Treadmill Toes and Underwear Ulcers....

Nomi says.....

I started off rather enthusiastically with my almost daily gym runs. It was comfortable, not too taxing, really doable, flexible and rather enjoyable.

Nomi's Nasty Nail

Then about 2 weeks or so into running , my right 4th toe swelled into a mini drumstick and the nail turned a rather fetching shade of ripe plum...ie nearly black.
Well, turns out that both Joy and Lulu's toenails are black too.....This is the explanation as given in a recent article from Runner's World......

14 Why do my toenails go black?
For regular runners, a black toenail is not a matter of if, it's when," says Dr. Bright. Three causes of the black badge: a too-short shoe; a toenail that comes into contact with the roof of the shoe too often; and a runner who uses his toes to grip too hard. However it happens, the result is the same. Blood vessels under the nail break open, which spill blood (which looks black under the opaque nail) into the area between the toe bed and the toenail. "That area isn't accommodating to blood collection: It's rigid and restrictive," says Dr. Bright. "It builds up a lot of pressure quickly."
Running Rx If the pressure is bothering you and you can handle more hurt, press the end of a paper clip or safety pin, heated with a match, through the nail. "That's a pretty painful proposition," says Dr. Bright, who recommends the gentler touch of a doctor. Do it sooner, while the blood is still fluid. If the pain decreases and doesn't bother you, no need to take action. Either way, the skin below it will heal, the nail will die and fall off. Don't worry, it'll grow back someday.

Joy's Juniper Berry

As for myself, my shoes were laced a little too tight at the top and the toe kept hitting the roof of the shoe.I've fixed that now. However, i had been running at an incline of zero, which i later found out was not a very smart thing to do, from another friend Peaches, who is and avid runner ( well in spirit at least) and plans to run a 10k run sometime soon ( hopefully in this century). Sorry Peaches! At an incline of zero, i tended to land on the balls of the toes...and after a while it really hurt. The right second toe swelled up for about a week and would still misbehave on and off. Once i increased the incline to 1.5 -2, the right foot improved tremendously. However, i still ran with the swollen toes....and the right leg tried to compensate and land in a position that hurt the least...so i busted my right knee.

Lulu's Lovelies

When i used to run on the road, i would take small, frequent steps, with minimum movement of the arms...sort of like how a chicken would run... Now running that way caused my knees to act up on the treadmill when i run at a pace of 6min/km or faster. The feet sort of don't have time to land properly. So by taking longer strides...like how an ostrich would run....the knees fare much better.It is more tiring that 'chicken running', but much less painful.

While running on the treadmill, i tend to swing my arms more vigorously.....so i have a collection of chafe marks on the inner side of both upper arms. The sports top that i use also is also scraping the skin off my chest... I run with knee supports , so the back of the knees have ulcers as well. I know Joy has a little crater where the straps of her camelback sand papered off a few layers of skin on her back.And don't let me start on the state of the inner thighs...I'm covered with band aids:)