I was hoping for some advice, i am due to do the my first Marathon (London) in a few weeks but after a 20 mile run a couple of weeks ago i had a pain in my left ankle, after a visit to the docs where he diagnosed it as Achilles Tendonitis, after a course of Anti-inflammotries and the standard icing and elovating it the pain was still their, i have rested it for another week rubbing in ibuprofen gel and have bought some soberthane heel lifts for my trainers which have been fitted to me , i went for a very small jog yesterday and and it was very uncomfortable after about a mile, please Help.
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I think I may be suffering from this or similar.
I have been training for Edinburgh and was due for a 15 mile run last weekend ! As I ws running round I had some minor pain in my left achillies but it was no real problem so I ran on. At mile 12 it was bad almost a burning sensation and I had to stop and stretch it off it was ok for another half mile then I had to quit !
Really frustrating as this is the time the real training kicks in for the May marathon. I have torn calf muscles in the past and they have felt like I was shot or hit with a golf ball but this was more of a build up of pain and I would almost describe it as a burning pain.
Ean - I really feel for you because I know you think this could be the end of your marathon. Achilles tendonitis is often an overuse injury and responds best to a prolonged period of rest. This is clearly time you don't have!
I had it in both ankles last year so I do know how you feel because I was also deep in marathon training. I rested it but it wasn't getting much better so I went for deep tissue massage at the physio.
It was HELL. I wanted someone to shoot me between the eyeballs and the bruising afterwards was an impressive sight to behold!
But it worked, and with icing, (I bought snap ice packs from Home Bargains!) and the stretches Nick is describing it healed and I was able to complete the course.
I had more time than you though (mine was in August and the marathon was end Oct) so I don't know if time is on your side.
But I wish you the very best with it.
I started with this a few years ago and didn't do anyhting about it other trying to stetch. Needless to say it got worse and more persistent. I eventually went to a physio who performed deep tissue massage on them and also some acupuncture (neither of which was particulary pleasant). After a few sessions of that I really felt the benefit and was able to run the marathon I was training for at the time. Go and see a physio.
Good luck with the Marathon
Ean your best chance will be to start some eccentric soleus loading (3 x 15 reps twice a day every day) as soon as possible, I had similar problem though not as severe and pretty much dissappeared after a couple of weeks, but it depends how long this has been lurking in the background.
Also do some deep tissue massage every day for a few minutes, with your thumb and index finger either side of the achilles, in circular motions directly over the painful area
You will need to cross train for a few days to just give this chance
and get yourself to reputable physio asap!
You must get physio help and see a podiatrist. Stretch, Stretch, Stretch Good luck hope you make it to London,.
eccentric loading will aggravate it temporarily as youre heavily loading the tendon, if you have to go out on a run do, and do the eccentric loading after
went for the run, did 6 miles, ran for 5 then had to stop as was hurting, had to walk most of the last mile. was hoping to get round without any pain, ah well- hope it will clear up by next sunday
good luck ean with yours and anyone else suffering
That's probably the sensible decision. I'm not so sensible.
I've got similar achilles problems but with all the money I've raised for charity refuse to give place up so have just changed my goal from running my best to walk/jog just get round.
Will have to do again next year and get my goal time. Hopefully this means I'll be able to stop and chat to supporters and enjoys the experience rather than checking I'm on pace for the whole time!
I feel like I have had this injury since August last year, but it never stops me running completely. Definitely overuse as I stepped up my training massively in August last year in preparation for the GNR, whilst on holiday was doing a lot of miles early morning and the pain came on after 3 or 4 days. Since then I have iced, had massage, but never rested completely and although I would say it sometimes feels better it never feels gone. Do the drop step stretch a lot, have to in the morning as I sometimes cannot walk, but when I stretch it the pain eases significantly. Not painful enough to stop me running but I know I know I could be doing more damage, how do you sake this off full stop??
Hope this helps you the same way it did me as I had just learned to accept the pain.