“Can you tell I’m missing a toenail?” I asked M. the other day. For some reason I consult with my daughter on matters of fashion and appearance, probably because at age 16, she is at a stage of her life where she is inordinately focused on such things. Sometimes I appreciate her keen eye.
“It just looks like you forgot to put polish on that one,” she answered. “But now that you point it out to me, ewwww!”
I lose the same toenail each long-distance race I run; the second-to-the-big-toenail on the right foot. I get a blister underneath and it just — peels off. (Not entirely true — it does hurt until I can drain the blister and it has a chance to heal. The nail comes off, usually after a week or so, and I’m fine after that. I know, probably too much information. Sorry.)
Don’t ask me why that particular toe — probably something to do with my body mechanics. The same toe on the other foot is actually longer, but it never gets blistered. On the right foot though, I lose it during training (20k runs seem to be the threshold). I run my Half Marathon or Marathon, it starts to grow back during recovery, and once it grows in I am up to 20k long runs again and it comes off … samsara.
Losing toenails to blisters: it’s one of the hazards of distance running. If you’ve seen the ultra-running documentary “Running on the Sun” you’ll see that at least one runner had his toenails surgically removed so he doesn’t have to worry about them any more. Now that’s extreme.
One of the reasons I run is vanity: if I keep in shape, I am more attractive. Ironically though, the more I run, the more I give up the superficial niceties: pretty sandal-perfect toes, perfect hair and makeup while out in public, high-heeled shoes. I figure if I’m healthy and happy from running and being outdoors, I won’t need too much “war paint” and clothing to show my real beauty. But still, missing an entire toenail going into spring and summer. Kinda creepy, no?
“Maybe I shouldn’t have picked bright red nail polish then,” I said to M. “Maybe I should stick with pale pink or something more neutral.”
“Maybe if I didn’t really notice it until you pointed it out, then no one else will either,” she said.
Ah, wisdom. That’s why I consult with her about these things.
Photo Credits
“Red Toe Nails” sillygwailo @ flickr.com. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Sarah: not everyone has this problem – some people have no blisters at all. We call them “blessed” or “freaks of nature” depending on your religious bent. You just never know until you embark on the adventure. By the time you find blisters you’re hooked anyway, and you take it all in stride (as it were). Keep running strong!
Michael: thank you! Now there’s a man who doesn’t mind at all some mangled toes! 🙂
Creepy is not the word I’d use to describe draining toe blisters and peeling off nails (shudder). If that’s what I have to look forward to, I’ll stick to short distance running!
Kinda creepy, no?…not even a little…nice piece