Consistent ankle pain during run?

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brimn1992
brimn1992 Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
Over the last 4 months I have been obsessed with cardio and running. Over the past week, when I get 15-20 minutes into my running routine, my ankles start to hurt. Because of this I have been stuck on the same part of my running program and am having troubles with them every time I try to move to the next level, to the point I have to stop halfway through my run. I got proper shoes a few weeks ago so I know that is not the issue. Has anyone had this issue and have some advice? Thanks!

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  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
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    You're most likely pushing too hard when you run. You fatigue faster and the places that will hurt more will be places that are less conditioned.

    Can you hold a conversation while running? If not, slow it down and see if that helps.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Have you been properly fitted for your running shoes? Had a gait analysis done?
  • cwannabee
    cwannabee Posts: 23 Member
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    If you have confirmed your shoes fit right and that you don't have an injury I'm guessing you need to incorporate some strength training into your routine. Especially exercisies to help stengthen your calves and ankles.

    When I first started running and really was starting to transistion into distances past a 5K I had one ankle/calf that would give me grief. I started doing strength training exercisies and cut back on my mileage for a bit. I also wore a soft brace on that ankle when I ran for a time. Eventually I was able to ditch the brace. I can now run half marathons with no problems.
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
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    How/Where do you strike the ground? If you strike with your forefoot, your ankle is taking a lot more of the force. If you strike with your heel, it's your knees. Midfoot, somewhere in-between. I'm a forefoot striker, usually. I do tend to have more ankle problems. I've found that stretching the calves and ankles helps a lot.

    Another thing to pay attention to is where your foot lands relative to your body. You want to have it feel like your feet are landing directly underneath you.
  • brimn1992
    brimn1992 Posts: 5
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    Definitely cannot hold a conversation lol. Will try to go a bit slower tonight and see how that goes.

    I do have properly fitting shoes but I have not had a gait analysis done. I know in my casual shoes I have to wear a heel lift because my hips are slightly uneven. Could that maybe affect my gait?

    I strength train typically 2 times a week, one day upper body(biceps, triceps, back, shoulders) and one day lower body (quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and core). Maybe I should bump that up to try to strengthen my ankles?
  • brimn1992
    brimn1992 Posts: 5
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    I think I tend to land on my Mid to forefoot and twist inwards a bit now that I think of it. Will try to keep in mind my running technique in mind on my run tonight.
  • handyrunner
    handyrunner Posts: 32,662 Member
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    yes what peope are saying is true..

    things to consider..not every run should be all out...the majority should be "easy runs"

    make sure the shoes are the proper ones for your gait.

    vary the terrain and course you run on. running the same path can contribute to an over use injury.

    use your training runs to focus on form and make corrections..ie how your striking, where your arms are located and how the swing, how are you holding your head and shoulders.

    and strength training!
  • Charyoureaping
    Charyoureaping Posts: 2
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    Also, where in your ankle are you experiencing the pain? Is it sharp/dull/throbbing, etc?

    By uneven hips, do you you mean that you have an anatomic short leg, or some aspect of your pelvic bones is uneven? Either of those could indeed be altering your gait and causing you pain. As others have mentioned, getting a gait analysis done (probably by a sports medicine or osteopathic specialist) would be a very good idea.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    I think I tend to land on my Mid to forefoot and twist inwards a bit now that I think of it. Will try to keep in mind my running technique in mind on my run tonight.

    There is no running store that would fit you with a shoe without a gait analysis. I suggest you get one done ASAP. You might need a stability shoe or even a motion control shoe depending on your weight. If you wear a lift in one shoe while walking, you should wear it while running.
  • brimn1992
    brimn1992 Posts: 5
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    I guess I will go to my local running store and talk to them about a gait analysis. My pelvic bone on the left is shifted up which makes my left leg a tad shorter than the other. Unnoticeable to the eye but it may make a difference in my run.

    The pain starts out dull but the more I run on it, the sharper it gets.

    We've had horrible weather here for weeks so I've been constantly running on a treadmill. My physical therapist mentioned that treadmills can cause us to run and strike differently than we would elsewhere. He recommended to start road running again as soon as weather permits.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
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    You shouldn't be striking at all. If when you run you can hear your foot making more than soft contact, you're running with poor form (often heel striking). Bad form is why stability and other specialty shoes exist. But, they relieve symptoms and do nothing to correct the ultimate problem, which will not be kind to knees and hips in the long run.

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