I have 9 others anyway...

Many of you have heard about my toe issues. Two weeks ago, about 6 miles into the fantastic run from Hopkinton to BC with JJ and John, my toe started to hurt. About five miles after that, it went numb. John and I hung out all day afterwards and it just was feeling funny (and he had to keep hearing about it - shocking:) ). I thought it was just the beginnings of the nail turning black and falling off, but no. It started to kill - I couldn't walk well, tried soaking it and nothing was working. I told Jack that I thought it was broken...he thought it could be possible but also knew that doctors wouldn't help with that. Then I figured that maybe the nail that should have fallen off just wanted to hang around for a bit longer...and instead of the new nail growing in underneath, it started growing in ABOVE that nail. Needless to say, it started looking pretty damn gross (quasi infected - see below).

My non-runner readers are probably grossed out by this photo. Heck, I think even my runner friends are grossed out by this, but its just a toe. I finally got into health services to get it checked out on Friday. After speaking with me for at most two minutes and saying it looked "ingrown" (but they were actually looking at my big toe, go figure - gotta love school health insurance), they referred me to a podiatrist, who I am seeing tomorrow. In the meantime...antibiotics and "resting my foot" (UGH!!). Fortunately the foot doc told me that no matter what I will be able to run in a week, which is all I needed to hear.

So tomorrow will mark the beginnings of a new toe - I am getting SOMETHING done to it so that I can run in a week - what that is, I don't care, and quite frankly, the foot doc can cut this silly toe off cause I really don't need my 4th toe anyway (I am already a klutz - why would this toe be the one to help me balance?).

Afterwards, I will follow the advice of Laurie and paint 'em dark. I can't say that Lincoln Park after Dark will do the trick...maybe have to go a bit darker - Wicked style. Thank goodness the only people who look at feet anyway are girls who want to criticize your shoes. Well, they will be closed toe for a while for me - or at least dark polish. Dark polish. Dark polish.

Nothing is going to stop me running this year. Not even a bum toe. These are the mini-sacrifices I make to get myself to the start line in Hopkinton to hope we can all make it to the ultimate finish line.

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