toe injury

i cracked my toe nail a while back...i don't remember exactly when it happened but i am guessing it happened when i was moving around big rocks for the pond building business i was working for last year... i supper glued the crack to hold the nail together...a few months later it started swelling at the base ... i guessed it was an ingrown toenail but i felt around the sides of the nail and it didn't seem to be sticking into my skin... after the swelling got so bad that i wasn't able to use my cycling shoes i went to the doctor (i haven't been to a doctor in about 6 years)... he confirmed it was an ingrown toenail and that the toenail need to be removed... he gave me two novocaine shots on both sides o my toe... they were big needles and it was painful but the removal of the toenail was painless... i am not going to be able to where tight shoes (which includes my cycling shoes) for a at least 2 weeks ( im not sure beyond that)...it doesn't hurt so much any more... i am mostly worried that i might mess up the healing processes and be back to square one... i've been riding with platform pedals the past couple of days... its not horrible but it would be a pretty big handicap in a race.

i was planning on dong the MASS fair hill race today but am missing it... i might miss the bear creek finals at the beginning of next month too... i really hope i am able to ride with cycling shoes September.

before toenail removed

after toenail removed

2012 Danzeisen and Quigley Summer Sizzler

Race: 2012 Danzeisen and Quigley Summer Sizzler
Where:  Gloucester County College, Sewell, NJ
Date:July 7th
Conditions: 105 degrees, twisty rooty short steep ups and downs

I think this was the hottest day of the year. Despite the heat teammates Aaron and Cam pulled off their normal 1st and 2nd that that normally get for MASS (Mid Atlantic Super Series) races. Nick had a great race pulling off a 4th (the best he has done in a MASS race yet!). For some reason the heat seemed to be affecting me (Mike) more than my team mates. I realized half way through the first lap that with the heat this race for me was going to be more about survival than getting a good result. i kept it slow and steady (any pushing hard made my head feel like it was going to pop) and came in 15th.

teammate Jeff Dickey normally dose well in hot races and this course suited his strengths. He was riding comfortably in 5th when he came across a woman who had fallen and broken her collar bone in the middle of the trail. Other riders were going around her and/or telling her to get out of the way. Jeff being the better person stopped, helped her off the trail and waited with her till help came. He came in last after waiting with this woman for 20 min when he could have easily pulled of a top 5 finish if he had not stopped.

Cam collecting his winnings for 2nd place

Aaron getting his 1st place award

Results