Ok, I am at a place where I have to do something, anything to get off the injury merry-go-round. That desperation has led me to do weeks of research in to BFR, minimalism, Pose, you name it.
My biggest problem is my right achilles, which has never been the same since a bad injury in the spring of 2009 (actually started in fall 2008 though). After 4 months off that year (followed be many more months of low-volume running), the pain disappeared but it has never been the same. It remains thicker and stiffer and generally less sound than the good side....okay so fast forward to the present. I haven't run in 4-5 weeks due to a posterior tibial problem on the same side (that I think is finally clearing up). In the meantime, I began doing lots of stretches, rehab exercises, and Pose drills. I have already been walking barefoot for quite some time and have done as much as 0.4 miles BFR 3 times a week prior to this layoff.
Well, just this week, my AT began to act up again...simply from doing the Pose drills I suppose. It only hurts when I press on the back of the tendon (not when squeezing the sides) and when I step back on that side into a lunge position. I think I will try some ASTYM treatments to see if I can finally get past this recurrent problem.
My questions are 1) how cautious do I need to be about BFR and my AT? Can I go ahead and begin with 0.25 mile three times next week (or should I continue to do nothing)? 2) if/when I do begin I was thinking of doing 3 x 0.25 mile the first week, then 3 x 0.5 mile the next, and continue to add 0.25 each week. Is that TMTS? 3) My ultimate goal is to work up to doing... I don't know...maybe 2 miles barefoot before going to a minimal shoe of some kind. I'm really too much of a wimp to run about the city streets barefoot, endure the cold, etc. Anyway, is this a reasonable plan? I just want to improve my form and strengthen my feet/ankles.
My biggest problem is my right achilles, which has never been the same since a bad injury in the spring of 2009 (actually started in fall 2008 though). After 4 months off that year (followed be many more months of low-volume running), the pain disappeared but it has never been the same. It remains thicker and stiffer and generally less sound than the good side....okay so fast forward to the present. I haven't run in 4-5 weeks due to a posterior tibial problem on the same side (that I think is finally clearing up). In the meantime, I began doing lots of stretches, rehab exercises, and Pose drills. I have already been walking barefoot for quite some time and have done as much as 0.4 miles BFR 3 times a week prior to this layoff.
Well, just this week, my AT began to act up again...simply from doing the Pose drills I suppose. It only hurts when I press on the back of the tendon (not when squeezing the sides) and when I step back on that side into a lunge position. I think I will try some ASTYM treatments to see if I can finally get past this recurrent problem.
My questions are 1) how cautious do I need to be about BFR and my AT? Can I go ahead and begin with 0.25 mile three times next week (or should I continue to do nothing)? 2) if/when I do begin I was thinking of doing 3 x 0.25 mile the first week, then 3 x 0.5 mile the next, and continue to add 0.25 each week. Is that TMTS? 3) My ultimate goal is to work up to doing... I don't know...maybe 2 miles barefoot before going to a minimal shoe of some kind. I'm really too much of a wimp to run about the city streets barefoot, endure the cold, etc. Anyway, is this a reasonable plan? I just want to improve my form and strengthen my feet/ankles.
