Bruise Under toe nails

I get the same thing on both feet... no matter how trim my nails are, there are two nails that always get bruised and eventually just fall off. I've come to just accept it as a small price to pay for being a part of this crazy gig.

this is usually from your toe hitting the top of your shoe - as long as your shoes fit, then it is just from doing the mileage....

so yeah, keep your toenails trimmed, but it is one of the hazards of increased mileage.... 

You know the old rule "don't try anything new for race day"?  That's for wimps...or so I thought.  For one of my marathons I bought some new wicking socks at the expo before the race.  I figured I'd wear them on race day.  The problem was, they were a lot thicker than my usual socks and therefore made my shoes too tight.  After 26 miles, both toes were black and blue.  I lost both toenails!

~Mike

That might be it.  Some brands I can run in and some I can't without getting the bruised toenails.   

I had it happen to my toe-next-to-the-big-toe out of the blue last year.  Depending on how far toward the cuticle the bruise is, look for it to last several months before going away.  It's kind of like a temporary birthmark on your toe, only different.