1/26. 2 OUT OF 10 ON PAIN SCALE... YEAH BABY!!!

I am feeling good... I ran 4 miles with no pain... I felt the achilles "there" but no pain... I did my long station circuit (1 min on... 2osec off earlier in the day)... I went to the pool after my run but was unable to get in due to swim practice. I am hoping that in 3 weeks I will be able to begin some quality workouts..... I will then have 5 weeks of workouts where I can jump into the 8k at Shamrock... I think the pool workouts have been very effective but I will not let up on them as my mileage progresses... Infact I am going to make them even more consistent. it is a great way to get the same or similar output of road running but with zero impact!!!...!!! This injury could wind up being a blessing in disguise...

4 miles today!!!

I got up this morning and was torn between running today.. or just doing extended cross training. I decided that the run would be the best indicator today on how well it held up after yesterdays swim session... Yes, i actually swam laps yesterday (incorporated with 20 minutes of pool running with no belt... aka HELL.) I got out and ran down watkins mill road and then after 1 mile turned up stedwick ave to jump on Montgomery village ave... I looped on back to christopher and back to watkins mill... The run was mainly flat but there were two nice hills on the run... which i was nervous about (one being in the last 1/2 mile... ) The pain scale overall today was a 4 out of 10... which is really good! I immediately put my foot in a container of ice water and sobbed.
I am excited with the turnout of the run... I will jump into the circuit for 25 minutes before the Vikes / Saints game this afternoon.

2 miles (minimal pain!!!!)

Wow... I never thought I would be so happy to get in a 2 mile run! Considering the circumstances.... I am head over heels pumped up about it. I was weary about trying the 1 mile run... but my doctor said he insisted I try it this week and go from there... I started out at a very very very easy pace... close to 9 min pace I am guessing... (I am not joking). After about 1/2 mile I picked it up to more of a normal distance run pace (around 7min/mile pace)... and I held that pace past 1 mile (which I was suppose to stop at).... I didn't feel any pain at all... A little tightness but not that sharp pain that would make me come to a stop in fear of a rupture. It was unbelievable. The Grasdon Technique must be working... The pool running is loosening things up and the 2 week of rest must of done it in. I can't get too excited... it was 2 miles at a leisure pace... But its a start!!! I got in the pool and planned on 1 hour but there was an unscheduled deep water aerobics class that took the aqua jogging area of the pool and I got kicked out at 21 minutes in...I was pissed but still really happy about the short run result I had. Tomorrow I will go 2 again and get to the pool earlier for my 1 hour pool run... Tomorrow is also the 16 station circuit during my lunch break... Every tuesday and thursday I have been doing this circuit from hell that myself and one of the other Phys. Ed teachers at my school does with me. It includes practically every type of core/stability/upper body muscular endurance exercises that you could think of.
1 minute "ON" 20 second recovery.
Pull ups/Flexed arm hang after you cannot do any more
Lemon Squeezes
Superman
Crunches
Push ups
Abdominal Knee Raises
Shoulder Shrugs
Plank Hold
- Rest station-
Cardio Rower (For 2 minutes hard)
Scissors
Bicep curls
Six-Inches
Dips
Millitary Press (dumbells)
Pick-Pockets (w/ 7 lbs med ball)
THROW UP and hate kids for the remainder of the day

Jan 10th It's getting better!

The IT... Not the scary clown (thank you stephen king for all the sleepless nights as an 11 year old... Your an A-Hole!) Anyway, I am referring to the IT as the Achilles. Most of my running collegues as well as work collegues who follow my running have been frequently asking me how "IT" is going... I joined the trend i guess. My IT is beginning to feel better walking up and down stairs which is a GREAT sign. The pool running is effective and along with my core work at full throttle again, I feel like I am in 4:10 mile shape again. Obviously that was such a lie... but core/upper body feel really strong and just 1 week of pool running has made me feel alive again I guess... I am doing a form of consistent cardio again with no pain... As tedious as aqua running is... It feels great to get it done. I will be attempting a 1 mile run tomorrow (prior to my pool run). If it feels good, the next day I up it to 2. That trend will continue for the remainder of the week. It is quite possible it will catch and I will have to stop... but, this is the only way you find out if the tendonitis is dissolving away. Pray for the IT of Wiggy!!!

A New Beginning...

So, the achilles is rocked... for now. I have severe Tendonitis and a few micro tears in the lower attachment of the achilles at the Calcaneus of my left ankle. I began this week a pool running regiment that is going to be a vigorous program that will hopefully get me in the fitness level I need to be at, when it is time to transition back into running... Hopefully that is sooner than later. When I think of tendonitis... i don't relate that to a big injury... its annoying, hurts but it cannot lead to any serious injury... just discomfort that goes away with the proper maintenance (icing/stretching/massage). My doctor is the kind of doctor that gets athletes on their feet fast. Catherine "The Great" Ndereba sees him every wednesday for the last few years. He knows his stuff and is well respected. When he told me this could lead to a rupture of the achilles if you continue trying to run through it, I knew I had to put my armor down... I was in good hands and know that I will live to fight again... just not in the next couple months.
I had 2 appoinments over winter break back in PA with my trusted and good friend, Dr. Gearhart. Dr. Gearhart performed a technique known as "Grasdon" which basically is used to lower inflamation, increase blood flow to the lacking flow to the achilles, overall...it is said to cut recovery in half... It is somewhat uncomfortable but I trust in Dr. Gearhart that it works. He hooked me up with a chiropractic doctor in Rockville that is certified in the same area. I will be seeing her 3 x's/week.
Highlight of the week:
My former college xc/track coach, Aaron Russel is going to be coaching me for the next 2 years with a quality, thought out plan with appropriate progressions, key races charted. I had success under him... He is the reason I became an NCAA D II All-American... The injuries I withstood through my collegiate career were mostly on my own account (with moving mileage up too quick), as well as all-around bad luck (tonsilectomy, Femoral Hernia, stress fracture, torn hamstring). I cannot tell you how excited I am to begin running/racing again under Coach russells guidance!!!