Running Injury - kicking myself in the ankles

It seems I've become a bit of a gumby with my running...

A few weeks ago I feared I was getting an achilles problem when my left ankle sweell up and the achilles was really tight and hurt after a long run. After my 'kankle' turned blue I thought there must be another problem... and I remembered: half an hour into my long run I tripped and kicked myself right into the ankle with my right shoe. It hurt on impact but after a few hobbles I continued. No other issues on the run. Had to work that afternoon. No pain, but when I pulled my socks off that night I had the fattest melon hanging of my left limb...
I would guess that the continued impact just made the fluid accumulate to the extreme.
So after a few days off, swelling gone, the achilles niggle disappeared also. Maybe it wasn't the achilles. I think the two were related, as both went away.

Last week, another (not quite so long) run. Can't remember kicking myself, but remember something hurting for a short bit (so yeah, maybe I kicked myself again).
This time on the right. Ankle swells up again but not as bad. A bit of light blue underneath the ankle so that could confirm the kicking. Also flaring up is a bit of pain on the back just underneath my calf, is that like the upper achilles ?? Sore to touch. Could still run yesterday, got a bit uncomfortable after an hour. So it's sore again and swelling has also come back a tiny bit.

So I get fat ankles that don't hurt

Anyway, could the ankle issue and the 'achilles' (or whatever it might be) be related ?? I certainly hope so, coz then I know it's gonna go away relatively quickly. No running for a couple of days so I should be good.
It is just really weird.

On the kicking I have 2 things to blame:
uneven pavement - I hate running on uneven 'paved' ground. Don't mind trails but I just don't get why a footpath can't be even !!

strong winds - running along the coast it sometimes blows so hard I get pushed sideways - today I had to really concentrate to not let my 'seaward' leg get pushed into the other one again.

Any ideas anyone if the pains could be related ??
Anyone else here kicking themselves ??

Anyone know if there is such a thing as 'ankle-ptotectors' for runner ??

Okay, I have no evidence to support this aprt from my own experience. I used to find at the end of my runs I would have brown scuff marks on the insides of both of my calves from the opposite foot hitting them whilst I was running. Basically I didn't have great control of what was going on down there. An old running mate told me I need to work on my glute stabilisers and core. I don't have the scuff marks anymore . Yours might be on the ankles because you may have a lower foot carry especially if you are a slower runner.

You get a sore achilles if your calves are really tight...massage and stretch. I find thats if I increase my volume too quickly, and usually need to hold it or even back off for a week or two.

Edit: Now the real question is why are YOUR calves getting that tight? Moving back to a more centered running position may take some of the excess workload off the calves in addition to paying attention to the other aspects like vol/intensity etc

Happened to be at the doctor today anyway... she reckons I pulled something.
Isn't the achilles that's hurting this time, something just above, whatever it's called
In the meantime my ankle (or just underneath) has gone a nice purple...

So the 2 might or might not be related. Maybe I tripped, I can't remember.

Glenn, you are right with the calves, I know the tightness had something to do with the forefoot running and increased volume. It wasn't unbearable though so figured I'd rather have tight calves than shin splints... they seem to have settled now and gotten used to the increased workload.
For a while they were getting really tight during cycling and not so much running.

Or... maybe my efforts of not running quite so much on my toes are helping... or the arch-lifting exercise the physio gave me... hmmm can't be that as I'm not doing them enough

not having control of what's going on down there.... you might be right. I have not kicked myself like that before that often, but trip every now and then, roll my ankle (never hurts though) etc.
- how do you work on the glute stabilizers ??