Achilles tendonitis and spare tyres

I love food. It is a fact, and I don't like to deny myself. I don't love running but the consequences simply outweigh the pain. However, what happens when you injure yourself and can't run? well in my case you put on nearly half a stone in 2 weeks. It is not a joke.

A couple of Wednesday's ago I had arranged to go on a run with Phil after work, It would be our first run since his sterling performance at the Bath half coming in at 1.32. I was late off work so hurried to meet him in Hanham, without stretching....there is a common theme throughout this blog about the impact of stretching, or not as the case might be, and tendon problems. Suffice to say as we ran up Wilsbridge Hill, I felt my right achilles start to pull and then rapidly turn into a smarting pain and we had to stop, something I hate doing. Worst of all the stopping didn't arrest the pain over the next few days even though I spent the whole time sat at my desk with ice packs strapped to my ankle. The result has been that I have had to rest it for 2 weeks, turn down a 9.5 miler with Jon (who's training for the Bristol 10k and subsequent Bristol Half is considerabley better than mine) (phew) and the spare tyre nestling around my midriff has enlarged itself (nothing to do with me).

Last night I decided to give it a try, so Su and I set off to do a gentle four miles-unfortunately the pain returned despite the rest, ice packs and stretching but we did manage to finish up. So here I am sat at my desk with my boot off and an ice pack strapped to my ankle again and I'm frustrated to say the least, especially as I fought through the pain barrier whilst submersed in an ice cold bath last night (stupidly, I believed THAT joker's idea and it wasn't even April Fool's day yesterday)....I'm hoping to find the very young, very fit, very tall, very fit physio in work later today to see if he doesn't mind taking a look. Don't worry my legs have been tended to and are silky smooth this time :-)