That being said, there are a few universal rites of passage every runner will face at some point along the way. How many of these milestones have you overcome? If you've survived one—or all—of these, you can officially, definitely, without question, call yourself a runner.
1. You've lost a toenail.
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Yes. Losing toenails is so common to runners it's often seen on race signs that read, "Toenails are Overrated." Are they? I miss mine.
Losing a toenail (or multiple toenails) usually happens when you start running fairly high mileage and/or have shoes that are slightly too small. But even if you wear the perfect shoe in the perfect size and build up mileage slowly, it can still happen. If and when it does, just put it under your pillow and the Toenail Fairy will leave you an invisible dollar.
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