Easy loop with Maja on another gorgeous morning. Very mild AT pain again.
I saw Ryan Fuhriman about the Achilles issues today and he found some inflammation. He did some work on it for 10 minutes or so and recommended that I continue with the ecentric loading exercises, but only once a day. He suggested doing two sets on each leg, gradually increasing the number of reps and sets. He also recommended stretching against a wall, not on a stair (since the muscles contract when stretching that way, which increases the strain), but also suggested folding up a small towel and standing either on the outside half or the inside half, which allows the stretch to focus on the inside or outside of the Achilles. Because the tendinitis is in the early stages and because the ecentric loading seems to be helping, Ryan didn't think I needed to come back for more treatment unless things started to get worse. However, he wants me to limit my mileage while I work on getting this healed. He said to give it 3-4 weeks while faithfully doing the exercises and stretching, and to call him if it doesn't seem to be getting better by then. In that case, he may try ASTYM treatment. As for my training, he wants me to let pain be my guide. If I can run 3 miles without pain, do that for a week, then add a mile the next week, but back off if the pain persists. This is likely to be a little frustrating, but I really want to be in a position to ramp up my mileage this winter, so I'll do as he says. I may have to incorporate some cross-training to stay sane.
I had to share this link to The Onion's article on Meb's victory:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_york_marathon_winner_tests
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