lateral ankle sprain (CF?)

[Pudgy]

Yeah, I struggle with the eyes closed thing as well (but seeing me dance tells you all you need to know about my coordination). Try standing on one leg on a rolled up towel, works for me.

[lantern rouge]

Don't quite know how you mean. Standing with the rolled up towel under the arch of your foot or going lengthways?

[strider]

I am prone to ankle problems too so I tape them BUT only for races. To help strengthen them I never tape them for training runs. The exercises mentioned do work and are particularly useful after the intitial recovery stage following an injury. Yes, do buy a wobble board and use it regularly. Standing on one leg while throwing a tennis ball repeatedly against a wall helps 'teach' your ankle to work for itself.
Hope this helps.
PS get someone reliable to show you how to tape your ankle properly!

[Penguin]

Just running off road will help. The key to it all is improving proprioception (the ability of the ankle to know where it is, and adjust automatically). Taping up your ankle may help this and may improve your confidence. Wobble boards, or Fleeter's trick of standing on one leg on a rolled up towel certainly helps, but I still think the surest and best way is to get out and run on uneven surfaces.

stand on little plastic hedgehog things are a great training tool, for nasty ankle injurys!

also use of a good debt collecter(pysio!) helps it to heal a lot quick, torn 2 ligaments this time, running again.. 3 weeks after injury! not allowed to go on fells for 3-4 weeks bah humblug

[philgreen1968]

lego pieces strewn around the floor, then walk randomly round the room in the dark, similar training!

[stato]

I agree with the problems 'trail' shoes can cause, being not so 'low profile' as out and out fell shoes. Since I've worn my Salomon speedcross(which are as comfy as anything by the way) I've been prone to spraining my ankles. I think it must be down to being more used to training in Inov8 fell shoes or adidas swoops, which are both 'lower profile'. It all came to a head last weekend, when a break in concentration to just greet a walker 'good morning' whilst running down the wrekin, resulted in disaster! Yes, I actually managed to sprain both ankles(one straight after the other!!) The left one was already pretty swollen from previous recent sprains, so as I leapt in agony as that one cracked over, I then managed to land on the other awkwardly, and now both resemble multi coloured 'elephant' ankles!! Ah, the joys of fell running ha ha!

[No vice]

Any 'special' advice?
About a month ago I had slightly sprained ankle. Not the usual where the foot roll stretches the outside of the ankle, but the other direction.
Thought it had healed, but during a half marathon, last weekend, I realised it hadn't.

Now got it heavily strapped up as although its weight bearing it is unstable. Proprioception is obviously shot.

Using icepacks. I can't rest it as I'm doing 10 hour shifts, on my feet.

Any tips to sensibly reduce recovery time?

[Amex]

Time i am afraid, heat to increase the blood flow, rest and time sorry.

[No vice]

Time i am afraid, heat to increase the blood flow, rest and time sorry.

Yeah, guess I know it Had a bad couple of months about this time last year - just after I started, with spraining my ankles about 3 times.

Just a vain hope that fell runners might have some magic cure or tips, due to the increased risk (?) to the ankle from the terrain.

Well, the Bolsover 10k is out for next weekend might have to think about dragging out the wobble board and oiling up the bike. No exercising the leg for a week more tho'

[No vice]

Good news.
Been told its not the ankle proper, so no damaged tendons/ligaments.
Apparantly muscle damage, on the outside of the lower leg, just above the ankle. Should heal quicker.