Achilles Pain

i have had it, although not as bad.  i did see a pediatrist too.  invested in some better shoes.  took time off too...months....i am fully better (knock on some wood please) but only running about 90min max.  i have heard and tried heel lifts and stretching for mine.  not sure if they worked...i think they just irritated them.  it was about a month or two of rest and the runnign shoes i replaced.  what sent it totally away after i was better (still had twinges) is some mild hill training on my short runs...strenghtened them back up.  initially (too early) i did calf raises with just my weight and that only ticked them off too...???

i am afraid your doc will say to lay off if its that bad.

but this was me...perhaps you will be able to work throught this with the right regimen.  a docs opinion will help a lot.

good luck.

Yup, same here.  It's called Plantar Faciitis.  Mine's not as severe.  I can run and it'll be sore the next day, but then will improve a lot after that.  My doctor is also a triathlete and she suggested the stretching before running as crucial.  Also you should be examined to determine how much of an arch support you probably need.  I went with the hard carbon fiber support that's available at good running shoe stores, but in extreme cases, you might need one custom made to your foot.  Also she told me to be careful with running shoes and to make sure the one you use is for over-pronation, and that it fits tightly in the heel area.  Your heel basically has an elastic pad on it that tends to squish and spread out sideways each time you land on it.  If you have a floppy heel to your running shoe, the pad in your foot compresses so much that you lose the natural cushioning.  Proper shoe fit is critical.

And , unfortunately, lots of rest helps too.  My doc was sympathetic and she did not tell me to stop running, but that I needed to "be creative" with my training and save the tough runs for events that I'm peaking for (my 1/2 Ironman in August).  Try training on softer ground if possible (woods running etc.) to lessen the impact.

Max

Yes but I found that they didn't help at all and actually found that my Achilles were even more sore after.  I found easy cycling on the turbo trainer (so I had complete control over my effort) the best cure.  I lowered the seat a little to take the strain of the calves and Achilles too.