A long gap here between posts… But it’s not as bad as it seems! I’ve been back running for just over a month now after inuring my achilles tendon just before christmas. My achilles took about two and a half months to improve to the point that I could run again, and it’s taken me another month or so to get to the point where I feel I’ve got something to write about here (and to get to the point where I don’t feel like I’ll be jinxing myself by announcing my return to running!). If you want an idea of the kind of running I was doing over that month, just look at the previous entries here. I started off with 1/4 mile runs, then built up from there. My longest run to date was yesterday, 4 miles.
I think that the reason my achilles went “ping” before christmas was that I jumped into the speedwork and hill sprints way too soon. Too much to soon doesn’t just apply to distance, but also intensity. So I’ve decided to scrap the training plan I was trying and have taken up another training plan which is basically just about setting down a good mileage base at the moment. I’m running three times a week, doing HIIT a couple of times a week, and also doing a couple of sessions of cross training on the exercise bike. If I’m feeling good on this plan over the next couple of weeks, I’m hoping to do a 10km race at the end of May. I won’t be racing it, I’ll just be aiming to cover the distance and get a free t-shirt!
- Total weekly miles
8.5 miles.
- Number of running sessions
3.
- Total weekly barefoot mile
0.5 miles.
- Number of barefoot running sessions
1.
- Running terrain
Mostly flat, on a mixture of pavement and mud.
- Ground surface of barefoot runs
Pavement and earth trails.
- Runs in minimalist shoes, e.g. Five Fingers.
RunAmocs on two, one in Moc3s.
- Weather for barefoot runs (rain on road?)
Dry, but slightly muddy on trails.
- Condition of skin on feet — hotspots, blisters
A few blisters (which is why my barefoot running is limited at the moment). But these are from treadmill running a couple of weeks ago. I was staying in a hotel which had free gym passes for the David Lloyd’s over the road, so thought I’d take advantage. My first run in minimal shoes (Moc3s) on a treadmill. It was horrible. I never realised that the belt of the treadmill got so hot! This, coupled with the fact that the Moc3s have a kind of neoprene lining, which is brilliant for when it’s cold outside but less good in hot conditions, meant that my feet were very hot and very sweaty. I ran for 20 minutes and ended up with three or four different blisters. However, they’re healing, and I’m not getting any more now thanks to the fact that I’m back running outside.
- Interesting/amusing comments received during the week: e.g. ‘You’ve got no shoes on!’
No comments, although I got a lot of attention in the David Lloyd’s gym. Lots of people looking at my Moc3s, which, to be honest, do look a bit odd!
- Treading on nasty things: e.g. glass, thorns, poo — how you dealt with any
No problems this week.
- Changes in your running style that you’ve noticed.
It’s weird actually, my first run after my injury, I automaticaly fell into a midfoot landing. I’ve felt no tendancy to heel strike at all, even at the end of my long runs (which are up to 4 miles at the moment) whereas before, I’d find my form getting sloppy due to tiredness. I think the long break from running might have helped me to forget about my old heel striking running form and made the midfoot landing much more instinctive for me.
- Injuries incurred, or reduction of existing symptoms.
No injuries apart from the blisters. I’m finding that my achilles occasionally feels stiff and sore in the mornings, but it’s been a steady improvement over the last month. I’m at the point now where this pain first thing in the morning is unusual rather than the norm. I’m getting a bit of calf stiffness the morning after a long run, but nothing too bad!
- Useful tips and nuggets of info you’ve picked up along the way.
Biggest tip – too much too soon injuries can come from upping the intensity of your runs as well as distance! I thought that since the hill sprints I was doing before christmas were only about 50 metres long, they couldn’t do much damage. But they did. I’m almost certain that it was this jump in intensity that caused my achilles to give up. Now, I’m focusing on getting a good mileage base of long, steady runs down before trying anything like that again. Even if I do begin speedwork again, it will probably be based on fartlek running rather than hill sprints, which are horrible things anyway…
I’ve also read “Chi Running” by Danny Dreyer. While he doesn’t specifically recommend minimal shoes or barefoot running, it’s an approach that has helped me improve my form. It’s definitely worth a read, I think!
Good to have you back, Dai. You make a very valid point about intensity: sometimes, very short duration efforts can have catastrophic effects. This is as true for the barefoot runner as it is for the 100m sprinter.