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Pre-marathon injury - surprised at advice

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 abcdef 01 May 2019

Bit of background - less than 4 weeks from first Edinburgh marathon, 16 week 3 day plan has been pretty easy with no noticeable fatigue increasing the miles, and a couple of 21 milers under my belt. I did have a spare week which I was probably going to use to do another 20+ miler but unfortunately things haven't gone as planned

11 days ago I was barefoot in the back garden with the kids when I accidentally stubbed my 2nd and 3rd toes on the grass. It was pretty sore but seemed innocuous so didn't think much of it and just hobbled a bit for the rest of the day. Next day the toes were bruised and the foot difficult to walk on. It has continued to be mostly sore when walking, but I did do 6km run on Monday to see how it would react to running - tbh that was if anything better than walking (maybe due to footwear choice - some shoes are sorer when walking, barefoot is the worst as the pain is mostly on the ball where toes join to foot, to the touch the area on the ball almost feels like a small sharp/hard bit is protruding downwards).

Got another run planned for tomorrow, and right now it all feels a bit of a waiting game to see how the next week or two go and where the pain takes me. It could just be trauma that will ease, or I suppose potentially there could be a fracture (no doctor seen, didn't see the point).

What I was pretty surprised about was the reaction of 3 folk in my wife's work who have some marathon experience between them. One said run through it, another said go for a long run to get over the mental hurdle and the third suggested it was a case of 'Maranoia' (!?). Obviously they probably didn't get much of a medical rundown so maybe assumed it was just a sore foot from training but I always expected the default advice is along the lines of "a marathon is a big undertaking, don't attempt it with an injury because you will get found-out"?

 DaveHK 01 May 2019
In reply to abcdef:

Listen to the advice but make your own decision. Only you know how you feel and how much pain you are in.

 ClimberEd 01 May 2019
In reply to abcdef:

another 'some marathon experience' (well, multiple, all at the end of triathlons.)

I would also suggest you can run through it if it doesn't hurt too much. The race is also several weeks away. The caveat being if it doesn't hurt too much. If it hurts too much it may be fractured and worth a quick x-ray - and there will be no marathon in your immediate future.

You'd be amazed how much the professional response to sports injuries (I have had enough of them) is 'if it doesn't hurt too much.........'

 Gone 01 May 2019
In reply to abcdef:

I think there is a big difference between an injury caused by over-training, which is always going to be made worse by more running, and a random injury like yours which might not be.

Roadrunner6 01 May 2019
In reply to abcdef:

1. There's a lot of bollox spoken by runners. Ignore anything like 'pain is just weakness leaving the body' or 'its all in the head'. Said by runners who don't actually train mostly.

2. Get an x-ray. You can't do anything but if its broken then you know the marathon is out.

3. They may be right, it could just be a soft tissue injury. 

4. The hay is in the barn, a few days off won't harm you here really, take a few days off, ice, rest etc and see how it responds.

 McHeath 01 May 2019
In reply to abcdef:

You have my sympathy, but quite honestly I'd go along with the "maranoia" view (unless you stubbed your toes while running at full tilt). Toes are damn sensitive, so injuries usually feel worse than they are. The 6k went ok, so probably best to train normally and only seek professional advice if pain is either actually stopping you from running, or is causing you to adopt a cramped or asymmetric running posture.

Post edited at 14:01
1
 steveriley 01 May 2019
In reply to abcdef:

Blummin gardens - worst running injury I ever had was standing on a nail in the garden. 

Worthless anecdote: had a niggly-pull feeling in my calf all week, some nervous rollering, usual feeling rubbish tapering. "That'll go this weekend, when I foolishly run a trail marathon off far too little prep." Sunday came, not a whisper of complaint from the calf. Got cramp in the other leg quad stuffed in the back of a Mini on the way home.

Your biggest risk is probably altering your gait and picking something up somewhere else!


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