Broken toe vs marathon training

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Feb 2015
11:20am, 21 Feb 2015
268 posts
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Clatters
Advice please folks ......!! I stubbed my big toe last week and it has now swelled up and is as painful as #*+% !! The NHS info points towards a broken toe,mans there's some good tips on how to treat it, et .

My problem is that I am religiously following a great training plan for the VLM (7 weeks into a 16 week plan), and am feeling really good and positive for once!! Now with this toe I obviously have to have some rest, but I was wondering if anyone else has had similar issues at this stage of a plan, and how you've handled it ???

Any thoughts / advice / general abuse would be very much appreciated !!
Feb 2015
3:29pm, 21 Feb 2015
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missvivvy
Oh no! I broke my toe in mid Jan 2012 in the run up to VLM that year. I took nearly 4 weeks off and then started running again, but it was still painful. I then committed the rookie mistake of trying to catch up on missing training and broke myself - I got to the point where my calves were so tight I couldn't run. Unfortunately as I had deferred my place from 2011 I couldn't defer again and did the marathon. In the end I was just happy to finish.

I guess it depends on where your base fitness is and what you want to get out of VLM; do you have a time in mind or do you just want to finish? As you have had longer into your training than I did then your base should be greater than mine was. Are you able to do any other cardio training (bike, swim?) for the next few weeks which puts less pressure on the toe? I wouldn't recommend trying to run on it at the moment, it will be painful and you might up compensating for it and causing problems elsewhere.

It is still doable, however you might need to adjust your goals and whatever you do, do not try to catch up on missed training!

Good luck with what you decide to do, and I hope you heal quickly.
Feb 2015
4:30pm, 21 Feb 2015
269 posts
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Clatters
Thanks for your reply Missvivvy !! And sorry to hear you had similar issues a few years ago !

Base fitness-wise - I am relatively fit at the moment, and was comfortable with last weeks 18-miler. I appreciate what you are saying about trying to catch up, and I would want to - to a certain extent - but I also don't want to break myself. I am hoping to rest for 2/3 weeks, then to try and fit in again with the plan wherever it is (e.g. missing 2/3 weeks worth of easy, tempo, interval, long runs, etc), but maybe throw in another couple of strengthening runs..

I can do swimming and biking in the meantime to maintain fitness, so thanks for that tip - will see what they say at the gym!

Thanks again - any other advice from anyone else ?!!
Feb 2015
5:37pm, 21 Feb 2015
62 posts
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hurricanehamlyn
You could try aqua jogging, google it, basically it is running in a swimming pool without touching the bottom. You need a floatation belt. I did it when I tore my calf muscle and found it helped a great deal.
Feb 2015
8:29pm, 21 Feb 2015
270 posts
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Clatters
Thank you HH. Googled it and it looks, er, do-able I think!! Not sure what the regular swimmers at my local gym will make of it, but I will certainly give it a go on Monday and see if it is an option for me. Thank you .....
Feb 2015
11:55pm, 21 Feb 2015
1,695 posts
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sLickster
This happened on my first marathon 5 weeks out. I pretty much cycled for the next few weeks then did 3 runs a week. Got round ok, but I was never running for a time.
Feb 2015
7:32am, 22 Feb 2015
271 posts
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Clatters
Thanks sLicker. I'm sure I will be absolutely fine to get round - it's just a real shame that for once (this will be my 5th marathon), I was in a good place in terms of mental attitude and sticking to a training plan, etc. Sod's Law I guess .....
Feb 2015
9:25am, 23 Feb 2015
126 posts
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Oranj
My 2p: could be a long time healing.

I broke the 3rd toe on my right foot (also stubbed it, then ran an IM marathon 2 weeks later which finally did it in - not recommended) in August last year. I had 3 months of no running at all, I did quite a lot of cycling and indoor rowing, followed by 2 months of steady jogging on local grass playing fields. A broken toe can be very painful, even when it's 95% healed (there are a lot of pain receptors in the ends of your toes). I couldn't swim because walking barefoot poolside, and pushing off the end of the pool aggravated it.

Tape it to the next biggest toe for support with strong Elastoplast tape, and once it's on the way to being healed, wear a gel cap over it (from Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Advanced-Footcare-Toe-End-Cushion_8418/?cm_mmc=pla-_-google-_-PLAs-_-Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Health+and+Pharmacy) to stop it being jarred. I've ended up doing my road running in Hoka One Ones for the extra cushioning, but 6 months down the line I still get the odd twinge.
Feb 2015
10:35pm, 26 Feb 2015
64 posts
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hurricanehamlyn
I did get some strange looks but persevered 😊

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Advice please folks ......!! I stubbed my big toe last week and it has now swelled up and is as pai...

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