I've bitten the bullet and seen a podiatrist today to see whether I need orthotics. The sports massage and heel drop exercises have helped get me mobile but there is some Achilles soreness after a short while, almost as if the Achilles tendons are twisting as a I run.
The assessment is that while I'm walking there's no adverse Achilles reaction. It's when I start running my Achilles start twisting.
In next to no time the podiatrist had knocked up a pair of orthotics for me to wear in my running shoes. He asked me to run up and down outside and I was amazed: no twisting action equalled no pain!
I went out for a 4 mile easy run this evening and felt nothing at all in my Achilles until half hour or so had passed. I'll obviously need to allow some time for these to bed in but this looks promising and gives me some confidence that I might get to the Marathon des Sables start line injury-free.
