12 Days

“You can't tell how deep a puddle is until you step into it”

I took the plunge this morning. I am determined to test my boundaries of running after sitting on the side lines. With Achilles’ issues the three things, they (meaning the experts) say: Reduce Mileage, No Hills and No Speed. I have done all three for over 50 days.

Today was the day I get back into the saddle and forge ahead. I had run 4 miles on Saturday, 3 miles on Monday, swam and focused on strength conditioning yesterday, it was time to step up the mileage, just a hair, of course outside. I have done all my “small”, pedestrian pace runs on the dreadmill at a 0% grade so far.

To coin a phrase, “I am done”. I needed to get out on the open road, feel the heaviness of the humidity on me, car headlights piercing my retina’s and negotiating the curb to asphalt to feel free of cheesy gym music and CBS This Morning overhead.

I arrived at the gym 20 past the hour of 5 in the morning. The first sight I saw was Michelle with a serious face knocking out nowhere miles on the treadmill above. I tried to get her attention but the concentration was so focused that there was no attempt to break it.

Upon leaving the dungeon of the gym for the freedom of the open sky, I had decided to, “just run this one”. No watch, no set course, nobody to run with and no music. I wanted to feel the run and work on form and execution of my stride.

My preconceived goal was to run around 5 miles. I headed for the side of the LTF and around the back end of the building. The first 4/10ths of a mile are downhill. A good warm up to loosen the rigimortus that has settled in both Achilles.

The first mile was hard. It felt like I was running in ski boots as my ankle turnover did not kick in. When I hit an intersection I had to decide, Left? Right? Straight? I made the choice to turn right. With this decision I could easily loop around back to the gym if the legs were not feeling it.
The right took me up a long, low grade hill. My pace after the rigimortus broke apart increased as I controlled my breathing, focused on pace and stride up the hill. I felt good nearing the top and decided to hang a left on the road named after a town.

The grade of the hill double instantly as I leaned into the hill (a little flat footed to take pressure of the Achilles’) and glided up to my next decision. Right or Straight? Straight takes me into the bowels of Alpharetta where I could run a long downhill, but I decided to wade further into the run and took the first right.

The windy, curvy road was filled with rollers. It gave me an opportunity to test the legs some more and see how my endurance was after 50 days of basically doing nothing.

The road was forgiving to me, but after cresting the top and the end of the road, the Achilles on the left leg was just a little tender. I could feel the heat being generated from the heal up about 3 inches. I adjusted my gait again to strike further back towards the heal to relieve the uncomfortable feeling. I know now, most of it was my mind worrying but better to play on the side of caution early in the game.

At the crest the only decision to make since I wanted to be around 5 miles was right. I headed down the street towards the empty local watering hole where a few weeks ago I attended a friends graduation. Passing the establishment the ominous dark of the windows made his accomplishment seem from another life.

At a cross roads, the 4-way stop, again the choice was made, right. The road flattens out for 2 miles as I made the conscious decision to “open er’ up” to see what she’s got. I increased speed and cadence as I cruised down the road towards the highway. The increase in speed was laboring to me, but I focused more on form and the goal of reaching the next intersection where I needed to turn.

The 2 miles of increased pace felt, okay. Not great, not good, not bad, just okay. As I hit the intersection and turned right, another drill was ready to take action. As I ran the next mile I ran on the solid double yellow line. Since I was tired and form is effected, I ran the line to maintain my gait and stride in a forward motion. I focused on foot strike and not “leaning” left or right increasing pressure to either side of my body.

I ended the longest run in 50 days at the entrance of the gym. All-in-all, it was not a bad run.
Entering the lobby, I looked up and saw Michelle forging ahead to “Nowheresville” as this time her concentration was not as focused and she saw me? I gave her a body gesture, as to say, “Why aren’t you outside?” as I made my through the lobby. I am glad I went outside.

I am also glad that I decided to jump in for a little longer run, with hills and asphalt to take the step to recovery and to be back on track.