Ruptured Achilles to TriAthy 2010

liamo

Ruptured Achilles to TriAthy 2010 - a recovery and training log


Introduction
This was my second year in triathlon. My training and racing was going great. I had stepped up a distance to Olympic and was training for the Half-Ironman distance in Courtown and I was targetting the Rathfarnham 5k as my first possible chance at a sub-20 5k.

However, in mid-July I stumbled when running up some steps outdoors and ruptured my achilles tendon. It was a full rupture and, following surgery the next day to repair the tendon, I spent 6 weeks in a cast and am still very much in rehab now and for months to come. Additionally, lying around doing nothing but scoffing grub and swilling wine has had the not-entirely-unexpected ballooning effect on my weight.

My cast was removed three weeks ago, I ditched the crutches 10 days ago and I was allowed back to the gym last week for swimming and some gym-bike this week. However, it is likely to be December or January before I'll be allowed to begin running again. The generally accepted view is that it takes 12 months to return to a pre-injury level of activity.

I still have a very pronounced limp and a very atrophied right leg. The bright side is that the doctor and physio both said that I'm further along the road to recovery than normal so it looks like all that training pre-injury is paying dividends now.

I had also kept a log of my injury and recovery up to this point but as this is mostly a training log, I won't pollute it by posting details of my injury here. However, if you're interested, it's at http://liamohagan.blog.com.

My target is to recover from my injury and build my fitness to the point where I can enter TriAthy 2010 (Olympic Distance) and beat my 2009 time. I have a few smaller targets along the way, but TriAthy is my main goal.

liamo

Week 1 - W/B 13 Sept 2009


Notes
This was my first week back in the gym and I was delighted to be back doing something. It was a very gentle start just to get the muscles used to moving again. I will be very cautious in what I do (and how much) over the next few months to avoid any possibility of re-injuring myself.


Monday
Physio gave me the all clear to return to the gym this week in a limited way. Starting back in the gym with some gentle swimming tomorrow and move on to the gym bike next week. She also modified my stretching and strengthening exercises however I am still very much under instructions to take it very easy.


Tuesday
250m swim.

It was great to be back in the gym even if it was only for a few minutes in the pool. I got a nice welcome from some of the familiar faces who knew what had happened to me. I got a fright when I pushed off the wall (having forgotten momentarily about my injury) for the first time because I felt a sharp pain in my injured leg. I'll remember that one in future. My leg felt a little funny with the new type of movement (kicking) but ok otherwise.


Wednesday
350m swim

Same as yesterday. Gentle swim. A little longer.


Thursday
500m swim

Quite tired after 500m. I thought 6 weeks on the crutches would have helped my swimming but my shoulders were complaining loudly by the end of the session.


Friday
750m swim

Much better today. Muscles seems to be starting to remember what to do again. Balance returning. Tired but satisfied.

MCOS

Best of luck on the recovery and fitness build liamo. I'll watch this space with interest However, given that you did TriAthy this year I'm 100% confident you can achieve your goal in 8-9 months time

thebouldwhacker

holy sweet divine jebus... both my Achilles tendons used play up on me when I was a kid, the best way to describe it was like a REALLY bad tooth ache in my legs. The pain used travel up my legs through my hips and up my spine... I still shiver when I hear of a case like yours... you have my sympathy, best of luck with your physio, sounds like your doing well!! the tri 2010 will be here before you realise.

liamo

Week 2 - W/B 20 Sept 2009

Notes
I overdid the walking at the weekend and on Tuesday when travelling and my ankle, tendon and calf was quite sore all week.
I decided to be prudent and did nothing except some assigned stretching.
Even my assigned strengthening exercises were reduced rather than take a chance of re-injury.

liamo

Week 3 - W/B 27 Sept 2009

Notes
Met with the physio again this week who increased my strengthening exercises and again warned me against overdoing it.
All my training gear is packed away in a box somewhere at the moment because we're in the middle of an extension build so my plan to start on the gym-bike this week has been thwarted. I won't be able to start on the bike for another week or so. I can, however, swim to my heart's content. So I did and it looks like my swimming is coming back quickly.


Tuesday
800m swim

Wednesday
1000m swim.

Thursday
800m swim.
15min gentle pool walk/jog

Friday
1200m swim.
15min gentle pool walk/jog