With just over 2 weeks since I rolled my ankle I am now walking unaided, albeit with some Kinesiology tape strapping it up and cycling again. Running is not on the cards yet but I am hopeful that I will be able to get some running in prior to the Trail Marathon Wales on the 22nd June.
Regarding the TMW, I am going into it in the mind-set of “it’s a training run” to the point where I will be using my SJ pack (still need to review it!!) along with the majority of my NDW100 min kit list, simply to test equipment, test hydration and all the things I was hoping to achieve on the NDW50. Also, I want to enjoy the views and the atmosphere, time is not a concern (although under any appropriate cut-offs is a must) and I plan on taking my camera to get some snaps while on the run.
So if you are running the TMW and see a guy kitted out like he is running a 100 miles, that’s me
It had been a fairly good month, with the NDW50 coming up I had run 10 miles on the 1st, cycled a total of 23 miles on the 2nd, a 2.25 mile running speed session on the 3rd and a reasonably paced trail run of 5.5 miles on the 5th. The plan had been to run a 10 miler on the 6th and continue to cycle for the rest of the week, tapering down for the 50.
I set out on my run on the Monday, with the weather perfect and feeling good. I had run out to a 5 mile point, taking in a section of the North Downs Way and was heading back to complete my run.
Such a good day for a run
At about 6.5 miles I rolled my ankle, when I say rolled my ankle I mean ROLLED it. I was floored instantly, but I have rolled my ankles before and the pain subsided to allow me to jog slowly on. A few yards down the trail it rolled again and if the first time hurt, this was something else. I had to sit down, physically shaking with the pain and I knew that I had to call it a day and walk (the 3 miles) home.
Floored after the second time
Like buses these things come in three’s and about a mile into my trudge home it went for a third time and again I was floored. I eventually picked myself up again and grabbed a nearby stick and slowly got home.
My makeshift crutch to get me home
The Damage:
Below is a sequence of photos showing the progression of the swelling and bruising on my ankle
The swelling can be seen straight after it happened, but no bruisingWaking up in the morning and being presented with this was not goodHeavy bruising and still swollen, a trip to the doctors and hospital for an X-Ray was in order
I went to the hospital today and had an X-Ray and my ankle prodded and poked. The good (great) news is that it’s not broken, which is a huge plus. The nurse said there was a lot of tissue damage and was prodding to find any pain points but other than a little twinge it was pretty painless. She was moving the ankle through its range of motion and was pretty surprised that something which looked this bad didn’t cause more pain, hopefully indicating that the damage is not as severe as it could have been.
I have been given some crutches to keep the weight off it but I am actually able to walk on it, hold my foot flat on the ground and stand with weight on it. Despite these positives it’s not going to be a quick fix and will take 4-6 weeks before I can run again. Knowing this I had to withdraw from the NDW50 (hence being gutted).
It’s not all doom and gloom though, I have more desire than ever to get that 100 miles under my belt in August and am going to make sure I do everything to help me achieve that. So it’s now a full course of RICE then when able to some re-habilitation exercises and cycling and swimming.
Its been a while since my last most, mainly because I haven’t been able to run and so not really had much to write about, however after my last post where I had managed some shorter runs I have since been able to start increasing the mileage.
With the last of the snow fading on Saturday week I decided to go for a longish run along the North Downs, no real objective in terms of pacing, just getting some miles in the legs. This run ended up being just over 9 miles at a very sedate 11:33/mi pace (I did also stop to get some photos (at the bottom of this post)
The Achilles while not 100% has improved, I do get the odd twinge when starting a run but this soon disappears as I get warmed up. Feeling confident that I could get a few more runs in during the week, Tuesday I decided to run to work (the wind was making cycling a real problem) so another (just shy) 10 mile run in the bag. That same day I decided to catch the train to the nearest station and run the last 2 miles back home, giving me a total of 12 miles for the day.
Thursday, I decided to run to work again (well that was the plan). 3.5 miles into the run the rain had gone from persistent to deluge and I really didn’t fancy getting soaked through, so I opted to cut the run short and caught a train at the next station (4 miles). Pace wise, nothing spectacular but averaged a 9:18/mi which I was pleased about, given carrying a rucksack. Again I opted to run from the station on the homeward journey, but decided to get off earlier so I could get another 4 miles in.
I still have a way to go before I am back up to full training, but the running to work option seems to fit in with my work and family life so I will start to incorporate this more. The plan, on some days at least, will be to run to and from work making a 20 mile daily total.
Total Weekly Mileage (including Saturday): 29.37
Lastly, below are the photos from Saturdays run, I had more but somehow the SD card got corrupted
Lovely to look at, but was like a bog underneath. My feet got soaked in icy waterSuch a perfect day for a runStill lots of snow on the fieldsYou could see for milesAnother shot of the view
This weekend was full of snow, it also saw the first runs that I have been able to do in about 8 weeks. Since my injury I have been itching to go out and run, its hard to describe how frustrating it is to not be able to just go out if you feel like it, but I knew that resting would allow me to heal quicker.
I mentioned in previous posts the methods I was using to treat the Achilles and I am pleased to say that they seem to have worked. Hindsight now says that I simply wasn’t stretching enough and I believe that the injury was caused by tight calf muscles as well as overuse. A regime of stretching, eccentric exercises, RICE, and rolling appears to have made a vast improvement so come this weekend I was in a position to take a tentative run out in the snow.
I love running in the snow, the trails just look so amazing and it is just so much fun to be out there. Had it not have snowed then I may have held off on the running for another week, but it was an opportunity that I just didn’t want to miss.
Saturday was an easy 4 mile run, walking on any steep inclines and moderating the overall pace to not push my body too far. Despite the cycling I can tell that I have lost some running fitness, my breathing was heavy at times on sections that previous to my injury wouldn’t have been an issue, but this is something I can build back up. As Saturday seemed to go so well I decided to do a short evening run in the fresh snowfall to test out my new Silva Trailrunner Plus headtorch that I got for Christmas. A 3 mile run at a slightly quicker pace on Saturday with snow falling all around me was just what I needed, and the headtorch worked exactly as expected.
It’s still a long way to go to get back up to the distances I was running before, but I am confident I can get back there. The NDW50 in May is still possible with some focused training and extensive stretching.
Below are some photos I captured on my runs this weekend:
I love running through this tree tunnel, it was all the better in the snowA snow-covered uphill climbI have missed running on the DownsA view of the North Downs Way covered in snowThe sort of weather when my Goretex Inov8 come in really handyA view of the tree tunnel from Saturday at night, illuminated by the Silva Trailrunner Plus
Following on from my last post I have begun trying to treat the problem. I have been combining the exercises that I mentioned in my previous post as well as a using a frozen bottle as a roller on my calf muscle (thanks for the suggestion John).
In place of a foam roller I am using a 2 litre frozen bottle of waterI am using this on the tendon roughly twice a day
I am pleased to say that the exercises plus the ‘rolling’ and icing the tendon does appear to be working, its early days but the tendon is less sensitive in the mornings now and pinching it results in little or no pain. I don’t think I will be running anytime soon but I hope that a few more weeks of the treatment will allow me to get out and do a short run, although I am mindful of not doing too much too soon. I will keep cycling to and from work so will be able to keep my fitness ticking over.
Reading up on the injury and make up of the Achilles tendon it appears that Collagen is a key component of the healing process so I will also start taking some supplements,they may not actually do anything but even a placebo effect can yield positive results.
Worth a go
Lastly, here is a picture of my new toy, hopefully I will be able to get an early morning or evening run done soon so I can give it a test and give a review.
This is the Silva Trail Runner Plus, I plan on using this in the NDW100 in August
UltraPlodder.com 