Clawing My Way Back

Kenny B. wrote:If i had a treadmill our something in my house I'd probably warm up before I run for 5-10 minutes by walking or slow job but once I am outside the best I will do is recovery pace run before speed work (of course) but other then that I really don't warm up for a regular run. I do take warm showers before races and long runs!

Yeah, me too...the shower that is. It does loosen it up somewhat. This one has me confounded, I tell ya.

I have no idea why it tightens up. The Achilles that is. I will make an appointment with the Orthotic folks ( hopefully on Thursday) and have ART done on Friday. I am thinking eventually, like with my Soleus, that we will fix this. I am going to have to be patient, keep running and swimming and keep my mileage up (42-45 MPW) until the pain finally goes away. Today, YMCA time. I will swim from 10-15 minutes and run from 45-52 minutes. I am pushing for 52 minutes, but I know I will be tired and probably need a GU to make it. Otherwise, hot temperatures abound. I did not run yesterday. Since I am going for 6 days in row of running, I was going to give my legs a rest.

4:00 to 4:10 pm- Swim
4:15/4:20 pm to 5:10-Run
5:20-5:55-travel to pick my son up

Nighttime: Ice and stretch.

Schuey wrote:

Michael Mitchell wrote:She is slowly, but surely. Had a nice lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Here is a gem. Texas Roadhouse...you would think that the headquarters are in Texas. Wrong. Louisville, Kentucky. Hummm...Will run 5 miles this afternoon and I just have got to start warming up. Might help my Achilles, you think. Thank you so much for the Happy Father's Day wishes Mrs. Shuey.

To funny about the Texas Roadhouse, who would have every guessed!

I hear you about the warming-up thing! I always tell myself I'm going to warm-up, I'm going to warm-up and what do I do I don't warm-up. I have gotten better at it but still a lot of room to improve. Hope your run goes well.

Yeah, I know. I so do not have the time. It is just enough to get my run in sometimes. Sigh.

When we lived in Vermont, we went to Texas Roadhouse on a fairly regular basis. But I pointed out to my wife the other day that, since we've moved to Texas, we haven't been once. I think sometimes places just latch onto a concept (Texas = good steak) and use the name that way. But I've found there are much better places to get a steak IN Texas that aren't named after Texas!

Agreed.

I think this is to me more than anyone else. LOL. I need to learn patience during this time. I must let the orthotic and ART folks do thier job. Both have stated that this will be overcome. I have also been told it may take more than a week to get rid of it. I must continue to ice, stretch and continue to run. I have an orthotic appointment at 9:30 am Thursday and an ART appointment at 4:30 pm on Friday. This may take awhile to get things done.

Michael, have you given the achilles any time to heal without running since it flared up? I'm wondering if you may need to stick to swimming and cross-training for a bit and just give it a rest from running.
Also, I just read back in your blog a bit and saw that your wife recently had surgery. I hope it wasn't anything serious and that's she's doing well.

I hear you about not having time to warm up and yet needing it more. I wish I could still roll out of bed and hit the road. Still swimming?

Liz R wrote:I hear you about not having time to warm up and yet needing it more. I wish I could still roll out of bed and hit the road. Still swimming?

Yeah, I will be swimming 10-15 minutes before I run today. Not saying I like it, but it does loosen up the Achilles to where pain is not an issue before my run.

Seth Harrison wrote:Michael, have you given the achilles any time to heal without running since it flared up? I'm wondering if you may need to stick to swimming and cross-training for a bit and just give it a rest from running.
Also, I just read back in your blog a bit and saw that your wife recently had surgery. I hope it wasn't anything serious and that's she's doing well.

I want to take time off, but times they are challenging. My running decompresses me. I will try to take time off, but so far, I have not experienced a ton of pain during my running. My wife had outpatient surgery Friday. Her diabetes was acting up and one of the blood vessels became enlarged and had to be reduced by laser. Thank you for asking about her. It is much appreciated.

Michael Mitchell wrote:

Seth Harrison wrote:Michael, have you given the achilles any time to heal without running since it flared up? I'm wondering if you may need to stick to swimming and cross-training for a bit and just give it a rest from running.
Also, I just read back in your blog a bit and saw that your wife recently had surgery. I hope it wasn't anything serious and that's she's doing well.

I want to take time off, but times they are challenging. My running decompresses me. I will try to take time off, but so far, I have not experienced a ton of pain during my running. My wife had outpatient surgery Friday. Her diabetes was acting up and one of the blood vessels became enlarged and had to be reduced by laser. Thank you for asking about her. It is much appreciated.

Hope she has a soft and comfortable recovery.

I think if there is any ache at all in the achilles taking off might be a nice idea for you. Something you have to judge for yourself.

I warmed up at a 11:00 minute pace. I wanted to swim, but I swear to travel 1.5 miles in Houston in 10 minutes is asking for a miracle. Gee whiz. I took side streets too. Oh well. The pain in the Achilles actually loosened up as I ran. Weird. After mile 3, I was actually ok. Then the knots in my right gastroc started to act up ( I know what it is. It is hydration, pure and simple. I did not take in enough fluids today. I will remedy that tomorrow). It was pretty toasty in the YMCA. I asked them to lower the temperature 2 degrees. The student workers told me", Oh we do not do that. You need to just run and deal with it." I did. 52:30 for 7 miles, but I did not like it. Do not worry. Tomorrow, I promise I will call ahead. Kenny, I agree with you on the Achilles, but the pain has decreased somewhat from last week. I am going to play it by ear. I am going to bike in the house tonight and stretch it out for 45 minutes. Otherwise, it will rain tomorro ( I hope). We have wildfires. That is right, in Houston, Texas...we have wildfires. What the heck? So far, we ( Humble) are ok, but where the Texas Renaissance Festival is being threatened. Strange days indeed. I have 8 miles this week.

Sounds like you have it under control. That is a good thing.

Well you got the run done, I hope tomorrow is better for you. And as for driving I know what you mean, it can a journey to drive around Chicago and take for ever just to go 5 miles.

Michael Mitchell wrote:I warmed up at a 11:00 minute pace. I wanted to swim, but I swear to travel 1.5 miles in Houston in 10 minutes is asking for a miracle. Gee whiz. I took side streets too. Oh well. The pain in the Achilles actually loosened up as I ran. Weird. After mile 3, I was actually ok. Then the knots in my right gastroc started to act up ( I know what it is. It is hydration, pure and simple. I did not take in enough fluids today. I will remedy that tomorrow). It was pretty toasty in the YMCA. I asked them to lower the temperature 2 degrees. The student workers told me", Oh we do not do that. You need to just run and deal with it." I did. 52:30 for 7 miles, but I did not like it. Do not worry. Tomorrow, I promise I will call ahead. Kenny, I agree with you on the Achilles, but the pain has decreased somewhat from last week. I am going to play it by ear. I am going to bike in the house tonight and stretch it out for 45 minutes. Otherwise, it will rain tomorro ( I hope). We have wildfires. That is right, in Houston, Texas...we have wildfires. What the heck? So far, we ( Humble) are ok, but where the Texas Renaissance Festival is being threatened. Strange days indeed. I have 8 miles this week.

Michael, I've been dealing with a minor (early stage) achilles issue at the same time as a more pronounced ITB issue in the same leg. I went in for a Graston session with encouragement from Wendy, and the practioner also treated the achilles tendon then followed up with Kinesio taping. I've been able to run now with no achilles issue at any time during the run, and only minor aches there when I first get up in the morning. I bought some of the tape myself and am continuing to use it (it is easy to do), so you might want to consider using the tape to give your tendon some support to take the strain off it. The good news is that the tape is completely waterproof so you can swim with it as well. The Graston treatments worked wonders for both the ITB and the tendon, so you may want to investigate that as well.

Michael, I've been dealing with a minor (early stage) achilles issue at the same time as a more pronounced ITB issue in the same leg. I went in for a Graston session with encouragement from Wendy, and the practioner also treated the achilles tendon then followed up with Kinesio taping. I've been able to run now with no achilles issue at any time during the run, and only minor aches there when I first get up in the morning. I bought some of the tape myself and am continuing to use it (it is easy to do), so you might want to consider using the tape to give your tendon some support to take the strain off it. The good news is that the tape is completely waterproof so you can swim with it as well. The Graston treatments worked wonders for both the ITB and the tendon, so you may want to investigate that as well.[/quote]

Tom, I did. The practioner is in the Woodlands and that is 25 miles from me. I know it sounds corny, but I have been getting ART done on me for 5 plus years and it has worked. I can tell you that my Achilles issues have just started ( well second week of May), so it is not an ongoing thing. I just do not like to change horses in midstream ( not to quote Lincoln and his 1864 election campaign..LOL), so I am going to stick with he and my orthotic folks right now. The Kinesio tape, now that I can investigate. Thank you for your tips. I do appreciate it.

This morning, I was expecting excruciating pain in my Achilles. Nope. There is pain, but nothing like it has been. Relief. I iced it twice last night, stretched like mad and massaged as well. I think it might have worked. Today it is ok. Not great, but ok. I will take an Advil next hour, hydrate and massage/ice while working. I plan to jog a 10 minute mile and then go for 52:30 and quit (7 miles). I am using a compression sock for my right gastroc ( yeah, the knot is acting up, not bad, but there) and should be good to go by 4 pm.


4:00-4:10 pm- 1 mile warmup
4:15-5:07 pm-7 miles @7:30 pace
6:00 pm to 6:35 pm-Ice and massage

Well I have iced it twice today, taken one Advil, put in enough fluid. I think I am ready to go.

Michael Mitchell wrote:Well I have iced it twice today, taken one Advil, put in enough fluid. I think I am ready to go.

I hope it really is good to go Michael. Between the Graston, Art, Kineseo tape, etc. it looks like you're doing about all you can do.

Well, I had a mile warmup. That was good. I was going for 7 miles, when at the 4.5 mile mark, my gastrocs started locking up. Why? Stupid Mike did not take in enough fluids. It is very humid in that YMCA and I just did not. Oh well, great. I stopped at 6 miles, called it a day and will stretch the gastrocs out tonight with the Straussburg Sock. The Achilles was ok. I was really ok. I will massage that tonight with ice. I think I am falling apart. I was told by my DC that no ART will be done on Friday and he is not there on Wednesday. That leaves me with Thursday, to which I have an orthotic appointment. Oh yeah, they are 40 miles apart. Lovely. I am thinking orthotic right now and catch the ART on Monday. Sigh. I have 15 miles this week.

Michael Mitchell wrote:Well, I had a mile warmup. That was good. I was going for 7 miles, when at the 4.5 mile mark, my gastrocs started locking up. Why? Stupid Mike did not take in enough fluids. It is very humid in that YMCA and I just did not. Oh well, great. I stopped at 6 miles, called it a day and will stretch the gastrocs out tonight with the Straussburg Sock. The Achilles was ok. I was really ok. I will massage that tonight with ice. I think I am falling apart. I was told by my DC that no ART will be done on Friday and he is not there on Wednesday. That leaves me with Thursday, to which I have an orthotic appointment. Oh yeah, they are 40 miles apart. Lovely. I am thinking orthotic right now and catch the ART on Monday. Sigh. I have 15 miles this week.

Seems like you are frustrated. Work the solution the best you can. I feel orthodics are in the right direction. Fluid intake you can control so drink up please!

I know. I know. Stupid me. I will know better.

What is that? We know nothing of this item here in these parts. Elders refer to it as rain. Huh? Never heard of it. Well, I am wearing compression socks today and they feel suprisingly good on my gastrocs. I did bring a whole 32 oz Powerade for the afternoon. Now, I am debating two items. First, do I rush home and get my 6-7 miles in at home or run at the YMCA and deal with the whopping humidity? Second, since it feels so good right now, do I run with my compression socks during my run? Stay tuned for this and many more items.

Michael, I recently read a different approach to icing the Achilles, not to be used instead of the ice massage, but rather in addition. It is like a focused ice bath where you take a small garbage can and fill it with ice/water, then submerge the affected foot up to mid calf for about 15 seconds, then remove for a minute and repeat about 10 times 2x/day. It is supposed to really stimulate blood flow to the whole area since it is at the pointy end of the extremity. Next time I get any significant niggle down there I'll give it a go. Especially if we are still in the 90's. Maybe an ice bath for the Achilles and an icy Margarita for me out in the gazebo

Now that is an idea. Humm. Not the Margarita ( My wife can have that), for I do not drink, but a frosty Dr Pepper will work.