Big toe crisis - need advice

Triathlon Forum
1

So i have a marathon in 3 weeks. training has been progressing very well; ran a nice 10k race last week, and workouts have been great and relatively injury free. Two days ago i had a speed workout in the am and i started to feel a slight pain in my right big toe, but nothing to worry about. (btw I try to be a midfoot/forefoot striker). No problems the rest of the day.

The next day when i woke up I could barely walk. Took the last two days off (well, swimming), have been icing, but it doesn’t seem to be getting better (in fact, maybe worse).

Specifically the pain is not when flexing but generalized on the top and sides of the toe itself (particluarly the outer side) when there is pressure.

Hopefully this is a bruise/sprain and will heal in the next 20 minutes. Google has not been helpful. Has anyone experienced this? does it sound like a stress fracture? not being able to run my upcoming race (or even finish training with my key long runs this weekend and next) will be a very bad thing for me and those anywhere near me.

thanks
SS

2

I have had issues with a similar pain in my right big toe over the last few years. I read something in Runners World once that lead me to conclude it could have been the nascent stages of a bunion. I bought one of these and it helped. I still have pain every now and again (especially if I wear shoes that are tight in the toe box and keep my toes cramped up), but it’s a lot better.
http://www.footsmart.com/P-Bunion-Regulator-40057.aspx?c=None

3

Thanks. could be that, but given what i can see about bunions my pain is actually on the toe itself, ie on the toe pad and the knuckle under the nail. whereas a bunion is on the bone joint of the toe, right?

4

Lots of possibilities from sesamoiditis, simple capsulitis/hallux limitus, gout or pseudogout, etc.

Is it red/swollen? No joint pain I think you are saying, but the big toe itself on the sides?

5

right no joint pain. pain from pressure particularly on the sides and top. seems almost like tendonitis or a bruise. but no outward signs of any injury (not red, swollen, etc). just thick skin on the outer side of the pad (like a callous)
thanks for ideas

6

If you have a thick callus on the medial side of the great toe, shave that puppy off. Blade, file with pumice stone/sandpaper, etc. then heavy cream/lotion of some type. Common causes pain in the area. Roughly every 1mm in thickness of a “callus” is about 10 lbs pressure per square inch (70kg person) with just walking. Running multiply by 2.5x

7

Any chance it could be an ingrown toenail?

8

Cool - i will work on that callous. i hope it’s that simple!