How can an old injury that has been kept in check by regular stretching and specific strengthening exercises pop up out of the blue without warning?
If you know the answer to this I'd like to know if I can make this disappear as fast as it came?
This being my old and formerly chronic Achilles tendinitis. It plagued me for two years. Icing, stretching, strengthening, heel wedges...tried it all. In the end it was probably just time that improved it and finding the balance between too much and not enough running. The mean thing was that the heel always felt best about 1h and more into a run. Lately, it only reminded me with some slight stiffness if I ran too much or ran roads.
Last week, towards the end of a 1:40 trail run in the icy evening air, I noticed that my right calf muscle (or what I thought was the calf muscle) was quite stiff. I stretched and to my dismay could hardly walk on it the next morning. Stubborn as I am, I ventured out for a 60min run with Michelle the next afternoon, only to have to walk it in. I realized that this was the Achilles tendon and not my calf muscle. More ice and no stretching, as it hurt like stink.
Then of course there was the
Capilano Canyon Night Run. Can't miss that! It's a tradition. It's my favoured run. So after much soul searching I toed the start line. On the whole the tendon felt fine during the run, just slightly stiff. The last 2k of gently uphill were a blur as the nice Mick family motored uphill and after guiding them through the dark canyon trails I didn't want to get dropped on the last meters.
Off running right now. I registered for the
Dirty Duo in 9 days and hope to get rid of this inflammation by then. Wish me luck!
Comments
I have the same injury, Sibylle
I have the same injury Sybylle, I know how you feel. Take it seriously, this injury is self sustaining and anytime you run with pain/inflamation you risk building up scar tissue that will knock you out for months. That creaking feeling you get in the morning is your Achilles moving in it's sheath, there is so much inflamation it is literally sticky. This just causes more inflamation...you get the picture.
Did you use a heel wedge in each shoe? I only have one in, but it throws me off a bit.
I've dropped the Duo, all snow shoe races and probably the Yeti Ascent from my plans.
A good alternative? Indoor rock climbing, let me know if you find anything better.
Good luck with the Duo, if you give it a try.
Russ
Taking it seriously
Thanks for your advise. Yes, I am taking this serious. Having learned from last time where this stealthy crept up on me and I could easily ignore it, because it wasn't excruciatingly painful, especially after I was over that typical morning stiffness.
This time it came very sudden and there is no doubt that I can't run on it. (I did test drive it yesterday and it didn't respond well. So, DD is out. As much as I hate dropping out of a race even before it started (I don't recall ever doing that).
I did use two heel lifts because I was concerned what it would do to my alignment if I only raise one side. The helle lifts were the beginning of a long healing process. They allowed the acute inflammation to go down, but by then I had build up so much scar tissue that it took about 2 years to feel sort of ok (never went back to normal). Anyway, I guess I'll have to dig out those heel wedges. Unfortunately, any physio, massage or (as Dom recommends) accupunture does not come cheap. As one Dr. put it two years ok, BC med will pay if you rupture your Achilles, but before that you have to pay any treatment yourself. Go figure.
Hope that your tendons are healing? From last time I learned that it is a fine line between strenghtening, stretching, icing and finding a balance that works for you. Heel lifts off a step were on my program for a long time...I also find that I can do the eliptical trainer in the gym (boring), as the foot stays on the machine and doesn't pound the pavement/trail.
injured
As I have told Ean time and time again-ACUPUNCTURE. Check it out. I don't know any clinics in your neck of the woods but an easy web search will do it.