Achilles Pain in right leg that goes away about 1/2 mile into run

NotDean wrote:

Should I worry about this? Every run I do for the last 2 months has been mid to high Achilles pain but then it goes away about a half mile in. It hurts at night though if I put direct pressure on it.

I tried to take 2 weeks off but it started again. This has happened to me a couple times in the past for a few months and then it just goes away.

I'm doing eccentric heel drops every day.

Do slow (2-3 seconds up 2-3 seconds down) weighted single leg calf raises every other day instead. No need to go below parallel on the eccentric (down) phase. 10kg kettlebell will do.

Could be a soleus strain.

600mRunner wrote:

NotDean wrote:

Should I worry about this? Every run I do for the last 2 months has been mid to high Achilles pain but then it goes away about a half mile in. It hurts at night though if I put direct pressure on it.

I tried to take 2 weeks off but it started again. This has happened to me a couple times in the past for a few months and then it just goes away.

I'm doing eccentric heel drops every day.

Do slow (2-3 seconds up 2-3 seconds down) weighted single leg calf raises every other day instead. No need to go below parallel on the eccentric (down) phase. 10kg kettlebell will do.

Can you describe the reasoning behind this? I have dealt with similar issues in the past and I'm curious.

All the PT resources online suggest eccentric exercises work best for achilles stuff, but my running logs from a few years ago suggested the calf raises worked just as well. Curious what evidence you may have for it.

birdbeard wrote:

600mRunner wrote:

Do slow (2-3 seconds up 2-3 seconds down) weighted single leg calf raises every other day instead. No need to go below parallel on the eccentric (down) phase. 10kg kettlebell will do.

Can you describe the reasoning behind this? I have dealt with similar issues in the past and I'm curious.

All the PT resources online suggest eccentric exercises work best for achilles stuff, but my running logs from a few years ago suggested the calf raises worked just as well. Curious what evidence you may have for it.

Merely that going below parallel can aggravate the achilles further, no need to do it. Up and down do a level surface is just fine. The downward phase, without going off a step, is still an eccentric contraction I think?

Also don't need to go to the extreme ROM on the up portion to for the same reason.

This might help you:

I'm not sure you really need to progress to as high a weight as he recommends, but I guess that varies on a person by person basis.

There are vary few studies on achilles rehab exercises. Most of the advice you will find, as you have, is based on a single (or couple) of old studies. More recent studies have shown tendons adapt better with a higher load, no need for lots of reps.

Keith Baar would probably recommend taking 10-15g of hydrolyzed collagen and some vitamin c 45 minutes before exercising, which may bolster the adaptaion.

Thank you. This is helpful. Can I still run everyday since the pain during my runs isn't getting worse? It's the same weak pain on my right Achilles that nags at me but then goes away. If I keep rehabing can I keep running?

NotDean wrote:

Thank you. This is helpful. Can I still run everyday since the pain during my runs isn't getting worse? It's the same weak pain on my right Achilles that nags at me but then goes away. If I keep rehabing can I keep running?

I would (and have in the past). As long as my running isn't suffering and it isn't making the pain worse throughout the run (and you're saying the opposite) I keep doing it.

If you are running slower than you would normally be, foregoing speedwork, or otherwise modifying your schedule to accommodate the issue, then no, take the time off and come back to full.