Achilles Tendon Injury

The function of the Achilles tendon is to push and stabilize the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle. Most common injuries to the Achilles tendon occur when running and jumping, however during prolonged hill climbing, like you will be doing during a multi-day cycling event you can over stress the tendon and cause real problems. When you over extend your heels for too long a period of time you begin to tear down the tendon fibers, which in turn react by becoming inflamed. As well as being very painful, if the inflammation is severe enough you lose the ability to laterally rotate your foot freely. This means that you will not be able to unclip - not a pretty sight when you come to a stop. If untreated the Achilles will become weaker leading to the possibility of a rupture of the tendon and potential tearing, which usually requires surgical intervention.

How to Avoid Injury
Achilles problems in cyclists aren't due to one explosive wrench that injures the tendon. Instead, they're caused by repetitive movement. Check these factors:

Is your saddle high enough? Your body may compensate for a low saddle by bending the ankle too much at the top of the pedal stroke, which in turn puts strain on the Achilles.

Are you concentrating too much on pulling through at the bottom of the stroke? It's good to work on this skill occasionally, but in normal riding it shouldn't be a conscious act. Overemphasis could conceivably cause Achilles strain.

Are you doing a lot of climbing? Short, steep hills can bring on a case of Achilles tendinitis if you push too hard on hills at a low cadence.

The key to avoiding such an injury is proper cycling technique and stretching.
To keep the Achilles tendon flexible try one of these easy stretches:

Stretch 1
- Stand upright about 3 feet from a wall
- Lean against the wall without losing the straight line of the head, neck, spine, pelvis, legs and ankles
- Keep both heels down, flat together and parallel to the hips
- Exhale, bend your arms, move your chest toward the wall, and shift your weight forward
- Hold the stretch and relax

Stretch 2
- Stand with the balls of your feet on something, like a curb, that will allow your heels to drop below level
- Slowly lower your heels until you feel a good stretch hold for at least 20 seconds. Do not stretch too far - this should not be painful.
- Do this several times before each ride especially if you are training on hills and you should be able to avoid injury.

If you injure your Achilles tendon the best treatment, as with most sports related injuries, is IRA - Ice, Rest, Advil.

Good luck training, and safe riding.