W9 ruined by niggling injury

[Theo4432]

Hi all sorry to be a bit down but last Thursday I did W8R3 on the beautiful local beach where I am on holiday. Then on Saturday I started W9R1 and pretty much at the halfway point my left Achilles started getting tight with a bit of pain. So I basically limped home hoping a bag of ice and a couple of days rest would help. But no, I tried yesterday and within a few hundred metres- same issue. I had a slight problem like this a while ago- about Week 5 or so and it all cleared up without issue. I'm very disappointed- I'd been so looking forward to graduating the C25K this week. Any advice please

Conor

[Mobiliseandmove]

Morning Conor, sorry to hear about your achilles issues.

Since this is a recurring pain for you, it's likely that there is an issue causing the pain to reappear. By all means, manage the pain with rest and gentle movement. As for ice, this is up for debate as yes, it does reduce pain and swelling, however, due to less blood flow, it can actually slow down recovery. If the achilles is inflamed, that area needs blood flow to recover.

Your achilles pain could be related to the function of your feet, calves and/or hips. Your shoes may also be contributing to your pain. May I ask which shoes you wear for your running?

Also, how do your calves generally feel after a run? Have you had any issues with calf tightness before?

Look forward to hearing back from you

Adam

[Theo4432 in reply to Mobiliseandmove]

Thanks for your reply Adam. Funnily enough I have had different, mostly joint-related issues before - both knee and ankle (torn ligaments) but this was the first achilles one (specifically the area between my calf muscle and the springy Achilles at the bottom).

In response to your shoe question I admit the ones I brought on holiday are a pretty old pair of Nikes that I wear casually as well as some running when I don't want my new ones to get dirty or wet! Could it be that do you think?

[Mobiliseandmove in reply to Theo4432]

Interestingly, the achilles is found right between those two joints - issues with those joints could be leading to overuse of the calf and achilles.

The shoes could definitely contribute, although we can't say it's those for definite. Do your shoes have room to wiggle and spread your toes? Also, is the sole flat or does it have a thicker sole under the heel than under the toes?

[Theo4432 in reply to Mobiliseandmove]

Yes I do have room in them and whilst they're a bit worn the heel is thicker than under the toes. Could it be because I was running on sand, although as stated I have in the recent past had a bit of pain running on paved surfaces too.

[Mobiliseandmove in reply to Theo4432]

The sand will have changed the forces whilst you run, it would’ve required more work to stabilise your feet and generate power. So it could’ve contributed.

When wearing shoes with a heel drop (the heel being higher than the toes), this actually shortens the calf and Achilles.

Imagine doing bicep curls but only doing half reps from halfway. Your biceps would soon be screaming right?

Although our calves and Achilles aren’t contracting the whole time, they do a hell of a lot of work to absorb impact and contribute to driving forwards. If they’re doing all of this work in a shortened position, their ability to absorb impact is reduced. If they are being relied on to drive forwards (as opposed to using the hips), they can become overworked.

I hope this somewhat makes sense, Conor. See how you get on with your next run, and feel free to get in touch if you still continue to have pain 😊

[Theo4432 in reply to Mobiliseandmove]

That's great Adam thanks for your expertise and input. I guess i shall be graduating in dreary old suburban streets rather than a gorgeous Donegal beach but hey ho!

C

[Jell6 Graduate]

Was this your first time running on sand?

That can cause a lot of problems , personally I wouldn't risk it.

[Theo4432 in reply to Jell6]

Yes it was. I have wondered about that.

Thanks

Conor

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to Theo4432]

There are quite a few articles about the benefits and risks, but it can exert extra pressure on the heels and worsen over pronation.

My husband tried it once, he is an experienced runner.

It put him on the IC for a few weeks 😬

[Theo4432 in reply to Jell6]

Thanks for that. It seemed so much more attractive doing my runs here than at home but my creaky old Achilles doesn't agree!

C