I had a reasonable 20-miler LSR last Saturday and I was in for the Gloucester 20 this weekend but I've decided to take some time off and try and get my achilles sorted out. They have been bothering me for some time (months, probably) but I've been running through it but it's been getting worse so I saw a physio today.
She has given me a different stretch to do, and I must say I could immediately feel the stretch 'hitting the spot' so I have my fingers crossed. She has asked me to go back next week and she will consider referring me to a podiatrist if necessary but wanted me to try the stretch first, which is obviously fair enough.
The new stretch is similar to one that I do already where you stand on the edge of a step, lift both heels, lift up the "good leg", and drop the "bad leg" slowly so that the heel is below the level of the step. She told me to continue to do that, but also suggested bending the knee whilst doing the stretch and this is what hit the spot. In hindsight I probably should have thought of this myself, but never mind. She warned it wouldn't get better overnight, but to persevere with doing the stretches longer term.
I asked her if I should stop running and she didn't exactly say "yes", so that's good, although she said "take it easy". I am going to at least take today and tomorrow off and see how it feels on Friday. My last run was Saturday....I'm climbing the walls now!
On the Runner's World forum the below link was also posted which has some useful roller techniques to help with dodgy achilles.
http://www.kinetic-revolution.com/warnings-signs-for-achilles-problems/
I was looking forward to Gloucester 20 as it would have been a good test to see how I was doing on the longer distances, but I'm fine with my decision to DNS.
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