Achilles!!

How is everyone holding up after a long holiday weekend?
Still got all your fingers and toes? (I hope so!) Some people were lookin' a little rough at work yesterday. I definitely didn't sleep Monday night because I was up all night to the sound of explosions. I was so tired I slept through my alarm and didn't wake up in time for my morning cardio sesh. I got it in at lunch tho like a champ :)

I didn't even "officially" watch fireworks this year because, well lets face it, basically all I do is work, workout, sleep, eat, shop and sleep :)

Monday I spent 4 hours working out, 1 hour grocery shopping, 2 hours cooking, and the rest of the time either eating or online shopping around for air travel (for a couple upcoming trips (I promise to fill you in on this as soon as plans are final!). That leaves T minus zero time to watch fireworks... BUT I did multi-task on Monday night to catch some of the 4th action by watching the fireworks from my apartment balcony while I was eating... I know, I am sooo exciting ha-ha.

Luckily, the weather was WAY better than last year for the 4th. It was gorgeous all weekend! I took advantage of it by taking my usual Saturday treadmill sesh to the great outdoors and running around Port Orchard instead. I really missed running outside, you know how I love the smell of summer :)

However... running outside is a treacherous sport my friends... I ran a good 6 miles on Saturday; on Sunday I felt fine and I still felt just peachy after lifting glutes /calves/ abs on Monday, but after my evening stair stepper sesh on Monday I could feel some new pain and a weird tightness in my left Achilles tendon.

Achilles tendon injuries are common with runners,
and often result from landing incorrectly on your heel.

NOOOOOO! PLEASE don't tell me I injured myself less than 3 weeks out from competition :( ... Cardio is huge the last few weeks to lean out and really reveal all the tight lean muscle I've been working so hard to sculpt.

My training has been as aggressive as the vicious Achaean warrior, Achilles, I guess it's only fitting I'd suffer the same injury.

"IMORTALITY, TAKE IT, ITS YOURS!"

Okay, so my injury wasn't quite as epic as Achilles' ... I am still alive, and I can still walk. But I still had the scene of Achilles' epic injury running through my head.

Boom. Achilles!

"Ouchhh!!!"

Alas, we have lost a great warrior.

Here's hoping my fate is better than Achilles'.

Thank God that I can still lift normally, and it only really hurts when I am walking down stairs. A guy who I work with just ran the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and he said for a couple days after the race he had the same pain when walking down stairs; so I am hoping my pain will be short-lived too.
Meanwhile, I have taken a few precautionary measures:
- I switched my treadmill cardio routines with the Cybex Arc routines because that doesn't seem to bother it as much.
- Today I am going to start the R.I.C.E. treatment. Rest it as much as possible, Ice several times throughout the day, Compress it with an ankle wrap, and elevate my leg when I'm sitting.

More information on Achilles tendon injuries can be found here at All About Achilles Tendon Problems, but no matter what you're training I want to remind you to train smart. You don't want to have to deal with the set-back of a preventable injury! 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'...

> Some Tips to Prevent Exercise Injuries:  

1. Always warm up before exercise. Preform some light stretches and jog at low intensity for several minutes; this is especially important when you do interval or HIIT training, or running hills (like I did on Saturday).
2. Use proper form when exercising. I believe this is where I messed up. I talked to the trainer at the gym this morning and he said running with the wrong foot placement for long distances with hilly terrain puts more stress on the back of the ankle and the Achilles tendon with each strike, which causes undue stress and soreness. Always place your feet heel to toe and don't lock out your knees or overstride when running.
3. Get the right gear. This may sound obvious, but use running shoes for running! I used my cross-training/gym shoes when I ran and they do not have the proper "Achilles dip" on the top back of the shoe to prevent the shoe from digging, and they do not have the proper cushioned and stable foot bed. Note: overpronators are prone to achilles tendinitis injury, so if you overpronate definitely get proper running shoes.
4. Stretch before and AFTER exercise. We all do it, skip the stretching session because it seems unimportant. Stretching is making you any faster, making your muscles stronger, or making you better at your sport so why bother? FALSE. You could be doing all the above! Stretching is proven in improve athletic performance and prevent injuries. Read The Benefits of Stretching and Flexibility for more info.

Here's praying for a speedy recovery! I am still pressing on towards the goal of
winning the 2011 NPC WA State Championships and no little tendon stress is gonna hold me back.

Train safe!
~ Ruthie