It is really crushing to be stopped in your tracks when you are making good progress. Woe this was so with my toe. Since the turn of the year my rowing buddy and I had switched tack to running rather than rowing training. We had found some consistent training days and were going really well. I am not sure what exactly the difference was, but I felt I had been pushing myself along and getting response out of my legs.
Then one evening I stepped over my son's jungle gym and, without realising it was so close, planted my foot into the corner of a sturdy wooden box next to it. The result was a stubbed toe sensation that felt that bit wrong. I had re-aligned my toes and wasn't sure whether there was a break or dislocation. A thankfully short taxi ride later I began my 5.5 hours in the emergency room (a very long story). The outcome is shown below...
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| Three days after the incident I couldn't resist taking a mobile phone pic of the colours! |
...a 'clean' broken index toe, though it doesn't show the three and a half weeks of hobbling around.
Recuperation has been simply rest (when I can), ibuprofen, paracetamol, and going everywhere in my running shoes. For the first week or so I was taping it to my big toe (as a splint), before the skin on my toes broke down or much I had to stop [I should explain I have pretty sensitive skin, even though I tried a range of tape types and styles I couldn't prevent it!]. Finally now I am not hobbling and toying with when I might start using my feet 'properly' again.
Any top tip? No, not really, just look out for kids toys - they are more dangerous than you might assume :-(
