1. Everything Was Going Right… Until My Achilles Said No

Part 1 of a Weekly series on returning from Achilles tendinopathy.

My Achilles story starts in early 2025. I wasn’t out of shape. In fact, I was feeling strong. I had just turned 50 and set big goals... ones that honestly scared me a little. The kind that reinforce the idea that 50 is just a number. I was coming off a big block—high volume, a lot of vert, long mountain days. The kind of training that actually builds something. Not just checking boxes. I felt strong. Durable. Like things were clicking.

It Didn’t Hurt. Until It Did.

At first, it was just tightness. Low calf, right near the Achilles. It would show up early, then disappear once I got moving. So I did what most runners do:

I ignored it.

Because technically:

• It warmed up

• It didn’t change my stride

• It stayed in that 1–2 out of 10 range

And if I’m being honest…I told myself: it’s just pain. That’s part of chasing big goals.

That’s easy to justify.

So I kept stacking:

• Increasing miles and long efforts with a lot of climb

• Pushing the envelope with intensity

• Adding a bit more plyometric load

Looking back, none of that was reckless on its own.

The risk was pulling all of those levers at the same time.

The Part Where I Knew Better

This is the part I won’t sugarcoat. I coach this exact scenario. I know what tendon overload looks like: Load goes up → capacity lags → symptoms start whispering

And still… I kept going.

Not because I didn’t know. Because it didn’t feel serious yet.

That’s the danger zone.

The Shift

There wasn’t a moment where it “happened.”

It was more like a slow shift from:“I feel it” → “I keep feeling it”  → "It's not going away"

Not just “there” anymore:

• Pain creeping up to a 3–4

• More noticeable after runs

• Not bouncing back the same way

And still… I kept going.

Then one day it caught up to me. After being on my feet all morning, I told myself I had to get in 10 miles. “It’ll warm up. It always does.” It didn’t.

Five miles in, I was hobbling home. That night it lingered. The next morning, it was still there.

That’s when it stopped being something I could train through.

What I Did Next (and Why It Matters)

I took a few days off. Tried to run again. It sort of worked… until it didn’t.

That became the pattern:

• Feels okay early

• Gets worse mid-run

• Lingers after

I started subbing in:

• Bike

• Hiking

• Stair climber

I added calf work. Started PT—shockwave, dry needling, laser.

Some days felt great:

• Zero pain in the morning

• Short efforts with little to no symptoms

Other days:

• Pain spikes to a 4–5

• Sore walking

• Ache or throbbing that sticks around for hours

No consistency. That’s the frustrating middle ground: You’re not injured enough to fully stop…But not healthy enough to train normally.

Looking Back—Here’s What Actually Happened

This didn’t come from one bad run.

It was a combination:

• High volume + high vert

• Adding speed on top

• Subtle asymmetry (my left hip felt a little off)

• And ignoring early tendon signals because they were manageable

None of those things are wrong on their own. But stacked together, without adjustment? That’s where it breaks down.

The Decision

By mid-May, I made the call:

I’m not running the 100 this year. Not because I can’t push through. Because that’s not the direction I want to go.

The goal shifted to:

• Get back to pain-free running

• Rebuild properly

• Be strong again for other goals.

If You’re in This Right Now

Pay attention if this sounds familiar:

• It “warms up” but keeps coming back

• Pain shows up earlier as the days stack

• It stops resolving between efforts

That’s the point where you need to change something—not just hope it settles.

I waited longer than I should have.

What I’ll Cover Next

Next, I’ll break down what Achilles tendinopathy actually is—and why a lot of runners get the early response wrong (myself included).

Because the biggest mistake I made wasn’t the training.

It was how long I tried to convince myself it was fine.

If you’re dealing with something similar and want help navigating it, this is exactly what I coach athletes through.

Note: I’m a coach sharing my personal experience, not a medical professional. This isn’t medical advice—just what I’ve learned through my own rehab and from working with athletes.