Update: Diagnosed with Achilies Tendinopahy about a week ago.
Been off the bike on advice ever since with only mandate to keep mobile through walking. I did a spin this this morning to see how it all felt (having continued not to get any pain off the bike in the interim), hoping for an hour but managed 30mins until I got pain. Progress? Doesn’t feel like it.
As advised, starting a series of 6 eccentric exercises today (3x15, twice a day) and off to PT next week again.
I have just purchased a pair of swimming trunks and goggles…got to try something to keep my aerobic system engaged.
On a side note, my HR/power on the bike this morning was comedy
I noted earlier that swimming was wonderfully therapeutic for me when I had my achilles issues…I always felt great getting out of the pool and would be pain-free for a few hours.
Keep going with the eccentric heel drops…and make sure you begin to add additional weight as you do them. You can use books in a backpack, dumbbells, etc. But the key is to (slowly) overload the system during the drops to build strength.
Be patient. Progress should not be expected after a week. It might take 8, 12, or 16. Tendon injuries heal slowly and only heal with consistent and progressive load.
Approach it like you would a cycling training plan. Progressive overload. Follow your PT’s guidance. Trust the process.
Recovering from an Achilles injury is frustratingly slow…patience is key. It is even more critical once it starts to feel better as you still have to rein in the temptation to pick things back up.
Firstly I was in “my season is over” mode, then a recognised it was only February. Then I was in the “my training camp in April is at risk”, then I recognised it was only February again, but now at the point of radical acceptance (which probably means the latter becomes true), so here I am about to start my journey of being patient and as was pointed out, treat it like any good training plan.
I’m off to do my second set of exercises for the day.
Sorry, long thread and havnt read the whole thing, but unless the bike is your source of Achilles tendonitis, I’d actually encourage low power cycling.
For basic tendonitis, cycling is great. Therapy for AT is all about stretching your calf, which you do every revolution
Even after a rupture that I’ve repaired, low z1 on a recumbent bike is part of my early phase therapy protocol (As early as 2 weeks assuming incision is healed). If you’re on the trainer or stationary, I’d call “low z1” to be zero resistance and the weight of your leg is what’s pushing the pedal down.
Just about every bit of current evidence based literature on Achilles tendonitis and rupture repairs suggest early mobilization is key
Reminder, that if you do this, move your saddle forward as well. I got quite a bit of releif moving my cleats back, and I left them there, things still feel good, and helps my calves for long technical descents as well.
I had made the mistake of riding with enduro shoes, on my gravel bike, with the cleats all the way back and too much setback, and was noticing other issues to do with basically a very slack ST angle.
Same, I use this as preventative care now, especially when starting training after some time off, I notice things get tight really easily, and the massage gun is a really quick way to help with that. This includes my shoulders, chest and back.
I think I jinxed this by posting here, after two years without it, came back yesterday.
I now everyone says its rare with low power, but this happened from doing traditional base, mid volume only. Completely different bike than last time, but my calves/shins, back, and everything have been very tight, since I was coming off almost three months of inactivity, I think even the mid volume was too much, too fast for me.
I may do proper PT this time, as I already hit my out of pocket maximum for insurance, ha.
I have added this in to my post ride routine. It’s been years since my last achilles issues, and this is the thing that helped resolve it for me, and is the one of the few things that “I know I should do” that I actually consistently do. I think I’m at about 50 or so pounds in a backpack for these.
greetings. checking to see if anyone has recovered without using the major protocols of eccentric heel raises, heel drops, calf stretches etc. ? asking because these things cause me excruciating pain. and if so, what did you do?
first, thank you for responding. no, I have PAIN with everything. I had imaging done and was told it was tendonopathy, which to me, seems more like a tear do to what I am experiencing. I will keep looking…
peace and bliss
Just before the new year, I started suffering from achilles pain after a lot of riding over the Christmas holidays. I believe it was caused by not transferring my fit properly to my winter bike with mtb pedals: cleats too far forward, and a saddle too high.
I’ve been continuing my training indoors with my fit corrected, with some discomfort and pain the day after each ride, but gradually improving. Finally the pain seems to have subsided, but now I have a week long training camp in Mallorca coming up in two weeks.
I am wondering if I should still go (everything is booked and paid), or if it’s too much of a risk that I’ll end up sidelined after the first day back outdoors on the bike. Has anyone else done a camp so soon after recovering from tendonitis?
What are you doing in terms of treatment / rehab for the achilles (besides riding)? Are you doing weighted eccentric heel drops? Sleeping in a night brace?
If not, see my post(s) way ^ there for rehab stuff that was very successful for me…weighted eccentric heel drops (emphasis on “weighted” and “drops”) plus wearing very flat shoes (counterintuitive) were the primary keys to my rehab success. Literally everyone I have recommended flat shoes to have seen near-immediate symptom relief.