Everyone has their weak spot. I have several.

My low back is a big one, beer is another. I'm working on both of them gradually.

But I've got another weakness that has cropped up in the last few months: My right Achilles' tendon has been giving me issues, and my running is suffering. Not being able to run makes me angry.

Speaking of angry, that Achilles guy was a dude you really didn't want to mess with. As the story goes, when Achilles was a baby, his mother dipped him in the River Styx, making him invulnerable in battle and hence a total badass. But there was one small problem -- she held him by the back of his heel, so that was the one spot that wasn't protected by the water. It was an arrow through that same spot that killed him during the battle for Troy.

OK, so my trouble spot isn't exactly going to kill me, but it does makes life fairly agonizing. These days, running is an exercise in pain tolerance. At least I'm not alone -- the Achilles' tendon has laid many people low, including Donovan Bailey and David Beckham, and although mine wasn't torn, I was concerned that things would just get worse. I'm not about to give up running without a fight.

I first tried stretching it in a conventional method by leaning against a wall and doing a classic calf stretch, but two months of doing this regularly didn't make it any better. Then I tried deep tissue massage -- let's just say it felt like my heel was going through childbirth. You know the saying, "No pain, no gain?" It's not always true -- after several excruciating massages, my Achilles' was no better than it was before. I was at a point where the pain was keeping me up and night and making it hard for me to maneuver the stairs. I knew I needed to do something.

Then I complained to Louis Stack, President of Fitter International.

Fitter makes a whole host of balance, fitness and rehabilitation products, so once I explained to him about my Achilles' issue and how it was affecting both my running and my ankle flexibility, I knew I he'd have a solution. What I needed, Louis told me, was the Pro Stretch. Described as a "runner's friend," it helps you stretch your calves, hamstrings and -- bingo! -- Achilles' tendon. I was sold.

Here's my unbiased product review: It's. Freaking. Awesome.

Though I only used it for about three minutes on the first day, there were noticeable improvement that very day. The pain was cut in half and my flexibility had improved. After the second day, it continued to get better. On the third day, I had the best run I'd had in months -- 14 kilometres with no pain.

It's been two weeks now, and I've actually been forgetting to use it because the constant nagging reminder of throbbing Achilles' pain is gone. In other words, I'm practically cured -- I feel like it's saved my running lifestyle.

The product states that it's also good for calf and hamstring stretches, so if you're suffering from any pain in the back of your legs, I definitely recommend giving the Pro Stretch a try -- especially if you're a fellow runner.

James S. Fell is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a middle-aged family man with a desk job and not much free time, yet he's able to keep in shape because he loves exercise and doesn't mind eating healthy. He is the author of Body for Wife: The Family Guy's Guide to Getting in Shape. His column for That's Fit.ca focuses on weightlifting, running and exercise motivation.