This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way back to the nail salon for another pedicure.

We batter our feet each day we head out on the trails or take to the asphalt in search of the runners high. So, why don’t we do a better job at taking care of our piggies?

The black toenail exists as a rite of passage amongst endurance athletes the world over. Runners gloriously post Instagram shots of their first black toenail as a badge of honor. UltraRunnerPodcast has a special section, the black toe bail hall of fame.  Toenails were such a pain in the ass to one Marshall Ulrich, so much so that he opted to have all of them surgically removed in 1992. Other hardcore runners have since jumped in and done the same.

With a bitch of an ingrown toenail on my right foot and an offer from Jen, I took my little piggies, jumped in the chair and received my first pedicure…a male pedicure.

Which, coincidentally is the same as a pedicure.

Go figure.

Guys, why the stigma against male pedicures? You know what is bad about a pedicure?

Nothing.

You set your feet in warm, soothing water, sit on a massage chair, cut the nails, file them down to make sure they are shaped to ‘awesome nail’ standards, put on some cleaning solution, back in water, pull them out for some scrubbing, a wondrous leg massage, boom.

Male pedicures are on the rise, according to my nail technician. Rightfully so. Sure, you may see a few curious glances by the ladies on hand, but the staff were more than happy to take care of my beaten down feet.

The pros of said experience at Beauty Nails and Wax?

1) Smooth, well groomed toenails. No more slamming against the front of my trail running shoes. Toes rejoice!
2) A pleasing leg massage. I ran 12 miles the morning of the pedicure. A massage was the best solution possible.
3) Clear nail polish which makes your nails look healthy. I asked which color would make me go faster and suggested a racing stripe. In the end, I opted for clear.

Cons

Nil.

Experiences of note which did not occur.

1) World ending/apocalypse.
2) Pink nail polish. You can go for no polish at all if you want.
3) Forfeiture of man card. If you thought this at all, go away. If you have said man card or hinted at the existence of one, go away.

Conclusion? I can’t believe it took me 28 years to do this. A pedicure is a simple pleasure, like sneaking out for a quick two mile run, or watching the vending machine put out two bags of skittles instead of one.

A male pedicure. An oxymoron to some, but to me it makes perfect sense.

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