Ankle Trouble

[Slamb]

I’m new to C25K, I completed W2R3 yesterday evening and it’s been going really well. I’ve been really enjoying it.

This morning though it is really painful to walk on my left ankle and there is bruising around the inside of my ankle. I must of landed funny on it during my run although I didn’t feel anything at the time. Really disappointed as I don’t think I’ll be able to continue until it gets a bit better. Has anyone else had anything like this happen? I’m not due to start week 3 until Monday so fingers crossed it might feel better by then.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

Even a lightly turned ankle can take some time to recover, because blood supply is relatively poor. It took me nearly a month of no running to recover last time.

Follow the PRICE principles linked to in the guide to the plan and possibly try cycling, which keeps the joint mobile and improves blood flow to aid repair, without load bearing.

Do not be tempted to run in discomfort, your ankles take a lot of stress, so give it time.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

and includes advice on minimising impact, stretching after every run, hydration and strengthening exercises, all of which will help.

Enjoy your journey.

[Slamb in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Great thanks for the advice. Fingers crossed I will be able to start up again soon 👍

[YorkshireLass007]

Hi there I can sympathise with you as I’m currently nursing my ankle, my pain is in the Achilles’ tendon. I managed to do R1W4 before being in total pain this was about a week ago now and although I can walk ok now after being for a longish walk today i am feeling it aching again. I dare not start running again yet.

[Slamb in reply to YorkshireLass007]

It’s so frustrating isn’t it! I’m definitely going to have to stop for a while as it is still painful to walk on. Have you tried any other exercise instead? I’m going to try cycling this evening. I hope your Achilles settles down soon, have you got a plan of when you are going to try and run again?

[YorkshireLass007 in reply to Slamb]

Hi how are you doing ? I was just wondering how you got on with the cycling? I’m hopefully going away next week and will be doing some cycling so I’m hoping it was ok.

I went for a walk yesterday and felt something tweak then I ended up hobbling for the rest of the walk so back to ice packs and ankle support for me ☹️

Definitely putting me off thinking about even starting C25k again if this is going to happen.

[Slamb in reply to YorkshireLass007]

Hi. Sorry to hear you are still having trouble with your ankle.

In the end I didn’t try cycling as my ankle still hurt. It started to get slowly better and I was pain free for a couple of days so went for a longish walk. It was ok. So I restarted C25K on Monday. I’m repeating week 2. It was ok, I took it slow. I’ve got the second run this evening. So far so good.

I hope you manage to get back to it. Or manage to cycle without it hurting.

[Muriel_Puce]

Ugh, exactly the same thing happened to me last Wednesday (W4 r8--I had to repeat w4 a couple of times)! Left outside ankle, don't remember the injury, but I'm really laid up and struggling to put weight on it. Let me know how you get on with recovery--I'm writing the alphabet with my toe and gently stretching, but I'm afraid it's going to be a while before I'm jogging again...

[Slamb in reply to Muriel_Puce]

How have you been getting on? I’ve been balancing my foot on a book with a ball underneath and then moving my ankle around. It’s a lot better but I’m still not brave enough to try running yet. Maybe next week I’ll try, so 10 days post injury.

[Muriel_Puce in reply to Slamb]

Thanks for checking in! I'm still in bad shape... it's a lot better than it was, but my ankle is still swollen. I've been doing some gentle stretching, and if I feel brave enough I've been standing on a balance pad (an actual physio tool, looks like a squashed football), but I'm still not even walking normally. I did a lot of dance when I was younger and have sprained my ankles multiple times, so they take a long time to heal. It's been 14 days since the injury now... I'm really annoyed because I don't want to have to start c25k all over again!

[nowster Graduate]

You're not the only one on the Injury Couch at the moment. Mine's also somewhere just above the ankle. It's been a week now. 😠

I'd suggest not running again until the discomfort has properly gone.

[Slamb in reply to nowster]

Thanks for the advice. I hope you are on the mend and back to running soon!

[nowster Graduate in reply to Slamb]

Physio appointment tomorrow morning. 🤞

Although I didn't have any swelling last week, there's definitely a little round the lower part of the ankle now.

[nowster Graduate]

Good to hear you've healed. The physio put my ligaments and tendons through the mill last Friday. Lots of exercises to do, which I've done.

Today I'm almost healed. The limp has gone. It's still a little stiff (but no longer painful) in the ankle, and there's some mild discomfort in the lower calf when I do stretches. I've a follow-up physio appointment tomorrow evening.

I'm going to have another short walk in a bit to gauge how it feels today, and whether and where I need to do more exercises.