Anyone else need to hear something a few times before it really sinks in?

Or are you like me where you learn best by going through it?

(spoiler: don't pick that option frequently lol.)

I've actually been fighting with a cranky Achilles and peroneals on my left foot for about a month now.

But I haven't had to stop running.

And I've been pushing myself in the gym, getting stronger and bouncier.

But I haven't had to stop my plyometrics.

And here's why:

Because I knew better than to fall for the Achilles tendon pain myths on the internet.

And I don't want you to fall for them either.

You guessed it: this week I wanted to deep dive back into "how do you actually fix achilles tendinopathy?"

Because the amount of stretches I see on Instagram... *facepalm emoji*

You'd think we don't have this mountain of research that says "stretching does NOT fix your achilles pain".

No, we're just going to conveniently put that in a corner and ignore it...

*record scratch*

Does that mean ALL ankle stretching or mobility is BAD?

Not at all.

So since you're here and part of the running fit fam, lets dive into a little nuance before you check out the 3 mega-myths we're busting this week in the blog.

But Marie, you have LOTS of ankle stretching and mobility exercises?!

Yup, I do.

Because I realize, sometimes your ankles need a little love, a little extra convincing, before we jump into any kind of loading or strength exercises.

My current favorites are anything in a downward dog positions. Pedaling out your ankles, doing 2 legged calf raises, 2 legged raises with a slow descent, etc...

My problem becomes when the internet tries to sell you on the idea that stretching alone with prevent your problem and pain from coming back.

Because that's a lie.

And I wanted you to be crystal clear on this: if you have ankle mobility drills, stretches that YOU LIKE and work for your body, you can do those! But I don't want you to miss out on the full picture, especially since we're entering race season and I know for a lot of runners out there, now's the time their achilles starts acting sassy.

The best analogy I have may be a little off-the-wall...

But our achilles is like any breed of herding dog. Any sheep herding dog is HAPPIEST when they have a job. They LOVE to work; they need to work! And our tendons are the same way.

And stretching...well, I think we can all agree that's pretty passive. The only way we can get to running ASAP is by loading it the RIGHT way, with the right running specific exercises.

And that's what I want to give you this week:

• a blog that tells you the truth so you don't fall for the internet lies anymore saying you need a week of rest and
• a whole program of exercises to make your achilles injury proof.

Let's go check those out...

and until next time...

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit

P.S. Did you know that REST can actually be one of the WORSE things you can do for Achilles pain? Let me debunk that myth for you in this week's blog post...and tell you what you should be doing instead ;)

Looking for MORE ways to work together?

• ​RUNNING RESCUE CALL: Save your run and your race. Work directly with me 1-on-1 at the first sign of an ache, niggle, or repeat running injury. We'll deep dive into the why behind your injury and create a personalized exercise program that gets you out of pain, keeps you running, and helps prepare you for race day!
• Grab my NEWEST FREE Strength resources for runners: The Calf & Achilles Cure Toolkit, made for marathoners sidelined by stiff, painful achilles and tight, injury-prone calves who want to protect their training cycle and show up to the starting line strong, pain-free, and ready to race.
• ​STRONGER FEET WORKSHOP: Losing the battle to plantar fasciitis, posterior tib pain, or reoccurring Achilles tendonitis? Not with this workshop ;)

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