Achillies Update

So, no point harping on, here's the skinny -

June 8th 2024 - Achillies goes from being super tight to properly going. Signs were there but I tried to run through.

June 17th 2024 - Return, start to run but still not right and stop again.

June 28 & June 29 2024 - Start again. Feels better but not right again.

July 4th - restart and resume. 

July 8th - some pace work (1.5 miles @ 5.37/mm) start to feel tight calfs - a sign that achillies has cleared.

July 15 - 24th - 70 mile week. 

July 23 - still feel achillies but double with a session. Sessions at track resume.

August 7th - notice an achillies grumble. Back into full training. Calf calves calfs tight.

August 13th - notice that it's best yet on track.

August 29th - First time I felt back on top of things and moving well.

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That's first stage

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December 3rd 2024 - Session at Eddington. Achillies is really sore. From here on it's a rebuild. 4 days off, run and it's OK. Session and it goes. 4 days off then a complete rebuild - just running easy miles from December 24th until w/c Jan 21st then it's a resume of sessions. Slowly build. Run Seville 5k in Feb but achillies 'still not right'. Run through to Podium 5k and I am fit but 'achillies still not right'.

March 21st - Session done previous night and OK but not right. Saturday it's really sore and I did hills. 

March 25th - session starts great but pull up. Notice that I have been hobbling through everything for a while.

That's a wrap on it. It's rest and restart for a week. 

March 31st - April 4th - run every day on grass and trails. It's improving.

April 5th & 6th 2025 - Run Parkrun solid effort (17.27) it's really sore. Should not have done that. Wake up on Sunday and can hardly walk but run 10 miles around Wimpole.

April 7th - 11th - Tried 1 jog and it's a no (11th) not quite right.

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That's where we are at

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Have been doing weight's pretty much daily to strengthen. As well as rehab stuff around the achillies / calf.

Basically - I have not fixed the achillies and calf problems and it's lead me to a point where I can hobble fast.

I have been through the stages of injury - denial, anger, sadness and today it's back to just trying to be productive.

I think hammering weights is not the idea from here on but a good strength and conditioning plan is.

On top of daily rehab work and a phased approach to running.

Hopefully with some stretching today I can return to 30 mins of grass running and progress as per 2 weeks ago. A week of easy grass / trails needs to be done and then slowly incorporate some faster stuff but right now I just want to run easy and free.

Once I can run and slowly build I need to finalise a lifting plan that gets me strong without damaging myself in another way lol I have definately not focused enough on the lower legs and I know my upper legs are very much strong enough now as I've got squat to 120kg.

It's too early to think about racing again but I needed to digest last year to give myself an idea. Last year was 4 weeks from going bang to a full resume. April 25th is the likely time that I would be on the same schedule. It will be 5 weeks from a full return to running and feeling fit.

It's not too late. I just need focus and do not give up hope.

12/04/25

Ran 30 mins. Best it's been. After despair yesterday there is hope today. This morning I did a full mobility routine. It seems to have helped. I think that I need to get on top of s&c work and plan better.

My focus for a week is to target hamstrings. I still have a nagging feeling my right hammy is causing my achillies tendonitis tendonosis tendon pain. (Keywords for search!)

Daily work on rdls (single and weighted) to fire up hammys. I have been getting ahead of myself trying to solve too many issues. Fire on with the hammy work all week, daily mobility work, daily running building to an hour all off road. One S&C session on Saturday. Lets see how things look by the end of next week.

14/04/25

Ran yesterday and today (43 mins today). Felt OK, leg a l;ittle tight. Feels like it's progressing to calf which is nice. Plan is mobility daily, rehab bi-daily, strength 2 x per week and run 6 x per week. Plan is to build to 60 mins. I'll know when I am ready to re-test BUT the formula is 8 x 60/60 grass and 5 x lake threshold progression before I consider anything on tarmac / track.

19/04/25

Achillies injury is like psychological warfare. One minute you feel like you are almost back to normal and the next you can't run. Really fucking frustrating but right now all I can do is keep chillseling away.

Booked a physio appt for 7th May. Actually don't see how I will be running pain free by then so may as well swallow the wait.

Parkrun today. Better than expected. 20.20 (6.35/mm) feeling easy enough in Superblasts. But pretty tight afterwards.

Sticking to a plan of - mobility every morning. Run every day. Either weights or light plyo. Lots of stretching (back, psoas, bottom of foot). 

I have to believe it will stop hurting at some stage and if it does then at least the strength work should really help.

Emotionally it's a rollercoaster. I go from 0 to 100 on a daily basis. I think switching off all goals and just wanting to run pain free takes a load off. At least I can run I guess. It's just at pace or uphill it's a fucker.

I will treadmill test downhill at pace this week and see where that lands me.

20/04

Run with J, off road the old Longstowe route up the hill. Dbl stack the heel riser in Peggy Plus and actually feels pretty good today. Moving well enough. Feels very slightly tight - definately the best it has felt - but not quite there. Will stretch out later today and no rehab exercises as hammys and legs are bashed up from weights.

Have that feeling that I will do 'something' this week and probably cricket pitch efforts just rolling along some slightly faster stuff.

Nice feeling that it's not a million miles away from rolling.

The plan to phase back has to remain - run every day - do some steady intervals on grass - do some faster running on pavement - do some longer intervals on grass/trail - big mileage week.

It's a tried and trusted routine. I am on the 'up' stage now. No doubt tomorrow I will come crushing down again with a failed run - such is the nature of an achillies injury but I'll go down fighting !!

Thoughts at the minute. Return to light plyo and back stretching seem to be important in this recovery.

21/04

As expected, got carried away yesterday and todays run was shite. 9.75 miles and felt tight the whole way.

22/04

Wake up OK today, tight but rehab and morning mobility feels better. Achillies / plantar is achy and it feels like my right foot is slightly unstable and maybe folding out to the outside which would make sense. I think I may bring in some single leg balance stuff on the balance board.

Overall I honestly think that I am addressing all the correct issues. It's a tiny margin improvement game and patience is critical.

Yesterday was frustrating as longer runs where it aches slightly on each step are like having tooth ache and running in a compromised position does nothing to help.

It's an insane amount of work to get my leg ready to run and I am away next week for 5 days so not sure if and what I can get done there in terms of running.

Today I will treadmill test different shoes and incline and see if anything helps.

Still at the stage that I don't know if I will ever run freely again. I am not worried about fitness, times rankings etc. I just want to be able to run and not feel anything.

I day dream about running freely with no hobbling - it's been a minute ! Maintenance will be critical, I need to target each area and weight and hit those on a weekly basis. Happy enough with that as I am hitting gym probably 3 x per week at the minute plus lots of additionals.

Treadmill test. Long story short, Vapors felt OK so tried them outside. About a mile steady and then started to tighten up.

Loosing the will to live with it. Decided to try skipping and can't find the fucking rope so ordered a new one. Been a frustrating couple of days.

Down day today. Really not feeling it. Jogging back just settled on 40-60 mins of slow jogging each day and some weights.

Not sure what is working and what is not but I'm not going on like this. Basically cannot put effort or hills through ankle.

I'll try and keep up the blog if stuff changes but obviously not feeling the love right now. It's useful in the future to look back on but my plan is to just keep trying to strengthen throughout but specifically the lower legs.

24/04

Rest day yesterday - drive to Lower Mill. Foot / ankle felt achy this morning, not achillies as such almost like a side tendon. Foot feels like it's collapsing out and over supernating. Hit gym. Squats to 80kg for depth as maintenance. Calf raises rehab (16kg) bent and straight. A struggle to hit that weight, dropped to 12 last set. Biceps and triceps on the bar and rope. Hamstring seated curl singles to 35kg for 5 (2 sets) and 5 sets of single leg extension to 30kg.

Got home and did 3 x 30 (15 each direction) hurdle drill for maintenance.

Have to say the singles are much stronger than they have ever been. In Oct 2023 when using the strong app I did doubles starting at 20kg and got to 40 kg. I think 50-55 was most I got to. Really pleased as something seems to be working. Also, no weird right knee issue on single all the way up to 30kg.

No run today, will try again tomorrow. Will start skipping protocol though as that will benefit long term.

Mentally accepted where I am. Motivation very low to run not over fussed. Want to resume from the best possible position and the strength work will hopefully provide a platform.

26/04

Parkrun, again not right but not far enough wrong. Frustrating like a tooth ache. Decided to bin gym today and focus on some serious stretching and try to see if easing off helps as I do ache from the load.

Surprisingly overall fit at the minute because I've been doing a lot of everything. Will likely just gym while I am away next week and see if a few days off running resets anything.

Pretty low motivation. Not over fussed about getting involved or watching any racing. Sad but just not feeling it.

Not really seen any real progress. It's been a little better and a little worse. Running on grass is much better than road and 30 mins is about limit before any real aches. Will be about 35 miles this week which isn't actually that bad tbf I don't think I am too far off conditioning which is super annoying and strength is hugely improved. Lets go for flexibility today lol although not a huge amount of anticipation on a return. Very much in limbo.

03/05

Wow, we are moving into May. 

So, 4 nights in Dubai, no running since Saturday and 2 gym sessions away. Achillies is still not right - aches and tight in the morning but slight improvement day by day. At the stage now where the only productive activity is in the gym. That's where all my focus is. 

Fizz on Wednesday to hopefully get a plan in place. 

At the stage where I have just accepted it's a waiting game. Most important aspect is restarting from a blank canvas with no aches and pains. Restart and rebuild. 

I have a quite painful lump to the outside of the achilies which is causing the pain. 

Not 100% sure if anything I am doing is working or not. Currently also 18 hours into a 24 hour fast to see if that helps my health. Weigh in the morning at 11 stone flat - first time I have seen that since maybe 2021?

07/05

So, I did 2 double days of 30 easy and 30 very very easy and then 30 easy yesterday. Yesterday was the best it's felt. Finally feels like back to not feeling like it will fall off.

Physio today so hopefully get a better idea and plan going forward.

I have learned from my own Dr you tube research -

* rest does not help * very heavy and low rep range weights work * pain is acceptable just not more pain or back off * you are not tearing fibres * morning stiffness is not curable * you have to continue for 12 months with the rehab

It's been game changing now I understand the injury more. 

I am eyeing up October as targets for the euros. I have a plan. Right now my only plan is to run pain free.

I will run races I have entered and just back off as I will be there anyway!

Actually in a much better spot. Weight gain is a concern right now but i will get on top of that when I am running.

Right now it feels tight and almost like a cramping on hamstring when it gets to the end of range (30 mins).

Today will see what Fizz says and probably gym later for rehab and weights. 

Physio with Tom @ Physiotec

So met Tom. He quickly identified that ankle stability was the problem and my right ankle is dropping out on the way up. This is likely to be causing the achillies problem plus the tight right hamstring. My hip joint on right side was a lot less mobile than the left plus big toe range was very low.

He identified many issues and curing those was likely to help more than just targeting the achillies tendonopothy.

First thing was releasing the fascia with a seated slump / sit up. 1 minute of that and range improved dramatically in toe and hip. I was shocked at that one. I need to keep that going at home twice a day.

Secondly, restoring stability to the ankle by doing 2 leg calf raises with a small ball between the ankles to focus on keeping them straight. Keep ankles straight and keep force production going in the correct direction. Sets of those each day with a pause at top. 

Thirdly he identified that I am gripping the ground with my toes to correct the ankle instability which then tightens the ankle and stops the foot gait moving correctly through the cycle. The homework for this is balancing on one foot and concentrating on not using the toes.

So homework for next 2 weeks is to focus on these. Continue with same running schedule and see how it improves over this time.

Really positive, nice to know there could be a simple solution - he thinks correcting these may lead to not having to do anything with the achillies as they may solve the problem. As it's mainly tightness that could very well be true.

Interesting to see how it goes. I'll continue with a once per week solid gym session as in proper training and running in 30 min blocks for now and try to get as much rehab done as possible.

08/05

Jogged yesterday for another 30 mins. Lots of the rehab work. Does feel like we are making progress but it's slow. I know however that long term it's all good.

Phase 1 is to run pain free. I have had this conversation with myself too many times but I just feel I am due another run of form. Once this is done.

Rest day today. Few bits and bobs to sort out but no running and no strength.

Ideally I get a boost in this and then tomorrow I'll see where the limit is at Bourton. In my head I know 5.20 ish should be my target pace as that's a comfortable 5k training pace effort for reps but I need to not push things too hard.

I'll gauge where everything is after that. From there, and under control, I'm not a million miles from getting into the serious pay dirt.

Ordered some stability shoes yesterday - Asics GT 2000 - to see if extra stability helps keep things moving in the right direction - i.e my ankle going straight up and down!

12/05

Possibly first time in a long time some positive chat!

Bourton mile - turned up. Achillies too sore to warm up or cool down. Tried chopper socks, adidas, puma, heel tabs, k-tape, bearhug. Was not having it. Ended up leaving the k-tape on, removing chopper socks and bear hug and added the 2 heel lifts.

Walked to start. Just ran it. Amazingly settled in at 77 through 400, 2.34 through 800, 3.49 through 3/4 and it started to get hobbly for the last 200m or so. 

Finished in 5.09 on my Garmin but 5.12 gun time (annoying the chips cannot have registered).

No chance of a cool down. Got home late, pint of chocolate milk, some ibro and iced it and was in agony.

Woke up Saturday morning - absolutely the best it's been. Jogged Parkrun and a couple of extra miles at 7.30s and absolutely fine. Bit of a tight pull but probably best its been.

No rhyme or reason to that lol.

On the piss Saturday night and jogged 30 mins on Sunday. Not amazing but had DOMS from gym and the uphills are still not great.

So tonight I have a 400m and 1500m double for Enfield in the vets league. Just a bit of training and not expecting fireworks. Ideally 2 efforts the same as Friday and fingers crossed for similar benefit from hammering it!

Positive place, it really feels like a corner is turning. Keeping up the physio rehab work and onwards towards pain free running which is my onl;y target right now.

All being well I will aim to run 35-40 mins every day this week and just build easy miles. I am running 5.09 with a hobble (reckon I could hit around 5 flat right now all being well) I have not lost too much and it's a nice place to start from.

13/05

Race last night. Managed a warm up and small cool down this time and raced same pace as Friday (4.47). Not ideal but was in spikes so I'll take it as an improvement.

Sore this morning. Def feels like stabilising tendons and ankle stability are main factors at play. I need to strengthen these before a return to running. The one leg balance is a real sign of where it's going to work.

Will focus on that rehab and start to build more structure now. May run later or maybe not, it's all just about getting back top pain free running and building from there.

Update - decide not to run. Just doing lots of rehab work on the ankle. Loading the tendon and focus on ankle strength. Thinking to just rehab today and try to run easy maybe twice tomorrow.

14/05

Wore the New Asics GT-2000 13s today. Lake loop. On the way up to the turn was getting sorte and felt very robotic. Coming back much, much better. Looks like it really does not like any incline so ideally stay pretty flat for a bit.

Few chores but will double with an Aqua Jog today and see if that helps as it did last time.

15/05

Asics are going back. Calf tight today - which is a good sign but whole ankle is not happy today. 30 mins slow and feeling robotic. The stability shoes are not game changing!

Will try the Superblast tomorrow and see how that goes. I think possibly still need cushioning.

Feeling bleugh today after eating loads of shit yesterday. Will do the rehab work and may aqua jog if I get a chance.

Not exactly full of motivation. Feels like I have not moved very far the the past 6 weeks.

Rock Bottom 

Really felt it today. After run just feeling like I can't be fucked tbf. Am I doing too little, am I doing too much? Really feels like it's becoming more pointless trying to run. 

Not sure where my head is at but this is a real low point of it and feels like I am worse than when it started. I'll probably do a few runs and the rehab before physio but right now not fussed about putting the work in. Sent the ASICS back, will get back in to the Superblast for next run. 

Asked myself a few times in the past whether I can really be bothered but right now I just don't see anything changing on the horizon. It's fucked and I can't be.

16/05

Hmm, not sure on today. Head all over the shop. Met John for coffee. Nice to catch up. Will not run today but will gym.

Lack of motivation is peak right now. Not really fussed at all. Not myself for sure. 

Will gym later. Pretty much set on hitting that and just really pushing hard on the loading. Not a lot of way to go to be honest. I can sit it out for a couple of months or do something productive. Just hit the gym consistently now, I'll run when I can but from here I just can't see a world without achillies pain.

Race wise - I'll do mid Cheshire, fuck off the mile and then pretty much jog the vets leagues for Ray. I enjoy those and even out of shape I'll collect some points.

V50 season is over. Absolutely no chance of doing anything serious. I am sure I'll be back at some stage but it's going to be either a proper comeback which means no pressure and lots of time (we don't have) OR just hobble slightly faster again and take forever.

Not being negative, it's just that anything from here will be a bonus. I have to correct this issue properly and that means 1 - getting better, 2 - stopping it from recurring and 3 - become a stronger athlete.

My plan now is gym work and making sure that my legs are hit correctly. If they become super strong, then when this issue is recovering then I can add plyometrics to make sure I can move forwards and not sidewards.

Realistic aims will be winter 2025.

This blog is a fucking roller coaster and no part of me wants to read back or continue every day but I have to in order to stop this happening again!

18/05

Parkrun in 19.40 yesterday. Bit sore afterwards but not 100% sure it's achillies or calf as that is pretty tight and sore. Once that eases off I will get a better idea. Did my rehab yesterday.

Trying to swing things back on track. Plan today (busy bit of faffing around first) is to run easy over trails. Will try with and without heel lifts. Superblast. Aim now is to regularly hit 10k ish on my easy as a slow build.

I'll do rehab and also hit gym tonight and do hammys, bi/tri, core.

Real bit of fomo looking at England masters race yesterday.

Have an idea how I would like to structure my comeback so that's something at least lol.

19/05

OK, so yesterday was first run where I really thought that I was starting to feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel. Obviously could run today and be in agony but yesterday was very light ache, not constant and legs both felt bounce. 40 mins bagged.

Today weight in is 10 st 12.3 lbs - a solid 10 lbs over race weight. That's 30 secs a mile just in weight. 

Plan for today is to run again, same route and assess how things are. If it's same again then we are starting to finally feel a plan unravel. Not being 100% is not necessarily end of the world with this injury - just a sign of doing too much.

40 mins run and full rehab work is the plan for the day. Try and eat within boundary too - no snacking as that's what's killing me. Get on top of diet and start to bring it down.

Felt good yesterday, that was a nice feeling. Trying not to get carried away as today could be 2 steps back. All being well I would like to go into this as per last season - 40 mile week followed by 70 mile week get crash back into training.

So, today I did 40 mins nice and easy (8.10/mm) on usual trails. No real issue. About 8/10 for feel. Not pain, just something 'there'. Did all my usual ankle rehab work and it was fine. 2.8 miles with Ange afterwards as I want to get some time in feet miles in.

7.7 miles for the day. Nice and relaxed and it finally feels like progress. Aim this week is to get some miles in - pre-base as per last summer. 40 ish miles and run most days. Nothing heavy but next week I plan to hit it fairly hard and from then it's build a strong base over June.

The Plan

Whisper it. The comeback. June will be fucking heroic.

In my head I plan to run easy but hit out some strides uphill 3/4 x per week. A solid session under control and a Parkrun with efforts afterwards slowly building volume. I'll run my session at the cricket pitch and start at 8 x 60/60 and build to 16. Parkrun at threshold and then 2k, 1k and build to PR/2k/1k/8x60/60 working down pace. I will do 3 x gym sessions as - 1 x rehab, 1 x plyo, 1 x strength.

Start at 50mpw and build to 80 by the end of the month. This is not going to be pretty. I don't see myself hitting sessions with the group. This is Rocky time. I need to go from low 5/mm to low 4.40/mm by the end of the month.

It's a risk - no doubt - it's a monumental challenge - no doubt. I can't see myself faillng due to fatigue. It's going to be goverened by pain.

Mon - rest day, rehab work.

Tue - Session day. 60/60 on grass [8]

Wed - easy 9 miles slow on trails [9] double as shakeout & hill strides [3-5]

Thu - easy double 4 & 3. Gym plyos [7]

Fri - easy 9 & hill strides [10]

Sat - Parkrun sesh [8-10] Gym strength

Sun - long [12-16]

Pace wise I will keep it all easy 8-8.15 pace except sessions. Slower is better.

So, I have a plan. It's crazy tbf and I couldn't share it with anyone as it looks insane. If I get pain free I plan to be seriously moving by the start of July. Time to get fucking busy.

20/05

Fizz tomorrow. Plan today is run 45 and gym. Getting to the point now where it's going to start rolling towards a comeback anyhow. 

Really, really need to get that leg reactive power going now. I think some super consistent plyo work will get me there and just test and retest.

Race wise, I have 5k this Friday and mile next Thursday in the books. Not sure to do either, maybe Friday just jog but I don't want to reset anything at this stage.

Mornings are still sore and hobbly - as expected - so would be nice to not have to deal with that.

Ran 4 miles. Uphill lake loop. Achillies and calf sore up the hill, as soon as it went down and flat it was absolutely fine - about 9/10. Frustrating.

Hit gym afterwards. Calf raises single leg and heavy - 70kg. Assisted Nordics (3,5,6).  Tib curls to failure 15kg. Sled push - 2 x 60m. That was nails! Triceps 3 x 15, Biceps 1 x 15 (was battered)

21/05

Fizz today. Happy with progress. It's going to be a long journey repeat - a LONG journey. So plan now is eccentric drops, straight and bent to focus on both calf muscles. Improve balance on one foot - still shite there. Add in minor plyos.

So, running ok on flat and down makes sense. Fast and hills = pain make sense as it's the range of motion. Now I spend 3 weeks improving strength in the extended position (below level). 

I can get my head around what's happening. It doesn't really change the plan to increase miles BUT it does keep me focused on where I am weak. 

Strength on bigger range - I'll do the eccentrics and add weight fairly rapidly each day. Also worth keeping up the existing strength plan.

My gym focus will be as is but I do need to raise my game on the ankle stability and balance.

I am tempted to skip a step and go straight to a balance board. It is noticably weak & unbalanced and I cannot improve without addressing this.

At some stage I am also going to need to work on the other leg to stay equal. Right now it's a journey to pain free.

I will likely not run today. Just do lots of rehab.

So my roadmap is kicked down the road. I give myself 3 weeks to get this sorted. I will run (and fairly high volume) but all off road. I will keep the 2 x gym sessions working each muscle group. I will rehab daily.

My target is to resume running pain free on July 1st. That gives me 12 weeks to get mega fit. The big target is October for Euro Vets but that will be operation secret squirrel.

22/05

A 2 step forward kind of day. Decent 45 min run. Very low ache, 8/10 but felt much better today. Feel positive about the next 3 weeks. Know that any form of hill will hit me so working at strengthening that range. Not too long ow, just need patience.

Still targeting July 1 so anything better is a bonus.

Rehab afterwards. Getting all the work done daily and build towards properly fixing these issues once and for all. 

24/05

Mid Cheshire 5k last night. Worst prep for a race ever. Long easy morning run then too sore to warm up. At chocolate and lucozade and wore peggy plus. 18.21. Ran the hill as my fastest split. Achillies was about 6/10 so right on the edge.

This morning did Parkrun in Crewe. Felt shite and jogged it. 22 mins flat. Achillies was about 3/10. A 2 step back day.

At the minute I feel a total fraud. Cannot see a way to become a runner again. Hard to face up to it but just keeping the rehab going and trying to get some miles in.

That's the committed races done. I won't race now until I am pain free. I just need to stay on top of the loading and prey that one day I step out the door with no pain.

Plan is to just try to build as much as I can and reassess once I am moving but from here I just don't really see a time when that happens.

26/05

New week new me. Decided now that it's time to just crack on with easy running and s&c and then just keep the daily rehab going. It's slowly slowly improving but it's clearly not linear.

Plan today is going to be either 7 straight through or 4 & 3 double. If I do the straight through I'll go to gym later. Aim this week is just to tick off 7 miles every day. All easy, all boring but assist the rehab and slowly load things up. I'll take up weight on eccentrics to 10kg and swap from 40-50kg on the trap bar.

Feel so far removed from an athlete that it's actually not pressure to get back. Focus is just on that pain free running goal. Dialled in. Need to improve diet as that's getting a little out of hand right now.

27/05

8 easy today and hit my rehab. Very very marginal improvement as it was on road. Easy pace (8.15s) and slight pull but a 3/10 pain scale max. 

Really feeling the rehab is getting there. Long way to go though. Still not expecting anything pre-July before totally re-starting with full stress.

29/05

OK, so now it's time to stop blogging until something changes. Improvements are slowly and slight each day. I can run on road, I can run slightly up hill and pain is decreasing. It's still slightly tight but I can run fairly easily and hitting 7 per day is do-able along with rehab.

I do see a pain free end of the rainbow but it's still a little way away. The long term plan is not pain free but elastic strength.

Biggest takeaway I have if this happens again is to ALWAYS DO THE PREHAB - It will come back if I don't. If it happens again, slow it down, regular and little along with rehab, rest does not help. Don't push too hard too soon to test it - this is biggest cause of wasting time. Patience. It's all simple stuff but I have caused all of this, it isn't bad luck.

02/06

Wow, into June. This time last year I was going pop. 50 miles last week. All good up until Sunday when racked with gym DOMS I struggled. Was very very sore this morning but eased off. Knee was sore yesterday and also tendon alongside the achillies.

This is the low point. Not frustration, just a sadness at realising that it may never be right. I may never be able to move past trying to run pain free. As much as my heart wants to fight I may never have the chance. Real low point. As much as you want something you may not get the opportunity. Makes me realise that if I do get the chance again I will sacrifice those bad choices and give it 100%.

Hit the gym today. Right knee issue (possibly arthritis?) was sore on leg extension. Noticable on dropping on one leg beyond 45 degrees. Backwards walking on treadmill for 10 mins helped. I think I need to address this now.

As day went on, feeling better. Mentally and physically. Rest day from running is a good call. Feel better and looking forward to running tomorrow.

The journey is pain free so plan is to keep working towards that.

11 day run streak up to yesterday. 

In terms of strategy in this phase it's just a war of attrition. I know I will run pain free again but it just feels like it's never going to happen.

The most important thing is when I start again it will be 100% ready to go at it. No hobbling, I want to run completely ready to build from a proper strong foundation.

My rehab is going well, the strength work I think I just need to dial in to a better plan rather than go scatter bomb.

For now though, things are all trending towards where it needs to be. i do feel that I have reached the bottom in terms of my mind and body. In the gutter looking up at the stars! 

03/06

Today's run was the lowest of the low. Realisation it's no further along than when I dropped out of training in March and head went. All motivation down to zero and pretty much zero interest in running. Of course it happened furthest point from home.

Vomeros arrive tomorrow and the only chance of me getting my head in the game is the absolute hail Mary I had in 2009 when I purchased my first pair of Vomero and changed the game with my shin splints on one run.

I think I need to give myself a break from running for a bit. Just too stressy going from high motivation to low. My head is in the game to improve and run hard but I just don't have the heart or fight to go through an injury like this again.

It's literally been 26 weeks of running since last March, over 50% injured or coming back. I just don't have the inclination to run like this. Most of that has been hobbling.

I'm not quitting, I'm just not interested in continuing on this journey as it is. I'll rehab and work strength hard and do the odd run but right now I just do not see a world with running without pain in it.

I'll end this blog here. On a sad note but the reality is that my mind really wants to run hard and push myself to be the best and achieve all my goals but my body simply will not allow me to do that.