Give it a TRI

[Zatopek]

Black/blue toenails after tri only running? (I ask the question here, because I only experience it after long triathlons)

 

Over the last 13 months:

• I did 3 (flat running) 70.3's - every time toenails turn black slowly during the week after the event 
• One (hilly) 21km running event a couple of months back. No pain/colour
• Can do 12km training run without a thought of this problem.

 

Notes:

• My shoes have ample space in front of my toe - to a point where I cannot see how it would touch the front of the shoe.
• I used thin socks last week
• I went for a pedicure (  ) two days before the event to make sure nails are short and smooth on the surface to reduce friction
• I made sure that I tie my shoes properly tight in T2 to leave space at the front.  

 

So what might be causing this? / anybody else have the same experience? Why would the distance between a 12km run and 21km make such a difference?

 

Things that I consider:

• The fact that my shoes get soaked with all the cool down water & ice I use
• My running style change when very tired
• My wife thinks my feet gets swollen after so many hours. (hmm, it would need to increase 5mm as a min?)

[Roguemeister]

Is it all your toenails or only certain ones? All toes versus only big toe/only little toe can give some insight

 

Also

 

Probably not, but have you considered it may be your cycling shoes and not your running shoes?

[shaper]

Could well be that the shoes are actually too big and your foot is sliding forward out of the heel box and banging the toe, hence the black toenail.  Similarly if not laced up tight enough.

 

This happen with one particular shoe or with different shoes as well?

Edited November 5, 2019 by shaper

[Zatopek]

Is it all your toenails or only certain ones? All toes versus only big toe/only little toe can give some insight

 

Also

 

Probably not, but have you considered it may be your cycling shoes and not your running shoes?

 

It was always only the big toes. Until this time - one other toe, next to the big one my left foot is also blue. 

 

I did consider the cycling shoes - but I changed cycling shoes a couple of months before the last event. It also never happen on long rides.

 

 

Could well be that the shoes are actually too big and your foot is sliding forward out of the heel box and banging the toe, hence the black toenail.  Similarly if not laced up tight enough.

 

This happen with one particular shoe or with different shoes as well?

 

I only used one shoe up to now - New Balance 1260v6

 

Last week I made sure in T2 that I push my feet back in the heel box and laced it tight. Still good point about being to big.... I'm at a point where I'm looking to replace the shoes due to mileage and was thinking to go half a size up. Might be a mistake  

 

Good point by you - I will rather go to a really nice retired uncle (The Chinese here "oom & tannie" also ) working in his son's running shop and ask him to review my lacing and space. 

[shaper]

With regard to lacing, try the runners loop as indicated in first part of video.  Will keep your heel in place and stop sliding forward.  Will help with stopping stubbing big toe and going black.

 

There a few other lacing techniques that can be considered.

 

[shaper]

A Boulder woman essentially did 20 Ironman Triathlons in 26 days, beating a world record by 9 hours

 

https://theknow.denverpost.com/2019/11/11/laura-knoblach-world-record-double-deca-ultra-traithlon/228267/

[fanievb]

some last minute instructions from the coach before today's sprint tri

 

 

edit: always listen to the "coach" [emoji12]

 

Edited November 17, 2019 by fanievb

[IceCreamMan]

www.zsports.co.za/ultratri

 

Cheap middle distance in PE 2020. Been forwarded this by a friend so have no idea on any other aspects of it.

Edited November 20, 2019 by IceCreamMan

[shaper]

some last minute instructions from the coach before today's sprint tri

 

 

 

edit: always listen to the "coach" [emoji12]

 

 

Need to work on your transitions, way too much time spent for a sprint distance.

Edited November 20, 2019 by shaper

[fanievb]

Need to work on your transitions, way too much time spent for a sprint distance.

 

T1 is quite a run from the water to transition area (same as 70.3 EL)

 

T2 was a F-up, dwis racked next to me chucked his wetsuit over my stuff resulting in me running around like a headless chicken trying to find it.       T2 for my previous tri was 01:11 so I lost about 2 min looking for my shoes 

[Zatopek]

24 Nov there is a 1.8/50/12 event that I entered. Will try to recover some self confidence there. 

 

Happy days / the mojo is back

 

It was the Laguna Phuket Tri. What made this interesting are:

• A two water-body swim. 1.3km ocean, then run over a sand dune/mountain and a last straight 500m sprint in a freshwater lagoon.
• Really liked the bike route. Only about 15-20km in total where I could go on the tri-bars - the rest was loaded with corners, nice flowing s-bends and 3 really steep climbs (like 19% - people got off and walk) Loved it.

 

Running started good and were already thinking that I have it one the day, but still small niggles - massive stitch/cramp below my right lung km 2 to 3, which I did not had in years. Then pulled something small in my calve at 4km - this is something that I had issues with before but thought i sorted that out with better technique. No harm, will sort those out.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Zatopek

[shaper]

Glad am not racing in the relay this weekend, might be a bit difficult to be competitive 

 

1. SIR MO FARAH (Runner):
Sir Mo Farah, CBE, is a multiple Olympic, World and European champion – the UK's greatest ever athlete.

2. Mark Cavendish (Bike): Sprint star, Mark Cavendish MBE, Also known as “Manx Missile”, is a double Madison World Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist on the track.

3. CHLOE McCARDEL (Swimmer): International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Known for solo crossings of the English Channel and world record longest open water ocean swim.

 

 

Am looking forward to a flat and fast race though

[Vetplant]

Glad am not racing in the relay this weekend, might be a bit difficult to be competitive 

 

1. SIR MO FARAH (Runner):

Sir Mo Farah, CBE, is a multiple Olympic, World and European champion – the UK's greatest ever athlete.

 

2. Mark Cavendish (Bike): Sprint star, Mark Cavendish MBE, Also known as “Manx Missile”, is a double Madison World Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist on the track.

 

3. CHLOE McCARDEL (Swimmer): International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Known for solo crossings of the English Channel and world record longest open water ocean swim.

 

 

Am looking forward to a flat and fast race though

If you do the swim or run leg yes....

[shaper]

If you do the swim or run leg yes....

Will stick to my race plan in the main event ... and watch out if Cav is in crash mode! 

Edited December 2, 2019 by shaper

[shaper]

In other news, blistering race by AB at the weekend

 

 

Having now qualified early for Kona, he is supposedly now focusing on the Olympics 2020 in Tokyo

[shaper]

Back from racing Ironman 70.3 Bahrain Middle East Championship.  What an awesome and fast race (even if Bahrain is twice the price of everything here) still a worthwhile experience!

 

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by shaper