Run Fast and Recover Faster with Apolla Performance Socks

From racing shoes to headlamps and everything in between, runners can be quite picky about their gear. As time goes on and technology advances, runners want the best of the best to be able to perform well, stay away from injury, and recover as fast as possible. Believe it or not, socks play a significant role in foot health for athletes. They are not just made to add a layer of cushion in between the skin and shoe seams. They can provide the feet, and pretty much every joint up the body, with support and injury prevention no matter what your lifestyle dictates.

Comfort is Always Number One

The first thing we aim for when picking out any piece of an outfit, shoes, or socks, is comfort. Runners, in particular, don’t care as much about looks, as long as they can feel comfortable on their long runs and avoid issues like achy joints, blisters, and heaviness. This all can be solved with a good pair of socks. In comes Apolla Performance. Initially created for dancers, who we can all agree get the most beating to their feet, these styles are equally perfect for any lifestyle. Just recently a research study concluded their effectiveness in reducing force and received the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance.

Apolla Performance socks are all made in the USA with REPREVE, which is certified sustainable yarn. Runners are sure to be happy with the Amp (no-show), the Performance (crew), and the Infinite (mid-calf), since they all provide the perfect thickness to protect from impact, blisters, and moisture, without feeling suffocated in running shoes. Each has energy absorption padding in the heel and ball of the foot which helps cushion during both push-off and landing—the parts of the running cycle that damage the feet the most. If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, you will be grateful for this feature!

Instability is the Enemy

As a physical therapist, I am an advocate for creating the most stable surface during the running cycle. This means being extra picky about the shoes and socks you wear. Weak, overused, or tired ankle and foot muscles can lead to ankle rolls and strains in the tiny muscles of the foot from the constant work when your foot and ankle are not supported well. Apolla Performance socks are made with targeted high compression where you need it the most—around the ankle joint and the arch of the foot. The arch actually has three zones of compression to lift and stabilize, which makes a significant difference if you suffer from plantar fascia issues. In these cases you want to prevent your arch from getting too stretched out, which will end up tugging on your heel bone. It’s a tough condition to treat, so you want to do anything you can to avoid too much pressure to this area!

Work Hard, Recover Harder 

The mid-calf Infinite Sock from Apolla Performance is the best choice for both recovery runs and your rest days. Providing your feet and lower legs with compressive support is ideal to help with circulation—the key to recovering faster. This is best done with graduated compression up the calf, which is exactly what this pair provides. Using compression socks during and after runs, especially speed workouts and long runs, is ideal for those suffering from achy calves, shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, and any other foot and ankle conditions. You want good blood flow and comfortable cushioning if you want to be fully ready for your next workout. If you are looking for happy and healthy feet, Apolla Performance has you covered!

Plantar Fasciitis: The Best Treatment Approach

Does foot pain have you limping every time you get out of bed? Do you find yourself constantly rolling your arch with a water bottle every day with zero relief? If you are dealing with plantar fasciitis, as I have for years, it can be an extremely frustrating condition. Unfortunately this particular foot condition can take a while to get under control, but if you are diligent about management techniques, you can limit the effects plantar fasciitis has on your training program and daily life. What has worked for me may not work for everyone, but there are several tried and true methods that are worth the investment in money and time.

Treat the Cause

To understand how to treat your plantar fasciitis, it is important to know the cause, since treating symptoms will only lead to temporary results. This condition can arise from many different problems, and many are issues that are easily corrected.

Improper shoes: Since foot form and landing style can vary from person to person, the style of shoes you wear for every day use and running will largely impact the wear and tear on your feet. Runners who consistently train in low drop shoes are constantly stretching out the Achilles tendon. This undue strain leads to heel pain since the Achilles attaches to the area where the plantar fascia attaches. Since runners also use the calf muscles with every push-off in the running cycle, the calves tend to get overused and tight. Wearing shoes with a higher heel drop decreases the stress to the Achilles, therefore less strain on the bottom of the foot. All of my running shoes have an 8mm or larger drop, and I always rotate between several different pairs at once to give the different muscles of the foot a break at times.

Muscle Tightness: As explained above, tight calves can lead to heel pain. The lack of flexibility causes tugging on the attachment point at the heel where the plantar fascia attaches. Those who suffer from pain right at the base of the heel versus the arch can have success at relieving their issue by simply adding in more flexibility exercises to their program. Stretching the calves in standing both with the knee straight and bent is necessary in order to stretch all of the muscles that attach to the Achilles tendon. Daily post-run foam rolling is also beneficial for breaking up adhesions in the muscles that are causing the lack of flexibility.

Weakness: There are 26 bones in the foot, which means that many muscle attachments and more. The foot is commonly ignored when strength training, but it is the most important body part for runners since the feet carry our entire body weight through miles and miles. The small intrinsic muscles that control toe strength, stability, and range of motion for the feet and lower legs are constantly contracting and if there is any weakness, you can guarantee that much of the pressure gets applied to the fascia at the insertion points of the balls of the feet and heel, as well as in the center at the arch. Exercises such as the well-known “calf raises” (which is better referred to as ‘heel raises’) strengthen the push-off muscles, but it is important for runners to be incorporating toe raises as well in order to strengthen the shin muscles. To work the tiny muscles of the toes, a great exercise can be done in the sitting position: Place a small towel on the floor under the foot and curl the toes as if trying to pick up the towel. Repeat this motion for 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions a few times per week and you’ve hit the toe flexor muscles and stabilizers of the foot. Stabilizing the foot also involves strength from the inverter and everter muscles, which are basically in charge of controlling lateral movements (think rolling your ankle).

Foot Type:Any foot deformity such as bunions, hammertoe, low arches, or flat feet can greatly impact the pressure through the plantar fascia. Particularly having low arches or flat feet is the most concerning as this causes the fascia to be on a stretch at all times. The best relief for this cause is to make sure to wear the proper running shoes, which help supinate the foot, or lift the inner part of the foot to mimic having an arch. There are many insoles created for this purpose. My favorites are by Profoot, which you can find here. Runners with flat feet should also incorporate more hip external rotation and abduction exercises to help keep the hip, knee, and ankle aligned. Good choices to add into your routine are clamshells, banded lateral leg lifts, and hip hiking off of a step.

Personal Relief Strategies

I have dealt with plantar fasciitis for at least 8 years. I used to try to ignore it as much as possible and I got used to always waking up with heel pain and stiffness and it relieving after a few steps. When it would get bad to the point that it would bother me several times a day I would just stretch my toes sometimes and ice my feet when I wasn’t too lazy. All I was doing was controlling the symptoms at the time. Over the years I have developed a routine of different treatment tactics that have gotten me to the point of being pain-free at least 95% of the time. Here’s what has worked for me:

• Using Normatec Compression boots for 45-60 minutes at least 4 times per week—this has helped with my lower leg circulation and relieves general tightness and soreness.

• Rolling my foot with a spike ball every night for a few minutes—breaks up tightness and adhesions in the fascia.

• Wearing insoles for both running and walking most days—Profoot Plantar Fasciitis have been the best! I also use the toe separators every night for just 5 minutes, which helps stretch all of those intrinsic muscles I was referring to.

• Rotating between 5 pairs of shoes for running—currently I use Nike Pegasus Turbo for long runs, Nike Zoom Fly for speed and track sessions, and Saucony Guide Iso 2, Nike Epic React, and Adidas Ultraboost 19 for easy runs.

• Leg strengthening: from the hips all the way down to those small toe muscles—I work them all twice per week!

This is a combination of strategies that has helped me personally, which all have treated different sources of my pain. These may not work for everyone, but I will emphasize that you MUST first figure out what is causing your plantar fasciitis in order to find the right treatment for you! Get advice from an orthopedic specialist or physical therapist to evaluate your issue. Not taking care of plantar fasciitis can lead to many problems from ankle injuries to hip and low back pain, which will only keep you from running you best.

Achilles Issues & How to Fix Them

Some muscles work harder than others during running. One of these star players is the calves. Well, they pretty much work during every movement we do. Crossing both the ankle joint and knee joint, the calf is involved with any activity that requires us to push off of our toes. Not only that but they are also highly active when trying to control our descent during downhill running or walking. Since they play key roles during every part of running, we should be taking very good care of them every day. Strengthening and stretching the calves on a regular basis is an important part of training.

Having limited strength and flexibility in the calves leads to numerous injuries and pain including shin splints, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, knee issues, and even hip and back issues over time. One common injury experienced by runners and many other athletes is Achilles’ tendinitis. The Achilles tendon is a thick band that connects the calf muscles to the heel of the foot. It is a prominent tendon in most people. All of the forces generated during running, especially during the push-off phase, are transmitted to the Achilles’ tendon. Faster running usually transmits more forces leading to injuries in the area.

What is Achilles’ Tendinitis?

When there is increased strain to the Achilles’ tendon, inflammation, irritation, and degeneration occur. The overworking of the tendon creates tiny microtears that weaken over time and can eventually lead to larger tears and ruptures. The most notable symptoms of Achilles’ tendinitis is visible swelling in the tendon, tenderness, and pain when first getting in up in the morning and when trying to stand on toes. Once it is warmed up the pain will usually subside and runners are able to run through it. As the condition worsens, the pain will gradually reappear and eventually limit the volume and speed of running. Tendon tears and ruptures will either have a visible bump over the area and commonly a gap where the tendon is ruptured.

Biomechanics

Although high volume training, speed training, and lack of strength are all causes of Achilles’ tendon issues, many physiological and biomechanical factors can increase the strain on the tendon and risk developing these problems.

Foot Strike

You have probably heard about how terrible heel striking is for runners. Well, the truth is that the research is inconclusive and heel striking actually works for some people. The reason this type of foot strike is related to Achilles’ tendon pain is that it involves increased stretching of the tendon. So if you already have tight calves to begin with, then the constant pulling during heel striking can lead to overstretching. The opposite type of foot strike, forefoot striking, actually creates a worse strain on the Achilles’ tendon. With this motion, you are basically landing on the toes and pushing off for the next stride all without giving the calves a break.

Pronation

Foot form is different for everyone. Flat-footed people or those with pronated feet (foot is turned inward when standing) will have a more strained Achilles’ tendon, as well as impeded blood flow to the area. There is already an area with limited blood supply, termed the “watershed area”, where the majority of tendon ruptures occur. This area is located about 4cm above the end point of the tendon on the heel. Limiting blood flow further as in the case of pronation will increase the risk of damage and slow healing on the tendon. Using supinated running shoes or inserts to decrease the amount of pronation is a treatment strategy.

Treatment & Prevention

Runners should focus on incorporating calf strengthening a couple of times every week, especially during their training seasons. Heel raises in all planes—toes pointed straight, toes pointed inward, and toes pointed outward are the main exercise for the calves. Seated heel raises or while in a squat position will help strengthen the soleus muscle, which is a muscle found deep under the gastrocs, the main calf muscles, that also connects to the Achilles’ tendon. Eccentric heel raises are the best way to strengthen the calf muscles as this will prepare the tendon for activities in which it is required to control the descent from extreme positions. To perform eccentric heel raises follow these steps:

1. Stand on a step with both heels hanging off.

2.  Lift both heels together.

3. Once completely on toes, shift all weight to only one leg and slowly lower the heel to just below the edge of the step.

4. Repeat 10-20 times on one leg, then repeat the same with the other leg.

Essentially this exercise will create a type of damage in the tendon, which strips away the previously damaged fibers and encourages the development of new fibers as a form of healing.

Runners should also incorporate stretching after every run and activity that highly involves the Achilles’ tendon such as hiking and climbing stairs. Stretching with both the knee straight and bent is important in order to include both the gastric and soleus muscles. Foam rolling is also helpful to break up any adhesions and extreme tightness in the muscles. Although strength training is time-consuming during training season, it is very important in order to prevent injuries. Achilles’ tendon injuries can be frustrating as they are frequently overlooked since the initial stages involve pain-free running. Taking care of Achilles’ issues from the start will involve a short rehab time while waiting until the pain is unbearable and affecting your running can leave you out of the sport for several months.

Sources:

Răzvan Aniţaş And Dan Lucaciu, A Study Of The Achilles Tendon While Running, Journal, Sep 07, 2018