I have running on the brain.
This is probably not the best thing to be thinking about, as I promised myself that due to last year’s Chilblains, this year, I would take a break from running in the cold. Well, guess what, it’s January and it’s cold, but I want to run! And no, the treadmill just doesn’t cut it for me.
The weather was nice this weekend, so I went for a gorgeous run on the mesa. The only problem is that there were still puddles and a bit of snow coverage.
A gorgeous weekend run has me inspired.
Anyway, I think that run, combined with two days of skiing prior and one day of wearing my favorite, not-so-comfy boots post-run (But they’re vintage!! How can I say no to them when they stare at me from the closet that way?) was the perfect Chilblains trifecta. Sure enough, my toes are painful, swollen, itchy, red and purple. 😦
It hasn’t stopped me from wanting to run however, it’s just getting me dreaming of warm runs and destination races. And in my daydreaming, I am imagining crossing the finish line on my second marathon. This time sub 4:30.
I’ve been looking, and the Medoc Marathon sounds like a blast. A run through French vineyards with wine and cheese served at water stops? Mais oui, s’il vous plait.
Marathon du Medoc
Is anyone else planning a big race for 2014? Has anyone done the Medoc? And most of all, anyone out there a runner with bad circulation and/or Chilblains who has advice that doesn’t involve the treadmill? Merci beaucoup!
My RAD Life 
#1 by Cammy on February 25, 2014 - 5:13 pm
Just seeing your post. I was just diagnosed with chilblains! Never have had them. I thought I had walked in the wrong shoes! I did think it was a little strange that I had so many blisters just from wearing the wrong shoes. My RA doc said he thought it might be chilblains. It’s not even cold here but I never wear socks and go barefoot often….but ALWAYS have. Is chilblains something us girls diagnosed with RA get or are more susceptible to? Have been pretty down lately I think it’s time to get a counselor to help me.
CAMMY in California
#2 by My RAD Life on February 26, 2014 - 12:10 am
Cammy,
Oh man, do I understand. Are they redder than blisters and itchy/painful? Then I would say they’re probably Chilblains. Mine came out of nowhere last winter and have come back this year. Before that, I’d had bad circulation and Raynaud’s (where your hands and feet turn blue and purple and sometimes lose blood circulation all together, turning white), but never Chilblains. I literally thought my foot had been attacked by a troop of biting spiders when they first appeared. I don’t think RA and Chilblains/Raynaud’s have been proven to be linked, but it seems to me that it’s definitely possible that there’s a connection.
If you’re like me, Chilblains was like a rotten cherry on a big pile of s#*% made of all the other health stuff I’m already dealing with. I was like, “really, this now too?!” Hang in there though! The good news is that they will clear up on their own eventually. Try and keep your feet warm and dry and invest in some good socks. Spring coming will help too. Witch hazel helps, as does a super-minty lotion like Bengay. But if it’s really bad, there are drugs your doctor could prescribe like calcium-blockers or nifedipine that may help prevent them by improving circulation (I know you probably aren’t psyched to add to your drug load though…).
I got a lot out of going to see a counselor when I was first diagnosed with RA. I think it was good to have a place to fully vent, because you really don’t want to offload all that on your loved ones. But a counselor will encourage you to let it all out and work through it, and that can feel pretty damn good. Hopefully just knowing that there are people out here going through similar stuff can help you feel a little less alone in this too. I know it does for me.
.