Hello again fellow Couch to 5Kers and graduates!
I’m still here, still following the program and still loving it!☺️ I’ve just completed Week 6 so very nearly there now!!
However... I appear to have bruised my second toe on my right foot - it’s almost black!
Any ideas how I’ve done it? Is this common? And is there anything I can do differently to prevent this happening again?
Cheers,
Becky 👍🏼
It’s going to come off eventually. Just leave it grow out. You may need bigger shoes - people tend to go up a half or full size in running shoes. You could try tying your laces with the heel lock technique to stop your foot from Sliding forward. I have 5 on the way out in one go at the moment 🤣
Thanks for the reply Tasha99.
Yewww!! Didn’t realise it would fall off eventually!🥴Yours sounds horrendous, but you seem very chilled about it.🤣
I heard about this happening in longer distance running but not 5K!🙈I think I need to look into getting the next size up then.
Don’t know what the heel lock lacing technique is though?🤔
Xx
I freaked out with my first one. These are all due to ill fitting trail shoes on a half marathon I did a while back.
sportsmed.co.nz/blog/heel-l...
Thank you, I will be on this now!
👍🏼Xx
If you leave it to grow out there’ll be half a nail underneath by the time it comes off. Maybe you need a gait analysis? Although I’ve gone a half a size bigger than what I got fitted anyway.
Does your shoes cause your toenails to fall off
If your toes are hitting the front of your shoes then yes. That’s why you need to buy bigger and use heel lock.
F F F Five!!!!!!🤯🤯🤯🤯
Crikey Tasha, I had 1 (work related injury) it took about a year to grow out, and I couldn't bear looking at it. Thank goodness for nail varnish 💅
🤣 I know - it’s bad isn’t it 🤣
I blame my Salomon trailies. I’ve since got fitted with some Hoka speed goats 🤞🏽
Shoes too tight, have a gait analysis & fitting, it's usual to go at least a half size bigger, but it also depends on the shoe brand, some also have to go one size or a size and a half, I had to go 2 sizes bigger, then there's the width, we are all different.
Gait analysis got me a decent running shoe and I got some insoles as I have a funny gait when moving. A decent running shoe does help and perhaps keep your toe nails shorter. Good luck. 🏃♀️
Seems Tasha is quite the expert on this! I lace pretty much how she linked and haven’t had an issue in shoes from half a size to one and a half sizes above my regular size.
Not an expert enough to stop it happening! I may need to just avoid trails! We’ll see.
Well... expert through experience for sure. I’m not in that position yet, but I cant avoid the trails... they’re too inviting!!
Or only run up hill 😋
Shoes are too small/tight.
Thanks everyone for the replies! Much appreciated ☺️☺️Xx
First and foremost get an idea what your running shoe size should be. Measure both your feet, stand on a piece of a4 on a flat surface and make a mark behind your heels and in front of your longest toe on each foot. Measure diagonally from heel to toe for each foot in cms. Now add at least .5cm. So my feet measure 24cm so I need 24.5cm shoes minimum.
Now check your brand sizing on their website. Their international sizing will show cms, usually under Japan, as they are clever and just use cms!
Forget your normal "street shoe" size. Running shoes will usually be a full size bigger or even 1.5 depending on brand. In my case my Brooks are a 5.5 and my Saucony a 6 as they size small. My street shoe size is a 4.5.
If you're running in street sizes get to a running shop asap and be properly sized. You should find it pretty much matches your new guideline size! (Most sports shoe boxes show cms on them too)
Hope it’s better soon.
As for general advice, already stated by others, opting to run in a shoe that possesses a toe box wide enough to accommodate natural movement/ splay of the toes ought to be a major consideration.
Additionally, ensure that nails don't extend beyond the tips of your toes (keep them short and neat).
Without you describing the current shape/structure of your feet, however, it's difficult to form an opinion behind the cause of your blackened toe nail.
With regard to your second toe, is it longer than that of the first (Morton's/Greek foot), does it regularly claw, do you feel the tip of your second toe repeatedly pressing into the insole of your current running shoes?
While repeated bashing of toe nails against the front of the shoe has been mentioned, if you happen to suffer from clawed/hammer toes, from wearing other styles of footwear (such as flip flops and slides) it could be that tightness actually exists in the extensor muscles of your instep and anterior compartment of the leg (causing toes to claw) from repeatedly attempting to keep the aforementioned footwear upon your feet.
The point I'm making is that, at times, you need to look beyond the footwear and actually assess the current condition and biomechanical movement of the feet.
Boom💥W4 even with bruised ribs! 
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