Advice needed!

Quit your job and work something that involves being on your feet

Yep, love to, not that easy though, but certainly something I'm looking into.

Thanks for reply

if you were 21-years-old I would suggest going to see an osteopath, doing some core strengthening, and then working on your ITB and then some running drills on a treadmill. but if you are 51 and have only just noticed this then you could potentially do yourself more harm than good by trying to "fix" this. I would seriously consider leaving this alone.

it would help if you could get some video of you running, from the front if possible, or the back would be a decent 2nd best. I suspect that this is affecting your foot plant and we'll see some spectacular rotation in your lower leg as you run and that would give us an idea as to whether or not this is something that can be fixed or should be left alone.

and, if it's your right achilles that's been giving you problems, you now know why.

if you are determined to work on it, then its hip flexors, rotators, abductors and adductors you want to be working on. but you would need to do core work first, all hip and thigh stability comes from a good core.

you could also do squats, deep squats, with no weights. but you need to stand properly to get any benefit from this, and you also need to have done some core work first or else you're wasting your time.

on the front of your hips, about four inches below your belly button, there is a bone that sticks out right where that little cash pocket is on your jeans. when I say place your feet hip-width apart, I mean your heels have to be right underneath that bone on the front of your hips. not out on the side where your trouser seam is, but right under that bone on the front of your hips.

okay, so stand with your heels hip-width apart and your toes pointing slightly out to the sides, around 10 to 2 or 5 to 11 on a clcock face. the point of pointing your knees out is so that when you squat, your knees will go out where your toes are pointing and you leave a space between your calves for your arse to drop into. if you point your toes straight ahead there is nowhere for your arse to go when you squat.

now, keep your hands on the back of your head, your back straight, look up, and squat down as low as you feel comfortable. hold the low point for a second so that you don't bounce out of it, then slowly push your way back to standing up. the whole movement should be slow and graceful not rushed against the clock. repeat, a few times. don't do too many to start with but build up slowly to around 12 -15. do them twice a week.

good luck.

Many thanks for your reply, much appreciated.

Yep, right Achilles been nagging for a fair while. I had midpoint problems last year, did a lot of eccentric drops, seemed to help. Now I've got insertional problems!

Anyway, no videos, will try and get some. I have seen a fair few pics from local parkruns, my right foot tends to splay out a fair bit on landing. Right as you predicted

I guess when you say leave alone, do you mean just run like that and not try and correct it?

I think maybe I've been trying to run with a straight foot, which could be causing the Achilles issues.

Thanks for the squatting exercise, will give those a go.

Thanks again.

this is a good clue and it means we don't need the video, and it means you can fix this.

when you originally described twisting on your hips when you lifted your left foot off the ground, I feared that you had lower back problems, which are notoriously complex and at 51-years-old they are best left alone. but what you have is a hip and thigh issue and that can be worked on.

the problem is essentially the opposite of what's called crossover gait, which is where folks place their foot plant too near, or even over, the midline of their running. you are doing the opposite, you turn your foot out and just like the crossover guys you can learn to not do this.

basically, your adductors are too weak and your abductors are too strong and the imbalance is twisting your leg out of line. it's a bit like a suspension bridge, the cables have to be properly tensioned to keep the bridge level and you need to work on tensioning the inner ones (adductors) and releasing the outer ones (abductors).

it takes time, and patience, but you can do this.

those bridges and lunges you've been doing are good, so keep that up.

the mini-band is a good training aid for these kinds of exercises so get one of those if you haven't already. it's just a big rubber band you loop around your ankles and then move your feet against the resistance of the band. you walk in different patterns like triangles and rectangles and do figure of eights and stuff and you feel daft and hope no one walks in while your doing it, but it works.

this is also a good exercise for hip flexors and quad stretch: stand with your feet close together, and parallel. step forward with one foot (we'll say the left) so that your right knee comes down to the ground. your left foot should come sufficiently far forward that both knees form right angles. hold that position for a second. place your hands on your hips, and ease your hips forwards, keeping your torso upright and erect. hold that position, and relax, then push again, and relax, and stand up. repeat with the other leg and do that 2 - 4 times per leg, per session.

once you feel that the core work and exercises are having an effect you need to start consciously thinking about foot plant as you run. concentrate on keeping your hips forward and your body upright and placing your foot quite deliberately on the ground with the toes facing to the front. you might need to do this very slowly at first, maybe even at walking speed, and you won't be able to keep it up for very long to start with but just gradually increase the time and distance of the thinking part of your run. I've had folks do this on a treadmill which they find helps because they don't have to worry about pace or looking out for pedestrians or whatever and they just focus absolutely on their posture and foot plant.

training works precisely because the body adapts to what you do, and it gets used to and comfortable with how you move, so when you change something the body squeals and complains and argues with you which is why you change stuff slowly, and gradually, and gently, and you persuade and cajole the body into the new you rather than battering it into submission. be gentle with your body and it will in turn be gentle with you.

good luck.

Wow, thanks again for reply, lots to work on there, I'll get started on those exercises soon as.

I do have some bands, done a bit of the walking around in my living room with it around my ankles, need to do lots more then!

Interesting, when I'm standing on my right leg, to straighten up it is tight in my right glute, so I've been focussing on glute stretching and deep massage with a ball, never thought to work on the adductors.

I'll start some dedicated core work too, I definitely don't do enough of that.

I also have a good treadmill in my garage, so can do as you suggest with the foot planting while running when I'm ready and strong enough for it.

Thanks again