Onycholysis is when the nail of a finger or toe separates from the underlying nail bed. Below is my experience with this condition, documented over many months.
It contains pictures of my toe with the condition. If the sight of an infected and exposed nail bed makes you feel queasy or disgusted, stop reading now.
Otherwise, go ahead.
Continue reading Onycholysis & OnychomycosisLast weekend, I participated in a 10k running event called Garmin Run Asia Series 2025. As the name says, it is organised by Garmin every year, in different cities, across Asia. This time, the Bangkok run was organised at Hua Mak Stadium. I also participated in this event last year where I didn’t come away too impressed. However, I decided to give it another shot this year.
One of the main problems with this event is that it starts too early in the morning. The guns go off at 04:00 and they asked everyone to report by 03:00. This meant I had to wake up by 02:30, which is almost inhuman. When the alarm went off, I almost didn’t get off the bed.
As before, I rode my motorcycle to the venue; parking was easier this time. We kicked off on time, as you can see below.
I didn’t understand how everyone else had so much energy at such an ungodly hour; singing, dancing, taking selfies. I felt like shit for the first few kilometres, considering going back home, but somehow continued. After the first few kms, I got into a groove and set a personal record for the 10k.
As you can see, I shaved off almost 9 minutes from my previous time and almost 50 seconds off my previous pace.
I maintained a HR higher by 10 bpm and burnt more calories.
As you can see, I started out strong in the first few laps and then slowed down a bit, but maintained a consistent pace, not letting my pace go above 6:00.
I ran mostly in Zones 4 and 5, instead of 3 and 4, like last time.
I rode back while it was still dark and was home by 5:30, to watch the sun rise after a shower and with a mug of coffee.
Recently, I participated in a 10k running event called 12th August Half Marathon 2025, also called “Run for mom“. It is organised on the Thai mother’s day every year on the birth day of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand. The event is held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center also bearing her name.
This run holds a special place for me, as all profits go to Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer. When I ran this last year, my mother was suffering from breast cancer and this year, she’s no longer there.
I was quite pumped on the morning of the run.
The run was quite fun because we had to go over 2 flyovers and the last one had a view of the river, although it was a bit too dark to see it.
Here’s a comparison with the same run last year.
I was able to shave 9 mins off the overall time, same date, same route a year apart.
As you can see the splits, I had a slow start because I was stuck behind slow runners, but was able to pick up the pace in the 2nd and 3rd km. After that, I healed a steady pace, but slowed down for kms 7-9. I was able to push through on km 10 and finish the race.
My heart rate was in Zone 5 most of the time.
This was my first 10k with my Hoka Mach 6s.
Recently, my Saucony Triumph 22 running shoes crossed 600kms & I started looking out for shoes to replace them. I always wanted to go back to Hokas, but I wanted something more responsive than the Clifton. After briefly considering the Rincon 4s, I decided to buy the Hoka Mach 6.
I generally prefer colourful shoes, but the Hoka Mach 6 Oat Milk variant were 50% off and the others were not.
The first impression is how light and bare they are, compared to what I am normally used to.
Comparing to my previous Saucony, I see that they are also thinner and a bit smaller (For the same size). I didn’t think of it much then, because my Saucony always felt a bit too big. As you will see later, this will come back to bite me in the ass hard.
But how do they feel while running?
Of course, they are not as plush and feel lower to the ground. However, I could feel I was running faster with the same effort. But let the numbers do the talking.
As you can see, the Hoka Mach 6 helped me shave more than a minute off my standard 4.8k run. And I did it with the same amount of effort I did with the Triumph 22, as is evident from the total calories burnt and the average heart rate.
After running in them a week, I started to notice the toenails of my big toes on both feet peeling off on the outer edge. I could only attribute them to the narrower toe box and smaller size, so I had to bin the brand new Mach 6 and get the Mach 6 wide in a higher size. This time I tried them on at the store before buying. The colour was even worse.
As you can see, the “wide” Mach 6 from Hoka are still narrower than the Saucony. However, my nails have been fine since then, so not complaining much. Thankfully, my pace didn’t drop with the bigger and wider shoes.
My only concern : While running, I could feel the shock of the steps reverberating through my joints, especially my hips. In the last couple of weeks, I haven’t had any joint pain, but only time will tell how this works out.
My second run of the year was the Bangkok 21k park Run 2025. This was my second time participating in this run, having done it in 2024, too. This is one of my most favourite running events in Bangkok.
Like before, the run was in the scenic Suan Luang Rama IX park. Like last time, it was raining the entire week, but surprisingly didn’t rain on the morning of the race.
Since this is a race I did twice with a gap of 1 year, it is a good opportunity to compare the metrics.
As you can see, I was able to shave almost 10 mins off the race time.
As you can see, there’s an improvement of approximately 1 minute for each split, consistently. This time, I was able to maintain sub-6 minute splits almost throughout the race.
This time, I seem to have much less time in Zones 3 and 5 and more time in Zone 4. Also, post-workout recovery seems to be much better.
Overall, I am quite pleased with the improvement in performance and hope to improve more by next year.
I think they gave me the 21k medal by mistake.
Continuing my series, this is about my first race of 2025, in an event called Bumrungrad Race to Heal 2025. All the proceeds from this race went to charity, so I was keen on participating.
I was quite excited for this race because having done a sub-1 hour 10k before, I wanted to see if I could do it again.
I left home by grab bike at 5:00 AM. The race was in the beautiful Queen SiriKit Park at Chatuchak, Bangkok. The park has long, winding running tracks and beautiful lakes. It was a treat watching the sun rise here.
This race was comparatively small scale compared to most others I have participated in.
I was able to maintain a decent sub-6 minute pace for most of the run. Unfortunately, I forgot to start & end the run on my watch on time, so couldn’t gauge my performance immediately. However, I checked the official race records after I got home and was pleased to see that I had improved my time further.
With each passing race, I feel fitter and more confident.
I came home by MRT. Overall, a great start to running in 2025.
Recently, my trusty Hoka Clifton 9 running shoes crossed 600kms & I replaced them with a Saucony Triumph 22.
The various Hokas performed quite well over the years and I had no intention to go with another brand. However, the below factors compelled me to
I was keen on trying more responsive shoes, so I went with the Saucony Triumph 22, which were on sale. I ordered them from Rev Runner and they arrived within 2 days.
My first impressions, after using them for 10 days, are below, but first, some before-after comparison by numbers.
As you can see, apart from my pace being slightly slower with the Saucony, there’s not much difference between the 2 runs.
For the first few days, the Saucony did feel softer, but as they got broken-in, they firmed up and became more responsive. I also noticed a bit more supination for the first few runs, but it resolved itself once I got used to them.
Overall, I think both shoes are quite similar in terms of weight, comfort, responsiveness.
As December came back around, it was time for another (my second) Amazing Thailand Marathon 2024. Last year’s was my first marathon, so I wanted to do it again this year.
Getting there was the worst part. I made the mistake of taking a Grab and due to extensive road closures, got dropped off 5km away from the start line. With the clock ticking, I started running towards the venue. On the way, I came across a shuttle bus which was ferrying people who had abandoned the 42k/21k and hopped on it. However, soon, its way was blocked by runners and I spent 20 mins in it while it was sitting stationary while 2 women fainted.
Eventually, I got back off and ran the rest of the way to the starting line & reached just on time.
This race was special, because Eliud Kipchoge was running with us (yes, in the 10k).
They put me in Block D at the back (1h45m finish) and it was agonising trying to outrun the slow pokes and move ahead. The first 2 splits were spent trying to find openings to overtake them. After that it was much easier to run freely.
The weather was cool enough to be comfortable. The route was pretty scenic, passing next to some of the most well-known and beautiful landmarks of old Bangkok.
I was surprised to catch-up to Kipchoge (and the queen), around the 5th split and it was exhilarating passing them. It was nice to see that instead of showing-off and leaving everyone in the dust, he took it slow and let many people pass him. He certainly inspired me and hopefully thousands of others to push harder.
Unlike other 10ks, I did quite well, relatively, in the second half (buoyed by the presence of Kipchoge) and for the first time in my life, finished a 10k below 60 mins.
I felt high from the race for the rest of the day (And next day).
Below, I did a comparison of my last six 10ks over a year.
| Month | Run | Time (hh:mm:ss) | Energy (Kcal) | Shoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec ’23 | Amazing Thailand ’23 | 01:10:33 | 732 | Hoka Arahi 6 |
| Mar ’24 | SWU Run together ’24 | 01:01:45 | 744 | Hoka Clifton 9 |
| May ’24 | Bangkok Park Run | 01:03:58 | 725 | Hoka Clifton 9 |
| Aug ’24 | Run for Mom | 01:02:44 | 721 | Hoka Clifton 9 |
| Oct ’24 | Garmin Run Asia ’24 | 01:03:02 | 704 | Hoka Clifton 9 |
| Dec ’24 | Amazing Thailand ’24 | 00:59:47 | 702 | Hoka Clifton 9 |
Having done a sub-60 mins 10k once, I want to do it again, many times.
Recently, I participated in a 10k running event called Garmin Run Asia Series 2024. As the name says, it is organised by Garmin every year, in different cities, across Asia. This time, the Bangkok run was organised at Rajamangala Stadium, where I went a day before to collect the race pack.
Since the run started in the stadium, it had a sporty feel to it. However, outside the stadium, most of it was in the back-alleys behind.
It had rained the night before, so the weather was cool, although humid.
Overall, I didn’t find the run as well-organised as the others I have done before. I couldn’t see any pacers in our run, although the event page did say they would be there. Also, it was a bit scary running on roads with buses whizzing by at high speeds inches from you. Even though there were traffic cones, one slip on the wet roads would have sent someone under the buses.
Unlike my previous runs where I go all-in for the first 5k and then sort of fizzle out, this time, I maintained a more or less steady pace throughout.
You can see how the heart rate was more or less steady, rather than a sine-wave like before.
As always, my favourite part was riding back after the run and watch the sun rise. Bangkok is beautiful early in the mornings.
This was also my new watch’s first 10k, after I sold my older one.
Recently, I participated in a 10k running event called 12th August Half Marathon 2024, also called “Run for mom“. It is organised on the Thai mother’s day every year on the birth day of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand. The event is held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center also bearing her name. It was my fourth 10k in Bangkok.
In previous runs one of my main problems was getting transport to the venue so early in the mornings. However, thanks to the motorcycle, it was not a problem this time.
The run was very well organised and started on time. This run also attracted some important people, including the governor and a handful of ambassadors. Coming from India, it was weird to watch them running with regular people and no security around.
The run was quite fun because we had to go over 3 flyovers and the last 2 had a view of the river, although it was a bit too dark.
I did slightly better than the last run, but still could not break the 1 hour barrier.
I made very good time for the first 5K, but kind of died after that.
Keeping in mind that I am not getting younger, I don’t think my performance will get significantly better anymore.
However, turning 40 next year, I would be among the youngest in the next age bracket.
This was also probably my watch’s last 10k, as it is at the end of its legs.
