Argh!!! My Achilles! After a great run on Tues with Stamford Striders I woke up Wed with a mildly painful left mid-calf, where the Achilles inserts. Walking about the office eased it so I ran 3.6 miles gently at lunch, did my swim with Stamford Triathlon Club after work, then, warning ace Strider friends Bex, Hilary and Tri friend Tim that I’d be really slow, we bimbled round Burghley Park.

Aren’t I lucky to have this lovely grassy place on my doorstep? Find your nearest country park, ignore its tarmac paths and run on the grass or earthy side bits! Way better for your joints and prepares the brain and feet for trails

The sad thing about running slowly is that no one else runs at that speed! But being lovely friends, they took it in turns to loop back for me and have a chat, or stop as a group (panting I note, while I am not due to slow pace) and having people to follow is a definite energy-booster.

It was time to listen to my body and deviate from the 10 miles on my training plan from coach Rory Coleman who’s training me for the 6-day 225km Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica. So I settled for 3.7 miles, a total of 7.3 miles.

Filled with horror at the thought of my Achilles snapping, sending my calf muscle pinging excruciatingly up my leg like a rat up your trousers (I’ve heard the stories, they’re not pretty!) I texted Rory about swapping my Power Hour interval session tmr (1k uphill at 85% Max HR, jog back down at 75% MHR x5) with my 28mile round trip cycle commute to work.

Argh! The Achilles is the strongest, largest tendon in your body and the reason you can propel yourself forward in a run! They used to cut slaves’ Achilles so they couldn’t escape again, horror! So look after yours by not taking on too much too soon and listening to your body.

“Yes!” He said. And get some Brooks Adrenaline ATS shoes. Road shoes, even though Brooks also make trail shoes, but these offer the support I need according to Rory. Is this man trying to pummel the trail runner out of me? LOL! 😉 But if it helps…I’m sorry Trail Running mag readers but the Achilles wins. I’m going to have to try the darkside…off I go to call Brooks and ask if they’ll send the editor of an off-road magazine a pair of road running shoes. Fingers crossed they go for it!

So I’m forced to be sensible. I hate being sensible but six-weeks minimum recovery from a twanged Achilles is not on my training plan despite the race being in Feb 2015. Cycle back tonight and rest day tmr. We’ll see how 10 miles steady run on Sat goes before I launch myself into my planned 20 miler on Sun. Have you had an Achilles problem ever? Tell me how you came through it, it’d be great to have some first hand stories.