Training with a Smashed Big Toe?
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jacmun posted 7 weeks ago.
Sounds painful
You can safely use a heated needle to create a hole and relieve a haematoma beneath the nail bed, just keep everything clean and dry. You probably need a couple of days rest to really let it settle down.
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KitKat posted 7 weeks ago.
I think most of us have trained or raced and lost a toe nail. It's not big deal. Block the pain out.
**Pain is weakness leaving the body**
*Smile, it does a body good*
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Anton posted 7 weeks ago.
Pierce the toe nail and let it drain. Get some Neosporin with Pain Relief jell. Use that on the hole you create.
Get an older pair of running shoes or the shoes you have now , knowing that you'll have to replace them and cut out the toe box. Or, at least the area around the big toe. You'll avoid pressure on the toe that way.
Keep an eye on it and if continues to hurt and if it remains swollen...see your doctor.
Sorry, but pain is a warning that something is wrong. If it doesn't go away it could be that you did more damage than to just bung up your toe.
"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
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J.Michael posted 7 weeks ago.
I was hoping I'd get one of you ultra runners to chime in with some hard earned wisdom!
That's pretty much what I did. I woke up @ 5am with a nice throb going (must have bumped into something in my sleep) so I heated a needle and drained it out. It drained with quite an amazing show of force too!...(sorry gals, but it was pretty darn cool) Then I put some bactroban ointment on it and fixed breakfast. The relief was instant!
About 40 mins to race time, I couldn't let the breast cancer folks down (plus I like a challenge)
So I ate a banana on the way as the race was only 4mi from the house. It turned out to be a beach coarse so I put on a little circle bandaid and affixed it with some new skin spray and a tiny bit of tape.
I ran the 5k barefoot and I finished in 24 flat. (a bit slow, but I made it)
I might do my ride with my feet on the tops of my shoes and just up the seat a few cm. (I have my proper height marked so going back will be no prob)
Thanks for the help!
Oh and awesome tip on cutting out the toe box Anton! I was gonna go get some new trainers this weekend anyways.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
— Winston Churchill
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J.Michael posted 6 weeks ago.
Anyone have any tips for protecting you newly susceptible toe from damage resulting from losing your nail?
I have been running since yesterday (now that the pressure is off and pain pretty much gone) but can already tell that I will lose the nail within the next few days.
I saw antons info on cutting out the toebox of running flat to relieve pressure. I dont think swimming will be too much of an issue, but I really hesitate to do any modification to the toebox of my cycling shoe.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
— Winston Churchill
Ok, so I'd normally be asleep by now (I know lame on a Fri) as Sat is my med length fast ride for the week and Sun is my long run, but......... I was moving some stuff in the garage and a tool box fell off the shelf and landed on my big toe. :(
I thought it was just a temp pain until I looked down and could see it bleeding under the nail and could feel the pressure start to build. It has been 6 hours now and the dang thing still has a dull slow throb to it. Most of my nail from the "quick" to almost the tip of my toe is a disturbing blue(ish) purple and I can already feel that putting my full weight on it might be a bit difficult to do tomorrow. I was supposed to do a breast cancer 5k in the morning before my ride (and still might if the course is actually on the beach as I could run barefoot) but I dont think I can tolerate a shoe.
I've heard that you can relieve the pressure by making a hole in the nail and letting the blood drain to ease any pain. I've also heard that by putting a hole in the top of the nail it's possible to get an infection from basically having an open wound.
Have any of you ever trained through a smashed toe?
It'd be nice to get rid of the pressure but not if I get my toe infected running later in the week.
I might take some otc meds to see if it will help (but I hate taking my multi vitamin so I might not...I'm not diggin the idea of taking pills)
Oh well...guess I'm off to bed, maybe me and the SO can practice tapering until I log in tomorrow to see what you all have come up with.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
— Winston Churchill