2 Months Later.
That has a strange sound to it, because it was exactly 2 months ago that I partially tore my Achilles tendon at the Miles for Mills 5K.
Little did I know on that day when my heel hurt, that for almost 2 months I wouldn’t have been running all that much and how many changes that the outcome of a single race caused in my life.
However, I am back to running again and while it probably won’t be completely pain-free for another 3-4 months, I have clearance to run and do most everything, except run fast (no speed work yet), no trails (well the kind I like) and no hard hills (I am supposed to walk them or go real slow) or hill work. Which means I can run, but I still have to be careful.
So what did I do – I ran in a race this morning.
No I didn’t go balls-to-the-walls or race the race and yes when I hit the hills I did mostly what I was supposed to and slowed way down (sorry not walking during a race, if I don’t have to), not to stress the Achilles anymore than I had to,
The good news is that I did run in a race, came out the other side uninjured and feeling pretty damn good about it.
The first mile was a little faster than I wanted to go, but felt pretty good so I just stuck with it, then when I got down to the bottom of the boat landing road hill, I purposely slowed down going back up it – a LOT.
It doesn’t help that I don’t have my full stamina back either, but I kept plugging up that hill and it was over before I knew, I only swore at it a couple of times this year. Once I got to the top, my leg did tighten up a little, so I purposely kept to a comfortable pace and didn’t try to push it the rest of the way.
It was a little sore at the end, but not any problems.
It was too bad that only 7 runners showed up for the race, but sometimes that is what happens to little local races when another race changes their date to the same weekend and it was a bigger and more established race.
All I know that I had fun this morning and that it was a big confidence builder for me to be able to get under and 8:00 minute pace for my first race back with the limitations that I still have as far as speed work and hills.
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Peter Golding 5K Race
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So I met my “A” goal for this race, which was to break 25:00 for the 5k today. Which mean I was very pleased with how I ran and being able stand around and gab with the other runners and feel like a runner again, instead of being that injured guy over there.
It was the perfect low-key race to come back and just run. I didn’t have to worry about the clock or some other competitors pushing me to go faster than I should have. Not that I would ever get caught up in being a tad competitive 
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