Question

Should I take time off to let my toe heal?

TOE INJURY ON TRAILS

I am a 57-year-old male runner and recently fell right at the end of an 11-mile trail race. I felt tremendous pain in my left foot for a couple of minutes, and then I was able to hobble the 200 or so meters to the finish. I developed bruising in my big toe (with some blood under the nail) which two weeks later is nearly gone. However, I can sense that I am not able to "toe off" properly when I run. While attempting a
few stride-offs recently I was unable to generate much force from the left foot. Can I continue enjoying easy-paced runs and expect the toe to heal itself, or should I take time off in order to allow faster training in the future?

Tony Salinaro, Antioch, CA