after it happened for the third time on way down Skiddaw, I was planting my left foot splayed outwards like charlie chaplin to stop it happening again
that makes for a distinctive running style
after it happened for the third time on way down Skiddaw, I was planting my left foot splayed outwards like charlie chaplin to stop it happening again
that makes for a distinctive running style
I have also had a number of problems with rolling my ankles (having ankles like twiglets doesn’t help).
This would nearly always occur when descending over rough ground. I’m convinced now that this was down to two things:
Wearing trail shoes for comfort over fell shoes and heel striking due to holding back when descending.
I have found that wearing fell shoes with a thin, flat sole so the heel is as low to the ground as possible gives a better feel and allows the feet to respond quicker. I wonder if this is akin to Pudgy's comment:
I also now try (whenever possible) to lean forward a bit and concentrate on landing on the ball of my foot rather than the heel when descending (unless on scree) and only ever wear trail shoes when there is little or no steep descent involved, and never on rough trackless moorland.Originally Posted by Pudgy
This is just my perception but it seems to me that the more you try to protect and support the ankles the more likely you are to damage them.
I went over on my ankle twice at Kinder Trog and again last week. Should I see a physio and can they actually do anything to help or should I just take it easy and be careful?
Shoes make a difference - lower profile out-and-out fell shoes will help, but you may have to watch other injuries coming on if you do a high mileage in them.
The real trick, as other posters have said, is to strengthen your ankles!
Exercises such as using a wobble board; standing on the injured leg and writing the alphabet in big letters in the air with the other one; playing catch on one leg; running backwards in a tight figure of 8 round cones; walking slowly and deliberately heel-and-toe down a straight line; etc etc will all help. Basically anything that works the ankle will strengthen it and improve proprioception.
I used to suffer from this problem chronically, but since I moved up to cumbria 4 years ago and started to run more consistently on rougher, steeper ground the problem disappeared.
A few weeks agon I went over on my ankle and keep doing it. Yesterday was really painful!
SO would going to a physio be of any benefit, or just a waste of money, or should I just keep going and hope my ankle strengthens up again?
Novice I would say go see a physio ASAP.
You have tried for a few weeks to sort it but it has not worked.
The physio won't cure it but you will get excellent advice on the correct strengthen procedures and if you ask the question, the correct way to tape it prior to a run.
Oh
And you might not like the bit when they say rest.
I go every time something like this occurs.
PS
It was my Physio that got me refered at the hospital for an MRI scan after being wrongly diagnosed with a knee problem. (now on waiting list for opp)
Hope this helps
Stagger
Last edited by Stagger; 27-07-2009 at 10:59 AM.
Have a look at wobble boards on ebay.
Ask the physio if they would help in your rehab.
The more you ask the more you will learn for the future.
Thanks for the advice, have booked an appointment
Novice, I think the problem is that once you've gone over on an ankle badly, it weakens it and it's more likely to occur again in the following days. To which I suppose a week or so's rest is the only answer.
but I think this really is something that does strengthen with more time running on uneven ground - it still happens to me but less frequently.
I tore some ligaments in my ankle at Tegg's Nose a couple of weeks ago and was asking the physios at work about it. The consensus seemed to be rest for a week to ten days with NO running; gently reintroduce running but not on unpredictable surfaces and see how it goes; once you have done it, it is likely to be the same one again and again... my left ankle is ALWAYS the one and has been that way for a couple of years.
When it comes to strengthening, standing on one foot is meant to help with the strength, but more importantly the co-ordination... they recommended it with your eyes shut, but I fall over... it's hard enough with my eyes open.
Good luck with it.
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