Sore and limping - to run or not to run?

[One_spot]

I did W2R3 Sunday morning, felt good at the time!

By the p.m. the tendon at the back of my right ankle was sore. This morning it's all stiffened up and I am limping. Still sore too.

W3R1 should be tomorrow - any advice for the next 24 hours?

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Ouch.. well.. if there is any swelling.. it needs some treatment.. we are not medical experts but...would advise this first

nhs.uk/conditions/sports-in...

Then basically... see how it feels....head out gently and if there is no issue..then carry on gently

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

Sounds like your achilles - and could just be a little tightness. Follow advice link given by Oldfloss, gp if it doesn't settle. Don't try to run on it when it is sore though, you could end up with an injury that takes far longer to resolve. Fingers crossed that it settles soon. 🙂

[MarkyD Graduate]

That would sound like your achilles tendon. In which case you have 2 choices:

1) Rest for a couple of days, then go out for a very gentle run. Find out that it is not better, stop running for 2 weeks, try again, find out that it is not better, stop running for 1 month, test it again and find out that it is never going to get better on its own;

2) Book an appointment with a sports physio. It will cost you the same as last-season's running shoes. The sports physio will diagnose what is wrong, what caused the injury, give you rehabilitation exercises, give you strengthening exercises to correct the bio-mechanical issue that caused the problem, give you drills to help your running, and basically make you a better runner. And give you fun running books to read.

I damaged my left achilles running a 10km that I had not properly trained for. I did one year (!!) of option 1, before taking option 2 in June. I'm running (very gently) again. Instead of concentrating on speed, pace or distance, my focus right now is on my running style. Landing mid-foot, head up, shoulders open, arms forward/backwards (not across my chest), short ground contact, and using gravity to fall forward in each step. It's hard work. I've got daily exercises to strengthen my core, glutes, quads and hip muscles. But I'm running again.