I had a really good run today. I ran with a new pair of Brooks Ghosts and I did not have any trouble with my Achilles tendon, so I think I found what was causing the problem. Glad I seem to have that behind me but I will stay play it safe in the mean time. As soon as I post this I'm going to ice my ankle and roll my legs.
I ran my longest distance ever - 15.83 miles. I also ran my fastest 13.1 at 2:14. Very good day indeed. If I could run with that kind of effort next weekend at the Big D Half Marathon I'll PR for sure however the weather isn't looking good (rain).
I really couldn't ask for better conditions for running. It was a nice, brisk 48 degrees this morning with a relatively light wind. It's a little cold starting out and so long as the wind isn't blowing too hard, I felt great temperature wise. It was nice watching the world wake up while I was running through the neighborhoods of Plano.
It's runs like this that makes me think running this marathon in May is doable. I hurt and am tired but I feel like I can do it.
Fueling
I tried some new fuel sources and they seemed to work out well for me. Before I left the house, I had a bottle of the chocolate Generation UCAN protein drink. It didn't give me any stomach issues and I felt like I had good energy throughout my run. I'm going to go back to my local Luke's Locker and pick up some more packets for future runs. If this works out I'll get the canister.
I mixed the packet with about 16 oz of water the night before and put it in the fridge so that it would be nice and cold. I guess I need to do a better job of mixing it right before drinking as it was a little grainy as I finished it off. I struggle sometimes even eating early, early in the morning so it was nice being able to drink this and not experience a gag reflex.
I also brought several Larabars in my fuel belt that I snacked on while I ran to help keep my energy reserves up. So far my favorite flavor is Apple. 190 calories with some really good ingredients -- nuts (almonds & walnuts), apples, cinnamon, dates, & raisins.
So it appears I have become injured and have come down with I believe is Achilles Tendinitis. I have pain, especially when trying to run, in the tendon right above my ankle. This is your Achilles tendon. I am able to walk normally and there is really no pain when I am not do anything non-exerting, so it currently it not severe -- yet.
I suspect it occurred due to a combination of overuse and perhaps inadequate support from my shoes. My current shoes are getting older and I just bought a new pair of Brooks Ghost 6, but I have't had a chance to phase in the new pair and phase out the old pair.
I need to sit down and think about how to approach this. I need to continue to work on getting my mileage in for my long runs but I might see about limiting the amount of running I do during the week to in order to give my Achilles tendon as much rest between long runs. I may eliminate almost all running in my cross training (Boot Camp) and substitute some additional leg stretches.
I found this blog about dealing with Achilles Tendinitis, which gives a personal account to one person's dilemma and what he did to overcome the injury and still run his marathon. I hope this blog provides some decent advice on what to do to treat and continue to train for my upcoming marathon.
Here are some good articles on LiveStrong about dealing with Achilles Tendinitis:
I don't believe this is the end of my hopes to run a marathon right now but it certainly is a hurdle I will have to somehow overcome. I have had injuries in the past and have overcome them but this one has happened with a short time before my marathon, which is a little more than two months away. I just don't want this to be the reason I can't complete a marathon.
Most importantly I need to stay positive and not let this get me too far down. I came out stronger from my last injury and will come out stronger from this injury as well.
