Recently I went in to the University of Texas FITLab, who we are very grateful to for being a sponsor of TeamROGUE Elite, and had my baseline fitness tests done.  In these tests, they look at and measure our DEXA Body Comp, VO2Max, HR Max, and Lactate Threshold.  The tests require about 30min worth of running on a treadmill during which they gradually increase the pace (to maximum speed - 5min miles or 12mph on this particular treadmill) and then the incline until you decide you can no longer go on.

During this testing, the goal is to push yourself as long and as hard as you can; because I was hurting so much from the test, I didn't even notice the pain I was in from one of the long distance runner's most common rites of passage.  Sometime during the test, the inside seam of my flats ripped open on my left foot, resulting in my toes sliding forward into the front of my shoe with every step.  By the end of the test, I had jammed my big toe into the tip of the shoe so many times, that a HUGE blood blister had formed underneath my toenail.  Thinking it would slowly die and fall off, I left it alone.  Later that night however, it felt as if a fire cracker had been set off on the tip of that toe.  The pressure under the toe became so great that my toenail had popped straight up in the air, connected now only at the base.  At this point I had to remove it to prevent infection ... root, cutical, and all ... and am now of the opinion that it will never return.  Moral of the story, if you ever do get a blood blister under your nail or a black toenail from running, burn a hole in the top of the nail to relieve the pressure and save your feet from becoming ugly, but proud reminders of the tolls we pay as runners.

Despite this event however, there was also a lot of good that came out of these tests.  After working with Dr. Z at Advanced Rehab to finally fix the hip problem that has plagued me for 4 years now and that had really became enflamed during this past year, I seem to have done more than just relieve that injury's pain.  I seem to have also fixed a disability and hindrance to my running abilities.  When the tests were over and done and the data analyzed, it turns out that despite having just taken 3 weeks off and my body comp being 1.5% "fatter" than I was in June when these tests were done, I am actually "fitter" and had better VO2Max, HR Max, and Lactate Threshold levels than I did last year when I qualified for the 1500m finals at The USA Track & Field Championships!  This has been a very exciting find for me and I am hoping that it is a positive sign of things to come in the year ahead ... but only time shal tell ...