Item One - Long Beach 1/2 Marathon
After much deliberation, I've decided to not run the Long Beach 1/2 Marathon next month. After learning about how much of the course is run on a concrete path, and after last weekend's run on a fair amount of concrete which culminated in some PF soreness, I decided it's not really worth the risk. Thanks so much to all of you who posted last week with your encouragement and words of wisdom. It's not really like me to be so mature about these things. I guess that's what 9 months of dealing with injury will do, increase maturity.
As you might guess, I'm heartbroken, but I'll survive.
Side note: When I went to PT this morning, Brett my PT had already "heard a rumor" that I had some soreness after running...the result? More squats and lunges for me!
Item Two - My toe
I'm guessing that by this time tomorrow, I'll be a 9-toenailed person. It's been quite awhile since I lost toenails due to running, but I think that those first five, downhill miles of AFC did the damage, so soon, I'll be sporting this look.
Completely dorky 
I know....EWWWWWWWW!, but still polished Truth is, due to the fabulous red polish, I had no idea that my toe had sufferred so much damage until last night. The nail is hanging tough, but I'm guessing it's not long for this world (or my foot). I suspect that I'll be polishing the nail bed soon.
Item Three - The winds
It's damn hot here right now...DAMN HOT. Not like the kind of thing they're experiencing in Sydney right now (yes, thanks to the blogosphere, I am aware of the weather in, say, Perth* now**), but it FEELS like the sky should be red and dusty.
Photo pilfered from the Sydney Morning Herald, but I only found it because Mel linked to it on her blog. It's that time of year, only it shouldn't really be that time of year. Usually the Santa Ana winds don't come until October, but they've come early this year (and really, the Christmas decorations are up in Costco, so why shouldn't the Santa Ana winds also come early?) I fear for us this year and how we'll ever make it through fire season.
So it's dry, and dusty, and the WIND...can I talk about the FREEKIN', NASTY, EVIL, HOT, DESERT WIND?
I woke up this morning with a headache and wondered if I was coming down with a cold or something, but really, it was just the change in the pressure as we moved from the lovely offshore, tropical, winds to the desert winds from the east.
Yep, there's not much weather to complain about in SoCal.
Anyway, because it's Santa Ana time, I'm compelled to include my favorite Raymond Chandler quote about the Santa Ana Winds
"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge." --"Red Winds"
I only wish I could write like that...
Item Four - We were glowing!
Last weekend, before the Santa Ana Winds, it was merely hot and HUMID. One of the volunteers for the track club was taking some photos at one of the aid stations. He captured this
Jean (who works with Elsie), me, Elsie and Bettie...aren't we Glow-ee
Shiny!
Hawt!BWAHAHAHAHAHA...Best line of the night from the Evil Cheerleading Coach? "I'm busting out of my box" I do love this show.
Running this week? Yeah, I've run once on the 'mill (did I mention that it's HOT here right now?) 3 miles of 800 repeats. Felt fine afterward, no pain. One day of PT so far.
Oh Damn...I kept thinking it was Thursday and I didn't have to teach tomorrow. Just realized I have an 8am class...nite nite!
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* I really don't know what the weather is like in Perth right now. I just didn't want you to think that I knew only one city in Australia...GEEZ!
** Actually, if I wanted to, I could certainly find out what the weather is like in Perth because I do know how to access weather.com and look it up...just to be clear.
Christmas decorations at Costco??? OMG!
ReplyDeleteLove the sock/sandle look!
It's so odd how you're having hot weather right now. The weather changed here and it was like 44 deg this morning. Brrrrr. I'm going to run (hopefully) after work when it's warmer
ReplyDeleteOMG! I am losing a toenail from AFC too! This will be my first (running toenail virgin that I am). After AFC, my 2nd toe hurt (from the downhills, I'm sure), but it never changed color and I have had a pedicure since then and not noticed anything. The other night I noticed that the nail is definitely on its way out. Strange coincidence.
ReplyDeleteAnd holy HOT. It was already 80 when I dropped the kids off at school this morning. No running for me today. My friend and I did Cowles yesterday and nearly DIED from the heat. Not a smart move.
Sorry you're not doing Long Beach. Me either. It is just too soon.
We're having hot & humid over here - NOT appreciated. Makes me feel like...
ReplyDelete...like...
oh yeah
Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks.
;)
Ugh! I am so tired of this heat! My eyeballs are so dry and my sinuses are acting crazy. I hope we don't get the fires this season.
ReplyDeleteI love Glee! That show is hilarious. My favorite line was, "You need to take prenatal vitamins or your baby will will be ugly." (or something like that)
It sounds like you are being smart to not run the Long Beach Half.
At least you still have toenails to paint! I'm so jealous. I still have half toenails on my big toes, however those press-on toenails work OK. FYI, Walmart in Kearny Mesa has them, just in case. ;)
ReplyDeleteI never stop long enough at a water station to have Darell take a photo of me. You all look fabulous!
I'm so over this weather already. Enjoy the rest of your week!
My toe
ReplyDeleteZOMG, sister, that first picture of your feet is the worst case of Camel Toe I've ever seen that didn't involve either a camel or a v@gina!
Hahahahahaha!
Now to read the rest of your post so I can come back and make another wise-@$$ comment.
O, man! I lurves me some Raymond Chandler and Philip Marlowe is Teh Shizzz-NITTTTZ! I once wrote a Chandler-esque Mystery parody set in a Library about a Library Private Dick named Barcode and I tried my best to be all Chandlerian, but only Chandler can do Chandler!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving Glee too... very funny!
ReplyDeleteI have not lost a toenail yet. Both of my big toenails have been blackened, but they just grew out without falling off.
It's probably wise to skip the Long Beach half if you're having pain. It's hard to make those decisions though, huh?
Good luck with the toenail. (I had one I didn't know was on its way out until I pulled it off with my sock. Ewwwww. At least your toes are all cute and polished!)
ReplyDeleteAnd GLEE! I love that show!! Kurt's line, "My body is like a rum chocolate soufflé. If I don't warm it up right, it doesn't rise" cracked me up!!
Ouch for your toenail. I have never lost a toenail to running, hopefully I never will. I wonder why some do and some don't.
ReplyDeleteI dvr'd this week's Glee I can't wait to watch it over the weekend.
I'm bummed to hear about LB - but I would much rather *not* hear about you in a boot or crutches afterwards. I haven't really thought about what's next after Long Beach, (well not really) but even if don't run the Surf City Half this year, it's only a couple miles from home. So if the herd is there - so am I!
ReplyDeleteAnd the toenails? It's not just from running. I have two of them from my little jaunt up Mt. Whitney. Yikes!
That really is a great description of the Santa Anas and the havoc they wreak just by blowing around hot air.
ReplyDeleteI can't even tell that your toenail is nearly falling off. It looks fine in the pic, or maybe I just have poor eyesight.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. It is bad. Vacation right before starting school and after back to back marathon and 1/2 iron, and after epic IM failure, = horrific, f*&%ing start of school.
ReplyDeleteI have caught up on your posts. You are doing some funny shit here my dear. Much appreciated (oops! For got my asterisk that is somehow supposed to make 'shit' less vulgar. Whatever)
think it'll still be that hot in a month!!? Great pics of you ladies :)
ReplyDeleteI am hating everything about the weather...hate it go away HEAT, SUN, WIND....GO AWAY!! It really puts a damper on running and life in general!!
ReplyDeleteNice toenails.....red...bright
You do look very glow-y! Very nice.
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