Running after injury

[Hannah27]

Got to the third week of running with the C25K app but hurt my achilles tendons pretty badly and was limping for a couple of weeks (completely ruined a walking holiday!). I really want to start up again, it's been about a month, but I'm really worried about hurting myself again... I did stretch and warm up etc but I'm putting off going out there again incase I hurt myself. Any tips?

[melly4012 Graduate]

For a niggle I imagine it would just be a try to pop out for a few minutes jogging and see how you feel but for a proper injury I'd be a bit more cautious. I currently have a tendon injury but was worried like you are of coming back too soon. The doctor gave me very generic advice to 'rest' so I had to see a sports physio in the end who told me exactly what the problem was and what I had to be able to do pain free in order to run again which is what I wanted to know. I would say the only way you'll know for sure is to seek a professional opinion and ask specifically about when you should return. Hope you recover quickly!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

You need to try to work out what caused the injury in the first place. Have you had a gait analysis, which could indicate whether your shoes are appropriate for your running style? Most reputable running shops offer this service for free and it can be very revealing.

Unless you can identify another specific cause, I would suspect your shoes.

Heel drops, while standing on the edge of a step are a good exercise for Achilles problems, so long as you are not still in pain. Do some Googling so that you are confident that your problem matches the suggested remedies.

[Hannah27]

I RAN! I DID IT! Thanks for all the tips, i tried the ankle/foot drop stretches afterwards and today am walking like a normal person! Which to me is a victory! I started in teh middle of week 2, as i thought week one might be a bit slower than where I was at and think it was a good point to start. I have a wondows phone (booo) so my C25K app decided to not record my run so i have no idea how well/badly I did on it but feeling great today adn looking forward to getting out there again tomorrow! Thanks for all the support