Achilles Issues

Since that race in February, I've been struggling with some achilles issues that have steadily gotten worse and worse. At first I did the typical recovery stuff and that slowed it down and I thought it would get better. Then I had to start doing the elliptical on our normal base run days, and run the workouts. But, alas, it hit a peak last week when I limped by way to an abysmal 4:02 in the 1500m. Literally limped.

So, I took last week off of running (which was convenient because it was Spring break) and swam 2-3000 yards in the pool everyday.

Luckily, I'm a fairly proficient swimmer. Swam in high school and clocked a 22.9 50y free on a split, and low 50s in the 100y free from a start as well, so I'm not totally inept. It was just enough to be able to absolutely trash my body every day for a little over a week in the pool, while working aggressively on my achilles to try and get it better.

I ran in a meet last weekend. A little po-dunk quad meet with a few schools close by. I was in the 800m, and was running against a field I was more than capable of beating. But I was tired. Very tired. I tried to not think about it, and truth be told I was confident on the line. But after about 250m I knew it was going to be a grind. I was slipping backwards fast as I went through in 57.5, which was not a good sign. With 200m to go I was 5m off the pace and in 6th. Coming around the bend I recognized the runner who had just slipped past me, and I just fixed my eyes on him and pumped my arms and drove through the line to get up for 3rd past some dying guys (literally) in the last 5m.

That 1:57 was a second slower than I had run over a month ago. Tired, heavy, and having run my first steps in over a week on the warmup that morning, I was at my worst. I don't know if 1:57 on my worst day is a good thing or a bad thing, but it's the reality.

Next week I'm running against a much more quality field in the 1500m. I'll get back on my feet and see what these legs are capable of. Still a lot of season to go yet.