achilles heel....we all have 'em

...literally and figuratively. And right now, mine just happens to be both.

It's been a little sore for about a week, but not debilitatingly so, and I chalked it up to adjusting to shoes with a lower heel drop. Monday, I tried breaking in my new mirages, which have an even lower heel drop, which I LOVE.

Except my achilles got a little worse. Then I ran again, and it got a little worse - I had a slight limp the next morning, although it went away pretty quickly. So I skipped my next planned run, but I did run the 10k I had on the schedule yesterday. I went back to wearing the triumphs, and ran it pretty conservatively. It wasn't bad until about mile 5, when a minor annoyance started feeling like someone was pinching my heel.

Yesterday I was limping. Today, not as much. I plan to take a break from running and focus on the cross-training for a few days at least. Honestly, it's going to be a good week to do it. I have extra work responsibilities and I'm going to a concert with the husband on Wednesday, so I'd have to skip the group run anyway. I was thinking I wouldn't have time to get in all my training without driving myself crazy.

I'd like to do the 15 miler next Saturday, and run it slowly, because I do want to get the long runs in. I am also willing to be smart about it. Unlike last year at this time, when pain made me think "how do I manage to run with this", it's making me realize I need to NOT run right now.

BUT...I am freaking out a little. It was this time last year when I was knocked out of Pig training. That same 10k was my last successful run until May. I use "successful" lightly because I crossed the finish line crying from pain, and pain does NOT make me cry. That night, I literally could not walk. This time, I'll admit, it's not NEARLY that bad. And it's obviously tendon and not bone.

I'm still freaking out a little just because of the timing. I am icing, stretching, going to put a heel lift in my shoe, trying everything I can to help make this thing GO THE EFF AWAY.

The bonus in all of this: a conservatively run 10k was still a PR. Race report to come.