FAST Nails!

Warning to readers: this blog post is all about nail polish. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the girliest blog post ever, this one is about a 9.8. You're been warned.

About six months ago, before my first-ever half marathon, I decided it would be a fantastic idea to paint my nails the most neon and obnoxious color I could find. Why? Because the brighter the nail color, the faster you run (you know, optical illusions and all that... right?).

In case you were wondering, this theory also applies to clothing, shoes, and accessories of any kind. You may choose to wear all black while running, but the minute you slap on a neon green headband, you're bound to set a PR. It's a fact.

Here's the first color I used: China Glaze's Japanese Koi (This color just happened to match the brightness-factor of my Nathan waterbottle).

I know, it's hard not to notice the nails and waterbottle, right?

From this race on, FAST nails have become a staple of my pre-race rituals. (Not my toenails though, they've suffered enough from all my running. Perhaps a topic saved for another blog post).

I've passed on my need for FAST nails to my running buddies, including my Ragnar Northwest Passage team members.

Team Fast nails from Ragnar at the end of the race. Pay no attention to the one random man finger on the left. And in the middle there's a paint-less hand, highlighting what can happen when FAST nails meet pre (and post) race jitters. Lack of sleep may have been involved.

Some of my favorite colors are: Japanese Koi - China Glaze, Rich Raspberry - Revlon Colorstay, Pink Voltage - China Glaze, Perky Purple - Essie (I think this color is discontinued), Ride the Waves -China Glaze, and Shine on Crazy Diamond (multicolor glitter) - Orly.

FAST nails from Survivor Mud Run in  June.

For my last race, Over the Narrows Ten Miler, I decided to get a little creative with my nails, so I went multicolored, using blue painter's tape to make a perfect line halfway down my nail.

Japanese Koi and Love's a Beach, both China Glaze.

I love how this little ritual has become something all my running friends do, too. It's been awesome to get on Facebook and see myself tagged in photos of people's brightly painted nails the night before a race!

Do you have any quirky and fun pre-race rituals? Do you have pictures of FAST nails, too? 

If you do FAST nails before your next race, share it here! Maybe we can make FAST nails sweep the nation!!