I Need Thicker Skin...Literally

Going into Ironman training, I wasn't naive enough to think that I would escape it without some kind of physical malady.  Mine has been surfacing over the past several weeks.  Pulled hamstring?  No.  ITB Syndrome?  No.  The dreaded Plantar Fasciitis???  Thank God NO!

Quite simply -- my skin has decided it doesn't like Ironman training and is going on strike.  And I'm not talking about the usual endurance-training skin afflictions.  I'm accustomed to raw patches, skin burns, blisters, and bruises.  In fact, I've become like a battlefield medic in terms of treating these minor injuries.

There are three brand new, more annoying issues that have reared their heads.  I am sharing, not for the sake of passing over the line of "Too Much Information" (or TMI), but to let others know that these things are (relatively) normal...so you don't freak out like I did and go on WebMD for five hours wondering what is wrong with you.

1. Saddle Sores - This is when your crotchal region decides it doesn't like having a bike seat jammed into it for three hours, and rebels by becoming raw and (if you're super lucky) developing painful abscesses.  The symptoms are walking bow-legged and crying because you have another bike ride tomorrow.  Unfortunately, there isn't much to do except keep them clean and pray they go away.
2. Blood Under the Heel - Very similar to a blister, this is when blood and fluid collect in an irritated spot on your foot.  In my case, my sock was bunched up at my heel while I was running and, rather than fixing it, I decided to ignore it and finish the run.  I was prepared to lance and clean the blister...however, the huge callous on my heel made the skin impervious to needles.  So now I have a nice little dark patch on my heel that I hope takes care of itself.  It doesn't hurt anymore, luckily.
3. Ripped Callouses - The good news is my strength has increased to the point where I can do about double my pullups, hanging ab exercises, and kettlebell work.  The bad news is that all of these require lots of grip strength, and the callouses on my palms have decided to start tearing apart after strenuous workouts.  Which is very painful.  And the Band-Aids won't stay on because of the location of the injury.  It's a whole thing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm lucky that none of these things are major problems.  But they are pretty friggin' annoying.  Hopefully my skin gets with the program soon and realizes it has to adapt to the training like the rest of me!