Grrrr. . . .

Today was not a good day. Last Thursday night, I was taking out the trash. It was one of those "Leave out almost anything, and we'll take it" weeks, so I had the chance to remove all of the debris that was taking up room in the garage, including some detritus from the bathroom renovation. Everything was going moderately well, until I was taking out one of the cabinets. (I think it was a base cabinet, from under the sink, but I could be wrong.) Long story made short, it came apart on me, and I tore a fair-sized chunk of skin off one of my toes.

Nothing too serious - lots of initial bleeding, of course, but once I got it cleaned up and the flaps of loose skin removed, it looked like I had just torn open a nickle-sized blister on my foot. You know, all red and raw and incredibly tender. And a bit bloody.

So, I slathered it with disinfectant, taped it up, and took out the rest of the garbage. But, I couldn't run on it until today.

So, I get back on the treadmill. And, a mere 2.45 miles into my run, I hit that stupid "Stop" cord, and the whole thing shudders to a stop. I hate it - I can handle a stop on a trail run, on a road run, or on a race, but not on the dreadmill. I never seem to find my stride again, and I call it good after a mere 3.5 miles or so. I do pennance with 15 minutes on the bike, which would amount to another 2 miles of running - at least, timewise.

I need to start a training program again. This summer is going to be my best chance to really improve my speed for the next couple of years, I think.