TOENAILS.

Sacksian · 15-02-2013 3:29pm #1

I haven't had toenails on my big toes for most of my life (generally down to playing football and people standing on them in football boots) but they've all got pretty bad since I took up running.

They now look like that photo that was posted on the forum before Christmas (the stomach-turning one).

Any normal person who sees my feet is generally horrified by my toenails - and suggests I should have my toes amputated - but they don't cause me much of a problem (sometimes after doing intervals in flats). My shoes definitely aren't too small (i.e. they really don't feel like they're being pinched).

My question is: how bad are yours and should you do maintenance work on your toenails?

Also: are there people who run a lot and have normal toenails?

RayCun · 15-02-2013 3:48pm

Sacksian wrote: »

My question is: how bad are yours and should you do maintenance work on your toenails?
Also: are there people who run a lot and have normal toenails?

I've never had trouble with my toenails, and do no maintenance work on them.

Sacksian · 15-02-2013 3:52pm

RayCun wrote: »

I've never had trouble with my toenails, and do no maintenance work on them.

They don't fall off regularly or generally look disfigured?? Seriously?

Ososlo · 15-02-2013 3:53pm

Don't know if you'd consider it a lot, but I'd run about 35 miles a week and have never had any issues with mine. Cut them every few weeks, not too short. Runners are half a size larger than my normal shoe size. Feet feel lovely and cool when running. No special socks used. Fingers (or toes) crossed I never have those issues as I couldn't bear to have to put up with what some people have to... eeeugghhh:(

RacoonQueen · 15-02-2013 3:57pm

RayCun wrote: »

I've never had trouble with my toenails, and do no maintenance work on them.

Same here. Lost a couple of toenails after my first Conn Ultra and maybe after Dingle but other than that I have no issues with my feet at all really. This would suggest your shoes don't fit right. Maybe it's your socks or you have especially brittle nails.

RayCun · 15-02-2013 4:04pm

Sacksian wrote: »

They don't fall off regularly or generally look disfigured?? Seriously?

Never lost a nail, never had a nail go black, no bruising...
The worst that's happened is I've left it too long before cutting my nails, and the nail on one toe scratched the toe beside it.
And all my runners (especially the Asics) end up with a hole over the big toe.

ThisRegard · 15-02-2013 4:06pm

Never had any problems with mine, even after the likes of Gaelforce they've been fine. In fact the only time I got a badly blackened nail was just before Christmas when I knocked a tin right onto the tips of my toes, most painful thing ever, one nail is still half black but it's not given up its prime position at the end of my toe.

RacoonQueen · 15-02-2013 4:17pm

Couple of days after Donadea last year I walked into a door. Has recently enough fully recovered but I used to have to clip it even though it was half way down my toe because it was so deformed. Toe was gushing that day but nail never fell off either.

Sacksian · 15-02-2013 4:18pm

Haha - right, so just me then? Well, this is awkward!

I really would be swimming in larger runners and I think I'd lose a bit of grip in the toes too.

Must book an appointment with a foot person.

Cabaal · 15-02-2013 4:26pm

I've lost one toenail, it went black after Dublin Marathon 2011 in October and eventually fell off in March 2012, it never actually hurt me at all even when I eventually removed the top nail and there was a perfect nail underneath it.

All i do is cut my nails normally,

huskerdu · 15-02-2013 4:27pm

RayCun wrote: »

Never lost a nail, never had a nail go black, no bruising...
The worst that's happened is I've left it too long before cutting my nails, and the nail on one toe scratched the toe beside it.
And all my runners (especially the Asics) end up with a hole over the big toe.

Snap. I could have written this.

TFBubendorfer · 15-02-2013 4:55pm

A mismatched number of toes and toenails is one of the signs of a true runner.

Unfortunately my toenails are still all in pristine condition, which is why I still cannot call myself a real runner.

Btw, I always wear runners a full size bigger than my normal shoes, and I'm convinced that this is the reason why I a) never lost a toenail and b) never get a blister.

Sacksian · 15-02-2013 5:04pm

I really regret starting this thread now.

Condatis · 15-02-2013 5:44pm

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Couple of days after Donadea last year I walked into a door. Has recently enough fully recovered but I used to have to clip it even though it was half way down my toe because it was so deformed. Toe was gushing that day but nail never fell off either.

Roddy Doyle might be able to use that story (The Woman Who Walked into Doors).

robinph · 15-02-2013 8:12pm

Never had an issue with my toe nails until a couple of years ago, then for some reason one of them turned black after DCM, then another went and fell off (eventually) after going skiing, then they all went back to about normal looking, then I ran another autumn marathon and lost both big toenails, then they both grew back again looking a bit odd but not too bad, then I went skiing again and I'm now back to 8 normal toes, one black one and one that is due to fall off any day now.

But as someone who has their feet checked regularly in medical due to other issues, they didn't really give a crap about the lack of a full set of nails when they checked my feet this morning.

Toenails are optional.

TOENAILS.

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