10 days to go until the Yonkers Marathon and I am very excited about it. And I got my first black toe. This is very common in distance runners, and it is rarely serious. It is no big deal and I hardly feel any pain around it. Other runners I’ve talked to tell me the best thing to do about it is to do nothing, unless it is very painful or blood starts coming out. It doesn’t interfere with my running at all.
This is what you can expect if you start running 30+ miles per week.
AcroTrekker 
Yikes! I got my first one right after I finished my first half marathon back in January. Right after the race my toes hurt really bad and sure enough the one turned black soon after (and fell off months later–yuck). It has finally recovered fully.. 7 months later (geez!).
I’m glad it has recovered fully. I hope that pain didn’t slow you down too much. Few things show you’re a serious runner like black toe. I hear runners are more likely to get them in warm weather, so I am glad autumn is finally here in a few days. Congratulations for all your running and your blog is super!
oh can you get this on your pinkie toe from running? I used to get that on and off when I ran and could never figure out what in the world was happening. Thought my toe will fall off one day haha. Hope it gets better soon.
Great to see you here, Chicly. Yes, I believe this can affect any toe. It really is no big deal unless it is painful(or bloody). I just ran 18.5 miles today and the toe gave me no trouble. I even did 15 miles a few days ago. And I could go on… I’ve had this black toe for almost 2 weeks now, and I think the toenail eventually comes off(and a new toenail grows in its place) or the black/blueness goes away.
Running is such a great way to stay in shape, but if you keep getting these things, either consult with a doctor or running specialist. I believe black toe is caused by pressure on the foot due to repeated contact with the ground causing blood vessels to burst against the toenail. This tends to happen more often during the summer than winter since heat makes blood vessels bigger. I also think you are more likely to get them from hill running. At least to my understanding. This will go away, there is nothing to worry about, I just wanted everyone to see what happens when you run long distances on a regular basis. I wish you the best of health and no black toes.
Yikes!! Well, glad it doesn’t hurt! Looks like it would be sensitive. I’ve gotten up to running 25-30 miles a week and thankfully never got a black toe. I guess my feet decided they were ugly enough and warded it off. 😉
I’m sure your feet are the opposite of ugly. Congratulations on avoiding black toes with all the miles you do. I’ll continue to look into ways to avoid them(and associated callouses), since even though they are usually no big deal, they can be painful sometimes, besides being unsightly. I’m glad the photo of my foot didn’t scare you off.
Whatever you do, keep doing what you’re doing. I wish you much success with the books you’re writing. Have fun running, and I still doubt your feet are ugly.
Thank you so much! I will keep up the running. Seriously, my feet are like hobbit feet. NO JOKE. But my feet thank you for saying they aren’t ugly! 😉
Honestly, I always kinda hoped for a black toe. It is like a badge of honor and courage in regards to running. So, I’d rock that black toe hard my friend. 🙂 You worked hard to earn it!! 🙂
You’re right, I was kind of thinking the black toe is like a badge of honor, but I didn’t want to toot my own horn too much.
“Hobbit feet”? That has made me even more curious. Thanks for your kind words. Take care.
Wow! What a dedicated runner you are!! What’s my excuse? Thanks for motivating me to get out there and just do it! Here’s an article I recently read on black toenails you might want to check out: “Want to avoid black toenails, aka ‘runner’s toes’? Make sure your running sneakers fit properly”
Have a great time in the Yonkers Marathon 🙂
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/avoid-black-toenails-aka-runner-toes-running-sneakers-fit-properly-article-1.1085581
Thanks, I am glad I could inspire you. I think we inspire each other. Thank you for sharing that link, I’ll try to follow those guidelines to avoid black toes in the future. Luckily the only problem I have is that it is unsightly, and that it may come off.
I hope you are having a lot of fun with your running and life in general. I love those awesome recipes on your blog, Abby. Best of health to you!
p.s – It’s so funny that that article is by the RunningDoc, Dr Maharam. I was just reading his site yesterday(runningdoc.com), but didn’t come across that article.
You might not like your black toe so much if you were a woman. We like to have pretty feet. Not something that I manage very well since I wear a size 11 shoe. Haha – oh well! Celeste 🙂
You may be right, but then again I know some guys who are obsessed with having pretty feet and being pretty in general. I can’t relate, but that’s just the way they are. And I’m sure your feet are adorable. Take care Celeste!