My dietetic internship wrapped on Friday (!!), and just as I was leaving the clinic for the last time my phone buzzed with a text from Coach John:
You feel up to doing an easy run tomorrow?
I hadn’t even been harassing him about it (well, maybe a little), so this came as a complete surprise. Of course my answer was a giant-sized YES. The instructions were to just be smart about it. Even if you’re feeling good, no more than 4 miles.
Ok, got it.
I woke up Saturday morning more than ready to try some miles and reunite with the bridle path I’ve missed so much. The first test run back after an injury is always a little scary – what if it starts to hurt? What if I make it worse?? What if I just suck at running now? I think I can speak for a lot of runners when I say a painful, cold walk/limp home from (inevitably) the far side of the park sucks more than anything. So I wanted to listen to Coach John and be smart/not be dumb.
I ran two loops around the bridle path, which was a little more than 4 miles (oops), but mostly pain-free. I felt a few twinges in the Achilles but no real pain, and did my PT exercises and iced as soon as I got home.
I was a little nervous soreness would increase throughout the day, especially since I had to work at the running store and couldn’t really ice, but it was actually fine. Even this morning, the Achilles is gloriously pain-free.
The plan right now will be every other day running (I can XT on the off days), slowly increasing mileage if the Achilles remains A-OK. Can’t say I wasn’t super envious of everyone being all exhilarated and sweaty after finishing their long runs via Twitter and at the running store yesterday, but any running is better than no running. Especially when it’s pain-free and I know I’m heading in the right direction!
Question: First test run after an injury – what do you do?
