Achilles Pain - Taking Breaks - Getting Faster at the Same Effort

Ever had achilles pain? The kind where you wake up in the morning and limp for an hour and it kind of goes away?

Yeah me too. Then last Monday night happened. It was a track workout with my friend Jerry. He and I have put a few miles in together and sometimes we push each other on the speed days. I was having a fantastic interval workout and while he has me on the short bursts (the guy has some serious quad speed!) I can usually get him on the longer sprints.

I paid the price for that speed workout. Tuesday morning I was WRECKED.  Limped around for an hour, then the next hour, then the next.  I wasn't walking right until 3 days later, and even then the pain was just dumb.

So...  I took a week off.  No running or deadlifting, just mobility work and kettlebell swings.

Yesterday I ran Rancho for the first time in a while.  Decided to stick to Maffetone for as long as I could.

As long as I kept my stride length short (i.e. POSE-like), I could run without achilles pain.  The moment I opened up my stride, shooting pain in the heel cord.

So.  Low heart rate (180-age).  Quick step POSE running, and I get a PR on a half mile segment in Strava at the SAME heart rate as I did in August of this year.  Also I am battling a head cold.  Odds were NOT in my favor for a decent run.

Here's the therapy I've been doing on the calve muscles:

• foam rolling the upper calves
• 2 minute stretch on each side with toe flexion
• 45 reps each side of heel eccentrics (my legs are a little sore from this actually)

Here's the Strava run:

Making Gains While Sick

Yeah, making gains while sick... it doesn't really happen.

Wednesday night, I picked up a cold from one of my kids.  Hit me hard on Thursday.  In bed all day, and even walking down the hall to get water was an effort.  Friday morning I was able to function enough to open the garage gym to train a couple clients.  Still no workout for me though.

Saturday I was able to do some bench press and move relatively heavy weights a few times.  Had to flip the switch from groggy to THE GROG, and was able to hit a near PR weight (10lbs shy).

What helped me the most (besides this AWESOME woman I am married to) was sleeping when I needed to sleep.  For single parents that don't have options, I don't know how you guys do it.  Here is my best advice: Rest and recover when your body asks for it, eat good solid foods that are nutrient rich.   Don't be a hero thinking that you just need to suck it up.  Actually you do need to suck it up, but not when you're trying to recover as fast as possible.  Asking your body to build strength, fight off a virus, and raise kids at the same time doesn't work.  You make yourself weaker.

Don't get weaker.  Rest, drink water, eat right.

Today's Strong Sunday workout:

• Log Press 5-3-1
• Yoke walk: 
• 100 feet x heavy, heavier
• 200 feet for 50% of target weight
• 300 feet same weight.