THINGS RUNNING TOOK AWAY FROM ME

There are things no one tells you when you start running. No one warns you that you'll be waking up earlier than a baker, that you'll plan your whole week around a long run on Sunday, or that one day you'll be in the shower looking down, and you'll see... a toenail.

Yes. Just one. On the floor. Black, loose, lifeless. And instead of screaming, you'll think: "I knew it."

You knew it for weeks, when it started turning purple. You suspected it every time you took off your running shoes and it looked like you had gel polish on your toes. But no one prepared you for that moment when your body decides it no longer needs that part of you. That it should let it go.

And you... you let it go.
With dignity.
Like a good runner.

"You are not alone" 

All runners, at some point, have had their feet torn to shreds. It doesn't matter if you're a track, trail, or road runner. It doesn't matter if you've been running for 3 months or 10 years. In this club, toenails are not guaranteed.

I lost my first after a half marathon. And it wasn't the last. The curious thing is that, instead of being scared, I felt... proud? As if it were a secret badge. A temporary tattoo. A "I know how that feels." I didn't tell my friends, but every time I saw my foot in the shower, I felt like saying: "Hell yeah, you badass."

Why does this happen?

The scientific version says it's due to repeated impact of the foot against the inside of the shoe. If your shoes are half a size too small, or if your socks move around, your toes pay the price. A bruise appears, it hurts, turns black, detaches, and then it's gone.

But the runner's version says: "It happens because we train like champions."
Because we don't slow down, even if it hurts. Because we're already here, and we're going to finish it. And if the toenail gets left behind... then so be it.
"One damn toenail isn't going to steal my glory."

Can it be avoided? More or less.

1- Wear shoes with enough space in the front. Half a size up is key.
2- Trim your nails regularly* (yes, you, who haven't done it since Christmas).
3- Wear socks that don't move. Supermarket cotton socks don't count, don't be cheap. (we recommend our BORN TO RUN ones)
4- Tie your laces properly, so your foot isn't sliding around with every stride.

Even so, sometimes it happens. And that's okay.

What running takes away... and what it gives you

Running has taken my toenails, yes. But it has also taken away my fear of starting over, the anxiety of a bad day, Sunday laziness, and the inner voice that told me I couldn't.
And it has given me better things: friends, purpose, strong legs, peace of mind... and a pain threshold that laughs at blisters and fallen toenails.

So if you're reading this with a purple, loose, or freshly fallen toenail, I tell you something: You're not broken, you're making progress, and even if you don't get a medal for it, all of us runners know what it means.

Welcome to this cult! Here, toenails come and go. But the desire to run... that stays, you badass.