Beginner with a sore heel. Advice?
letzdothiz
Posts: 41 Member
Hello all!!
Just completed my first week of C25K today and I cant help but notice my left heel is really sore. Looking for advice as to what may be causing it. The way i'm running, my sneakers, not enough stretching? Running is a new world to me and Id like to start it off right..
Advice please
Letzdothiz
Just completed my first week of C25K today and I cant help but notice my left heel is really sore. Looking for advice as to what may be causing it. The way i'm running, my sneakers, not enough stretching? Running is a new world to me and Id like to start it off right..
Advice please
Letzdothiz
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Replies
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If you don't have specific running shoes then yes I would start there, worn out soles will cause injury easily. But watch your foot fall as well, heel striking can cause sore heels.0
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Foot fall meaning I'm landing on the heel to hard?. This is prob a dumb question but should i be landing towards the front of my foot?0
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I would first look at your shoes and if they are an actual running shoe that is meant for you. Maybe look up a true running store near you and go get fitted for running shoes. Then next it would be your running technique and foot fall. From what I have read on foot fall you want to try to aim to land towards the center of your foot and do a light touch. Try not to pound the ground.0
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Is it a 'deep' pain, on the underside of the heel? Tender to the touch and to bear weight? If so it's likely a stone bruise from impact. Unfortunately they are very painful and just take time and rest to heal. Little you can do. If it's a stone bruise it's going to take weeks or even months to stop hurting. I've had two in my life and I hate them.
To avoid, in future try to land more mid foot, not directly on your heel. And definitely avoid landing your heal on something small and lumpy like a rock, bump in the road, etc... If you are running 'traditionally' with a heel or mid foot strike make sure you have adequately cushioned shoes.
There's also something of a trend for barefoot and minimalist running which necessitates a forefoot strike. It seems this can reduce the overall impact of landing by improving your mechanics. I'm currently experimenting with it, but it's too early to endorse it or otherwise. You can google it to see what others think.0 -
On the barefoot/minimalist shoe question, a piece of advice I got early on is that your shoe is a tool. It isn't going to change much -and if you are going to run sloppy, you might as well do it in a supportive shoe. If you want to work on your form, a more minimal shoe can provide more feedback/require your foot muscles to work harder (and get developed). However some people can't run at all without support/cushioning.0
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This is great advice guys thank you so much!0
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My first thought was plantar faciitis. Soreness in the very center of your heel, especially noticeable when first standing after sitting or sleeping, could be faciitis. The plantar fascia are bands that support the bottom of your foot. The point where the main fascia Running from toes too heel, attaches is at the center of the heel. It can become inflammed from the repetitive pounding your foot takes during running. My pain improved greatly from putting proper arch support (super feet green) in my shoes ( I have flat feet), and from stretching my calves and feet after a 5 minute warmup, before continuing the rest of my run. Massaging the arch and heel after my runs with a tennis ball (or paying my children $1.00 for a foot massage) also helps. Hope you find and can relieve the source of your pain. Congratulations on beginning C25K!!! :-)0
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Thank you bttrthanevr! Im really happy with the program and oooh that sounds so good on getting my kids to massage it for me
But yes I only feel the pain when I first stand on it and take a few steps then I don't notice it anymore. New running shoes and arch support will be on my Christmas list this year oh and the new fitbit looks pretty cool too. Thanks again!0 -
It does sound like plantar fasciitis from your last description. I battled it several years ago in my right foot.
One of the things that helped the most for me is having good proper running shoes. When mine start to wear out, I really notice that my foot starts to hurt again. The other thing that helped me is stretching my foot first thing in the AM. Before I get out of bed, I stick my foot over the edge of the bed and draw the alphabet with my foot. It gives you a total range of motion stretch, and I swear it helped me to get rid of the problem and keep it away. Even now if I feel that the area is getting sensitive again, I start stretching. *knock on wood* I haven't had a recurrent bout in many years now.0 -
I think I figured out why I may be so sore.. I just realized i did my first week of C25K wrong. Instead of 60 secs jogging n 90 secs walking I did 90 secs jogging and 60 secs walking.. no wonder I was so out of breath the first day. Now this 2nd week will seem like a breeze with 2 mins of walking in between jogs, not sure what to do now :0/0
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You should definitely get good running shoes. When I started running, I was told to get new shoes ASAP. I ignored it and waited about two months until I finally went out to get some. Trust me, you won't regret getting them TODAY!
The store I went to (JackRabbit) actually analyzes your stride using high speed cameras. Since the people working there seem to know quite a bit about running, you can probably ask them to comment on your stride.0
