Full Power Squash!
I have been really bad and not blogged for ages, its been 15mths now since my ATR. Yesterday evening I played a hard 2 hour squash session and aft wards thought it was time to update my blog and pass on positive feedback to those behind me on this journey.
It was at 15 weeks after my ATR and subsequent surgery that I first went back on court. Just training drills etc with my coach for 45 mins but I was back :)
Then…….. I had a good talk with my self, what was I doing !!!!! I remembered my chance meet with an ex rugby pro player who advised me to leave it a year ( see my previous blog for more detail on that surreal meeting)
So despite feeling great I just took another 6 months rest from squash. I’d found a great sports Physio at our club and he worked out a program for me which I did a couple of times a week, plus the cross trainer.
At 12 mths I started squash training again, I could safely say I didnt think about the achillies at all. First time on I trained for 90 minutes and thought I’d be in trouble the next day but….. Nothing. AT felt perfect no stiffness or swelling at all. After that it’s been back on court training and playing squash. It takes a time to get back into the mental zone but that’s always the way with squash.
I used to use the stairs in our apartment as my barometer for recovery. Bounding up the stairs 2 or 3 steps at a time I could feel my recovering side get stronger and become more and more balanced. I,d now say I’m 95%.
Couple of days ago I was reaching up and leaning to one side on tip toes to get something from a cupboard in our kitchen when I realised I was on my ATR side. I took this a sure sign of ‘back to normal’
If I can pass on any advice it would be, first really believe you will get back to normal. Once you get this fixed in your mind then you are simply on a journey back to normal. It is a marathon and as such you don’t want to sprint in the first weeks only to damage yourself in the long run. Looking back, I remember the rush to get from PWB to FWB to 2 Shoes but really the journey is long and from 2 shoes on is the real mental challenge.
Everyone heals at different speeds and there’s no race. If anything hurts too much back off and rest a bit, you will not be left behind. The body is an amazing device and sometimes it doesn’t need us constantly worrying and focusing on the negatives. If left alone it has a remarkable ability to just sort things out. One day the limp is just gone…. You can’t force it 
There are positives about this injury too. I appreciate my freedom on 2 feet like never before, I have learnt how to move more efficiently around the court, and now after working my body hard I rest it ! It’s also taught me to balance my life.
So, I wish all those behind a great journey back to normal and will finish by saying that in our club the current number 1 female player ruptured her ATR 30 mths ago and is now playing at an even higher level than before.
All the best
Jules
Jules,
Great post, full of wisdom and great advice. My personal trainer at the gym is advocating the same - don’t rush back to soccer but instead work on strengthening, technique, and fundamentals over the course of the year instead. Sometimes it is hard to listen to that advice, as we all want to get back out there on the pitch so fast, but if it means playing for a longer time with less injuries, then I am all in!
Cheers,
John
Hi John, yes I think it pays dividends in the long run. My Physio explained that lots of people rush back into sport and because their foot work is not ‘balanced’ without realising it they over compensate on the non injured side and end up doing damage. It’s really frustrating having to hold yourself back.
Good luck with the recovery
Jules,
Thanks for the post. I always like to see people writing about what happens a year out. Makes me feel that there really is life after this.
Great post, Jules — thanks for it!
OTOH, I returned to “my squash” (comp volleyball, incl court 4’s and beach 2’s) 10 months post-ATR (& post-op) after the first one, and as fast as I could after the other one healed non-op.
I only waited 10months the 1st time because my conservative OS said I should wait ’til I cld do a bunch of 1LHRs without grunting.
The 2nd return was delayed by open-heart surgery(!) to replace a failing Aortic valve. But I still returned BEFORE passing my 2001-2 OS’s test, since my strength deficit leaves me short of even ONE full-height 1LHR. I’m shocked that the deficit hasn’t killed my spiking and blocking, or my lunge-&-dive to the right on defense. (ATR #2 was on the left.)
It’s always good to have a pro check you for bad habits and form breaks, like over-compensation and asymmetries. But returning to the game you love is great rehab for body and soul, IMHO. And the risk of ankle or AT reinjury after 6-10 months is about the same as a few years earlier.