You say pa-TAY-to, I say pa-TAH-toe … some differences are merely how we use language (the eternal pop vs. soda debate, for example), while others are more meaningful. Here’s another one you may have heard—hammertoes, mallet toes, and claw toes. Is there a difference between these toe deformities, and if so, what is it?

In an ideal runner's world, every step of every mile would be 100 percent pain-free. No aches, no twinges, no lingering soreness from yesterday's workout. The reality is that many runners constantly deal with a slight (or not so slight) disturbance—a tender foot, a tight hamstring, a whiny knee. While these nagging issues often aren't serious enough to require a time-out, they are annoying, especially when they don't let you fully enjoy your time on the roads.

Beyond your routine pedi, chances are you don’t give your feet that much attention. But did you know your feet actually have a lot to say about your health? If you take a moment to clue in to your heels and toes, you may notice some indicators of problems that have to do with much more than your feet. “If you notice a change in your feet, from what you would consider normal in the past, it’s generally a good idea to see your doctor,” says Melissa Lockwood, M.D., ABPM-certified podiatrist and DPM.

Supination, also known as underpronation, is the insufficient inward roll of the foot after landing. It may be the result of having a naturally high-arching foot, or it may also be caused by certain muscle weakness in your calves, ankles, or feet that are a result of ill-fitting running shoes, improper gait, or previous injuries.

When it comes to aching feet, you’re probably familiar with the usual suspects like bunions, plantar fasciitis, and too many hours in sky-high stilettos. But there are a few other reasons your feet might be hurting you—and they’re not quite as obvious. Here are a few ways you might be putting extra wear-and-tear on your feet without realizing it.

Weird—and sometimes repulsive—things can happen when you log lots of miles . 

Many runners will experience injury every now and again—from common knee pain, to a pulled muscle, to the dreaded plantar fasciitis. But there are other things—strange, unnerving things—that can happen when you run. And they can become more common the further you go.

In an ideal runner's world, every step of every mile would be 100 percent pain-free. No aches, no twinges, no lingering soreness from yesterday's workout. The reality is that many runners constantly deal with a slight (or not so slight) disturbance a tender foot, a tight hamstring, a whiny knee. While these nagging issues often aren't serious enough to require a time-out, they are annoying, especially when they don't let you fully enjoy your time on the roads.

Think of running pains in terms of a spectrum. At one end you have severe, full-blown injuries call it the red zone, which includes stress fractures that require time off. The other end, where you're in top form, is the green zone. Mild, transient aches that bug you one day and disappear the next sit closer to the green end. Unfortunately, many runners get stuck in the middle the not-quite-injured but not-quite-healthy yellow zone.