Aching Archilles heel injury

[Straggler71]

Hi everyone,

I graduated a few weeks back and fortunately escaped the injury couch. I have carried on running 5k three times a week for 3 weeks now. My 11 year old son wanted to start running with me so in between my runs I started with him on Wk1. But my right archilles heal has started to hurt. It’s really sore first thing in the morning for about 5 min but then easy up and hurts when I am sitting for a while then get up. Will this get better if u keep running? It’s feels ok once I get going? I worked SO hard for nine weeks to get here I really don’t want to lose my nine weeks for fitness building 😔. Any advice anyone?

[roseabi]

First thing to say is that if it starts hurting when you are running you should take a week off and then reintroduce your runs cautiously - perhaps by taking an extra day rest between runs. If it is not hurting to run continue, but keep it slow, and avoid hills. If it gets worse please consult a doctor or sports physio.

You should keep the tendon moving - walking is good if you have to stop running for a while. As you notice yourself it is worst when you have been still for a while. You can work to rehabilitate it by doing some calf-strengthening exercises. Eccentric heel drops are really good and I'll post a video at the bottom of this reply. I think it is best to do 10 with straight leg, and 10 with bent knee, each leg, each session. Try to do it 2 or 3 times a day, it really doesn't take long!

Good luck, and don't give up hope! xx

youtu.be/3tc0lN_bW5o(Not working as expected?)

[Straggler71 in reply to roseabi]

Many thanks for the video. I will give that a go 😊

[roseabi in reply to Straggler71]

Cool, let us know how you get on, but please give it plenty of time!

It might be helpful to do some heel drops just before you run, as an extra warm up.

Also, try stretching before you get out of bed in the morning - draw circles with your toes for a few minutes. This may help reduce the pain when you first stand up.

[Straggler71 in reply to roseabi]

Hi Roseabi, warm up? Do you mean over and above the 5min walk? 😳😬

[roseabi in reply to Straggler71]

Yes

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

It sounds like you might be running on consecutive days, which is not a good idea for a new graduate. Your body needs the rest to repair.

[Straggler71 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Hi, yes I was as my son wanted to start so I would do my 5k then go out with him starting w1 the next day even on the same day sometimes. So annoyed with myself as I was so careful not to get injured during c25k. Now I am back on the couch 😩

[roseabi in reply to Straggler71]

You are not back on the couch, just reduce your running xxx

[Hidden]

Hi Straggler71, First, don’t run if in pain, even slight pain as it could get worse. Secondly, how many days do you run? Thirdly, where does you running foot hit the ground, is it directly beneath you or in front of you. It sounds like you may be heel striking which may indicate your foot is landing in front of you. Finally, running 5k for 30 minutes indicates your running at around a 10 minute mile, are you running too fast? Take time to recover and don’t lose interest. 🙂

[Straggler71 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, after never running a mile in my life I graduated and found It was taking 32 min to run 5k so I started steadily increasing my speed. So you are right, after about 3 weeks from graduation I was running 5k in 30min. I think I need to slow down a bit (once I have managed to sort out this tendon 😔) Do you think 5k in a longer time is better than 5k in a quicker time? So annoyed with myself. Many thanks.

[Hidden in reply to Straggler71]

It is better to run consistently without pain. The program is designed to make somebody run consistently for 30 minutes. The ‘5k’ bit may end up as a millstone not a milestone. Take care, rest and happy running.

[Ian5K Graduate]

Did anyone mention shoes? 🙂

How are your shoes? Are they good running shoes, and if yes, are they worn out? Take a look at the soles for wear on the side that hurts. It might be so worn down, it’s no longer supporting your foot as it should.

[Straggler71 in reply to Ian5K]

Hi, I have a pair of shoes called ASICS through a bit of ‘googling’ to be honest I have never heard of them 😂. They weren’t cheap £55 and have only seen me through the c25k program. They don’t seem that worn. This weekend I am going to go to a shop that checks how I run and they will recommend shoes and hopefully some advice in my running style. Might be a bit embarrassing as my wife says I run like Phoebe of Friends. I looked it up. I was mortified 😂