achilles heal

[sub55]

 Seemed to have developed a problem with my right achilles heel.   
Any suggestions ?
Basically,  never had a problem until earlier in the year .  Did quite a long run of consecetive weeks , 300/400k
Second to last 400k , got abit of a twinge in the last 100k or so.  Must admit  i did`nt take alot of notice .  A week later ,  took the start of the Brevet cymru , started about half way round, got my self some ibprofen and finished the ride . Put it down to just doing to much.  Though did notice my cleats were alittle worn, though certainly not excessive. Changed them anyway , you never know.  Then had 3 weeks off and did`nt give it a secon thought.  Went out yesterday to do a 300k solo perm , started to twinge almost immediately , at a 100k i was chewing ibuprofen like smarties , at 150k i effectively packed as could`nt stand the pain any more.    I still had about 70k to get back to start, did actually ride about 230k .  Probably stupidly . This morning can hardly walk , its swollen, especially on the inside and im in serious pain. 
So really looking for suggestions for what it could be.   Riding position feels just as it should be, though dont mind playing around with it abit.  Cant quite assatain in my mind if i should push the saddle up or put it down alittle.  Saddle forwards or backwards ?   Do have other pairs of shoes that i will try.   But ridden many thousands of miles in these shoes, so cant imagine its them.   
Suggestions .   regards  paul.

[vorsprung]

My right Achilles is knackered at the moment.

First I did the BCM 600km, it was painful after day 2.  The next weekend I had to do the Irish Mail 400
So during the week I did the following

• Used ice on it twice a day, morning and evening
• Had a couple of hot baths
• Wore a Tubigrip support bandage
• First night elevated my ankle on a pillow in bed

By thursday I was able to ride the bike to work again without pain.  I live in Devon it's 50% uphill.
I did the Irish Mail 400 and got one way across Snowdonia.  Trouble is I then had to come back again.  Against gale force winds.  By the end my achilles was worse than ever.

I am at the moment a bit pissed off as it is nice weather and I cannot commute to work on the bike.  But I am not overly worried about the ankle.  I am doing similar stuff to above and hopefully I will be able to walk and bike without pain in a week or so.
Once I have minimal function back I am going to follow a physio program I've done before that really works.  It's called "Eccentric Heel Drops" and is described here

Basically, the procedure is
1. warm up by doing 10 minutes on an exercise bike or turbo
2. stretch ( last time I didn't bother with this)
3. do the exercises.  Stand on the edge of a step.  Hold the doorframe.  Raise you body weight using your good leg so you are on tip toe.  Drop your body weight on your bad leg so the heel goes below the step.  Repeat 10 times
4. use an ice pack on the achilles

Do that twice a day and it helps the injury to completely disappear plus it is strengthening things to prevent a reoccurence

The other thing I will be doing next week is dropping my saddle height 2mm.  A tiny change but might help a little bit.

What I should have done is carried out these exercises over the winter, maybe each day for a month on an uninjured pair of legs.  But y'know how it is.  It's another thing to do. Wishful thinking wins out too often

[Ian H]

My physio also suggested massaging the tendon with thumb and forefinger. He said this reduces inflammation and scarring.

[cyclone]

You really don't want it to let go!! Surgery and months in a cast....
The other posters have offered sage advice...GWS 

[vorsprung]

Latest on my Achilles

Last week (May 23rd) I couldn't really walk on it.  I wore a compression bandage pretty much 24x7, applied ice twice a day and tried to rest it as much as possible

By this Monday (May 30th) it had calmed down enough to start the "Eccentric" exercises.  I've been doing these twice a day all this week.  The Achilles continues to improve.  Today I can walk without pain and even run across the road etc.  I hope to do a short (a hour-ish)  bike ride at the weekend and if that goes OK start commuting next week.  My commute is an hour of hills each way.

I had been hoping to do a 24 time trial in late June but I didn't enter.  Probably this is too soon to allow a full recovery

[Tigerrr]

Pretty much the same timing as mine for the last PBP. Tendonitis by the sound of it and it takes time and rest to heal.
Be very careful about overuse - the sheath around the tendon is delicate and a slight inflamation can open up and raise a scar which reduces the lubricant access and may give you an adhesion - which is not just painful but can then lead to tear - in whihc case your season will be up the spout.
Anti inflamatories may give you the impression it is cured.

[vorsprung]

Another update

Did the Eccentric exercises all last week twice a day ( I skipped one session on friday, but apart from that all of them )
Increased the sets to 2, so it's 15 with straight leg, 15 bent, 15 straight again, 15 bent again

I can walk normally all the time, up and down stairs

Did the first bike ride since the Irish Mail on Saturday, up the paper shop and back
On Sunday afternoon went out and did just over 10 miles including a few hills

All still feels OK, no Achilles pain at all.   A little soreness in the tendons on the front of the foot.  In the morning when riding a bike I can "feel" the Achilles but in the afternoon it is looser/more relaxed and totally normal

Carrying on with the exercises, now adding extra weight.  Used a 3kg weight in a backpack this morning

Might start commuting again on Wednesday.  For once I agree with Tigerr(!) I am going to continue to be very careful.  I am not using any anti inflammatories now.  Used ibuprofen gel twice before I started the exercise phase.

[Euan Uzami]

I sometimes get it where it feels a bit 'creaky' when flexing my foot after i've done a long ride. But it doesn't hurt, and doesn't seem swollen. And it's rarely during the ride, only after. Goes back to normal within a day or two. Is this due to not enough lubrication in the sheath - can anything be done about that?
Anyone else get this?
I've had pain with it in the past but don't get pain now.

[vorsprung]

Update again

I've been riding to work for a week now.  One day I got a bit of pain (not serious, just an ache) but iced the ankle immediately on getting home.  it was fine the next day

I am trying to remember to stretch when I get to work

I am not wearing my overshoes as they rub on the Achilles

I still haven't done a ride longer than 50km

[Arn0]

Another one here with a bad achilles (grating and all that) since the Brevet Cymru in April. The BCM 600 two weeks later didn't help. Only now it is getting better, although I haven't done any long ride nor anything very hilly since.

I am trying to remember to do stretches at least once a day and that seems to help. Also applying ice if there is any slight discomfort after a ride...

I wonder if there are ways to minimise the long term damage (if not the pain!) if it flares up badly in the middle of a long audax. I think ankling isn't very good for it, so maybe moving the pedal cleats a bit further back would help?

[citoyen]

My left Achilles tendon has been feeling a bit tender for a while but after yesterday's 300, it's swollen and very painful - far too painful to ride on today. Will try the usual RICE treatment but interestingly, also found a bit on Sheldon's site suggesting that having cleats set too far forwards can be a cause. I might try adjusting them, see if it makes a difference.

d.

[hellymedic]

Camping feet up at Mildenhall (August Bank Holiday) cured the achilles trouble I had had since May one year...