uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
Hi Masters.
Can I bore you for a minute? I am currently training for a HM on April 28. I am using the Ryan Hall 10 week program. I am in the fourth week of it and have started to feel some soreness in my left Achilles. Can it be caused by by too much speed work? The program has two speed workouts a week; intervals and a tempo run. Today I did an interval ladder and my left Achilles is very tender. I did 12 miles on Sunday and I felt great. For my last HM, I did one speed workout a week and it was fine. I am thinking I should drop the intervals and replace it with an easy run of 40-45 minutes. At my age I won't be breaking any records (although I do have a few age group medals), and staying injury free is way more important than taking a few seconds off my HM time. Do you think I should drop the intervals and can too many speed workouts cause Achilles pain?
Thanks in advance for any information or suggestions.
Bushrat Runner
Sprints are definitely harder on the achilles than slower paces. Whether you can, with a proper regimen of ice and NSAIDs, nurse it along while continuing your training is something you would have to try to find out. But if you want it to get better, stretches, ice, NSAIDs, and easy (if any) running are going to be a better recipe. But it really depends how bad it is hurt. If it is bad enough, you get a vacation from running entirely.
Troy Hamon
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Achilles Tendinitis is a bummer of an injury, if that's what this is (and it sounds like that's what it's shaping up to be). Icing will help, but not much. There's not much blood supply to that area, hence the slow healing. Rest is the best remedy, and pool running is the best recovery activity. You can continue to run if you're determined, and you might be ok, but I agree with ditching the speed workout as that sort of stress only compounds the problem. Maybe a week of really easy running or pool running would help and get you through. Be careful with this. It can totally derail your season. BTDT (and not to contradict my buddy Troy, but don't stretch an injured tendon....).
When I had AT, even the elliptical and stairmaster aggravated it. Pool running was the best thing because I could get a good workout, keep some semblance of my running fitness and the water actually helps recovery. Yes it's mind-numbingly boring, but it's the best thing you can do when injured.
Right tomwhite?
AT can be a bit of a tough one. Couple of questions. Is it sore to the touch? If you pinch the achilles does it hurt? High or low (closer to heel)?
I've had some major bouts of AT and found a couple of things in my treatments and repairs. You need to find the underlying cause of why the AT is sore. In my case it stemmed from my calf muscles being tight and needing work. This is what stretched the AT and created soreness during speed workouts and long hard runs. Once I solved the muscle issue the AT was no longer a problem. You need to find your root cause.
In the mean time, two sped workouts sounds like it might be too much. Drop one and add HMP as part of a longer run. You won't lose with that one added.
Good luck in finding a solution.
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
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Thanks, you guys. I think I will drop the hard intervals. Like I said, it was great after a 12 miler. I ran that at an 8:35 and felt fine. It was only after hard intervals that is shows up. I think a tempo run, long run, and two or three easy runs a week will be fine.
C-R: It is not sore to the "touch" but if pinch it I can definitely feel it. It is right behind the ankle where that little fleshy area is. As much as I hate to admit it, I think a big part of it is age and I have to accept the fact that I can't do things at certain levels anymore. I'm just glad it's ok on the long runs. I have really started to love them.