Thursday, August 25, 2011

take on the running injury

There are many reasons to run as a sport.   It's exhilarating, it allows you to work out in the great outdoors, it's great exercise and it can be done anywhere.  There are also some downfalls including the damage you do to your joints, the chafing of your fat thighs, calloused dry feet and the ankle sprains but as any runner knows this is all just part of the game…. Running, especially in New York City, is a contact sport with people rushing around the turns like they are giving out free ice-cream cones for the first 200 finishers so getting a bit beat up has always come with the territory so nobody can be surprised when you come back a bit bruised. 

When I removed my shoe after a 4 mile run last night, I had what many runners will know as a pretty common sight…my entire sock was blood red.  I took off my shoe and knew immediately what happened; I split a toe-nail and then sloshed around in this bloody sock for the a few more miles.  My toenails which are usually a nice shade of yellow were now deep red.   Obviously many seasoned runners know the pain of the bloody toe which although not as painful as the broody nipple is still any experienced runners does everything in his power to avoid.   I have run races where my nipples started bleeding from the constant chafing of shirt to nipple skin and I can be seen crossing the finish line with two streaks of red coming directly from my nips.  A bloody toe is similarly gruesome although definitely less painful but reminds you that unlike those idiots on those elliptical machines you are at least participating in real exercise. 

 

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