The Crack Heard Round the World

It was a chilly but sunny day on Cape Cod.  We had just spent the morning as a family on the beach...the girls were particularly crabby but had moments of getting along.  The chilly wind off the ocean had us deciding to head home early.  As we were driving off the beach I suddenly realized that I really had to go to the bathroom....like I had drank just shy a gallon of water and the bumpy beach ride was torture!  I convinced my husband to pull over and let me run over to a porta-potty coming up.  The girls were bickering about something silly as I jumped out of the truck and I decided that I better hurry the heck up...I went to sprint across the soft sand...flip flops in hand...and I heard it....CRACK!!!  My toe met with a large rock buried under the soft sand.  At first I thought I had just scraped up the top of my toe really bad.  It was bleeding a little but not too much.  I did what I needed to and headed back to the truck and said, "I think something is wrong with my toe!"  The throbbing had started along with the nausea of being in extreme pain.  By the time we got to our house (about 10 minutes away) the swelling and bruising had started.  I knew then that something was seriously wrong.  I showered the girls and got them settled...then headed to the walk-in clinic (the ER on Cape Cod is bananas in the summer).

Diagnosis...broken toe...2-4 weeks sidelined.  The more people I talk to the more I want to cry.  Everyone keeps saying how long it took for them to recover!  The next day we went back to the beach....I was much more careful this time...and I spent a large amount of time soaking in nature's ice bath...

After the day was done it was still looking pretty gnarly!

Since I can only wear flip flops but need to also tape it so that it has support here's what I worked out today at work!

After a full day with kids and grocery shopping after, my toe is THROBBING!!!  Tomorrow I'm going to need a new strategy!  I'm discouraged but trying to stay positive.  I had such big plans heading into the summer...getting stronger...running faster...track time...now I'm just praying I can get back in 4 weeks!  I'm going to give myself one more day and then work in weights and strength training.  If I can't run at least I can build some muscle!!!

Any advice for a broken toe?  I have literally have never broken a bone in my life so any advice is perfect!