What would the experts say?

My achilles has been getting a little worse lately, and the worst of it has shifted from the right side to the left, which is really strange, because I am never injured on my left side. I don't want it to get to the point it was 2 years ago where I couldn't run as far as the end of the street. I thought I should go to either the pod or physio again. But then I thought of the cost, and how every time I pay $70 or so just to be told kind of what I already knew, but had never put into action.

So this week, I said to myself What would my last podiatrist say? He'd probably tell me off for wearing flats for long runs, he'd tell me to buy some more Nike Frees, then he'd tell me to put heel lifts in for a few weeks and to ice after each run. I'm too cheap to replace my Frees but I put the large heel lifts (that he gave me last time) in my Adizero PROs. Pain diminished A LOT! I have also taken up icing the achilles after running when I remember, which makes no difference.

I also said to myself, What would the physio say? And I took up stretching my tight muscles nightly, particularly adductors, hip flexors and hamstrings, and occasionally doing eccentric calf raises (even though a previous pod said my calves were strong as iron and don't need them). I've also added some single leg work including split Bulgarian squats for the glutes. I haven't been consistent enough to notice anything from these things yet, but I just saved myself the cost of appointments to 2 people.

In recent race photos I've also noticed some excessive shoulder rotation which was not there before, so I'm now including some Pallof Presses (and variations) a few times a week to strengthen my core. They are deceptively difficult. I recommend everyone give these a go as part of a warm up. Everyone could do with a stronger core.