Thread: Running with Tendonitis

I ran in high school and I'm just getting into the tri scene, but I'm having some trouble with tendonitis. I have taken a month off from running, but in this third week back the tendonitis is there again. Does anybody have any suggestions for me as I attempt to run through it? Anybody have any stories of successfully running through it? I'm currently running three days a week and swimming and or cycling on the between days. I'd appreciate any ideas.

Thanks,

Ben

Good morning Ben,

I have been told that tendonitis is often a result of not warming up enough before intense training. My experience has been to lightly stretch before a run, start slow and gradually build to a comfortable pace. I must admit that my run is my weakest event, so I frequently stress with it. You ran in high school...how long ago? Your mental drive may be a little ahead of your physical curve. Take some time to build a stronger base. I did have some success with walking steep hills in the very beginning of my base training. I would walk a two mile route up and down a course and then jog a few miles.

I'm sure that others on this site will have better info to share... so the best of luck to you. Many of my running partners enjoy YOGA...I'm a little high strung to stick with prolonged stretching.

Carpe Diem

My guess is that you probably haven't been back to running long enough to actually have the true condition of tendonitis, but may be headed there if you don't address it now. There are several things I have done to reduce and, for now, eliminate soreness in my Achilles tendons.

Weight training:
Start with a weight-training program that includes leg exercises such as calf raises that strengthen the calf and lower leg muscles as well as the connective tissues including the tendons. One-legged standing calf raises are also good. Depending on how long it's been since your high school running days, and how active you've been in the meantime, your tendons very likely need strengthening to withstand your run training.

Flexibility:
Stretch both before and after you run. Slowly.

Ice:
Fill a zip lock baggie with crushed ice and trade off resting the heel to calf portion of each leg on the ice for 5 to 10 minutes at a time, for 20 to 40 minutes. Don't over do it, the idea is to take down the swelling in the tendons that is causing the pain and inflicting additional damage on the surrounding area. Do this not only right after you run, but also after any exercise and a few more times in the evening. This is probably the most important thing you can do right now to address your condition and begin correcting it.

Rest:
If your Achilles tendons are real sore, don't run. Ice them frequently and let them heal. Make it a swimming or bike workout instead.

Ben, you might try Glucosimine and Condroitin combination, it has worked wonders for me but as Scott said, DO NOT RUN THROUGT IT!!!!. I have tendonitis in both shoulders from a job I had 18 years ago, the pain only comes back now when I really push on weight training, my body says when enough is enough and I listen to it. Ice and Ibuprofen are my best friends in this case and lots of rest if I tweek the tendons.
Good luck.
Spike.

A good exercise for achilles strengthening and stretching involves a modified form of calf raising. Find a step and start with both feet flat on the step, side by side, about a shoulder wide apart. Have the heel and half the arch of one foot overhanging the step. Slowly drop the heel below the level of the step until you feel a mild stretch in the leg. Next transfer your weight into the dropped heel and raise it up until you are on the tip of your toes. Then release the weight and move back into the dropped heel position. Repeat this tfor two to three sets of ten times on each foot.

The benefit of this exercise over normal calf raises is that it reduces the load on any inflamed tendons when lowering the leg while weightbearing (as in the usual calf raise), thereby preventing further injury caused by stretching the tendons, while giving you both a stretch and strengthening workout. I used it for rehab after a partial achilles tear and it worked wonders.

I'd say that you definately shouldn' t try to run through it.

Cheers Tony

I'm going into my junior year of high school this year and over the summer I was training very seriously, unfortunately i warmed up very poorly one day and developed mild tendinitis in my left knee. It really isn't fun at all and can screw up your training. I did however get some very good advice from some friends on a running forum, I'll pass that on to you now. As Spike said, Ibuprophen(sp?) works unbelievable wonders. I took three days off taking it twice a day all three days with regular ice and stretching, I've been running ever since pain free!

Is this a new pain?

I sustained a tendon strain while running a few months ago. My left leg next to the knee (outside) hurt like a mofo. The pain would radiate both up and down (thus my theory that it was a tendon). But only when I was running not when I was on the elliptical or walking or swimming.

Could not figure out for the life of me where the heck it came from since I had not slipped, tripped or twisted it, then I remembered that I had gotten a new pair of sneakers a month earlier.

I change sneakers and within 5 days my knee/leg was 95% better. Unbelievable!

I was diagnosed with tendonitis in my left ankle, took about 2 months off of running. Now I spend quite a bit of time stretching and lifting. Squats, lunges, and calf raises. It seems to have helped. Good luck.