Running Problem

[Matblack]

Right, I went for gait analysis tonight at a reputable running shop, the chap there made the same face as a mechanic makes before be breaks the news that your chassis is kackered and you need a lot of work.

By all accounts my toes are far too turned out when I run which translates to a lot of shear stress on my calf/ achilles and is causing my injuries.

It would appear that this isn't going to be an easy fix and at the moment he wants me to see the physio for a quick check then he thinks that some custom molded insoles, stretches and a concious change in my technique will all be on the cards, also I need to lay off the distance work which will bugger up my prep for the 5Ks I have planned :(

Expensive, time consuming and painful but that isn't going to put me off :p

MB

[Von Smallhausen]

Stick with it Mat and the benefits will outweigh the cost and inconvenience.

I am just about addicted to running at the minute. I am running 3 miles 4-5 times a week.

I bought some Reebok DMX for a bargain £25 and they are very comfortable to run in. Conversely, a pair of £74 Adidas Climacool are not although they are not too bad. The main issue I have at the minute is mildly sore shins so I am thinking of visiting a specialist running shop and getting the full gait monty doing.

I am after a GPS watch that Nike do that shows distance and calories so I could combine the two in a visit.

I have gone from despising running to enjoying it since mam had her heart attack although the first 3 weeks were very hard when I started.

[Mark]

Similar problem here. Physio, insoles and stretches cost me £45 all-in (I went back for a couple more sessions at £40 each to make sure and cure some other issues - picked up some spare insoles for other shoes at the last session at £3 each).

Can't beat a good physio and mine came recommended (local Nuffield Health gym).

Much prefer Reebok to Adidas here too, though my old Reeboks show the evidence of not having the right insoles (they're knackered).

Good luck and hope it works out for you. :)

[Jonny69]

If you'll excuse my cynicism, I think that sounds like a load of old bollocks. Shoes cause injuries when you've got the wrong ones and you're doing big distance in them. 5K will not cause injuries. The fact is, you've jumped straight in at the deep and and gone hell for leather at it. You're carrying some weight Matt, and running long and hard and that's what's caused your injury. My personal opinion is give it time and you'll stengthen up, your gait will straighten up and you won't need 'special' insoles or trainers.

I used to run really turned out and ended up with a knee injury early on, but a concious effort to correct my technique and taking it easy was all it took. I even stand and walk straighter now.

But do take it easy. The worst thing you can do is rush back into it.

[divine]

I would always be cynical of the man who tells you that you have a problem and offers to sell you the/a solution.

Where possible in life, I prefer to keep the two apart.

[Mark]

Well, if you want the really skeptical answer, the truth is we should all be running barefoot. Forget all the shoes, gait analysis, insoles, air cushions, marketing hyperbole, and all the rest. We didn't evolve to wear shoes, and there's plenty of science to suggest that for all the modern 'technology', barefoot is still the best way. Probably not on city streets though - especially on Sunday morning.

So the next best is getting the right shoe. You might think it's all bollocks but the simple truth is we're all different, so a 'one size fits all' shoe is never going to work for everyone. Insoles are a compromise, yes, but one designed for the individual.

You can of course train yourself to adapt to the shoe - but should you?

[divine]

So the next best is getting the right shoe.

I thought the current in thing was the vibram five fingers? :p

[TinkerBell]

:( Sorry to hear you are having problems.

I think if you know you have found someone who knows what they are on about and have had good feedback from other people with problems then you would be silly not to listen to it. Why would you not pay for your health if you can afford it? You only get one body afterall.

I hope it all works out for you Matt :)

[Matblack]

Yeah, I think I should just keep what I'm doing until my calf explodes and I get a type three injury which puts me on crutches for 6 months.

It's pretty hard to get gait analysis round here and interestingly they didn't want to sell me new shoes or a load of other stuff, I could try and get an NHS referal to a physio but I'd be waiting for six months. The chap I saw seemed genuine enough most of the staff at Sweatshop are well trained and enthusiastic runners themselves, this guy suggested I get checked by a physio because my running style is pretty extreme which is understandable given how long I was carrying extra weight.

I've now injured myself twice without pushing too hard, I'm going to rack back on my running to three times a week maximum which should help but I'm not adverse to trying to stretch more and maybe getting some shoe inserts which are hardly snake oil.

I could spend £40 and try again or I could give up and never run again or feel at risk of popping a calf everytime I put my running shoes on, if a combination of two free things and £40 can help me I'll take it given I've already spend £80 on sports massage its hardly a major investment.

MB

[BBx]

Yep. I have seen a man running barefoot in London City :/

I have also seen a girl not running, but wearing these anyway...

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/8585/shooez.jpg

They are lol.

BB x

[Matblack]

Shoes cause injuries when you've got the wrong ones and you're doing big distance in them.

Yes he said that at 5k even if I wasn't over pronating that my current control shoes would be fine till they were worn through and then get whatever is best suited next rather than replace straight away



5K will not cause injuries.


Oh?

I used to run really turned out and ended up with a knee injury early on

It's very sweet that people think I was born yesterday but I have been doing a reasonable amount of research about the potential origins of the injury I've got and shear strain on the achilles is pretty logical and potentially a direct result of my running style.

MB

[Will]

I used to have a pair of vibram 5 fingers - lost them in the move! :( Fantastic for the gym!

[Mark]

In my case I knew something wasn't right when I kept getting knee and back pain, and clicking in my kneecaps. No-one sold me any snake oil and I went to physio of my own initiative (spoke to Doctor but they weren't prepared to refer me on NHS so I did it myself and claimed it back on my private policy).

[Jingo]

I think you know your own body and so long as you listen to it honestly then you won't go far wrong - you will know the difference between something being incredibly hard work, aches, fatigue, twinges and pains; some can be ignored, some require a level of sensible actions and some are beyond your control.

It doesn't suprise me that someone who isn't used to running has picked up an injury after an intense spell of activity, but I think you're going the right way about resolving it; it doesn't sound like a 'get over it' moment to me! :)

[Will]

I have a lot of time for physios, they;'ve fixed me a numerous amount of times - and worth the expense. I hope they can give you some guidance and advice as to how to improve your technique (if it is causing you issues) and how to stop it reoccuring and fixing it completely! I feel for you as I know how keen you are on your running :(

[Jonny69]

Matt, I think you've taken offence at my post and that's not the way I intended it. I really think you're overdoing it too early on. I don't run 3 times a week and if I was running that much and those sorts of distances so early on I'd have got an injury from it. You're running too often and too far, too early on. I really admire what you've done but you've got to realise even experienced runners don't always run that much.

It's frustrating because I haven't been able to run for nearly 6 weeks now. I'm going to have to start from zero again and if I run 5K straight off I'll land myself an injury straight away too.

[Matblack]

Matt, I think you've taken offence at my post and that's not the way I intended it. I really think you're overdoing it too early on. I don't run 3 times a week and if I was running that much and those sorts of distances so early on I'd have got an injury from it. You're running too often and too far, too early on. I really admire what you've done but you've got to realise even experienced runners don't always run that much.

It's frustrating because I haven't been able to run for nearly 6 weeks now. I'm going to have to start from zero again and if I run 5K straight off I'll land myself an injury straight away too.

I'm sorry Jonny, it just seems a little harsh to tell someone who is trying to sort their issues out that proactively that it's all their own fault and there is no underlying issue which might be a contributory factor.

I didn't just go and run 5k, the program I was doing is designed to take unfit people who don't or haven't run, to 5k in a reasonable time frame without pushing themselves too hard and injuring themselves, 1000s of people do couch to 5k every year and it isn't considered to be a risky program.

Whatever your views on orthotics they do seem to help a lot of people and I think it would be crazy not to research and persue a possible injury prevention measure when someone points out an issue with your technique whether you eventually take it up or not.

I'm sorry if I seem defensive and maybe you're right as I am 'carrying some weight' I should have started slower, although people who have seen me more recently might not be as easily convinced that my weight is a contributory factor.

MB

[Will]

Orthotics were my life saver for a few years after I buggered up my knees playing rugby. As a transitional tool to improve your movements and taking the strain off the joints/muscles they're a God-send in my eyes. :) I don't use them anymore as I'm ok now, but I had a few pairs to put in different shoes - really helped level out my imbalances in my legs. Look at me know! :D Well, actually I can't run (I can sprint like the clappers though) but I have no pain anymore - and can walk for miles!

Do you have to go to an NHS physio/kinesiologist? Or is it just too expensive to do it independently?

[lostkat]

Jonny may well be right about your gait changing as you become more accustomed to running and adjust your style (mine did), but if you're injured all of the time then you'll never get there so it makes sense to seek advice.

Did they recommend a specific place to go for the insoles? Didn't think sweatshop did that sort of thing in house. Personally I think it's worth a go. Beware though. Some places charge an arm and a leg for custom insoles. I think you just get neutral shoes to wear them though, so they should be slighty cheaper.

Really hope that you manage to sort it Matt :)

[Matblack]

Got an appointment with a Fizz/ Chiro last night just to confirm things and I'm carrying a few issues which I've built up over the years.

For a start my calves are very tight which I knew, there is little to no chance of the loosening up from just running and I need to be doing intensive stretching exercises 2-3 times a day every day, not just before and after exercise. It's hardly suprising that my calf blew knowing what I do now but they felt absolutely fine until one went :(

I've got a number of nasty habbits which have probably contributed to this including tucking my feet under my chair in the office so I'm resting them on my toes. I knew I had tight calves and have had for years, when I was lifting a lot of weights I could never squat parallel without lifting my heels with a plate and I found it really frustrating, I strugle to touch my toes and always have without tightness in my calves and hams.

I've also got some hip mobility issues but these can be dealt with pretty quickly and may or may not be associated with my current calf problem but I'll probably let her work on them for another session, however I'm not too bothered about the slight imbalance they give me and I'm not going to submit to multiple sessions to sort out something which isn't an issue for me.

The feet truned out thing shouldn't be too bad if I can losen my calves, general concensus is that the calf problem is 'Tennis Leg' and is down to the tightness and being new to running there shouldn't be an issue with me doing up to and beyond 5km in the future. But there is a sports mobility specialist at the clinc who can do an assessment and a podiatist who will be better qualified then the guy at Sweatshop to do gait analysis if I decide to see him.

I'm going to recomission the cross trainer over the next couple of days and start working out on that (another reason I know my calves have always been tight is that I never found it comfortable to keep my heels down on a eliptical trainer). But if I can do 30 minute sessions on there rather than run I can keep my fitness up so when I can run my stamina won't be what lets me down.

I'm happy I paid to see the fizz it confirms that I needed some extra stuff to prevent a repeat of the calf injury, a lot of people who I've read about having this have it over and over again unless they take measures to avoid it. I won't be getting inserts until I can see the sports mobility guy at the clinic and get another opinion on my gait and seeing if I can sort things out without needing them but if they are likely to correct my style in any way I will certainly consider them even as an interim measure.

I'm sorry if I came across as agressive but just ploughing on and hoping your body will adapt isn't a sensible answer for everyone expecially when you are pushing 40, people may feel I'm throwing money at this and that I'm a victim to people wanting to sell me things but I don't see it that way. I'd have paid a lot of money not to have had this injury, I lot more than I've spent trying to sort it out and more than I'll spend making sure it doesn't happen to me again.

I don't think having it pointed out to me that I'm still 'carrying some weight' helped either, people larger than me run regularly and I don't see having a BMI over the standard ideal as being an issue in this case.

MB

[Jonny69]

Sorry about that Matt, I'm not very good with words sometimes.

Glad it was a positive session. Cross trainer is a good plan :)

[Von Smallhausen]

Off to the Sweat Shop next week to get my gait done as sore shins are the in thing at the minute although just to the touch and not to run on.

It has amazed me how I have gone from blowing out my backside at 3/4 of a mile to running 3 miles comfortably since March.

Stick at it Mat. Physio and gait sorted should work wonders.

Please please dint get in a tiz over physical weight on scales. I am hovering around the same weight but a look in the mirror shows things are changing.

[lostkat]

Make sure you're stretching your shins after a run Von. You shouldn't really still be feeling tender if you started in march and the last thing you want is it turning to is shin splints because 1) they're painful and 2) the only cure is complete rest from running.

Stretching after a run prevents niggles occuring and people never get this until it's too late.

[Von Smallhausen]

That might be where I'm going wrong Kate.