I'm not sure if I still count as a graduate but here goes.
I started running about 3 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It worked wonders for my T2 diabetes and helped to keep my BS down. 18 months ago I had to stop because of a partially ruptured Achilles tendon. That has now healed as much as it can for the time being, however I'm doing very badly on the Blood Sugars front, which I'm now struggling to control.
Has anybody else managed to get back into running after this type of injury and if so what advice can you give me?
I was running between 6 and 9K every other day. I now do nothing.
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Beek
Graduate
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Welcome back Beek. Happily don't have experience of this kind of return but I know people often seem to start out at week one again and if that run feels comfortable go straight on to wk 2 and so on depending on how they are finding it. You have the advantage of knowing you can do it, but I would go very steadily. Good luck
I tore my Achilles tendon completely, a few years go... I was in three different plasters for three months..angle of tendon altered every time.. ( did not want the operation!) I graduated at Christmas. Running 5K..
I run, now, three times a week, most weeks and am up to 8 K...just.
I take it at my own pace and run as far or as little as I wish. I have no problems at all with that foot. I do have heel shock-absorbers in my running shoes and really find they help. I have a support, but have never worn it.. I have on the other foot... as I had a weird twinge when I started first..
I followed the programme from start to finish and as with most of us on here, travelled the journey, really really slowly and steadily.. ( The Grey Snail was my nickname) ! I am 66 too, but don't let davelinks know I told you!
My husband, who is 70, is Type 2 diabetic too.. he has upped his walking and cycling,( not a runner).. and we are following, partially , a Low Carb' diet..
We vary it slightly to suit our life style, and although we have always eaten very healthily, this has already had a marked effect on my husband's blood sugar level, blood pressure too. If you look at this, it is obviously good to check it out with your GP...
I use a couple of great recipe books too!
So
Maybe... start Couch to 5K again?
There is, as you know, lots of support on here, and lots of us slightly more mature runners Start really slowly and carefully, look at your diet maybe, this is a great time for all the green goodness and the delicious foods... ?
I would love to follow your progress and feel sure this is possible..the hardest decision is made.. you want to do something again..
Thank you for replying - and for letting me know that there is life after injury! I see people running on 'MY' old paths every time I go out and feel so envious! I made an attempt last week and walked through a field on my old route. It had dozens of beautiful lambs. Unfortunately their mothers went into protection mode and I ended up having to run away out of the field!
Your reply was very encouraging. You, having torn your Achilles, will understand. But you're running again so I know I should be able to pick it up again.
I will do as you suggest. Slow and Steady I remember was The catch phrase when I did the running before.
Thank you for the Blood Sugar Diet link. I recently bought the book and although my weight has not dropped yet, I am seeing an improvement in BS readings. Only slight at the moment but in the right direction.
I'm so pleased that I posted to this site. I realise how much I miss everyone and my incentive has taken a HUGE leap forward!
I am feeling VERY excited now and looking forward to getting my kit on and getting out there again! I live in a lovely part of the world and it's a shame not to enjoy it!
Today I've had another beek with me going through my 2 bee hives. We found and marked one of the queens and I'm looking forward to getting my life on the go again!
Thank you to everyone for their great encouragement!
I would start at the beginning, just so that you know you are really easing back in to it. Will enable you to monitor how your achilles feels too. I had almost three months out with a nasty calf tear last year and I went right back to the start of the programme ( even then had to stop a couple of times because I wasn't ready). I am now back and up to 12 k without any further problems, but I do think this is partly down to being patient and very gradually increasing workload so my calf muscle could regain strength. Good luck!🙂
Hello davelinks! I am so pleased that I plucked up courage to get in touch with this forum again.
Yes, take it easy to start with but feeling confident that I can make a go of it again. I really missed the running and it's 2 years now since I did much of anything. I wasn't able to do my beekeeping either, or my garden - which is rampant!
It feels like a whole new beginning and I'm feeling very excited about it all!
Nice to see you again beek! I don't have any advice to offer really but glad you are going to get back out there and get running again😊you'll be fine if you take it steady x
Hello Beek and welcome back. You know your body and you know the programme so just take each run at at a time and enjoy the journey again. Your body will remember what to do 😊
agree with all the posts here, would maybe just add start off with a few weeks of 3xweek brisk walks to ease yourself and your tendon back into it, then try from the beginning again, there is no hurry. I also eat low carb and find that is best for keeping BS stable , although I am not diabetic but I did get ,sugar rushes and dips when I was a sugar junkie...haven't had any sugar in 18 months and feel so much better. Good luck and keep posting!
Hi Beek, lively to hear from you again. I redid c25k after breaking my ankle early last year and enjoyed it much more second time around. I'm sure it'll do wonders for you blood sugar again - now if only I could get my husband running too.....
Hello Beek, great to hear from you but so sorry you've had such a tough time. If your doctors say it is okay why not just start over. Put one foot in front of the other and see how it feels. You may not get back to the distance or speed you had before, but it will feel good just to be moving.
I have no experience of the injury you describe so can't comment but really hope it goes well for you. Wishing you lots of luck. Keep posting your progress.
I recently had an achilles problem, nothing like yours, but I had 6 weeks off. When I started again I redid C25K, one run from each week, progressing as I felt my ankle would stand it. I'd suggest you start there, Laura won't let you down and you'll be bac k to your former self in no time xxx
You will always be a graduate Beek, nothing and no one can take that from you.
You clearly want to run again and you have a lot of knowledge and experience that will help you re-do the programme one way or another gently.
But it might be a good idea not to have all your fitness and well being eggs in one basket - do *some* running but maybe a bit less than you did, for a while, and with some other activities - yoga, swimming, cycling, dance, some sort of stretching and flexibility and strength work in there.
I agree GoogleMe. I'm going to also do the S&F exercises plus a couple of Michael Mosely's 'Fast' exercise bike riding indoors, bike on the static stand.
It's just that I cannot sit around any longer complaining! I used to love the early morning runs and will start again, very slow and steady at first, and stop as soon as it feels to be too much.
Hello Beek, I remember you and it's lovely to see you back here. I'm sorry you've had such a nasty and lingering injury, I too have had Achilles pain, though nothing as bad as yours, and found it very hard to shift. I am not running at the moment myself for a different reason - I fractured my pelvis four months ago (long and dramatic story!). Despite this I still consider myself a graduate, and a 'resting' runner, and so should you.
Since the bones have healed I have been doing Pilates and the daily exercises prescribed by my physio, which are really helping get my strength back, though I'm not ready to start running again yet. Ironically, while I was crutches, my Achilles pain came back with a vengeance because I was overcompensating on my non-broken side. It got pretty bad but has thankfully nearly all gone now thanks to Pilates and gentle stretches.
I'd echo GoogleMe above and advise some strength and flex/yoga/Pilates first, some power walking, then back into the early weeks of C25K. Are you still getting treatment to strengthen your Achilles? I've heard good things about ultrasound.
Oh my goodness - fractured pelvis. That sounds dreadful! Do be kind to yourself and get thoroughly well again!
I've been looking at the exercises I was given when my injury caused hip problems in my 'good' leg and I've decided to do those before I go out each morning. I've also worked out how to do S&F indoors to start with.
My consultant told me to overdose on Vitamin 'C' which would help to produce collagen and that would improve the Achilles healing.
Still - a new beginning and I'm raring to get going now!
Interesting to hear that your consultant recommended vitamin C to build collagen. I had unpleasant arm injury a couple of years that seemed to improve after I upped my vitamin C intake (lots of raspberries etc. instead of pills though).
Not going very well for me at the moment. I did try to ease myself back into the running but ended up with such pain all over and in every joint that I went back to see my GP. My BS is totally out of control and I'm struggling with extreme exhaustion if I do anything. (Walked down to town and back yesterday - 1 mile max - had to go to sleep for a couple of hours.)
I had blood tests done yesterday and I think she's checking for arthritis. She kept mentioning blood inflamation being a possible cause. I'll find out next weeek on how to proceed. I feel as if i've been tipped out of a tumble dryer, battered, very fragile and in a word, a mess.
I am thinking along the lines of HIIT indoor cycling plus the S&F pod casts. Also, for balance issues, the WII may be a help.
I have just started a book by Carol Dweck called 'Mindset, how you can fulfil your potential' which I'm hoping helps you to turn your mindset into positive mode. I need to lose 10 kg and keep sabotaging myself. I know if I shift the weight my body will cope a lot better!
Thank you for asking, davelinks. It helps to focus the mind somewhat and pushes me to try harder!
It's the first day of Spring today and I think we'll all do better with a bit of sun on our backs!
I think there's a lot of it going about, I've not been on top of the world either in recent months, hopefully this will improve as the seasons change and get more sun, good to hear from you! 😊
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