Injured...

How can an old injury that has been kept in check by regular stretching and specific strengthening exercises pop up out of the blue without warning?

If you know the answer to this I'd like to know if I can make this disappear as fast as it came?

This being my old and formerly chronic Achilles tendinitis. It plagued me for two years. Icing, stretching, strengthening, heel wedges...tried it all. In the end it was probably just time that improved it and finding the balance between too much and not enough running. The mean thing was that the heel always felt best about 1h and more into a run. Lately, it only reminded me with some slight stiffness if I ran too much or ran roads.

Last week, towards the end of a 1:40 trail run in the icy evening air, I noticed that my right calf muscle (or what I thought was the calf muscle) was quite stiff. I stretched and to my dismay could hardly walk on it the next morning. Stubborn as I am, I ventured out for a 60min run with Michelle the next afternoon, only to have to walk it in. I realized that this was the Achilles tendon and not my calf muscle. More ice and no stretching, as it hurt like stink.

Then of course there was the Capilano Canyon Night Run. Can't miss that! It's a tradition. It's my favoured run. So after much soul searching I toed the start line. On the whole the tendon felt fine during the run, just slightly stiff. The last 2k of gently uphill were a blur as the nice Mick family motored uphill and after guiding them through the dark canyon trails I didn't want to get dropped on the last meters.

Off running right now. I registered for the Dirty Duo in 9 days and hope to get rid of this inflammation by then. Wish me luck!