It’s not clickbait…
The last two years have been an epic challenge. The Achilles tendonitis that has plagued my left foot has been so bad that, at times, I have seriously given thought to what I am going to do instead of running. On many occasions, I couldn’t even swim or cycle.
Then, around August of 2022, I gave up.
I surrendered to the idea that, maybe, running was not going to be for me anymore. I spent the time doing weights and reading instead. At just the moment when I had started to accept the fact that my life was heading in a slightly different direction to the one I had anticipated, my foot started to improve.
I put the disappointment of not being able to do Ironman UK in 2022 behind me and worked hard in the gym to build strength in both feet, ankles, and calves. I focused on lots of walking on a range of surfaces where I deliberately worked my feet and legs. By the end of the year, I was jogging again and jogging pain free. It had taken about 12 weeks of active rehabilitation.
What is notable for me is the fact that things only really started to get better once I had given in and totally rested my wrecked foot.
Once I had stopped fighting myself, and once I had dropped the frustrated ‘woe is me’ attitude, things slowly started to improve.
Since then, in 2023 I’ve completed a January running challenge of just over 300 miles. I ran a half marathon during this in 1:55. In February I ran a 5K in 20:02, and at the start of March a 10K in 45:18. I’m cycling and swimming pain free, and my foot is behaving as it should be.
Clearly, I am running again…and will do everything that I can to continue to do so.
Marcus Chester | Coaching 