Toe-tally Fooling People

I know - crazy!  Two posts in two days!  But today's post is related to yesterday's post about summer loves.  WARNING - this post is only for runners or people who have a fetish for ugly feet.  You know what I am talking about - nail-less toes and summer kicks absolutely do not mix!  AND I LOVE MY FLIP FLOPS!!! However,  I have found the perfect disguise for my toes that are deficient in the area of beauty! As a result of my training and running "The Great 50 Mile Run" I lost 5 toenails!  Not sure why- my shoes are plenty big!  I think it was just all the ups and downs of hill training.  I didn't mind it so much when the weather was still cool and I could hide my feet in socks.  But I am like any other summer freak - I like my toes free.  They spend long winters shoved into wool socks and heavy boots. They long to feel the summer sun upon their tips.  A bit poetic, huh?  Once I put on sandals I knew I was opening myself up to shame and ridicule.  My students got a good laugh at the ugliness and enjoyed poking fun at me.  They even made up a few jokes about them!  I tried the strategy of standing with one foot covering the other but that lead to all kinds of questions about balance training.  I needed something new and I am happy to say I came up with it and now am excited to share it with you!

Can you tell which toes are missing nails? Here is the trick - start with dark polish.  I even paint it on my skin to create the illusion of nails. I know many of you already do that.  I did that for a long time too, but I could still tell there was no nail there.  The best trick is to add really glittery nail polish as a top coat.  Mine belongs to my daughter and I think she got it for $1 and Claire's! They sparkle like diamonds!  My toes are so pretty now and I no longer feel the shame of ugly feet! OK- so I probably won't get a contract to be a foot model any time soon, but at least I can walk with the best of them!!
**Four toes on my right foot and one on my left are on their way to a full recovery!

Summer Simplicity

I love summer and the fact that I am a teacher and have the summer off adds a certain sweetness to the steamy days and sultry nights. I have so much freedom and I really love that!  I LOVE. LOVE, LOVE being a teacher and look forward to going back to school - in August. Until then I will continue to do all the things that make me happy!

• Getting up early to run
• Or not - I have all day!!
• Running twice a day if I feel like it
• Running trails on hot, humid days
• Hitting the gym for a 4 a.m. workout with a friend who is just as crazy as I am
• Trying out a kick-ass conditioning class in the middle of the afternoon
• Lunching with friends
• Hanging out at the local swimming pool with my kids
• Dropping the kids off at the pool and getting the afternoon to myself
• The tanned skin and sun-kissed cheeks of my children in contrast to their sunny smiles
• Reading, reading, reading - yes, Shades of Grey was first on the list of must-reads!!
• Reading blogs - I have learned so many cool things from other bloggers!!!
• Learning  - all kinds of new interests!
• Coaching a kid's triathlon team
• Kayaking at the lake
• Really - everything at the lake!
• Red sunsets
• Hot parking lots, hot cars, working A/C
• Baseball games

This list could keep going!!!  Hope that you are finding your happiness too!!
*FYI - this post does not mean that life is perfect!  Maybe I will reveal my cynical side in the next post!!

Last week a news station out of the Twin Cities did a little segment on trail running. They came to Mankato and interviewed me and a friend.  Really cool!  Here is the link!Trail Running Interview