Hi, I've already postedthis thread with full background of an earlier injury.
Four months later, this is starting to return to a level where I can tentatively start to run again (very low distances on a treadmill, only slowly for the time being, plus specific gym exercises.)
But I note it's still sore and stiff in the morning. How long does this phase last?
I massage the tendon when I'm watching tv - it's slightly sore to the touch only as morning stiffness disappears about 30 mns ater I get up.
Any other recoverers out there ? Can you describe your account of how long it took to get to zero morning or after-exercise soreness?
Many thanks.
Comments
Should have added that one reason for asking is I love(d) park runs, which take place in the morning. My gameplan is to be able to run one again by mid-February. But parkruns take place relatively early, at at time when the tendon might still be sore...
under these circumstances, run or not run?
It's worth noting that I have continued to do a high volume of exercise, but on a bike instead of running - 3 sessions of 2 to 2.5 hours per week at a variety of intensities from 4 out of 10 to 10 out of 10.
Hi Tigerlily, thanks for the advice. Yes, I'm fortunately aware that I can mess the whole thing up in a stroke of impatience... :- (
I hadn't thought of the fact that you can run painfree and then experience symptoms afterwards. This is indeed a treacherous situation! Presumably it's the same with achilles-specific activities in the gym?
I'll make a mental note to not ramp up the training too much all at once - perhaps doing a very short treadmill session one day per week - increasing by a few per cent per session - and then after a complete rest, doing achilles-specific rehabilitiation exercises.
This is one of the worst injuries I have ever had (second only to a large rupture of an ischial tuberosity) and I want to completely knock it on the head before racing again!
Have you experienced this, Tigerlily? What happened in the end?
Hi QuestfurSpeed
have you tried using a poultice of nettle tea, first thing in the morning? Make the tea using leaves or bags (3 x normal strength)
Soak flannel in tea, and tie to leg by wrapping round leg and holding in place with sock
Leave for 30 mins while resting or moving round house.
The nettles contain a chemical which can reduce inflammation and aid paid control (hence its use in childbirth in the olden days.)
Good luck!
I am now also massaging my calves with a rolling pin - seems to do some good. The elephant in the room is that age is a real factor here and I am no longer 25, to put it mildly, much as I might persuade myself otherwise.
The marathon, even with a 3 week break over what should have been peak mileage training went very well. But then I'm used to distance and my achillies only ever was at the stage yours is at now.
I'll investigate foam roller - probably more to prevent ITB woes (not that I have any) - good tip, that. And I'll google 'the stick', too.
Did you get a place in the VLM this year? I'm clearly not even thinking about distance racing this year. If I'm fit to run a fast 5K by the autumn, I'll be satisfied, even though this is a considerable downgrade of my previous expectations!!!
Hi,
As a fellow achilles sufferer, I have been doing quite a lot of walking, increasing the pace as the discomfort in the tendon eases. This doesn't seem to cause adverse effects although any (gentle) attempt at running has inevitably had me hobbling about the house in the mornings and having to hang onto the handrail going downstairs.
It's driving me nuts not being able to run!
if you still need to use the handrail, your tendon sounds like it could do with a bit more tlc and complete rest before you try to run again.
Can you cycle? I never had to stop cycling, even quite demanding sessions, when the tendon was at its most painful while I was walking.
Take it easy and don't try to do too much too soon.
Thanks for the sympathy!
The handrail is not required most of the time, but it is rather tender, so I guess I'd best take your advice and forget about running for the time being. I do like cycling, but it's limited to weekends only at the mo, due to short days. The best exercise seems to be the swimming pool, which is always a good all-round workout, strengthening and loosening up shoulders at the same time.
I haven't taken it to the physio. Do you reckon it's worth it?
In my opinion which is based on experience and not qualifications, there is quite usually a tightness in calfs/hips/back which contribute to achilles pain if it is not an overuse injury
It does indeed take time and patience to heal or to learn to manage it but I would expect a physio to treat or search for the cause and not just treat the symptom
Hi,
I'm new to all of this, both forums and running but from what has been said there seems to be a lot of good advice out there.
I started running back in July but pulled my achilles in October and haven't ran since. It doesn't hurt in the mornings, but sometimes when I'm rushing to work I feel it twinge. Everytime I think of getting back to running I'm afraid I'll do more damage.
Going to try doing a little and if hurts stop, hopefully will be pounding the streets again soon and may even get above the 3 miles I'd got up to.
Thanks bikbok, looking forward to getting the running shoes back on, might even try a little run tomorrow if NYE doesn't take over me first
I had an NHS physio so not always needed to spend lots of money.
Good luck
Today I ran 2 km on the treadmill in the afternoon, at around my 5 mile pace.
I will add just a kiometre per session with a 5 days' rest in between for these come-back sessions, and concentrate on returning to good form.
One good thing is that my CV fitness is great from cycling up to 8 hours a week.
keep it all low level, low distance and low intensity
Slowly slowly catchee monkey
Then I'll add another k and see how that goes.
You're right, this is a long game and easily overturned by impatience.
In the background, I'm also doing eccentric calf raises/stretches (can't remember the correct term but you know the ones I mean?)
Have had many cnoversations over the years and have developed my own opinions on why this happens, personally I think a lot of people suffer at the end of the summer as they spend a whole season in flip flops and other such shoes with little or no support and an excess of movement in the shoe/sole, these shoes are also a lot flatter than usual shoes so you are stretching the plantar and the achilles and then come the winter you up the running and then gradually the problems start occurring!
Another little theory of achilles stiffness in the mornings is heavy bedclothes, I tried to get into the habit of sleeping on my side and not flat on my back as the weight of the bedclothes were forcing my foot down and foreshortening the achilles overnight and making the problem potentially even worse ... by changing the sleeping habits (without a night splint) I think this helps
I also do a flexion test on my ankles using a predetermined point and a wall and if I dont reach that point then I dont run (ok some times I might risk it) as it heightens the risk of problems ...
Injuries teach you a lot about your body
At the time, I was also training in neutral shoes (no difference in height between heel and the rest of sole), but switched to a supportive shoe with orthotics a week or so before my half marathon.
In retrospect, I should have paid attention to the beach tweak, as that's where the trouble started. Changing shoe types just made it a hundred times worse.
I then remembered that I'd been prescribed orthoses for everyday use (including walking) by a podiatrist, 5 years earlier. That was following a fracture of the sub-talar joint in my R foot. I hadn't complied with the advice as I couldn't afford to buy multiple sets of the extremely expensive orthotics (£115 a pair) for various pairs of shoes and it was too much hassle to keep moving one pair around.
So actually, at the point of changing my running shoes, nothing was yet radically wrong. I'd just felt that very minor tweak on the beach playing frisbee, but I could easily have ordered the same neutral running shoes over again.
Went back to the gym again today and managed to limit my activity to a 2 k run plus some romanian deadlifts. Very pleased that I had the self-discipline not to add another kilometre yet.
TL, have you now completely recovered from any trace of trouble? What's your current training goal?
Interestingly, my problems when I finally got to sort it out was due to weakness in the core and glutes. It took a long time to correctly diagnose what was wrong with me. I had numerous injuries from the achilles problem at the minor end of the scale to a stress fracture of the fibula before I realised (with the help and support of an extremely good physio) that my problem was down to over pronation caused by weak glutes/core. I too had been fitted with orthotics by a podiatrist but that just fixed the outcome of the problem and they made me worse anyway - I ditched them after trying with them for 5 months. It took 6 months of hard work in the gym and undertaking Pilates to sort me out. Once my glutes and core were working properly I no longer seriously over pronated and everything just felt and worked much smoother. Without a strong base you cannot run to your potential. 2011 was beset by injury and rehabilitation for me - the lowest mileage year I have ever had and only took part in 2 events at the start of the year.
My goal for now is to aim for the Coniston 14 in April and to continue to run pain/injury free! I'm primarily a fell runner so I have a couple of big events later in the year I'd like to do depending on whether I make the start line at Coniston. Fingers crossed!
Hi Tiger Lily, very interesting with your comments on core and glutes there. I kind of came to a similar conclusion after my injury (that's to say, I thought 'what can I improve even when I'm not running?) and have learned a few glute and core (and hamstring) strengthening exercises of which I am doing progressively more advanced versions.
The simple double legged squat is staying in my repertoire, as are single legged squats and various versions that can be done in the gym. (Don't normally use gym but am doing so for rehab).
I WISH I could be near some hills/ fells! I would love to run on muddy, stony paths, through winter bogs and whatever nature could throw at me. I am a huge fan of all weather conditions. Just writing this is making me day-dream about moving somewhere with rougher running available!
Hey, good luck with training for the Coniston! Also, I hope you stay injury-free in 2012 - sounds like you've got a level-headed approach and are going into the year with a much more resilient running body.