Running Mania

I searched to try to find the reason why but couldn't find anything.
Today I went out for my run and my ankles were sore. It felt like a build up of lactic acid in my muscles or something. In my ankles? Both of them. Is this something I should worry about? Also a little bit of a weird feeling in my hip every now and then.
I had to take walk breaks they were aching so bad. After about 3 km they seemed to be a little better.
Now, a couple hours after my run, I'm noticing my right ankle on the outside just above the ankle feels sore or tight or something.
I run on back roads that are sometimes not plowed or are very uneven. I'm not racing it and trying to step carefully but could this be a reason for my ankles? Today is the first time I've had this issue.
Help


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I forgot to mention that yesterday I lost control of my car and went down a ten foot ditch. I wasn't hurt and I don't think this is why my ankles hurt. But just in case


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Running on uneven surfaces can be tough on your ankles if you're not used to it. The more you do it, the stronger those muscles will get and then they will hurt less.

When I first started running my ankles hurt all the time (I even work ankle braces). I was a lot heavier then than I am now, but I was also less fit. Ankle pain should go away over time as you get more fit. But if it doesn't there could be other factors at play.

Uneven surfaces for sure. When I haven't run trails for awhile and then start again, all my little stabilizer muscles in my ankles and lower legs get sore! But like La said, that should get better as you adapt.

How old are your shoes?


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Thanks for your answers!
That makes sense. I am a little confused why I've not felt this way before now though. I've been running on this route since I started in September '16.
I got new running shoes for ice and slick snow so that's what I've mainly been running in(since the ice and snow mostly). Although I had on my Nike downshifters a few runs last week. Do you think that could play in? They are about a year and a half old.


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Shoes wear out. So if you've been running in them for that long and they used to be good but now they hurt, they probably need to be replaced.

You can track mileage. Most pairs of shoes last maybe 300-500km, but it depends on the person and the shoe too. A bigger/heavier person will wear them out faster, and a lighter shoe will wear out faster, etc.


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Adding to the possibilities presented above...
(1) Cold weather and hard surfaces (stiffer shoes and ice underneath) can lead to higher impacts with the ground, which can then show up in joints and stabilizing muscles. Where possible, select roads or "lines" along the road that reduce the hard ice and spend part of each run thinking about having a smooth stride.
(2) Significant increases in mileage over weeks or months can bring on overuse injuries that often start out as sore spots that loosen up partway through a run, only to relapse before the next run. Take an extra rest day here and there to see if that calms things down.

Thanks Ian. I have increased mileage and run on ice/ snow pretty much every time. This makes sense as well as what others have said. Thanks for all the advice.


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wellhunt wrote:Thanks Ian. I have increased mileage and run on ice/ snow pretty much every time. This makes sense as well as what others have said. Thanks for all the advice.


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I had only been racing for a short time when coworker who was also a runner asked if I was ever sore or in pain during or after a run. The look of shock on his face when I as matter of factly told him I was sore on just about every run was priceless.

The trick is to figure out when it is hurt and when it is harm. I will tell you when I figure it out. “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” – Greg LeMond

The other thing to do is make sure the pain is caused by what you think it is caused by.

I am constantly battling a left calf problem. I tried everything I could to do with the calf. Then I did a really deep Achilles stretch and that dealt with that pain. In my case, I am starting to increase the speed of my runs so I will also deal with a chronic right hip issue that is dealt with by stretching. Dr Ho and a rub will deal with the lower right back pain when I have gone a little too far. A left glute problem from cycling can flare up but simple stretching deals with that. And a very old right shoulder injury has flared up as with more speed, using my arms more.

You are testing yourself. Pushing out the boundaries and limits and that is painful. This is not to say ignore the pain but try and listen to your body. Do you just need a little rest or is there something more significant in play. You may need to find a good post race routine. At one time, I had 4 ice packs going after a challenging run. As I type this, my Dr. Ho "tens" machine is treating an ache or three.

If you have extra money and access, there are now machines and computer programs where you pay a couple hundred bucks and they analyze your gait and what shoes are best for you. Not so half trained clerk at Running Room but a clinic. The one machine I know of was invented at the U of C and I know they have a qualified clinic in Toronto. Too expensive for me but maybe an option for you.

You will get stronger and the ankles won't hurt any more/as much. In the mean-time don't over do it and ice packs are your friends.

Update... I've been running every other day instead of every day and it feels much better.
There is one thing tho that seems to have started up. I used to run 3-5 km at least 5 days a week.,. But changed it to every other day running 6-9 km. what has started to happen is that I get feeling really weak... my head gets foggy, vision is weird- hard to explain... not quite nauseas at first but feeling faint and then if I don't stop running I feel quite nauseas. During one run especially I felt awful. It just hit me about 40 min in, I had to walk. I felt really weak and foggy headed... when I got inside after my run it was so dark and I felt like I was in a tunnel. My last few runs have felt this way but to a lesser extent as I haven't been pushing it.
Today I made sure I had a good breakfast... toast and eggs. Drank a glass of water. Went for my run an hour later. Not far into it tho I felt this same twinge. Kind of like a hungry feeling and lightheaded/foggy and uncoordinated (clumsy ish). I feel like I'm eating more than enough tho. I feel like maybe something else is going on? My husband has type 1 diabetes (since he was a toddler... so for 30 years) he says that what I describe sounds like when he has a low blood sugar.
Sorry to be winded here. I'm wondering if anybody can relate to me?
Am I doing something wrong? What could help me feel better while I'm running?
Any suggestions would be welcomed.
Should I see my doc?


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my guess was low blood sugar, even before I got to the part where you mentioned it.

However, if you are eating breakfast before your run and you haven't had blood sugar issues in the past, that may not be it. :/

Have you had your iron (ferritin) checked?

ultraslacker wrote:my guess was low blood sugar, even before I got to the part where you mentioned it.

However, if you are eating breakfast before your run and you haven't had blood sugar issues in the past, that may not be it. :/

Have you had your iron (ferritin) checked?

Hmm. During my first pregnancy I was "sugar intolerant". Wasn't classified as gestational diabetes but my numbers for the test they run were high. Just a number shy from gestational diabetes. I also know that if I eat really sugary things it doesn't agree with me.(when I am not pregnant which I'm not).
Before I had my two kids (who are 4 and 5) I had my iron tested and yes I was told I had low iron. I had a very poor diet tho and I am healthier than I've ever been now. I eat healthy, little to no refined sugar (the odd thing here and there but never in high quantity), I am gluten free (was super sick and then once I went gluten free I got better... the doc wouldn't test me so I changed my diet myself), I stay away from processed food as much as possible and don't enjoy fast food etc. I guess all that said I could still be having low iron?
Maybe a trip to my doc for some blood tests is what's in order.
Next run I am going to check my blood sugar when I get back from it. My husband has an old test meter I can use.



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It never hurts to get a panel done. Ask for the ferritin specifically (they don't usually do it unless you ask for it), and the fasting glucose, and whatever else the doc is willing to include. There's no harm in having as many of your numbers as possible, even if all it gives you is a baseline for future reference.


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ultraslacker wrote:It never hurts to get a panel done. Ask for the ferritin specifically (they don't usually do it unless you ask for it), and the fasting glucose, and whatever else the doc is willing to include. There's no harm in having as many of your numbers as possible, even if all it gives you is a baseline for future reference.


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Think this is what I will do. Monday I'll phone and make an appointment. Thanks for your input


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Could also be low blood pressure, too.

You really should see your doctor about that. Feeling like you're going to pass out and things going dark like you're in a tunnel sounds pretty serious. That's why they always say, "check with your doctor before starting any type of exercise program."

ETA: and maybe a cardio stress test, too.

[quote="La"]Could also be low blood pressure, too.

You really should see your doctor about that. Feeling like you're going to pass out and things going dark like you're in a tunnel sounds pretty serious. That's why they always say, "check with your doctor before starting any type of exercise program."

ETA: and maybe a cardio stress test, too.[/]

Thanks ... lol. Yeah. For some reason I think "checking with your doc before starting exercise" applies to everyone but me. Like my parents haha.
I made an appointment and my doc is away and the closest I can see him is middle of march. I told them that's too far away for my liking, so I can see the locum on Thursday. I will keep the march appointment for follow up and hopefully have blood work done at the end of this week.
Where would I go for a cardio stress test? Is that something my doc would send me to or do at the office? I've heard of them but never done one.


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one time I actually passed out in the middle of a run. It was the day after giving blood. My doctor (who was also a long-distance runner) STILL didn't check my ferritin.

wellhunt wrote: Where would I go for a cardio stress test? Is that something my doc would send me to or do at the office? I've heard of them but never done one.

It's something your doctor would order if he/she was concerned that it might be a heart-related issue. You can't just go for one on your own.

I had one at 48, but that's because I was having weird heart fluttering, but also because of family history (my father died of a heart attack at 51). I got the all clear.

So to update so far I went to the doc and had blood work but haven't heard back. I will get in to see him again mid march so in the mean time he said not to exert myself. (He really didn't have much to say to me and it felt silly for me going in). I took a while (a week and a half) totally off running and felt kind of defeated and bummed out. So today I am trying out the treadmill even if I just walk. I feel like a failure for starting this running lifestyle but having to cut back so soon. On the other hand I know I don't want to pass out while running and potentially hurt myself in the process. Hopefully things get sorted out. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. ️


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