Week 6 - AH....That's better - Day 41 of 112

Hats off to them

Just back from Achilles Heel and my appointment with Emma. And it is all good news. She examined the heel and said that the injury is not too bad and certainly no worse than the previous injury to my achilles back in 2008. This was a huge relief. We talked about my training, miles that I do, type of training and my training and competition history so that she could get a feel for the possible cause of the injury. She was confident that the problem is down to shoes. She was very thorough, massaged the achilles and gave me some ultra sound. She reminded me of the exercises that I need/must do to ensure that I recover completely. She suggested a 12 week programme of strength and stretching and was confident that I should see an improvement in 2 weeks if I kept to the schedule of icing and stretching 3 times a day.

Ouuuchhhhh!

It was quite a cathartic experience as I had to own up to a number of things ranging from admitting that I do pretty much no stretching to being a tight arse and buying shoes on the internet with only a modicum of knowledge of what my requirements are and what the shoe will do for me. She phoned the running shop which is attached to the consulting rooms and suggested that I pop in to have my gait analysed. She was confident that the injury was down to my shoes which it turns out are not giving me adaquate support to my right foot arch. She explained that my feet are different and I need more support in my right shoe.

I popped in on my way home and her diagnosis was spot on. Sam at Achilles Heel http://www.achillesheel.co.uk said that I need to be in a Level 2 support shoe and has suggested Saucony Omni which will give my sufficient support as the length of my runs increase. I explained that the achilles only became sore after 7-8 miles. She gave me a knowing nod and explained that at the start of my run I can compensate for the injury but as I tire it is more difficult to do that and therefore the pain starts. The shoes will correct the gait from the start and the idea is that the support in the arch prevents you loosing your form and therefore prevent the pain from occurring. She performed a test on my foot and the movement in my right foot was so much more marked than the left. My cynicism kicked in at this point as the test looked a wee bit like  smoke and mirrors but if what she recommend as far as shoes are concerned I will be more than grateful.

Took to the bike in celebration this evening spinning on the rollers. Managed 40 minutes. I had been doing a fair amount of cycling after Loch Ness in October but was shocked at how quickly I have lost my cycle fitness. May need to start getting used to the rollers as I ease back on the mileage to allow the achilles to heel. Thinking of a run tomorrow and will see how I pull up in the morning. Need to order a new pair of shoes so scouring the internet for some cheap deals. Somethings never change!

Numbers - Cycling - 40 mins - 85rpm Cadence  - 115HR avg