I planned on running Bloomsday last weekend, but the day before the race I felt some unusual bumps (very small) on the inside of my Achilles right where I was having all the pain in March. Just to be safe I popped in to see a doctor to make sure it wasn't a small tear or anything that would keep me from running Bloomsday. The doctor (a sports medicine guy who does work with the WSU student-athletes) diagnosed it as tendinosis. Basically, he said, it's worse than tendinitis - my tendon has degenerated - and I'm at an increased risk for a rupture. Not good. He set me up with a new physical therapist that specializes in foot and ankle stuff for athletes.
So I skipped Bloomsday and stopped running again for a week. My appointment with the PT was yesterday, and the news was optimistic. He said that I have a mild case of tendinosis, and that he expects that I'll likely make a full recovery. He also said that the injured area is higher than the usual risk area for rupture, so I'm not in the high risk category.
The plan:
I'm leaving for Germany this week for a two week trip. I won't be running the GutsMuths Rennsteiglaug ultramarathon. That's a bummer -- I've been having some sour luck with my international races the last couple years. Even if I was cleared to give it a shot, my training the last two months has been so low that it's not even worth calling it training, so I'm not in any shape to race a 45-mile trail course anyway.
I am allowed to run, but only on very flat surfaces, and - for now - no more than five miles every other day. When we get back from Germany, I'll get an updated game-plan from my PT. Man, it would be great to get some good news then.
Mentally, I'm preparing myself for a several month recovery. Sounds like this Achilles - even if I get back to full speed - will be something I have to deal with the rest of my running career.
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| With Sadie on Moscow Mt. a couple weeks ago |
-Scott
Sorry to hear about your tendon Scott. Good Luck with your recovery.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike. It will be a bummer if I have to miss my summer races. But my long term running health is most important, so I'm going to try to do what I need to to get back up to full speed even if it takes a few months.
DeleteI'm sure this is so tough for you. I like that you're thinking of the long term though and not pushing it. Have a great trip in Germany!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a BUMMER! Wishing you a speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteGolly, that is bad luck. Hang in there is all I can offer as advice. Some folks think that you can switch to biking or swimming instead of running while you're recuperating. I've never felt as though it's the same at all! I hate the taper period before and the rest after a marathon. I'm at my worst. Talk about crabby... I hope you can find your zen spot by alternate means until you get back up to speed.
ReplyDeleteHi Scott,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Leslie Wolff and I'm working with the Chinook Cycling Club, Benton County and Friends of Badger Mountain on some signage that will be going up on the mountain. I happen to run across an image on your blog and we would potentially like to use it for the background of the signs. I'm going to send you a PM via your Facebook account and the message should show up in your Message/Other folder. I hope to hear from you soon! :)