Toe Injury - "Oh No! Not Again!"

Summer is Here Barefooters!

Well barefooters, we waited through the wet cool Spring, and our reward is now here:  Summertime! 

I always enjoy the warmer weather so I can begin to extend my daily miles and start setting weekly and monthly records (for 2016 at least!)  I started the month with a weekly high record (for the year) of 65 miles.  After that I "rested up" with a 55 mile week.  This was followed by a week up in Michigan on business which I almost topped the record, but alas, it was raining on Saturday morning after my return and I just didn't have another 12 miler in me after running the rough Michigan roads so I settled for a 58 mile week and decided to extend again the next week.  This time I made it to mid-week when once again, disaster struck!  It was Wednesday and I was on my 3rd 12-miler of the week at only 1.2 miles into the run, when, BOOM, I stubbed my big toe on the left foot.  (Same toe I bloodied back in February while in CA and again hit it in the same spot...slightly...last week in MI)  I don't know exactly what it is but it seems to always happen when I'm extremely tired.  Either really late in a run, or in this case, on a day when I should have just rested instead of running at all!


I knew as soon as I did it that it was going to be bad and immediately stopped and prepared to turn back toward home.  Funny though, I immediately and instinctively thanked God and was actually happy to be ending my run (again I was really tired and sort of dreading the next 10 miles anyway).  But when I looked down I saw it was much worse that last time and sort of cringed as I began the 1.2 mile "limp" back home.  I didn't take the picture until I got back home and then tried to clean it up the best I could to get it in a sock and shoe to go to work.  

Ouch!  Same spot as 3 months ago!

As much as it hurt, I really did need a break and I looked at it as God's way of telling me to take it easy and rest.  So I did, at least for a day, and then did 6 on Friday.  All in all, though I did take it easy and relaxed the hectic pace of 10,11,12 mile days from earlier in the month.  I did end up with 231 miles for the month which was a respectable total.  We are now very busy with graduation season as Rachel graduates from Westfield High School and gets ready to start her collegiate career at Manchester University in North Manchester Indiana this Fall.  We had a graduation party for her this past Sunday (for family) and will have another this coming Saturday (for Westfield friends). 


Not sure if I will have a high mileage month in June or not, as I am travelling to Asia for the last half of the month.  I will be in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.  While I have been to some of these cities before, I haven't been to all of them and it's always a little dicey running in some of these places, especially if I'm running in the early AM with a headlamp, as I'm sure I will be.  Oh well, it will be fun to explore regardless!


So, everyone, enjoy the warmer weather (and the humidity!) and Stay Safe!

Barefoot Dan

May Mileage = 231.6miles