I need feedback on a run related injury. Last Wednesday, within the first mile of my run, I began feeling a deep pinpoint of pain at the top of the achilles where it meets the meat of the calf muscle. I have taken a full week off running and iced and taken anti-inflammatory meds. I tried to run again this morning, and it immediately hurt. Now in the weekend’s long rides, it was never an issue unless I had to get out of the saddle. So I climbed the hills seated.
Needless to say, I have been a bear to live with. I have tried to concentrate my energy on more swim (13,000 yards) and bike (200 miles) sessions since last week, but this is still mentally upsetting.
Soft tissue injuries, typically take 2 - 3 weeks to heal. So after one week, I would say, relax and give it a bit more time. Keep icing and keep using the anti-inflamatories.
The cycling, MAY be secertly and silently extending and adding to the injury. I have experienced this myself with calf strains.
With this type of injury in the first week, I would suggest total rest and maybe a bit of swimming. Then add a bit of light, very easy gear spinning on the bike in the second week, then see how it is late in the third week and test it on a run.
Note that fitness only starts to decline after 3 weeks of total inactivity. Their is this mistaken paranoia with many, that doing nothing for a week or even 2 weeks means that the season is a right-off and they are back at ground zero!
Yeah, I think I’ve heard/read that in the past about losing fitness. So my mind can grasp the concept, and someone emotionally, I cannot fathom taking it that easy for that long. It’s like trying to reason with a 6 year old about ghosts!!
I have this injury and it is slow heal. You gotta take time off or you will just prolong it. Hate to say it but it may take months. Resist the urge to take off once it feels better. Go to a PT or chiropractor and get ultrsound/electro stimulation treatments and massage. The massage has to be real hard and deep. It hurts like a mofo but it seem to help. Stretch a lot. Someone told me about running a rolling pin over it real hard and that seems to help also. Good luck!
you could probably do some aqua jogging to keep the running muscles strong. Just throw the belt on before or after your swim set and go for a while in the deep end.
I get something similar every once in awhile. Usually it is from doing too much running and/or cycling too soon. The only success I have had in managing this injury is laying off. A good way to keep it from coming up again is to make sure to stretch your calves daily.
Stop stretching for a few days and ice it every chance you get.
My Achilles flared up in early March. I started to incorporate some barefoot running into my routine. Visit www.smiweb.org/guides I started to do they’re stretching they recommend and iced the foot. I am pain free. I believe the barefoot running made the difference. My calf muscle was very weak and now it is very strong and flexible. I had to start out slow. Only a mile every other day but I ran six mile today and never felt any discomfort or pain. I run at a local park on the grass. I walked my course first to insure that no glass or other foreign objects were there to hurt me.
This sounds like either an injury of the lower end of the gastroc or of the soleus (the other muscle that attaches to the achilles and sits i front of the gastroc.) Rest it. Try aqua jogging, seated bike, especially low gear/high cadence riding and, when it feels better, stretch and strengthen your soleus and gastroc. If it ain’t improving, have it examined…
I’ve had a very similar injury a few times in recent years. For me, it always seems to happen in the winter when I’m running on slippery surfaces and carrying too much weight. This year I was off for 6 weeks from the beginning of February until mid-March. I just iced it a lot and swam and biked and then gradually eased back into running. This seems to be the only way that it recovers and it usually takes 3-5 weeks. In my 5th week back to running I was pacing some kids that I coach in a track workout and pulled a hamstring so I’ve been out for another week … crap!
On the water running front, check out the info at www.dougstern.com. Doug posts frequently here, and I’m sure would be willing to answer your questions.
A great resource is “Water Running for the Serious Athlete”, a DVD from www.goswim.tv (1-877-GOSWIM1) that features a range of different strides that will help your body as well as soothe your bearish mind. Best of luck with this!
be careful!!! i did a similar thing, didn’t let it heal, and then did a 17-mile run about 2 weeks later and ended up with an injury that has taken almost 3 years to heal.
err on the side of caution.
Not necessarily trying to sell anything here but PC’s will almost assuredly allow you to continue to exercise (and even let you work on your “running”) while allowing this to heal. Just an option you should know about.