| |
Main
Date: 28 May 2006 15:03:03
From: bx9802@aol.com
Subject: Another Achilles Question
|
This is similar to a question posted several days ago about an Achilles
injury but a little different...
I have never had any problems with the achilles and just ran my 2nd
marathon about 6 weeks ago. I've been training since the race putting
in the same mileage with a 13 or 15 miler every week. I did a speed
workout last Sunday followed by a 9 miler on Monday and felt great.
Tuesday afternoon I started to feel some tightness in the back of my
heel while I was walking. I took a few days off and it felt fine
Thursday morning when I left for my long run. I got about 4 miles into
in then felt a sharp pain and decided to stop out of caution. It was
sore yesterday morning but didn't hurt later in the day and when I woke
up this morning the pain was gone.
I've been icing it everyday and trying to stay off of it as much as
possible. Does this just sound like a case of mild inflammation, or
could it be the beginning of a case of tendonitis? Since the pain is
gone should I start to run again or is it too soon? I'm just confused
because I haven't tweaked my training besides the one speed workout and
haven't added any hills or changed my course drastically. Thanks for
any help.
Kyle
|
|
| |
Date: 29 May 2006 04:20:25
From: Dan Stumpus
Subject: Re: Another Achilles Question
|
<bx9802@aol.com > wrote
> I've been icing it everyday and trying to stay off of it as much as
> possible. Does this just sound like a case of mild inflammation, or
> could it be the beginning of a case of tendonitis? Since the pain is
> gone should I start to run again or is it too soon?
Give it a test drive -- but only if you have no pain just walking around.
By a test drive I mean this: on a soft surface (tartan track or trail), jog
slowly. Stop at the first sign of pain and walk it in. Continue icing and
try again a few days later.
If you can *slowly* jog, do that for a couple of days, gradually increasing
to your normal pace. If pain, stop and regroup. If no pain, continue daily
stretching.
I'd advise mild stretching (again only when the pain has gone) every day for
30 seconds or so. Often Achilles problems are a secondary result of the
muscle being tight.
> I'm just confused
> because I haven't tweaked my training besides the one speed workout and
> haven't added any hills or changed my course drastically.
Kyle, you answered your own question: the speedwork did it. Speed is
dangerous. You've got to gradually ramp up to it. And never go all out --
save that for the race. The force on your joints and tendons increases
exponentially as you increase speed.
True confession, and I should know better: I haven't done any speed for
months due to an injury. Then I got into one of those challenges where
someone passed me and I picked up the pace, then he picked it up more, etc.
(after a two-minute battle we ended up chatting and running together). But
in the process of running much faster than I had in months, I twinged a
hamstring. Fortunately, it's so minor that I didn't even notice it on a
recent 10k race.
-- Dan
|
| |
Date: 29 May 2006 12:26:38
From: bx9802@aol.com
Subject: Re: Another Achilles Question
|
Thanks guys...
I took your advice and did a nice easy jog this afternoon. I didn't
experience any pain and kept myself from speeding up. I'll continue
this for a few days and hopefully will be back to normal training in no
time. Thanks again
Kyle
|
| |
Date: 29 May 2006 11:44:31
From: GRW
Subject: Re: Another Achilles Question
|
I agree with Dan. Stretch and ice (try 10 mins on, 10 mins off, 10
mins on again to really get inflamation down...and don't run past the
point of discomfort. Avoid speedwork until you are sure it's gone.
Good luck!
Garry
|
|
