This week marks a new milestone in my running career -- I have my first official runner's malady: The Black Toenail. After my 11-miler a couple weeks ago and my 12-miler this past Sunday, the second toe on my left foot felt a little numb. Numbness turned into mild discomfort, which turned into tenderness. When I removed the nail polish from that toenail, the toenail was a lovely shade of light purple and there was a distinct blister forming beneath.
According to running coach Jeff Galloway: "Almost everyone who runs gets a black toenail. Getting your first one is a sign that you've moved your training into a higher level." He said that the movement of running, of swinging the foot forward, forces blood into the toe region. The increased blood flow results in pressure in the area below the toenail. A couple broken capillaries will discolor the accumulated fluid, giving the toenail that tell-tale purply-black color. If the pressure is too great, the toenail will start to separate from what he calls the "toenail in training". Eventually, this toenail will fall off.
Fortunately, mine isn't very uncomfortable anymore. I've been able to drain the excess fluid without having to (eeek) drill a hole in my toenail and without much pain. Unfortunately, the darn thing is going to come off at some time, which will keep me far away from the pedicure chair out of sheer embarassment for awhile.
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