Happy New Year everyone!
It's been almost 6 months since I last wrote a running blog. In that time I've barely run and I've had to cut my walking down too. I decided not to bore myself and you with an in depth analysis of my injury like I usually do, but it's a new year and I have to look forward and be hopeful, even though it will be some time before I run again.
If I say I've had an Achilles injury, many of you will know exactly what the problem is and maybe have shared the frustrations it brings. Long story very truncated, I ran and walked too much on soft sand last summer; all my walking on the beach was barefoot. At the same time I was gradually increasing my run rate and hill running. A recipe for a disaster made in runners' hell.
This nasty little injury has hit my physical and psychological Achilles heels and is challenging me on every level you can think of, it's taking ages and ages to recover.
I'm very disciplined in many ways - I do my physio exercises and don't run. You'd think that was enough, but it's not. My heel is aggravated by almost anything you can think of. I've always struggled to see walking as exercise, walking is just what you do to get from A to B, it's as essential as breathing. Now every single step counts which of course means being mindful not just about running but about walking. Even those little trots you do if you're late for a meeting. Everything.
As well as mindfulness, recovery from my Achilles injury requires a lot of time and patience, things I tend to have relatively little of. I have good days when nothing hurts, but if I push even just a little bit too much the next day, I put my recovery back again. The surge of excitement that comes when I can walk briskly pain free for 30 minutes (the threshold) tends to lead me to doing a little bit more than I should and I pay the price.
It's like a massive game of snakes and ladders. Three times I've climbed to the brink of recovery only to push myself over the edge and back down to the bottom. But I can't give up, I have to sort this or I'll never run or climb a hill again and that's unbearable.
Current status - I can walk 30 minutes briskly without pain if I'm wearing heels and only on the flat. I need a rest day or two afterwards or it starts to build up again. I'm focussing on the duration and speed of my more frequent shorter walks and gradually introducing the flats as they really increase the load on the Achilles.
As my lovely physio Emer says, I have to take control of this injury and I'm trying. I wish it would go away. I know it's wet and windy but hell, what does it matter of you can run?
Take care and do a run for me please!
Suex
It's been almost 6 months since I last wrote a running blog. In that time I've barely run and I've had to cut my walking down too. I decided not to bore myself and you with an in depth analysis of my injury like I usually do, but it's a new year and I have to look forward and be hopeful, even though it will be some time before I run again.
If I say I've had an Achilles injury, many of you will know exactly what the problem is and maybe have shared the frustrations it brings. Long story very truncated, I ran and walked too much on soft sand last summer; all my walking on the beach was barefoot. At the same time I was gradually increasing my run rate and hill running. A recipe for a disaster made in runners' hell.
This nasty little injury has hit my physical and psychological Achilles heels and is challenging me on every level you can think of, it's taking ages and ages to recover.
I'm very disciplined in many ways - I do my physio exercises and don't run. You'd think that was enough, but it's not. My heel is aggravated by almost anything you can think of. I've always struggled to see walking as exercise, walking is just what you do to get from A to B, it's as essential as breathing. Now every single step counts which of course means being mindful not just about running but about walking. Even those little trots you do if you're late for a meeting. Everything.
As well as mindfulness, recovery from my Achilles injury requires a lot of time and patience, things I tend to have relatively little of. I have good days when nothing hurts, but if I push even just a little bit too much the next day, I put my recovery back again. The surge of excitement that comes when I can walk briskly pain free for 30 minutes (the threshold) tends to lead me to doing a little bit more than I should and I pay the price.
It's like a massive game of snakes and ladders. Three times I've climbed to the brink of recovery only to push myself over the edge and back down to the bottom. But I can't give up, I have to sort this or I'll never run or climb a hill again and that's unbearable.
Current status - I can walk 30 minutes briskly without pain if I'm wearing heels and only on the flat. I need a rest day or two afterwards or it starts to build up again. I'm focussing on the duration and speed of my more frequent shorter walks and gradually introducing the flats as they really increase the load on the Achilles.
As my lovely physio Emer says, I have to take control of this injury and I'm trying. I wish it would go away. I know it's wet and windy but hell, what does it matter of you can run?
Take care and do a run for me please!
Suex
