Boy, you'd think...
Well, you'd think people would want to know how far I'd run, how I felt physically, how my mind was, but no. It seems that the thing I'm getting asked about more than anything as I prepare is 'how much do you weigh'? More than one person reacted with concern/questioning/indignation that I didn't update my numbers last week. Truth was, I just forgot. I took a short week last week, only 33 miles total. I'll have one more rest week before the race, when it feels like I need it.
The good news is, I secured my Mt. Whitney Trail permit for Thursday, July 14. I missed the initial lottery, so was a little nervous about getting a permit (they generally fill up for the months of July and August). So on the first day you could call in, I camped on the phone for about 10 minutes and got right through! Lucked out, I guess. So I'll hopefully finish up sometime Wednesday morning, recover overnight, then leave really early 1:00 - 2:00 am on Thursday morning to finish it off.
What Hurts?
Some folks have asked about the physical aspects of the race. While it's easy to say everything, I'd have to say that because the entire 'official' 135 miles is on asphalt, that it's hardest on your feet.
Here are some pictures of my feet after the first time I ran BW. Right after the race, they looked like this. There was a little swelling, the spots are heat rash, and I had some blood blisters under my nails (it looks more painful than it is).
The day after the race, though, they had swollen up quite a bit.
Take a look at the last couple of pictures here. You can also see a few pictures here. The little spots are heat rash, but the swelling came after the ride home of several hours.
You can see that I still have tape on my feet, which is something that I learned from Denise Jones, who's finished the race several times herself, and became known as the "blister queen." Not the best of nicknames, I suppose, but quite popular when it comes to getting ready for a race like this.
I think I'm going to need a cortisone shot in my left foot before I get out there, so I'll probably do that in the next couple of weeks. I have a neuroma (which is a nerve that becomes inflamed because of scar tissue that forms around it from overuse), and it gets sore after while. I know it's gonna hurt anyway, but I did a cortisone shot once before, and had good results. I'm just trying to time it for maximum benefit. Unfortunately, the doctor has to inject me through the top of my foot, down between the bones, into the nerve which is at the bottom of your foot, because the footpad on the bottom of my foot is too tough to inject through. It's not the day you mark on your calendar with a gold star.
30 miles tomorrow! On the way to a 70+ mile week, which I'll update early next week.
The good news is, I secured my Mt. Whitney Trail permit for Thursday, July 14. I missed the initial lottery, so was a little nervous about getting a permit (they generally fill up for the months of July and August). So on the first day you could call in, I camped on the phone for about 10 minutes and got right through! Lucked out, I guess. So I'll hopefully finish up sometime Wednesday morning, recover overnight, then leave really early 1:00 - 2:00 am on Thursday morning to finish it off.
What Hurts?
Some folks have asked about the physical aspects of the race. While it's easy to say everything, I'd have to say that because the entire 'official' 135 miles is on asphalt, that it's hardest on your feet.
Here are some pictures of my feet after the first time I ran BW. Right after the race, they looked like this. There was a little swelling, the spots are heat rash, and I had some blood blisters under my nails (it looks more painful than it is).
The day after the race, though, they had swollen up quite a bit.
Take a look at the last couple of pictures here. You can also see a few pictures here. The little spots are heat rash, but the swelling came after the ride home of several hours.
You can see that I still have tape on my feet, which is something that I learned from Denise Jones, who's finished the race several times herself, and became known as the "blister queen." Not the best of nicknames, I suppose, but quite popular when it comes to getting ready for a race like this.
I think I'm going to need a cortisone shot in my left foot before I get out there, so I'll probably do that in the next couple of weeks. I have a neuroma (which is a nerve that becomes inflamed because of scar tissue that forms around it from overuse), and it gets sore after while. I know it's gonna hurt anyway, but I did a cortisone shot once before, and had good results. I'm just trying to time it for maximum benefit. Unfortunately, the doctor has to inject me through the top of my foot, down between the bones, into the nerve which is at the bottom of your foot, because the footpad on the bottom of my foot is too tough to inject through. It's not the day you mark on your calendar with a gold star.
30 miles tomorrow! On the way to a 70+ mile week, which I'll update early next week.
posted by Greg Minter at 7:32 PM
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