Micro 2015 - Achilles problems
I've developed left lateral achilles tendonitis at least it feels like it anyway. I've tried rest, ice, heat, and what stops the pain in left lateral heel is compressing my achilles when I rub the sight. I've stopped running the last several weeks and tried to work on the bike more (no pain in the heel). I don't want to ever start on cortisone shots if need be. Should I just focus more on the bike and now with the swim that was added in week 11 of my Int. Plan? Help!
0
Comments
That said, you definitely need to go see a PT to get an eval for sure. And to get some physical work done...there's usually quite a few steps between diagnosis and a cortisone shot! You should also head over to www.athletestreatingathletes.com to check out the guidance there and identify some solid self care steps you can take.
Please keep me posted!
I'll start looking for a PT. Maybe one that deals with runners or ART?
Jay - google "achilles eccentric heel drops". I went through down time with both heels last year (separate times for each) - simply overstressed them while running. But I performed these exercises in the morning, in stairway at work, and right before bed for about two weeks. It worked like a charm and they are stronger than ever now...
Saw a different PT today and it's I guy I use to play softball with back in the day. I've been doing the eccentric drops and today he did ultra sound, the ceramic scraping tool, and then iced my achilles. Better. He wants me to use the elliptical trainer to warm up until no pain and then try the treadmill at 0°. No distance, but a walk + run series this weekend. He gave me no distance to go by but I'm thinking no more than a few miles. What do you think? I've only had pain in my achilles after I've run and the greatest after I've cooled down or the next day pre-PT.
Thanks Coach.
Coach P,
I did a small run and it turned out fair as to pain during and limiting afterwards. After a usual 10 day on my feet the other day my heel was very painful. I rubbed it out and used ice on it. I alternate my shoes during runs. In the last year I've mostly ran in Saucony Kinvara 3's and Newton's Energy and their trainer. The pain started before running in the Newton's and I could have pushed up my speed and distance too quickly. In the closet I have Saucony, Newton, Asic, and Mazuno, and for walking I use Nike and P.I. I am willing to try a new shoe if need be though.
It's not about lightness of the shoe but the quality of the ride!
And I totally forgot about your work...given how long you are on your feet at work, do you experience any discomfort there? I hope you are wearing proper footwear and not crocs or clogs or something....
As a fellow BD Coach P, I know you know where I'm coming from. I'm using running shoes while at work and stand on mushy pads when ever I can and will also start trying to sit whenever I can.
I've thought about Hokas and I know you and a few of my other tri-friends are pretty big on these. Any recommendations on which particular style/shoe? Since my past 3 knee surgeries, I've been turned into a mid- to ball of the foot striker. Conquest # , Bondi # , Clifton, Vanquish, Stinson? So many to choose from and all hopefully in sz 14.
I "ran" for the first time last night at the gym on a TM set at 0° inclination per the PT. I paid attention to all the nuances during the walk
un episodes. I started with a 0.25 mi. walk (WA) followed by the same at a jog ~15'/mi. pace and repeated, then 1/4 mi walk followed by a 1/2mi run @ 14'/mi pace, repeat but a 3/4 mile ~run @ 13:30 pace, and last 1/4 mi. was followed by a mile run @ 13'/mile. Due to swimming and biking this was not an endurance stretch. I stopped after a total of 4 miles and CD because I could feel my left knee starting to get a little tight. No achilles problem during the jog nor after I got out of the pool for a no legs cool down pull. BUT, I did feel it while walking from the gym to the truck to head home and worse by the time I got home. I iced it for at least a half an hour on and off. Stretched this morning and it felt fine until right before going to the PT for another ultra sound, scraping, and then he taped it to see how it would do before/ during my bike ride later on tonight.
I'm surprised that Deb hasn't said I've been channeling Imelda Marcos about all of my running shoes in the closet.
I'm looking forward to your imput. Until last night, I forgot how much I like to run. Maybe the 40 marathons are starting to catch up to me....let alone all the years.
Jay.
the Bondi's never fit me (I have a skinny foot at the heel) and have used the Stinsons. I have too many shoes as well but my husband has more so no complaints...
Coach is right about Hokas for your particular issue. .... try them on and see what works for you.... my podiatrist loves these as they have a built in rocker bottom.... something folks use with really bad feet! (diabetics....)
Also, ART on the calves has helped me a lot!
I'm just another athlete with bad feet, but Coach knows....
Make sure you are stretching your hip flexors real good too- tightness there can overwork the calf muscles and strain the achilles.
I would first try the hokas w/out super feet so you have a baseline. Plse keep me posted!!
Doing pose technique might help. If you 'pull' instead of extend and 'push off' you can alleviate the stress on the Achilles even more.
here' is my friend Valerie demonstrating: (Valerie Hunt from Austin, Tx)
this takes all of the issues out of the run that stress your achilles and is basically is an easy way to visualize land lever lift.
(this is just another visual tool)
focus on ankle flexibility helps as well (flippers on our back in the pool and on side)
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A0LEV7vNYAdV_F4AabEnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTB0dmRibmhwBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1lIUzAwMV8x?p=valerie+hunt+pose+technique&tnr=21&vid=43E47A45DF4CC477690443E47A45DF4CC4776904&l=79&turl=http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=UN.608043726099515367&pid=15.1&sigi=11rthsah3&rurl=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxuQJrhjbbU&sigr=11bhm34dh&tt=b&tit=Pose+Pulling+V1&sigt=10f5urp59&back=https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=valerie+hunt%2C+pose+technique+video&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&sigb=13g42k8jb&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001
I'm not a coach but just been there like you. also since I do emergency medicine and am on my feet all of the time, I wear a shoe like the Hokas or Altras at work.... it's a 12 hours shift sort of like doing an ironman...but with more chaos
I haven't had any discomfort in my achilles from ANY activity for the last 11 days. The PT does want to see me for another 1 wks, so should I start to do a little shuffle-walk action? Looking forward to hearing your advice.
Since I haven't heard anything in awhile I jogged and walked per the HIM Sat. schedule and then went into work for 4 hours. Only twinges of discomfort.
Any thoughts?
I haven't had any discomfort in my achilles from ANY activity for the last 12 days. The PT does want to see me for another 1 wks, so should I start to do a little shuffle-walk action? Looking forward to hearing your advice.
Since I haven't heard anything in awhile I jogged and walked per the HIM Sat. schedule and then went into work for 4 hours. Only twinges of discomfort.
Any thoughts?
Can you give me a quick set of bullets on what you have done activity wise in the last 11 days so I can advise explicitly.
I've swam in the pool and did drills ave. ~1:15:00 @ 2500-2700 yards. Bike-wise yesterday I did the 2.5 hr steady state at Z2-3. Four days before that I road in the hills first time outside for 40 mile in 3.5 hours. I've been hitting the intervals on the bike because I go brain dead on the steady Z3 rides on the trainer. The only jog was on Sat. was @ an easy pace per the week 11 HIM format. Walked and did stretches for a mile to warm up. Jogged ~13-14'/mi pace with some occ. walks while doing continuous body/achilles checks. The legs were there but it was sure easy to spike the HR and be out of breath. Went an easy ~3.5 miles total and no pains during or after...just some achilles twinges.
THX!
Focus on running 3x a week for two weeks. Two are standalone run/walks, one is a brick run off the bike. Again, run walk style, but the goal is to move forward without pain or setback.
Ideally we need 2 to 4 of these weeks to be in a good place with what's next....so keep up the bike, but adjust to allow the run to happen!
Coach P,
I ran the brick after the bike and didn't swim for my big weekend though. The run went OK and @ my Z1 injured training zone pace was set 15 min./mi. and I had a tough time keeping it between 12-13 min./mi. and no pain. I kept going faster....or my GPS watch said I was 2-4 minutes /mile faster than I was going. I'm due to do a 5K time trial this week and any suggestions on how hard to hit it?
I did my bike test on tired legs and my watts went up by 10 on my FRP and 16 on my VO2 max. so the legs are there. I wake up each morning with a stiff achilles and it's fine after a warm up and I'm still doing my stretches and exercises for it at this time.
THX