Right Achilles? (just the one side)



garyspecialized

New Member
Aug 27, 2011
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Question:
Just wondering if anyone has had pain just in one leg and not the other. Or could this pain be from a weird jerk on my right leg as i fell, or if bad pedaling technique is to blame. (or maybe even cycling shoes that aren't rigid enough

-cheers

Description:
Hey all, been road cycling for about 4 weeks(lovin it, shed 10+lbs), but about a week ago i pulled my first noob clipless 'tip over'(thankfully out in the hills with no one around).
I fell to my left side(i usually unclip that side first and put my left food down), and i was fine from the fall, but, the next day my right heel was fairly tender. So i took a few days off, tried some seat position changes, cleat position changes, pedaling techniques, and the pain was still there in just the right achilles(left leg is perfectly fine).Unfortunately i had to do a lot of walking over the last week as well. Could this be from the fall, or is it maybe some weird ankling technique or just too much riding? i've been thinking i've been riding too hard too often with my seat too high, but after a few 20-30 minute test rides with a lower seat and cleats a adjusted my right ankle hurts even when heavily taped.


cheers
 
Yes, happened to me earlier this season. Left achilles developed an ache after about 120 miles into a 140 mile ride where I was trying to push pace with minimal stops. One stop at 75 for fluids/food restock and then again at 120. Noticed when I got off the bike at 120 that my left achilles had a dull but persistent ache. My right achilles was torn about 4 years ago playing tennis and was surgically repaired. My right achilles was fine during and after the ride.

That night after the ride, the pain became more severe and it hurt walking around the house. Lasted a couple of days - which is the break I took from the bike. Then it was back to a dull ache off and on. The two fast pace group rides I do each week (Thurs/Sun) made it more pronounced about 5-10 miles into each. For about 6 weeks I was getting some sharp pains in my left achilles when pushing hard to keep a strong pace. I chose to back out of pace line lead before approaching anything over 6% grade so I didn't over stress the achilles. I felt an elevated "dull ache" in my right when playing tennis and ignored it and mid-match it let go. So that specific pain sensation (hard to describe) makes me nervous and that's the sensation I now use to determine when to back off. Might just be coincidental, but good enough for me. Rehab wasn't a fun process.

The sensitivity lasted about 6 weeks - mostly during harder rides. Oddly the pain would come and go. When it hurt I backed off a bit in power and upped my cadence instead. It felt as though the pain was less intense each week and was taking more sustained effort to trigger, so I decided to play it by ear and see what developed.. Then it finally ended after about 6 weeks and hasn't returned.

YMMV. You could have over stretched it during the fall or if the ride that day was particularly strenuous that may have triggered some tendinitis. Never a good thing to take medical advice from the Internet, so if this is a new sensation for you, you would be best advised to see a physician.
 

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