Background - age 31, only been running 3 years, last year was only 1k miles (building throughout the year). This year I'm averaging 50+ since early March, and it feels good, with no issues until now. I'm currently a high-17, low-38 runner, working to break out of Hobby Jogging and enter the esteemed realm of Let's Run Pathetic Nobody Wannabe with times like 5/17/36/1:20/2:55. Working up to 50-60 mpw for 10k/half training, and 70+mpw for a marathon in the fall is the primary stimulus I'm hoping will get me those times I so covet, and you all so viciously malign.
For maybe a week or two, I've had occasional twinges in my right Achilles, directly at the heel. It was primarily the kind of thing where I'd notice it on the first stair of the morning, and then flex my leg to see if it was still there - but it was gone. I never felt it at all while running.
Saturday was an 8-mile trail race, with some steep climbing. I pushed very hard and blew up trying to stick with the eventual winner (small race, no other real competition... might as well try to win, right?) - it was a tough race physically. I had no issues with my heel during the race whatsoever, after a light taper including the day before completely off. Sunday was a light run and some easy cycling, Monday was an easy-paced 8mi run - no issues either day.
Yesterday I noticed it when I started my run. Just a little twinge, nothing uncomfortable to run with. I straightened up a bit and it vanished - I finished 8 miles with zero discomfort. This was the first time I was certain I felt something, and noted it in my log.
Today I started my first of two planned runs, a 6-mile easy run on technical trails. Typically, any sign of overuse injury disappears when I leave pavement for a bit, so that was my first approach to deal with this. On the first big climb, it acted up and was actually a little painful, not just a suggestion of discomfort. I walked a bit, then took a downhill trail, which was fine. I cut the run short and only ran back on flat trails, which completely eliminated any discomfort.
To clarify, the pain is directly at the insertion point of the Achilles, rather low on the Calcaneus, but still on the back of my heel (i.e., it's not PF). It is not pressure-sensitive, leading me to discount a bursitis issue. As I type (after sitting at a desk most of the day), I have zero discomfort, and feel I could probably run completely pain-free right now if I remained smooth.
My plan is to skip my second run of the day, and then replace a planned track interval workout with another easy, flat run tomorrow. If the heel is fine, I'll finish out the week with only easy running, and hit my first workout of next week. If there's any pain, I'll cut it short and take off the rest of the week, and all of next week, with only cycling training at a high cadence and easy effort.
Does this seem like an appropriately conservative response? My key races are a 10k in early July, a half in mid-August, and a full in October. I want to nip any potential issues in the bud so that I don't end up seriously hurt, but I also want to avoid taking multiple weeks off because I felt a little twinge.