I want to emphasize the word ‘functionally’ in the title. What I mean by that is, for the past couple of weeks, the achilles has not held me back in any way. I’ve even done some sprinting (not full out sprinting in the traditional sense, but more ‘bursts’ of speed while playing soccer with my kids). I say ‘functionally healed’ and not just ‘healed’ because I still have light soreness in the morning when I first step out of bed, and when I do ‘sprint’ I definitely feel some soreness at first. I just have to ‘work it out’ and then the soreness is gone.
Based on the last time I went through the rehab process, my guess is I could accelerate getting rid of the soreness by training for a 5k. I occasionally think about doing it, and have probably written on this blog that I was going to do it, but I haven’t bothered yet. I’m focused on weight training and just having fun outdoors with my kids during their soccer practices, etc.
Speaking of my weight training – it’s been going really well. I do a M-W-F full body weight training routine that focuses on compound lifts (barbell back squats, chest presses, rows, then some iso exercises). Part of that routine is a 2×10 weighted set of eccentric heel drops. I’ve been using a 25 lb. plate or dumbbell, and the last couple of weeks I’ve been doing them on a stairwell step at my gym, going below parallel on the drop. I haven’t been putting full weight on it but will start that soon I think. I just go by how it feels.
So that’s the update – things are good…I guess. But really, I was kind of hoping that I’d be fully healed by now. But I’m not complaining – I’ll take being functionally healed for now!