Back to running

The world outside feels different today. Oh, we've had signs of spring for several weeks now. Birds have been chirping in the mornings. Crocuses, daffodils and primroses are in bloom. The first of the flowering trees are beginning to flower -- in fact, the trees surrounding the entrance to the Mechanical Engineering building were budding before the end of January.

But today didn't just look like spring; it felt like it as well. The sun was shining through a light layer of high clouds, and the temperature crept up and over 50 degrees. Fifty degrees! The results were predictable: Students walking around in shorts. Students in T-shirts. Everyone on campus smiling more; everyone's steps a bit bouncier.

And runners! Overnight, everyone from 12 to 82 seems to have decided that they had to be out running. All those runners was the sight that fired my resolve and my determination.

Until about four years ago, I was a dedicated runner. Then my left Achilles tendon very gradually began bothering me at the end of each run. It got worse and worse. I responded to the problem just like I handle all health problems: "Ignore every discomfort, whether a hangnail or chest pains radiating into your left arm. It's all in your head, and it will go away if you pretend you don't feel it."

Excellent advice, but it didn't work for my Achilles tendon. Even though the discomfort after running each day was becoming annoying, I decided that it was no obstacle to my doing a day hike down into the Grand Canyon. Big mistake. That ended my running hobby. It also ended my walking for a couple of days. I learned, too late, that disregard of inflammation in the Achilles tendon results in scar tissue that, if severe enough, can cause permanent disability. The scar tissue was there, all right. With my fingers, I could feel the lump on the tendon.

I've actually tried running several times since that disaster, but each time I've let either discomfort or some external cause stop me after a few days. But my Achilles tendon hasn't bothered me for some time now, and I've done some serious hiking and trekking without any problems during the last couple of years. Seeing all the runners today inspires me to give it another shot. This time, if I do feel any symptoms, I won't hesitate to dose myself liberally with Aleve to reduce inflammation, and to ease off until I'm sure I'm not causing new damage.

I've signed up for a seriously difficult trek in October, and I need to maximize my cardiovascular condition by that time. Running, for me, has always been the ideal conditioner. If it doesn't work out, if pain returns, then I'll have to think of something else. Bicycling is the obvious alternative, but I'd have to spend significantly more time biking to equal the same workout I can get from running 4 miles several times a week.

I'm already daydreaming about the annual Beat the Bridge 10k race that takes place in May. Could I be ready for that? It's tempting. But I'll keep my eyes on my ultimate goal -- maximum conditioning by October. I'm not going to get carried away with any less important objectives that might stand in the way of my reaching that goal.