company and great food!

Happy New Year.