I have been working hard to get back to both a ‘normal’ life and ‘normal’ running life post ruptured Achilles Tendon repair.
Working really hard.
I’m working one-on-one with the Galloway Team on a run/walk/run training for my target late October ’25 half marathon. Along with this training, I’ve been visiting the weight room at my local YMCA several times a week with the specific goal of increasing my stamina and tweaking my core. And the topping to all of this work/training: dutifully attending my weekly physical therapy appointments.
The bottom-line: I want to be the best version of ‘me’ I can be going forward. (Quoting my physical therapist, i.e. you’re aiming to be in better shape ‘post-repair’ than you were ‘pre-injury’.)
Well… I guess I am… and I have no issues with that whatsoever.
I have been truly diligently following my Galloway training plan. This includes specific progressive walks, pool ‘running’, hitting my prescribed 30 seconds/30 seconds run/walk ratio on the scheduled runs, and attending weekly one-on-one Zoom meetings with my coach.
I’m the type of person that likes to look forward to what my next goals are in the upcoming weeks. Approximately 2 weeks ago, I saw that I had a 7-mile run/walk training run scheduled for the weekend of April 19/20. Knowing my wife and I were planning to be in the New Orleans area that weekend, I searched on-line if there were any races that Easter weekend.
As it turns out, New Orleans has its largest race of the year every year on the day before Easter. It’s a 10K (6.2 miles) that starts downtown and weaves its way around the French Quarter and ends up at City Park. Some 18,000 registrants.
This is when the gears start turning…
First, I ask my Galloway coach if that’s a good option for me. He readily agrees with my plan to run this race.
Box # 1 checked.
Second, knowing my coach approved this race, I ask my wife for her approval to register. She agrees… and she expresses a desire to run the event too.
Box # 2 checked.
Third, being at my daughter’s home in the New Orleans area, I let me daughter know of our plans to run this race. She expresses excitement and wants to run too.
Winning! Final Box # 3 checked!
We register… and a new date is circled on my calendar: My first organized run following my surgically repaired Achilles tendon.
With some 18,000 + runners in this event, they have a large EXPO based at their host hotel in downtown New Orleans. Since this is a Saturday run and there is no BIB pick up on race morning, I find myself driving to the EXPO Friday PM with one of my grandsons. This race has a liberal bib pick up policy for other runners as long as you have the event emailed QR code.
Bibs and race t-shirts all picked up. Race tomorrow with an 8AM start.
I’m not a good thinker first thing in the AM… so I like to lay out my entire run outfit the night before. Done.
Butterflies. My stomach is feeling a bit queasy. Pre-race nerves. Wow… I haven’t experienced these in a long time. I’m not upset by these feelings. On the contrary… being my first race in over 6-months, I felt very encouraged and excited I was experiencing these feelings again.
Race morning… we have to be at the finish line area at City Park no later than 7:30 to take the last series of buses to the race start up near downtown. If you know me, I don’t like taking the last of anything… so I tell my wife/daughter, we need to be there no later than 7AM. No pushback.
We actually end up arriving closer to 6:45… and the line for the buses is huge… but very fast moving due to the # of buses the race has contracted.
We board the bus to the race start… a bit upset over the lack of port-a-poties… with 18,000 people at the start… perhaps a number greater than 10 should have been in order.
We walk to our coral arriving around 7:45… time enough for a selfie in front of the Superdome!
We end up starting around 8:15.
In every race, I have 3 goals. This race was no different.
Goal # 1: Finish.
Goal # 2: Finish with a 15 min/mile pace. (My coach didn’t want me breaking any land speed records in this event.)
Goal # 3: Finish with a 14 min/mile pace if possible… only if I was feeling good.
It’s been my race experience that being part of a race actually helps to propel you to do your best. (I call it the ‘wave of runners’.) I found myself feeling really good throughout the race… having very consistent mile splits… and finishing with a 13:35 min/mile average pace!
For my first run back, I was beyond thrilled!
100% Winning!
When’s the next race?
Let’s talk! Email me at: RupturedRunner@gmail.com.
Ruptured Runner 
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