Train Me

Week of Sept 6-12:

Sunday- rest

Monday-5.3 @ 5 mph

Tuesday-5.5 miles @ 5.1 mph, walked 3.3 with the neighbor

Day 1 of workout challenge- 50 jumping jacks, 50 squats, 3 pushups, 20 crunches, 20s plank, 10s wall sit, 20s high

knees, 25 leg lifts (not a whole lot but it sure made me sore)

Wednesday- .5 warmup @ 6 mph, 6x400 @ 8 mph, 2x400 @ 7.5 mph. I almost didn't finish these because I was so sore and

almost limping so I just lowered the pace to get through them. Day 2 workout, walked 3.3 with neighbor, ran 3.25

later that night @ about 9:40 pace

Thursday-5k on treadmill @ 5.2 mph, 3.3 with neighbor walking, Day 3 workout

Friday- Day 4 workout

Saturday- 5k race, Day 5 workout

I'm just walking with the neighbor to help her. I realize it's not doing much for me.

5k- It was 35 degrees out and only a slight wind so perfect imo. Only the little and I ran because the others have district on Monday.

I came in 6th in my age group @ 27:21. Other mom was 5th. Definitely not a PR for me but I feel oddly motivated rn. I was really afraid my training had just been so sporadic. I am certain I can get back down where I was by next month (next 5k).

My 10 yo whom we call Loafer got a 24:54. Her PR is now lower than mine again. She got 3rd in her age group. I know that's no speed record but considering she has only been playing soccer and doing gymnastics (other than races) I'm surprised she got a PR at all. She darn sure isn't getting any taller.

Upcoming races:

10/14- 2 mile district race

10/26- 4 mile Halloween run (with dogs)

10/28- 2 mile regional race

11/9- 2 mile state race

11/23- 5k xc race

11/30- 5k xc race

12/8-5k Christmas race

12/14- 4 mile Xmas race, xc course ( I HATE this race so I might volunteer instead of running)

My high school kiddos ended up running 3.3 miles on both Friday and Saturday. They said they are going to do 5 tonight or tomorrow (early). That will only be about 1.5 miles short of what they've been doing and hopefully leave their legs fresh enough to race on Monday. Anyway, I've got to run and go watch the band compete. I have 2 flags and 1 baritone to support.

UPDATED PRs:

17 yo:

10k-46:47

5k-21:28

3200-11:55

3000-11:23

2400 XC-8:40

1600-5:26.00 (77/81/85/83)

800-2:30.46 (73/77)

400-66?

15 yo:

2k steeple-9:27

10k-51:12

5k-23:58

3200:13:14 (93/96/95/99/101/108/106/97)

3000:12:52

2400 XC-9:08

1600-6:04

800-2:44?

400-69/70?

14 yo:

10k-58:??

5k-25:41

3200-13:45

3000-12:53

2400 XC-9:28

1600-6:03

1500-6:01

800-2:43

400-69/70?

10 yo:

10k-1:01:51

5k-24:54

2 mile-15:12?

2400- (time trial) 11:16

2400 XC-10:40

1600-6:34.32 (92/102/102/98)

1500-6:44

1500RW: 10:33

800-3:02

400-86

Me

10k-53:45

5k-25:16

2 mile-15:24?

1 mile-7:00

400-87

So Saturday's race was really cool (35 F) and I didn't warm up because I was being a baby about the cold. Anyway, after the race my left achilles was bugging me a bit but I thought it was just a bit of soreness and I ignored it. Sunday morning I was certain it was more than just a little sore but I felt like if I just took a day or two off it would be fine. Monday the kids had district XC and I sprinted around the course. I was visibly limping when running but I still thought it would be fine. TBF though it hurt less the more I went after it. Today I'm not so sure. It's so stiff I can hardly walk. Stairs are a definite no-no. I googled a bit and tried to do this heel drop thing. That is excruciating.

RN I just finished heating it in a bucket with 145F water. It feels quite a bit better. I'm wondering if I heat it like this and do the heel drops and/or run right after warming it up, would that be okay? I really don't want to stop running. I feel like I have new found motivation at the moment dangit.

Yesterday morning my Achilles didn't hurt at all for about 2 minutes. Then it gradually started to hurt worse throughout the day right up until I went grocery shopping. Grocery shopping reached the point that I was standing in one spot while letting the girls run around and get everything.

When I got home, I put it in hot water and did those heel drops again. So far it's not really hurting. I can tell I'm unconsciously avoiding certain movements though and I feel as if it might start to bother me any second.

SlowAFRunnrMom wrote:

I was visibly limping when running but I still thought it would be fine. TBF though it hurt less the more I went after it. Today I'm not so sure. It's so stiff I can hardly walk.

I winced when I read this. This happens ALL the time with runners. They have what is probably a minor injury that could heal in a couple of days, but instead of stopping, they attempt to limp through the rest of the workout... and they get an injury that takes weeks to recover.

The lesson here is any time you have an injury that doesn't go away, you should stop and walk. If you resume running and the pain returns, you should stop and walk back. You already have a minor injury and continuing the workout will only make it worse.

Anyway, the damage is done so now you have to deal with it. I would suggest...

-Epsom salts soaks for 15-20 minutes every day.

-Heel lifts (a quarter to a half-inch or so) in all your shoes. Forget about fashion. It's either that or wear a medical boot.

-No eccentric heel lifts now. The reason it hurts is that you are re-tearing the scar tissue before it can heal so that strand of tissue has to start healing all over from day one.

-No running until the pain while walking is completely gone for at least one full day.

-Until then, you can cross-train in other cardio that does not put stress on the Achilles.

-Once you are pain-free for a day, you can add eccentric heel lifts, but only to the point of tightness. If you go to the point of pain, you are re-damaging the tissue and the recovery must start over for that strand of tissue. Most runners lack the discipline and body awareness to stretch properly. Except when instructed otherwise by a PT, all stretching should be dynamic, not static. A stretch should NOT be held for several seconds. Instead, stretch to the point of tightness and immediately relax. Repeat.

-Once you are pain-free for a day, you can try to run the next day. Add some heel lifts (1/4 inch is a lot in a running shoe.) The run should be no more than one mile. It should be slow. If you feel any pain, you should stop immediately and wait another day.

-If there is no pain, you can gradually increase your distance and pace. You should avoid sprinting, hills, fast starts, and accelerations while running.

You *might* be able to disregard everything I just wrote and be fine in a couple of weeks. Or you *might* be hobbling six months from now because the injury keeps reoccurring.

This advice is based on 40+ years of running, writing a book with several chapters that deal with running injuries, and firsthand experience with an Achille injury. But it's your call on what to do. Good luck.

Oh, I forgot to mention this in my last post.

How do you know when stretching is too much stretch?

Warm up and do a dynamic stretch on the healthy Achilles. When you feel tightness, recognize what it feels like immediately before and during that tight feeling. When you stretch the injured Achilles, stop when you reach that same level of tightness. Your range of motion will not be as much, but don't be concerned about that at this point. Relax and slowly, smoothly repeat a few times. Don't hold the stretch. Maybe a second or so to assure yourself that you're more or less at the same level of tightness and then relax.

Long static stretching, especially at this stage of your injury, is worse than no stretching at all.

This might sound weird but it doesn't hurt when it is in the stretched position. It only hurts when I "use" it. Like the pushing off position. When I tried the heel drops it was hurting at a point slightly above level. That was the excruciating pain. And yesterday when I had to stop walking it was hurting at that same midpoint in the achilles and upward from there as I walked. The pain always came and left in the plantar flexion position, never the dorsiflexion. Does that make sense? Eventually it would spread up my achilles towards my calf and not loosen up until I stopped for a bit.

I'm starting to wonder if starting that workout the week of a race was a bad idea. Maybe my muscles were taxed. I've run in the cold plenty of times and never had anything like this happen but I've never made myself that sore before a race.

Also, I can't see the swelling but I can feel swelling in comparison to the right achilles.

P.S.S I might go crazy if I have to sit still much longer.

At least there's football tonight because I'm bored out of my effing mind. I'm trying to do everything right so that I heal in time to watch my kids run regionals on the 28th. I don't want to watch from a single position, I need to run up and down this big hill to see all of the race.

So Monday was district xc. You know, where I decided to run in pain. Anyway, the race went well. It's the 4th year in a row with a perfect 15 score.

1st-17 yo (Honey) 13:07

2nd-15 yo -13.33

3rd-AR- 13:45

4th-AJ-13:55

5th- 14 yo- 14:07

6th- KG-14:32

7th-JP- 14:56

JV

1st-NU- 15:15

2nd-RQ-15:21

3rd-KG-15:25

4th-AR-16:07

Coach is taking NU and RQ as alternates from here on out.

Just for my personal info: 75F, no mud, course was long, my watch measured 2.08 miles. Boys were also district champs with 2nd-8th places.

My daughter was FINALLY district champ. She should have won it last year but this was one of the major races where she ran very poorly and said she felt tired and heavy from the line before we caught the anemia.

This doesn't sound weird, actually. I have a periodically wonky achilles tendon, and flexing my foot up usually feels better. If yours is too sore to do eccentric heel drops, just flex your foot some (but not obsessively). Eventually it will settle down.

In the meantime, this is a great opportunity to work on what's now known as "core". Do some situps, pushups, etc. You should be able to do squats, and maybe step-ups; probably not lunges at the moment.

My daughter has brought up John Hopkins a few times now. Does anyone know much about that school? Education wise or womens distance program? Also, she got her FAFSA back and did indeed get a 0 EFC.

Johns Hopkins might actually be perfect for her. Division 3 school that has a serious program, competing yearly for championships in XC and track. Academically outstanding. If I remember right your daughter was a good student, had some leadership experience in extra curriculars, and of course would run. Add in that you are from out west and have the 0 EFC and she could get almost a full financial aid package. Support from the coach would greatly improve or guarantee her chance of acceptance. Similar schools are Wash U, Carleton and MIT.

Good luck!

thanks a lot

When you plantar flex, you contract the calf, which stretches the tendons connecting the calf to the heel. You apparently have some injury there as well. The treatments I recommended are unchanged.

Racing/intervals in cold weather increase risk of injury due to cold/tight muscles. Many times, I've experienced a tiny soreness after a workout, only to have it flare up on the next workout/race. An injury you barely notice is exacerbated by your next workout.

It's equally possible that you stepped on a rock/hold/uneven terrain and strained the tendons.

Compression socks when you return to running will provide a little extra support for the lower calf/upper Achilles injury.

I think that the running programs are actually pretty good.

Education-wise Johns Hopkins is a great school!

The terrible part about it is that it is unfortunately located in Baltimore. Not that there is any good part of Baltimore, but the area where Hopkins is located has always been considered sketchy.

So today the Achilles hardly hurt. I was only slightly even aware of it except a few moments.

Can I try jogging now? Should I wait until there's absolutely no pain at all?

SlowAFRunnrMom wrote:

So today the Achilles hardly hurt. I was only slightly even aware of it except a few moments.

Can I try jogging now? Should I wait until there's absolutely no pain at all?

Try 15-20 minutes very easy. If it hurts much, stop. If you get to 15-20 minutes, stop.

Before heading out, warm up the achilles by doing a few controlled heel drops on a stair or something.