No hamstring tear. No achilles tear. No groin problems, and time results that were decidedly more in line with what my goals and expectations were for LAST weeks sprint workout. That's what following through and running today resulted in, and that's great. Right? Like, you know,....yay.
But. Hold the parade. This is essentially a week later than last week's sprint workout, and it was run with 20+ mph tailwinds throughout. So, it feels like more of a "disaster averted", with a side portion of "way to stack the deck" side eye than it does a major feeling of accomplishment.
Sprints
85m: 9.7
120m: 13.6
70m: 8.4
Big huge rests. Big huge winds. First 70° day of the year. In a vacuum, with just the numbers in my face and no context, I'd argue that maybe this indicates a 10.88/10.86 ability for me. But, in reality, that'd have to be a 10.8ish only with a +5.0mps wind reading. Which is maybe back into 11 second territory in "basic"; perhaps I'm sneaking legitimately into sub 11.10, though.
Then again, I'm running these workouts alone. Off my own training. After years away from this kind of work and so many injuries. I dunno, maybe I just take the 10.88 and call it mine for now; a gift to myself, even if a bit delusional. I just don't want to show up at a meet and be blindsided when I'm two to three tenths slower than I expected. Assuming I can make it to a meet at all, of course.
What Next?
So, the achilles wasn't really all that much different than it's been since I've started running again. That's a notable improvement from the sprint workout just six days ago where it felt like I was really entering a danger zone. The achilles and calf responded well to some self-soft-tissue mashing I do to it before and during runs. Then when I run, nothing really hurts.
What may be of note on this subject is that my achilles and my calf seem to start trying to self sabotage when I explore LONGER (long being subjective) sprints. Multiple 120s and 160s seem to echo negatively through my lower leg, as it were. When I've done workouts with mostly runs under 100 meters (save for the lone 110m or 120m), I tend to have a more positive experience.
But....I feel like I need to start exploring longer run sessions in TANDEM with my shorter work. So...I'm a bit dubious. It's still currently my intention to start exploring longer styled workouts (200s, 250s, maybe even a 300 depending on what time, health, and progress affords). The plan was to alternate such sessions with shorter focused sessions (like the one I did today) week to week. But if my calf and achilles are just going to implode on such "long" workouts, then clearly I need to reconsider.
It seems to me that the problem I have in my right achilles is related to two issues: a weaker "dominant" left leg (the repaired achilles, which is doing great but I think outsources more work to my right leg than it used to), and a kind of kinetic chain issue with my right calf where it's not firing "properly". Both of these things are funneling more stress through my right achilles than it's "graded" for, which is leading to my current achilles troubles.
I've been trying to address this with some static calf holds in conjuction with some eccentric work, and I thought it was working. Maybe it really is, but multiple reps past 120ish meters pushes too far past my current redline in terms of fatigue.
With that theory in mind, I guess an immediate future that doesn't include a series of "long" sprints is more wise. The current long weather forecast for my area (northeastern Ohio) really supports this idea anyway: my next best running opportunity might mean running inside again. If that's the case, I'd be forced to run a similar workout, albeit even slightly shorter, to what I did in this last sprint session. That should certainly keep my calves and achilles in good shape for the next two-ish weeks. If my ideas on my achilles are correct, maybe after a few more weeks of calf work and supportive running I can reassess the legitimacy of a longer run opportunity.
Compete?
I had a semi-secret goal of running a 100m dash opener at a track meet in 3.5/4 weeks, and based on current health and results, that possibility still seems to exist. But that idea has a LOT of moving parts that requires probably an unrealistic level of synchronicity. So I shouldn't really bet on it at this stage. It's still kind of a carrot on a stick for me, though. Especially if much of ANY of this hypothetical progress I seem to be building up seems to continue.
Having said that, I'll probably have a strong wakeup call next week which will sour me on the concept of opening with a 100m so early. It would probably be more reasonable to compete in something in later April or May, anyway. But I'm willing to still leave stuff completely open to possibilities for now. Though I guess I should start conceding that I won't be running a 10.5x in the first weekend of April...
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