Lost! Two toenails. Last seen on foot.

The other morning I lost a big toenail. On the plus this means my feet now match again as my other big toenail disappeared about a fortnight ago as well. Pleasant.

Surprisingly the problems started prior to running marathon des sables, so don't let that put you off signing up to MDS dear readers.

I did a little research into the subject and here are the five top things I learnt about runners and toenails...

First, the science bit...
The impact between your toe and the source of pressure causes small blood vessels to burst as a result of fluid accumulating from damaged tissue. The fluid and blood give the look of the black toenail. If damage is severe enough the fluid will separate the nail from its bed and the toenail will drop off.

But why does this happen?
1) Your shoes or socks probably don't fit...
They could be too small, so your toes will be squashed together and will make it more likely that damage will occur, or they could be too big, meaning your foot is not secure in your trainer so the tops of your toes will bang against the tops of your shoes.

It's not just your trainers which may be causing damage, it's your socks. If they are not roomy enough for your feet to breathe, they will also act as a barrier for your toenails to continue to bash themselves up against.

2) ...but then again they might do
Jeff Galloway says just the repeated action of running can give rise to black toenails, as the pressure of the swing action forces more than normal blood into the toenail region. If you increase your training too quickly or generally run long distances there will be a greater chance that you will succeed in achieving black toenail status.

3) The weather has a say in your toenail status
If it's hot your feet swell, meaning less room in your trainer. If it's wet, your feet are not as secure in your trainer. Meaning, that's right, the possibility of a black toenail.

What do I do if I get a black toenail?
4) Nothing
It's under the toenail. You can't touch it. The pain will gradually decrease. If the pressure is too intense you may have to release it. Eek. Just remember to use a sterilised needle and bite down on a stick before you stick the needle in.

5) Top tips for prevention of black toenails
Trim your toenails straight across.
Make sure your trainers have only half an inch gap between the top of your toe and the end of the trainer.
Lace your trainers up securely.
Wrap your toes up in cotton wool (seriously!) or use padded toe protectors.

And finally...
Be proud
Getting a black toenail means you are a proper runner. You are in the club. You can also treat yourself to some new nail polish - Chanel Rouge Noir is a shade of choice (sorry guys) to hide the evidence.

Footwear for marathon des sables

I can't really write anything about running routes for this post as I've been well and truly lazy over the festive period and have run an outstanding one mile (in sand mind you) in the past two weeks. My justification for this is to rest my niggly injuries - left hip and left knee, and to start again fresh in 2012.

So here we are. No more excuses. Except I need to buy the footwear I am going to use in the marathon des sables pretty quickly to make sure I wear them in in time. There are only three months to go!

A quick google revealed these shoes to be the shoes of choice for the desert race:-

Roclite 295 - for runners who like more lightweight shoes. Lots of flexibility though I would worry it doesn't give enough cushioning over miles and miles of stony ground. Here's a good review from irunfar

Roclite 315 - trail shoes with more stability. A review from Runner's World and another blogger - seems a bit varied - some like this shoe, some thing it's a bit clunky. Seems the heel is rather low which may or not be a good thing.

Roclite 319 - trail shoes with high stability. These are highly recommended by Likeys - an amazing store for all things desert (likeys also has a really useful kit list with their recommendations as well). Here's a blog review. Seems to be pretty good though I'm a bit worried it's a bit of a heavy shoe.

Here's some other advice from inov-8 about footwear too with some further info on gaiters.

New Balance M1100OR - the official MDS shoe. Ugly and I can't really find many reviews which rate this shoe either.

Brooks Cascadia - Scott Jurek swears by these shoes (though he does also get sponsored by Brooks so...). Look nice though! Anoter good review from irunfar who rates them highly

UK Gear PT03 Desert - looks a little chunky to me though what do I know. Here's a forum thread. Seems to viewed favourably.

UK Gear PT1000 NC - Another Likeys recommendation. Look nice too though mental note to self - it's not about fashion, it's not about fashion!! This shoe is supposed to last 1000 miles. I'd be happy with 150.

Montrail Mountain Masochist - Recommended by irunfar. Looks cool. Review here suggests maybe better for dry trails. Good for over pronators too.

Overall it looks like things to consider are:-
Whether you are wearing gaiters or want them already sown into the shoe (and most things I have read suggest separate gaiters are superior)
Weight/cushioning - weighing up (ho ho) between having a lighterweight shoe or protecting your feet from the rocky ground. Personally I'm used to a pretty bog standard shoe with some but minimal cushioning so am contemplating this one at the moment.
Width - seems that a wide shoe is preferable given your feet swell considerably.
Road or trail shoes - the majority of posts seem to say trail is best, though there is a huge difference between trail runs in wet muddy conditions and in the desert, though I do agree that trail is best here.
Height - low versus high back. Some people like high backs, some low. I would suggest check your current trainers and go with that height if it is going okay for you already.
Size - at least 1 size bigger than your normal shoe size, maybe 2. I reckon I'm going to go for 1.5!

Finally here are some great forum resources for other footwear for marathon des sables discussions.

MDS Forum - Footwear
Runner's World

And for me?
I'm going to try out the Brooks Cascadia as I run in Brooks, but also the inov-8 315 and UK Gear 1000PT or Desert if I can find them anywhere to try on.

Next? Gaiters and bag. Watch this space! My bank manager is going to love me.