Pain above heel? I'm on Week2!

[HappyH1]

I've just started week2 today. Getting a bit of pain just above one of my heels? Any advice? Also I thought that Laura said to put my heel down 1st in the podcast but I noticed others saying this is the wrong technique for running. Can anyone enlighten me? Thankyou!

[pingle Graduate]

Hi HappyH

I get this a lot and tho I'm no expert this is what I have found out. Just above the heel is where your achilles tendon joins to the bone and you can get inflammation of the tendon or bursitis which is when you get a small fluid filled sac around the tendon. Either way hurts like hell. What you need are plenty of stretches when your muscles are nice and warmed up after running. There are some good stretches here youtube.com/watch?v=yF8x_SI...(Not working as expected?)

One that I find particularly good that is not on this vid is to stand with your toes on the bottom step and slowly lower your heels over the edge and then come back up slowly. You can really feel the stretch!

A variation which is supposed to be particularly good is called eccentric heel drops. Basically you do as above but start on tippy toes on ONE foot. Lower it over the step BUT to come back to the rest position you use your arms or other leg to lift yourself up. So most of the effort goes into the stretch. Hope that makes sense. Hard to describe.

The heel strike thing is very controversial. I think most people would say that mid-foot strike is possibly the best and if it is your natural running style I would definitely stick with it. Good shoes properly fitted at a proper running shop will help if you can afford it.

One other thing I have found to my cost is that if you are prone to problems with your achilles tendon DO NOT pound out the hills. Take it easy on both the ups and the downs - even walk if necessary. You can build it up gradually later when your legs are stronger. Good luck

PS Found a vid of the eccentric heel drops youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=M6... Easier to copy than describe!

[boudicca Graduate]

Snap - same problem after that run and I blame the tip in the podcast. Google achilles tendonitis and see if your symptoms match. I rested for two days instead of one and it cleared up. I now totally ignore that bit of St Laura's advice and the ankle has been fine.

[Pearsey]

Well done with putting the actual videos down pingle. They will help a lot of people. Laura's advice is correct-heel toe. You need to get that early on, and maybe that is not your natural gait so that is why you have the pain. I haven't experienced any pain at all, but there again I do have a heel toe gait happyH1.

[mark909 Graduate]

It's perfectly normal when doing this course to get aches and pains in various places around your body. You're bodies probably not used to the repeated pounding it takes when running. I had a pain in various parts of the body after every session taking this course!