I am fit... and I am ready to race. However, the only way to get to the line on 9/23/10 to give my best performance is to get there in one piece. Just over the weekend, my achilles began to get tender. It wasn't a sharp pain like my injury in the fall but a noticable soreness. It would be there at the start of a run then taper off to the point there was no pain at all (common muscle problem most likely). I ran 20 miles on it on sunday and i could feel it a bit but it wasn't bad. I iced after the run in an icebath and it felt good after i warmed my legs back up. On monday I took off from any long running and opted for a 45 minute aqua run and a 3 mile easy shake out run in the late evening. Tuesday, I put in 12 miles in the evening and the tightness was there a bit more at the start of the run but again, it tapered off and I was rolling good to go 15 minutes into the run. I ran my first key workout of the summer 6 mile alternating pace workout and it was sore on the warm up and during the workout I did not feel one bit of strain. However, the cooldown was much different. It was really sore once I started running again. I iced after dinner wed night. Thursday came through and after an am golf game, i came home and iced up, rolled my calf muscles and then 2 hours later went out for a run (looked at getting 10 miles and only got out 2.5 miles.... It started hurting to the point that it was not loosening up on the run so I turned it around and ran easy. Its no where near what i felt in the fall but at the same time it could go that way if i don't nip this in the butt. I have decided to do long pool runs for the next 3 days.
This AM i met Jake Klim for a 60minute pool run. This felt great and was a good workout... again, when we pool run we do not use the belts so the workout is intense... Tomorrow I will go 80-90 minutes in the pool (shoot me please) and sunday I will get in another 60 minutes. My goal is to be able to ice once every 2 hours this weekend and get my calves massaged tomorrow in Arlington by this recommended Physical Therapists named Barb. My doctor from PA that I have 110% faith in told me this morning that you just need to pool run and ice.
I am taking my ice pack off my achilles right now and will do some core strengthening today to supplement not running.
Hey Joe, I just want to let you know that you are being extremely smart! Just don't let anything get in your head, you have done plenty of work that will just just leave your body! I am confident you will run a great race in Philly in a few weeks and I look forward to seeing a fast time behind your name!
ReplyDeleteKeep doing what you are doing in the pool and don't start running until your achilles is 100% healed! You don't want this to become something chronic. Workouts in the pool are great simulations that have positive outcomes! I ran my first sub 15 min 5k (previous PB was 15.20) on the track 2 weeks after a three month injury where I just aqua jogged every day! Let this encourage you in your journey over the next few weeks!
Good luck with everything.
Paul Zwama