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running & sore ankles.

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
I just started running, about a month ago & everything has been awesome & I feel like I am kicking ass.......BUT after running my first trail last week my ankles have been sore as hell & weak too. Advil helps & makes them feel better, almost 100%, but when it wears off, Boom! sore again. Aftter noticing they were hurting I took a couple of days off (from running, I cant not ride :D ), they were still sore but better. Then I raced a grueling CX race Saturday & now they are worse than ever. I couldnt run today & am getting pissed. I am going to see my dr. this week (for a check up) so I am gonna see what he thinks. But I wanted to know if anyone here has had similar problems.
thnx.
 

ito

Mr. Schwinn Effing Armstrong
Oct 3, 2003
1,709
0
Avoiding the nine to five
Do you have new shoes? If your shoes are too new it may take some time to get used to them, and if you have any foot problems(ie. pronation) it could be putting stress on your ankles.

Like wise an older pair of shoes that are worn out could be causing the problem, the padding or ankle and arch support may not be what they used to be.

Either way you may want to get looked at by a foot doctor, as a slight case of pronation can be fixed easily with a new shoe that has better support or perhaps insertable arch supports(store bought or custom).

For joint pains I found that advil never did much for me, instead I would sit and do ice massages. Fill dixie cup with water, freeze it, tear off enough paper to expose top of ice, rub on sore part(heck do your whole leg) and massage with hands. Have a towel to catch the water of course. That, mixed with improved shoes helped me get back on my feet after a week of not being able to run due to intense knee pain and ankle pain.

Good luck.

The Ito
 

mudhunny

Chimp
Jan 2, 2004
3
0
South Bay, CA
One of the benefits of running on trails is the lower impact on your knees and joints. I suspect you might be having ankle problems because of your shoes.... for trail running you probably want to consider running shoes with a sturdier sole than your everyday pair of cotton-white-nikes. You need a sturdier sole because the terrain isnt alway going to be level so your foot is going to take the shape of whatever awkward condition the trail is in (not good if it is rocky and technical). Check out the "stability shoe" the next time your at the store. No, their not like orthopedics or anything, but they'll have a stiffer sole so your ankles wont feel as much of the ground's variation. Happy trails!

www.singletracks.com
 

Jorvik

Monkey
Jan 29, 2002
810
0
I honestly don't know anymore.
Ito- Ice massages are awesome, good advice.


My guess is just that you're ankles are getting too much strain from the trail. I'd go with straight up trail running shoes. They're a different beast than regular running shoes, even the stability ones that mudhunny suggested. The stability ones would be a good inbetween shoe, but I'm all about having the right tool for the job.

I had terrible ankle problems from logging too many miles once. I'm not going to post how many miles I ran because SM will see this post and call me a dumbass.
 

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
yup, new shoes...i dont know if that is it. They are trail running shoes. I think I might get a pair for the pavement too. I think it is impact related. thanks.
 

Ridemonkey

This is not an active account
Sep 18, 2002
4,108
1
Toronto, Canada
My experience: stretch A LOT and stick with it a while. DOn't hesitate to take a few days off if the pain is bad. Eventually your ankles will get stronger and the pain will subside.
 

Jorvik

Monkey
Jan 29, 2002
810
0
I honestly don't know anymore.
Originally posted by TN_Fred
yup, new shoes...i dont know if that is it. They are trail running shoes. I think I might get a pair for the pavement too. I think it is impact related. thanks.
Oh yeah, don't rock out your trailrunning shoes on the pavement. Seperate shoes. I've seen that lots of people buy trail running shoes who plan to only run on trails once or twice in the life of the shes :rolleyes:

As RM said, if it's really bothering you, lay off it for a couple days. Your body will heal given time. I'm a stupid son of a bitch and I never do, but do as I say, not as I do.
 

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
Originally posted by Jorvik
As RM said, if it's really bothering you, lay off it for a couple days. Your body will heal given time. I'm a stupid son of a bitch and I never do, but do as I say, not as I do.

Yeah, I am the same way. But the other day I had to turn back....I feel I could have grinned & beared it & pounded out a few miles, but I didn't want to make it worse & possilbly not feel like riding. It would suck to get hurt running & not be able to ride.
:rolleyes:




Also....remind me never to do a CX race in my stiff soled bike shoes....I think that really was the nail in the coffin.
 

Jorvik

Monkey
Jan 29, 2002
810
0
I honestly don't know anymore.
I don't really know what the CX deal is with shoes and all, but it'd seem to my non-weight weenie self that a high topped SPD freeride style shoe would do better than traditional XC shoes. Then again, I know nothing about CX.
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,448
directly above the center of the earth
Hey Fred

I'm gonna bet two things.

1. too far too fast too soon. you may have ramped up a wee bit fast.

2. wrong shoes, did you go to a high end running shop and have them "fit" you into the proper shoe? Most high end MFG's make shoes that address different foot types, over pronation, underpronation, neutral, and a good shop can determine what type of corrections you may need and get you in a cushion shoe, motion control etc. check out www.roadrunnersports.com
and under shopping tools click on shoe dog. its a good tool for aiding in selection of a proper shoe

I'm a big 220 lb neutral runner and I need a cushion shoe. I use the Asics gel nimbus 5 for road and gel eagle trail for dirt and it has really made a difference in my running comfort [used to run in brooks and Mizunos]
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
I just run on the pavement, but I have noticed that if I run on one side of the street (againist traffic) for the whole run it makes my knees and ankles hurt. Figured out that it was because they slope the streets to the side, and it was stressing my legs running on the incline. Started switching back and forth between the sides and it quit. Could be the same with the trails.
 

El Jefe

Dr. Phil Jefe
Nov 26, 2001
793
0
OC in SoCal
You need to strengthen and stretch. Before you run on the trails, take a little 5-10min jog around to warm up and then stretch. Do some ankle rotations. In your spare time at home or work, get some surgical tubing and do some resistance exercises like this:



Also do it with band tension from the other side. Ease into your trail mileage. Once you get used to all the extra strain on the ankle, you'll be fine.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
I suspect the connective tissues of your ankles are inflamed and need a chance to strengthen. Trail running is quite a bit different than road running, overall it is easier on the joints but beginners should excercise caution and build up slowly.

When a person runs or walks it is likely that the foot falls in the exact same way better than 99% of the time. Your muscles, joints and connective tissue are adapted to flat surfaces already - the angle of impact seldom varies on the road - this is part of the reason why running on the road is so much faster - the bulk of your expended energy propells you forward. Trail running tends to involve a constantly variable angles of impact - quite a lot of energy is expended for lateral stability, your ankle constantly rotates and pivots as needed to maintain your upright stance. This causes a lot of stress on an underdeveloped ankle. In the sort run it will take time to develope the tendon / tissue strength needed for the new activity. In the long run your body will fare better and recover faster as the impact of running will spread over a larger surface area.

This sort of pain is the type you should not run through. Stop running entirely until the pain is 100% gone. Resume running at a moderate pace and pay attention to what your body tells you - reading your body and knowing it's limits is invaluable.
 

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
OK so it is Aug. 2006 & after a brief sabbatical....due to the pounding ankles....I am back.

I eased into & do five miles now with little to no pain.

Thanks for the advice!!!
 

macko

Turbo Monkey
Jul 12, 2002
1,191
0
THE Palouse
While trail running <i>can</i> be less stressful on your joints than running on pavement, it can have the opposite affect as well depending on the trail. Trails around here are rocky and that can make it a lot easier to slightly twist something; not to mention, the constant running on the uneven surfaces and micro-adjustments yor ligaments have to make to maintain balance are things that will cause some pain if your body is not used to it.

Stretch and take things easy. While I'm at work, I'll "write the alphabet" with my toes under my desk. It's a great way to stretch out your ankles.
 

reflux

Turbo Monkey
Mar 18, 2002
4,617
2
G14 Classified
I know this is an old thread and probably of little help to anyone now, but here are my thoughts.

Stretching helped to alleviate some of the soreness post run, but in order to build the strength of the foot muscles, I had three exercises that I did before every run. I think I did them for about a month before I just stopped doing them. 1) Jump up and down on the ball of your foot, all while standing in place. The form is very similar (exact?) to what you do when you're jump-roping. 2) Crab walk. While facing straight ahead, walk fast (run?) to the side while keeping your hips facing forward. If going to the right, place your left foot in front of your right. Repeat in the opposite direction. 3) This is also a plyometrics exercise. Put a small object on the ground, something like a book, cone, or anything. With the object to your side, jump over it with one leg, and land on the other. Repeat, repeat, repeat, etc.