One thing about rehabbing an injury is that it is tough to keep writing about what you are doing. Mainly, because you are not doing all that much differently most days, finding ways to write about the same things can only be done so often.
So I haven’t been doing much on the daily RunLog because, yes, I do my mobilization routine, which takes close to half an hour with my trusty golf ball, vitamin bottle, The Stick, and other torture devices.
Then I do about fifteen minutes of working with bands to strengthen, stretch and help move things that don’t want to move specific ways to move. Thankfully I haven’t appeared on any episodes of America’s Funniest videos from the rubber band snapping me or furniture they are attached to rushing across the floor into me. 😝
After that, I get on the elliptical for twenty minutes of cardio. That was all I could handle before the Achilles began getting grumpy last week.
Then ice the Achilles for twenty minutes while watching something running or motivationally related.
Also there are the bad days when the Achilles is grumpier and talks nasty back at me for stoopid stuff that I tend to do that aggravates it too much. Those times are frustrating and are part of the rehab journey where you have good and bad days. They are a part of the process.
PROGRESS!!!
This morning I very carefully did a calf raise and dip on the steps. As I did it, something in my calf released, and my leg immediately felt better. I was able to do a few more reps without the discomfort that I had been experiencing!!!
However, I didn’t do like I usually do and attempt to run two-to-three miles this morning.
Guess what I did instead going for a run this morning? Mobility exercises, band strengthening/stretching, and twenty-five minutes on the elliptical. Yeah, I am staying the course and no running until next Monday, and that will most likely be a one-minute run, one-minute walk, repeated multiple times for a few days as long as I keep making progress.
Okay, so you get the picture of what my week looked like last week and what it will most likely look like this week. The most significant difference will be changing some rubber band exercises and time on the elliptical or walking. Walking is happening a bit more as the discomfort in the Achilles lessens.
Shoes
New Balance 1080 v10 – As much as I love the feel of the shoe underfoot, the last three times that I have worn them have resulted in the Achilles getting pretty damned nasty towards me. So I have put them out to the back of the garage. I am not sure what I will do with them, but I feel that they are a significant source of the problem and not a part of the solution. They are the shoes I wore the two days before the Achilles blossomed into a full-blown month of down-time and each time I wear them, nothing good comes of it.
A running friend was kind enough to send me some of his gently used shoes that were piling in up his closet, and while one pair didn’t fit correctly and will be donated. The other two I will be using.
ASICS Nimbus Lite v2 – A running shoe that has intrigued me, and since I need something a little more supportive than some of the other stuff I have been running in, they seem to be just the ticket. Wearing them on the elliptical and around the house, they feel very comfortable, and I am itching to get them on for a run.
New Balance Propel v1 – I have had a couple of pairs of the Propel v1’s, so I am very familiar with their peculiarities and initially believed they would be going to SD1. However, I have been searching through my assortment of running shoes to find a pair that will work as walking shoes. Yesterday, I took them out and remembered how much I loved the v1s, but I also remembered why I stopped wearing them. The ankle wells are too high and rub the outside of my ankles raw. I fixed that by adding another insert (which makes for two in the same shoe), this works fine for walking, but makes them too soft for running. So I do have a pair of walking shoes that don’t bother my feet.
Also, I got notification from Atreyu that they would be shipping The Artist racing shoe on Friday and I should have them by Tuesday or Wednesday. 😅 They were something that I pre-ordered back in September for a great price, so getting them now is like a free present.
Tech
I got in my new Garmin 245 watch last Tuesday. Since then I started figuring out its intricacies and began learning how to use it with the Stryd pod. Using this combination opens many new metrics for me to dive into and training opportunities for exploration between the two devices.
The biggest, well, the most challenging thing for me has been finding a watch face that meets my needs. These old eyes need a watch face that I can see, and I want to know the time, my heart rate, and steps at a glance. The other things that some watch faces have are nice, but I can’t see good enough to use those data-loaded faces. I am liking it so far and see so many possibilities for how I can or will use the 245.
Diet
Also, I finished The Endurance Diet by Matt Fitzgerald, and it gave me a bunch of ideas and more than a bit of motivation to get off my fat arse and start paying more attention to what I shovel down the pie-hole. I have started logging what I eat and have seen a few patterns going forward I will need to change.
The reality is that
Overall, it was another excellent rehab week, and while I am getting the itch to start running again, I also know that the Achilles is not ready for prime time. This is also my opportunity to get some other cranky body parts in shape or at least better prepared to run when I get back to it.
The best thing I can do for now is to stay on the course I am on. To keep doing the rehab work on the left Achilles and prehab on other areas that need it.
In other words, be patient.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, on Thursday I got my second COVID-19 vaccination, so that was a huge relief and one less thing on my mind.
Harold Being Harold 
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