Achilles Pain mid run

jlaugh87

Barefooters
Jun 8, 2011
32
0
0
Yet another issue with my BFR. I can do about 6 miles in my minimal sandals. The other day I got about 3 miles and my Achilles felt like it was just tearing up and down. I was able to adjust my landing (midfoot more than balls of feet) and I was able to finish pain free.

This has happened a couple of times now. I'm wondering if I should be worried?

My achilles doesnt hurt when I stroll around at work or anything its only when I run a certain way the pain develops real quick and its aweful. I dont know if I should rest it or not becuase I know how to avoid the pain now by changing my form.



Any thoughts or experience?
 
Are you running minimal or

Are you running minimal or barefoot? You said BFR but then said sandals. Knowing which way you are running could help us to answer your questions better. :)
 
oops, sometimes I consider my

oops, sometimes I consider my sandals BF... (really close). To clarify, I run in 4mm huaraches most of the time. When the pavement isnt as hot I will take them off.

Usually its a mixed run. When I get to the shady trail, its bare, other than that its minimal
 
The way Barefoot Ken Bob

The way Barefoot Ken Bob describes the foot landing, it should be hard to tell that you're not landing flat footed. He said they had to see his landing on a high speed camera to even tell if he was landing toes or heals first to find out he lands heal first. You may be landing too far forefoot, from your description. I'd guess the way that doesn't hurt, is the correct way. ;o)

Also, what kind of cadence are you running? One thing I learned from my jaunt on the rocky gravel of rural Texas this weekend was that the pointy stuff hurts less, when your upper body doesn't bob up and down. I imagine that could be applied to straining the muscles of the lower leg as well.

-Jonny
 
Yeah landing noticeably on

Yeah landing noticeably on the balls of your feet will produce extra stress through your feet and into your calves. The midfoot landing (I hate the word strike) should basically be the ball of your foot touching first, but with he heel and toes coming down so soon after that you aren't really supporting your weight on the balls of the foot (does that make sense? Not sure I'm explaining it clearly)

And just some food for thought: if you adjusted your form a little and he pain went away that may be a sign that the "adjusted" form is more correct than your "normal" form.
 
But what's "normal" when

But what's "normal" when wearing shoes, of any thickness? Normal as in, this is the way I run with shoes on? Or natural as in, this is the way I run unimpeded? ;-) Just messing with you Smelph.

Perhaps try ditching the huaraches for a good two weeks, give BFR a good try (either early or late to avoid the heat), and see if the pain still happens.

I noticed when I tried running in huaraches a few times, my outer arches felt tight (mostly on the right side). Each time, I removed the huaraches and ran bare, the pain went away.

Meaning, maybe the huaraches are the problem here and not you. The only way to find out for sure is to eliminate them.
 
Maybe you're just at a phase

Maybe you're just at a phase in your development of BF musculature that you're gonna hurt a bit. I went through a couple or 3 weeks with really sharp calf / achilles pain, kind of out of the blue. It hurt like h*ll. I gave myself a few days recovery and tried again. After a few repetitions it just didn't come back. The pain usually hit at 3 or 4 miles into my runs and I could no way run any farther. Massage and ice and ibuprofen helped a lot.
 
Thanks for the tips.  I think

Thanks for the tips. I think the pain is just due to an improper landing. I went 8 miles yesterday (A mixed bag of BF and sandals) and the achilles started to pain up right around 7 miles. Again, I adapted to make the pain recede, but it is a little sore today.



I guess I just need to keep working on things!
 
jlaugh, just a friendly bit

jlaugh, just a friendly bit of advice. If the Achilles is getting sore it is telling you several things. Yes, maybe you are landing incorrectly; you may also be landing correctly and stressing the tendon anyway. I have never seen you run; I don't know which is true.
The other thing it is telling you, if it is truly tendon pain and not muscle pain is that it is inflamed. Pain comes from inflammation. I have on and off bouts with Achilles tendonitis and bone spurs on my heels. Last August it was bothering me and I ran a BF 10 miler race anyway and slipped in an aid station, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back and I was out of running for the rest the year when the tendon tore loose from and broke the calcaneus (Heel Bone). Luckily it was a partial tear and only a crack and I was in PT after 2 months and light running in 3. Don’t ignore the signs. One of the best things I found was Ice Massage. Here is one link on using a a paper cup to make an ice block to massage http://www.my-physical-therapy-coach.com/ice-massage.html
 
I appreciate the advice...

I appreciate the advice... I'm sure it comes from bad form. I did 10 miles of brutal country hills in my minimal shoes, and I had no pain at all.