I’ll address some of the more common minor afflictions and treatments to prevent or cure these ailments.

Black nail: When the nail bed is traumatized from injury or repeated pressure, and the blood fills under the toe bed when capillaries break.

To prevent this condition from continuing, make sure you wear a shoe with about half an inch of room in the toe area, and make sure to keep your toenails trimmed.

If you do experience black nail, it should disappear within a week, but if not, see a doctor.

A doctor can release the fluid for you and give you a triple antibiotic cream to keep the area from becoming infected.

Acne: A side effect of running that can be extremely frustrating. Acne develops under several different situations.

For instance, using sunscreen in a cream can sometimes induce acne breakouts from running. To solve that problem, switch to using a sunscreen gel.

Also, wearing makeup while running can cause acne, since when you sweat, the makeup gets into your pores, and the clogged pores can trap dirt and makeup.

The solution for acne is to forgo wearing makeup, or if you must wear it, be sure to thoroughly wash your face and remove the makeup upon completion of your run.

And if you experience acne on other areas of your body, be sure to remove sweaty clothes as soon as you finish your run, and shower as soon as you can once you finish your run.

Itchy skin: Itchy skin occurs because normally, when you run, the capillaries that carry blood in the skin should remain open when you finish your running.

This facilitates uninterrupted blood flow and keeps oxygen moving through the body.

However, for the less active individual, the capillaries collapse, so only minimal oxygen flow occurs.

This phenomenon causes the nerves in the skin to send a signal to the brain that is interpreted as itchiness.

To prevent itchy skin from happening, keep your skin moist by using a moisturizing lotion. Also, use a laundry detergent that is free of dyes or perfumes.

Sore or bloody nipples: This is a condition often experienced by men. While running, the nipples can rub against the clothing, causing chafing. Worse yet, during the long runs, the chafing can lead to bleeding.

Treat the nipples before your run by rubbing a liberal amount of Vaseline on them.

You can also use small band-aids to place over your nipples before you begin your run. Finally, avoid wearing cotton shirts. Look for shirts that are Dri-Weave, or try Under Armour.

Exercise-induced asthma: If you begin coughing, sneezing, or experiencing problems with breathing, you could have exercise-induced asthma.

This is caused by a number of factors, such as if you are running when it is cold out, running in air pollution, or running through smoke or car exhaust.

To treat these conditions, address the problem. If you are running in air pollution, cold or through smoke, place a bandanna around your mouth and nose to act as a deterrent for taking in the irritant.

If you still encounter problems, you may want to seek medical attention from your doctor so they may recommend a prescription that can cure your problem.

Blisters: Blisters are often caused by friction, and can lead to painful conditions that can stop you from running either long or short term. The raised skin with fluid accumulating inside the skin can be painful and debilitating.

The best way to avoid blisters is to avoid cotton socks and wear socks with ridges on the underside of the feet.

Or try wearing two pair of socks so that the friction is between the two socks rather than between the sock and the foot.

If you already have the blister, you may want to take a sterilized needle and drain the blister.

Then, dab the area with a triple antibiotic cream and cover the area with a synthetic skin to protect the blister. You can find an over-the-counter, synthetic skin that is specifically geared for treating blisters.

Training, Weeks 13 and 14

For week 13, Monday and Friday are your rest days.

On Tuesday, run an interval training day with work efforts for two minutes at 80 percent heart rate max and recovery efforts at 30 seconds for 75 percent.

You’ll do this interval run for 50 minutes. On Wednesday, run a tempo run for 60 minutes at 80-85 percent, keeping the last ten minutes of your run (not including cool down) at a steady 85 percent.

Thursday will be your fartlek run for 45 minutes.

Take a 10 minute warm up to increase heart rate to 80 percent heart rate max. Then spend 25 minutes doing your fartlek runs with a 90-95 percent effort, and an 85 percent recovery.

Spend the last 10 minutes in your cool down.

For Saturday, run an endurance run at 75 percent heart rate max for 45 minutes.

Finally, on Sunday, run your long run at 80-95 percent effort for 7 miles. Be sure to give yourself a last effort in the final quarter mile, taking your heart rate between 90-95 percent heart rate max in your sprint finish.

Week 14 is two weeks to race day — Monday and Friday are still your rest days.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, take a tempo run at 80 percent heart rate max for 50 minutes. Thursday will be your fartlek day, taking your usual 10 minute warm up to increase heart rate to 80 percent.

Spend the next 25 minutes doing your fartlek runs with a 90-95 percent effort, and an 85 percent recovery.

Spend the last 10 minutes of your 45 minute run in a cool down.

On Saturday, do an interval training run for 45 minutes, with 30 second efforts at 90 percent heart rate and one minute recovery at 80percent heart rate max.

Finally, on Sunday, take your long run at 80-95 percent heart rate max for six miles.

Be sure to give your self a last effort in the final quarter mile, taking your heart rate between 90-95 percent effort in your sprint finish.

For more information on running and training, contact Damara Ross, Sports Specialist, at the Fort Myer Fitness Center: (703) 696-7867.