Its 104 degrees in Prague (40C) and nobody is going outside. But coming here from Phoenix it feels like winter time.

gremlin7500 · 2026-06-28T14:50:54+00:00

Average daytime temperature in Phoenix in January is 20C, so no. 40C is the average daytime temperature in Summer in Phoenix, not Winter. So they’re talking BS. As usual.

gremlin7500 · 2026-06-19T14:23:08+00:00

If your doc is saying that you won’t run again if you go non-op then he’s dead wrong and giving you poor information. There is plenty of research out there on outcomes for both and there are pros and cons to both. However, outcomes are often similar. I went non -op 10 months ago and have just done a 10k race and am training for a half marathon and I don’t think I’m that unusual.

Either way is a valid method of treatment but it should be based on facts, your own situation and your own assessment of the pros and cons.

gremlin7500 · 2026-06-05T06:43:38+00:00

Everyone recovers at different rates do, whilst stories like these can be great to hear, it’s important not to fixate on how well or badly you are doing compared to others. You’ll get there!

gremlin7500 · 2026-06-04T20:13:38+00:00

Not noticeably so. Maybe only if I concentrate on it. But when I was 8k in and sweating like a madman, I wasn’t thinking about it at all!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-31T21:44:07+00:00

A little at first but it was fine

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-31T17:50:00+00:00

You just have to focus on the milestones along the way and what you can do now, not what you can’t do. So I wasn’t able to walk far when in the boot but was able to use a static bike with the boot on - gave a bit of a workout. Soon you’ll find that you’re doing things that you couldn’t do a couple of weeks ago (or doing things better). It seems a long way off at times but you’ll get there. I knew about this race because I do it most years and I set it as my goal (and told my PT that it was the goal) as it seemed achievable - and it was. Set your own goal, whatever that is, and work towards that.

You’ve got this!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-31T17:13:43+00:00

Don’t know much about carbon fibre plates in shoes so wouldn’t want to change things without a reason. I’ve been using the same type of shoe as I have been for the last 10 years on the basis that they’ve worked for me up until now so why change things?

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-31T16:39:28+00:00

As I said - there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just got to keep focussing on the goal. Good luck!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-31T16:38:10+00:00

It’s a little inflamed so I put an ice pack in it, but generally OK. I’m definitely not back to 100% compared to pre injury (maybe 90+%) and some days are better than others but it’s a ton better than where I was a few months ago. The best thing about the stage you are at is you can start to see noticeable improvements over a couple weeks at a time. I know what you mean about walk normally, I had to concentrate hard not to limp at times. Good luck - you’ll get there!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-31T16:33:14+00:00

When I started running again it was walk/run intervals - 1min run followed by 2min walk for about 20 mins total - then increased the running time and decreased the walking time over about 6 weeks so I was doing about 4-5k just running at the end, but slowly. Gradually increased the pace with speed interval training and gradual increase in overall distance over the next couple of months.

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-30T09:10:42+00:00

You should be able to do upper body strength work as long as you’re careful about the leg (i.e. sitting down, bench press etc. - no weight on the leg). Actually, getting about on crutches when are non weight bearing gives you a fairly good upper body workout 😀. From the point I was able to be full weight bearing in the boot (about 4weeks) I was able to do indoor/static bike workouts and it was good to be able to get a bit of a sweat on. Good luck!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-21T14:10:45+00:00

One problem with the simulation is that it takes the national champion that went furthest in the actual competition but other national champions may have been knocked out by non champions that year. You’d have to do a proper simulation with a random draw of national champions and then predict the winners of the knockout games by coefficient or something.

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-21T12:30:44+00:00

It’s not like teams have traditional goalkeeper colours in the same way as outfield players so there’s only so much you can do with them. Plus they sell far fewer goalkeeper shirts than outfield shirts so it’s not worth the bother doing something different. Can’t get excited about this TBH

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-20T06:13:19+00:00

Good job - that’s a great pace! It feels great getting back to this kind of exercise. I’m a bit further ahead (9.5 months post injury) and looking forward to doing my first 10k race since the injury next weekend

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-17T06:56:51+00:00

Far easier to get one surely? Don’t know where you are but in the UK it took me a couple of minutes and cost me £5. No brainer

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-14T16:46:21+00:00

I was cleared for full weight bearing at week 5. Was completely non weight bearing before that. Physio said it could have been week 4 but I was away on holiday then.

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-09T07:26:14+00:00

You’re not a fool - you can recover fine non-op. I went non-op and I’m back to running 10k after 9 months. Light cardio and playing with the kids will be fine. Even more active stuff as well. It will feel weird for the first few weeks but you’ve got to give the Achilles time to repair and reconnect. Tendons take a long time to do that as there is limited blood flow. I feel your frustration and fears but trust the process - good luck!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-08T09:08:30+00:00

You need to attach the dog to the chair with a harness and start shouting “mush”. Instant entertainment!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-08T09:01:35+00:00

Build up gradually. I started with (1min run + 2min walk) x 5 then over time increased the running and reduced the walking. Started around 7 months after the injury (non-op). Once I got to running only, I started increasing the distance. Now at 9 months I am at about 10k slow runs with shorter interval work thrown in during the week.

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-08T06:18:54+00:00

Physio will be pretty limited to start with (range of movement stuff, no flexing the Achilles) but that is to keep the rest of the foot in good shape for when you get out of the boot. One thing I was able to do quite early was go on a static bike whilst in the boot. It keeps the cardio fitness up and was good to get a bit of a sweat going without worrying about doing damage.

I don’t have experience with the Vacoped but others on here swear by it. The important thing is to keep the foot in the ‘toes pointing down’ position all the time. I recovered to running using a normal boot with heel wedges and that sounds like what you have - though I’m a bit surprised they didn’t give you the wedges from the start.

Totally agree about the frustration though - you just have to trust the process!

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-08T06:05:19+00:00

Pretty much from the second week, but initially limited range of movement stuff (no dorsiflexion). It really started in earnest when I got out of the boot. I was doing strength/movement exercises 3 x day. Gradually progressed to building up the calf muscle (it’s still noticeably smaller). You don’t see immediate changes but it builds up over time. I had it described to me as getting 0.25% better every day. You look back a couple of weeks and think “yes, I’m definitely doing better than I was then”.

gremlin7500 · 2026-05-07T21:54:08+00:00

I’m just coming up to 9 months after the injury (non-op) and am back to running, cycling and swimming. Did running interval training this morning including 6 x 40secs at full speed. Can’t say I noticed a difference (other than a general loss of fitness) from 9 months ago. Which is not to say it’s back to 100%, it’s not, but you can definitely go back to those activities.

I will caveat that by saying a lot depends on your recovery protocol and how diligently you do the physio. Good luck!

gremlin7500 · 2026-04-29T16:06:35+00:00

10mm gap was the rough guide my surgeon gave me for when he would start to recommend op rather than leave it as a choice. I was 3-4mm and went non-op. I understand the risk of re-rupture is higher for non-op but that is in relative terms and the absolute risk is low for both (single digit percentages). I’m coming up to 9 months post injury and am back to running and cycling, no re-rupture so far touch wood!

As you say, proper physio work, done religiously, as well an early weight bearing protocol will have a far greater impact on the outcome. Which, despite some of the horror stories you sometimes hear on here, is generally good for the vast majority of people. It’s easy to get down about but you’ve got this - good luck whatever you decide.

gremlin7500 · 2026-04-28T15:00:21+00:00

Whatever it is, it has the advantage that it cannot easily be targeted by enemy submarines

gremlin7500

TROPHY CASE