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7:45 AM - After two days off I thought that I would be feeling better and up for a run.  If my leg holds up I want to hit 36 miles for the week.  Temperature was a brisk 13 degrees this morning, but sunny and very calm out.  I started out and felt pretty good.  My achilles didn't even start to hurt until mile 4.  I think I just need to embrace the slow easy pace and continue to ice and what not.  Tomorrow I will need to try to average 8:45 or slower pace so that I don't hurt too much.

Mile 1: 8:16

Mile 2: 8:21

Mile 3: 8:37

Mile 4: 8:45

Mile 5: 8:31

Mile 6: 8:29

Total Time: 51:40  Total Mileage: 6.07   Average Pace:  8:30/mile

*Asics 2120s: 90.2 miles

7:45 AM - 11 degrees today. Woke up and the achilles was still sore. But as it seems this is going to be a problem I am going to have to deal with for weeks or months (oh I certainly hope not), I decided I needed to get out there to get in a run. My morning was made better since Emmy called me right before I was going outside, so that certainly made my morning. I found it hard to concentrate during the run since I was constantly monitoring my achilles. The pain would come in for a mile, then go away for a time, then come in again. It seemed it hurt more on the uphills. But maybe that's just me. Just wish I felt better. Hopefully I can continue to heal despite getting in daily runs. Did a lot of stretching afterwards.

Mile 1: 8:38

Mile 2: 8:56

Mile 3: 8:55

Mile 4: 9:07

Mile 5: 8:54

Mile 6: 8:45

Total Time: 54:13 Total Mileage: 6.1 miles Average Pace: 8:53/ mile

*Asics 2120s: 96.3

MY ACHILLES HURTS A LOT. THAT STORM IS SUPPOSED TO GET HERE TONIGHT TOO. I THINK I WANT TO TAKE THE REST OF THE WEEK OFF, LESS I RISK RUPTURING IT.

 Found this on a website... crap! I've been doing ALL THE WRONG THINGS!

Exercises to Avoid

http://www.drpribut.com/sports/spinjur.html#achilten

Excessive stretching is not good for your achilles tendon. The stretch that I most often recommend is the "wall stretch". I do not recommend the "stair stretch", the "incline stretch", or the "put a towel around your feet and pull up until it hurts stretch". If any of these are working for you, that's great, you don't need any advice. In most cases, for the patients I see, these stretches put too much tension on the already tender achilles tendon. Contracting the muscle when it is in a stretched position, as initial therapy of an injured achilles tendon is not a good thing.

What a shame. Warmest day of the year so far - 38 degrees right now. And I can't run.  My mom 'grounded' me from running this morning, and I said, 'eh even if I wanted to run, my foot hurts so much that I'd be lucky to get the 500 feet to the end of the driveway'. :(

I guess I'm experiencing the frustration that any runner feels when their body is saying "RUN RUN" yet some stupid nagging little injury that appears out of the blue is putting a damper on that.  I am going to concentrate on situps/pushups I guess so at least I can get something in. 

AM Crunches: 300  Pushups:  100; arms: freeweights

The pain that I'm feeling now is definitely more intense than when I was running a couple days ago.  I think it didn't help that I was on my feet for 9 hours at work today.  I picked up a copy of Noakes' Lore of Running and read up on the severity of achilles issues and how to treat them.  According to Noakes, I should have concentrated on the "eccentric" stretching to strengthen my achilles and calf muscles .  He says you should allow your weight to bring your heel down past the level of the stair and then raise it back up.  I don't think I can do this right now.  It really got enflamed at work today to the point where it almost hurt to stand.  I should never have kept running on it.  Noakes said to take a minimum of a week off from the initial injury, and I had to be a moron and run like 5 x in a week.  I'm really bummed.  I guess I'm going to take a couple weeks off.  That shoots all my 2008 goals to hell. Grrr. Frustration doesn't even begin to sum up how I feel.  I'm just angry at myself that I let myself get hurt.  Running is my only outlet really.  Without it I know I'm going to be going crazy. *sigh

Yay for goose eggs.  I applied Icy Hot right before I went to bed last night and woke up and there was less soreness and swelling.  Trying to stay positive.  Going to get a shower and then I guess pushup/situp time.

AM  300 crunches, 100 pushups   free weight exercises.

PM  Icing and some light stretching; free weights and 300 crunches.

AM -  200 crunches after coffee; more later.

*Note: Elevated foot and put some icy hot on last night.  Foot is feeling a little  better.  Was able to do 10 calf raises on the stairs yesterday with minimal pain.  Will continue to ice and stretch.  Trying hard to visualize the healing process.

AM - Officially safe to say I was burnt out.  Desperately needed some sleep.  Probably could have slept even longer having got home around midnight!   Going to do some crunches/pushups in a little bit.  Then tons of homework.  My achilles feels a lot better, even after standing at work for 8 hours yesterday.  Im' hoping it heals up nicely.

Rest Day #4 and Counting

Iced.

PM - 300 crunches; weights light, some pushups

PM#2 - 200 crunches; pushups