Attention: RUNNERS

[ArkiStan]

I'm trying to get back in shape, so I'm running about twice a week for 40-50 minutes. A couple weeks ago, I ran for about 50 minutes and the next day I had a slight pain in the back of my left ankle. I believe it's my achilles heel. It doesn't hurt when I'm walking. It only hurts a little when I stand on my toes or step on the clutch when I'm driving. I stopped running for about a week and waited till I thought it was healed. Then I ran again today and now it hurts again. I've been running on and off for the past couple years and this is the first time I've expreienced this.

Is this a common symptom among runners that will easily heal with time? Or is this something I should be very careful of?

I really hope I didn't do something wrong and I'm doomed to never run again....

[blueindian]

you're probably just over exerceted yourself. common problem among folks who have gotten a little out of shape and start running to get back in shape. even more common amongst folks who used to run, and have gotten a little out of shape.

you need to ease yourself into running. now way should you go from not running to running for 50 minutes. most folk's bodies just can't take it. if your goal is to run steady for 50 minutes, you should take anywhere from 6-12 weeks to work up to that.

do it by running/walking. so maybe start by walking 5 mintues, running 2. then up it to walking 4.5 mintues, running 2.5. etc.

make sure you have good, properly fitted shoes. make sure to stretch before you run. and before you stretch, walk or jog lightly a bit to warm up your muscles. when you're done, walk to cool down and strech again.

a 45 minute run, if done right, will take a little over an hour counting warm up, stretching, cool down, and stretching.

[faither]

Blue hits on a number of good points. In addition, I offer the following:

As a runner, I would suggest cutting back on the time you run but increase the frequency. For instance, rather than 40-50 minutes 2x a week, try to do 25-35 minutes four or five times a week. You will better acclimate yourself to the stress running puts on your body. As you become more comfortable you can begin to stretch out the time (maybe in increments of 5 minutes).

Also, don't worry about speed -- especially right off the bat. Once you establish a good base, you can pick up the tempo. The key, though, is to increase the frequency of the activity to a minimum of three times a week.

[Jeffbx]

Everything blueindian & faither said. If you're going right into a 50 minute run then your body is probably not ready for that yet.

Shoes are very important also - if you're running on a very hard surface like concrete, you need more padding in your shoes. Less for treadmills, etc. Unfortunately, it takes a while to break in a pair of shoes to see if they're really good for your running style, so that's not something easy to troubleshoot.

Road Runner Sports has a nice tool that will recommend specific shoes depending on a bunch of factors you provide (your weight, running surface, speed, etc). I've always found them to be a little pricey, but you don't need to buy their shoes to use the tool.

[latingirl]

I concur with everyone.

http://www.runnersworld.com has a LOT of good running tips and also some running plans that will help you ease into getting back into shape again. They also have running plans for those who want to train for races, etc.

I would also visit a very good chiropractor that can help alleviate pain and give you advice on your ankle. If you are around the L.A. area, an excellent chiro is Dr. Eng at Chiropractic Fitness Concepts in Pasadena.

Advil (ibuprofin) is very good to use as well.

[Peachhead]

Hey, thanks for the good info. I'm trying to ease myself back into running, and all this helped. Do y'all find it easier to run for a certain distance or a certain time period? I've just been concentrating on a certain distance and I wonder if I should be going the other way.

[faither]

In my opinion, I'd work on establishing a base that's based on time and frequency (4+ times a week), and keeping your heartrate at an elevated state for an extended period. Once you get up to 45 minutes or so -- and feel okay with it -- you can worry about how far/fast you're running.

Don't rush it, it's very easy to injure yourself at the beginning. A solid foundation is key to long-term success.

[Kevster]

Originally posted by faither
Blue hits on a number of good points. In addition, I offer the following:

As a runner, I would suggest cutting back on the time you run but increase the frequency. For instance, rather than 40-50 minutes 2x a week, try to do 25-35 minutes four or five times a week. You will better acclimate yourself to the stress running puts on your body. As you become more comfortable you can begin to stretch out the time (maybe in increments of 5 minutes).

Also, don't worry about speed -- especially right off the bat. Once you establish a good base, you can pick up the tempo. The key, though, is to increase the frequency of the activity to a minimum of three times a week.

I agree with everything else posted in this thread but I would also like to add one thing: whenever I ran into nagging problems like this I would start supplementing my running with cycling. I would still get my exercise, just a different way (by cross-training). It has always worked for me, especially now with my nagging knee-problems.

[ArkiStan]

Hey thanks for all the help people. I guess I'm just gonna take it easy for a while, do plenty of stretching and start running shorter distances to get completely back into shape.