ultrarunning316’s AchillesBlog

Where to start, it’s been a while since I’ve posted…Life sure can get busy. Running fairly regularly again. Work life is returning to normal. So thankful that the worst seems to of passed. What a traumatically awful thing for a body to go through. Thankful that my work was as patient with me as they where, I had to transition a little quicker than I would of liked from working in the walking boot to using just shoes & then to carrying golf bags…I am a caddie after all so that’s what I had to do, I’ve been carrying doubles (2 golf bags) now for the last few weeks, ever since I caddied in the 1st Tee Champions Tour event, we made the cut & finished 4th! My tendon still feels differently than the non-injured one but I can tell it’s strong & I feel as if I’m out of the woods for the most part, as long as I don’t do anything to over the top!

So now on to the vacation, which I sort of looked forward to & dreaded at the same time. Really needed a break after rehabbing & jumping right back into a busy work season, it was time to do something great and fun. We decided to take a family vacation to Montana"s Glacier National Park. Awesome right! We’ll yes & no, no because it involved about 19hrs of driving for me as I went up a few days after my wife & kids left so I could work the big golf tournament. I left late at night so traffic would be light & I could drive the most tiring part in the sun. I decided to double up on my compression wear, but my tendon was still kinda hot (used cruise control most of the way), And my feet swelled quite a bit…I iced up & elevated my feet when I arrived, I was pretty happy with the results as my tendon really didn’t give me any real trouble…Had a couple of nice runs while I was there…a 12 miler & a 2 miler on the trials with my daughter

After all the awesome time spent with the wife & kids in Montana it was time for me to hop in the car with my daughters while my son & wife stayed a few more days in Glacier…The Girls & I headed back down south this time to Death Valley for the Badwater Endurance Race the 135 mile Ultramarathon through the desert from Badwater 282 ft below sea level over 2 mountain ranges finishing at the Mt. Whitney Portals 8,300ft. The drive was an adventure in itself as a 20hr drive turned into a 25hr ordeal…Things were very smooth until I hit Western Nevada, driving toward some 6k ft summit I saw a huge lightning storm going off on the horizon & my route took my right into the heart of it & it was a huge light show with a lot of heavy rain…as I came down the other side I noticed at about 4am that the highway was getting increasingly wetter I was a little concerned & reduced my speed to about 40mph, when all of a sudden my headlights hit what appeared to be an end in the road…I pulled to stop & exited my car & saw that I had stopped about 30 ft. short of an impromptu river running across what should of been Highway 6!…So I hit the detour button on the gps & it lead me to a little dirt road about 2 miles back the way I had come from…Faced with either waiting out the flash flood or heading down that road I decided as the sun was coming up to take my little scion out into the great wild wild west! We drove down this rutted road until it took us to the Extraterrestrial Highway which we hoped would route us around the flood, well 10 miles and an hour later! It did! Only to find that although we circumnavigated the flood we were left squarely behind a mud slide! Ended up waiting there for 4 more hours in the desert! Until the road was cleared by a construction crew just enough for us to sort of off road a bit more and then, freedom a couple more hours of driving & we finally made it to Death Valley!

My tendon responded much better on this trip even tho it was a longer trip…We had a blast! I was able to basically have a front row seat to an epic race between The eventual winner Mike Morton(he of Western States legendary fame) & my friend Oswaldo Lopez, last year’s Champion! After driving around all night and witnessing this epic event it was time to return home…Through all the sleep deprivation, the time running, driving returning to normal work duties, I have to say I believe I’m very nearly fully healed! I’m very thankful & have even registered for my next race the Steven’s Creek 50k in September…The next step for me is to increase my endurance. It’s been a very difficult injury especially in the 1st half time wise…Very painful & stressful…A lot of uncertainty & what a sad sight when you first see your leg outside of the boot…My advice, have faith be diligent & don’t be afraid to keep moving forward to the next step of recovery! God bless you all! You will get through to the other side of this thing!

Oswaldo & Mike Morton at the finish after all day & night running...I have a whole lot more if anyone is interested on my Facebook Page, Michael Jimenez...I love spreading the word about 2 subjects, God & His mercy, and Ultrarunning! Heal well all, God bless.

A pic we took from the race, Oswaldo early on.

Little runner Girl & I about to hit the Montana Trails!

Getting it back! God's been gracious!

Best I've felt, been a long time...Thankfully the time does pass!

Nevada mud slide! Tendon withstanding the driving test!

Oswaldo's team van!

Famous Hurricane Point...2 Mile Climb @ half way...elevation gain of about 550 ft

So beautiful, usually that is race day it was blowing @ 30 mph right into our face! That’s why they call it Hurricane Point!

Pre-start a bit worried I might be last! "Oh No", I'm thinking!

Thank God the buses had already left…Maybe I would of got back on! No! J/K I was there on a mission.

Down Hill

First few miles start

Low clouds fog & wind

Then sun, marching as fast as I can

Eyes set on that spot of road ahead that I'd use to pull myself ever forward

The weather may of been a factor to those that had the

Luxury to care…For me I had a cut off to make & if I could

make the 22 mile cut off in 5 hrs then I’d really push just so

I could have a time to be proud of…

I not only made the cut off but was at 22 miles at a little past 4hrs 30 some odd minutes!

Being an Ultra-marathoner helped my mind set…I was also able to tap into my experience in fueling and determination for races that leave you on the course for hours longer that  what you’d experience in the standard marathon.

Crossing the normally picturesque Bixby Bridge, race day due to the micro climates of the area we were shrouded in fog

Back in the sun a little hot & needing to focus on taking salt pills & gels to combat leg cramps...But still grinding. Giving the thumbs up!

Bixby Bridge is about 13 miles, this is where the traction of my boot broke of from the toe and heal for the boot…It was a little trickier dealing with the camber of the road…Toeing off had to happen at mid foot rather than the toe because the hard plastic would just slip otherwise.

The pic on right is nearing beautiful Garapata at @ 19 miles

Garapata sooo magnificent! This will re-energize you!

Smelling the finish! Just past Point Lobos & Monestary Beach mile 25!

Very emotionally charged during this stretch! This is what pulled me through even with the weight of that ugly boot & hiking shoe…Our hearts are stronger and can find the motivation if we can just see the goal, if we can believe! Then it will happen, just like on race day, just like the first day the Doctor’s office…We have to see the finish line, we have to force ourselves to use the pain as motivation, God is bigger than our problems and we can overcome!

Sign in the background says Big Sur 26

Thinking of my family, love in my heart for their support & belief when there were many doubters. they didn't doubt

My favorite, My moment thanking Jesus! Just Him & me in that brief moment...I love you Lord! There was a tear then.

It's over Boot!

Me & the Boot! We suffered well

Me & My Bro! Oswaldo Lopez, winner of the 2011 Badwater 135 mile ultra marathon that runs through Death Valley at the peak of summer 135 degree heat to Mt. Whitney Portals...Guy has heart! He's a friend & hero, came in 4th over all & 1st masters division at 2hrs 41mins at 40 years old! So much inspiration training with him and to share this with my friend was awesome!

This was one of my favorite races because it was a race against my limits & credit to what Jesus has done in my life, I won!

This is all done 11 weeks post treatment of an Achillies Tendon Rupture! Every step in Faith! If I can with the Lord then so can anyone else, there is nothing special about me, the only thing I’m sure of that I have is Jesus!

Big Sur International Marathon 26.2 miles 5hrs 33mins

God Bless!

Nothing is impossible

I apologize for the small font, copied & pasted from my Facebook, think if you pinch & zoom it’s easier to read…Hope you all do this was a huge day for me and I think shows what is possible for all of us…I hope this inspires & is helpful…                                                                                 I never sleep well before a race before my last race the Last Chance 50 miler I slept 1 hour…I thought being in my own bed and the fact that I wasn’t really running to get a PR would make sleep easy, I mean I’m still recovering from an Achilles Tendon Rupture, so I’d be walking this year’s Big Sur International Marathon in a big bulky boot cast…Sleep never came no matter the adrenaline suffices, So at 2:30am I got out of bed to do some ultra sound therapy and to bath and get dressed…After arriving in downtown Monterey I along with 9,000 other runners boarded a vast caravan of buses that would take us down the snaking HWY1 to Pfeiffer State Park…Driving down and around the curve on the south side of Hurricane point was amazing, never seen so many buses, looked like a train all lit up in the pre-dawn hrs. After we made our arrival all us participants huddled in the ranger station parking lot shoulder to shoulder in what became cramped quarters as we waited for @2 hrs…The sun coming up over the mountain peaks was an amazing site and the day only got better from there. Bart Yasso lead the runners out to the start, we heard a stirring rendition of the National Anthem as white doves were released…I had to explain my injury and how I thought I’d be able to finish the marathon wearing my boot cast countless times as we mingled in the 3rd wave corral…I have to say I was a little melancholic looking up to where the 1st wave corral was where I’d of lined up pre-injury…None-the-less people were over all very supportive.

The race began and we were off, for a moment I feared everyone would blow right by me and I’d be left all alone but that wasn’t the case and I with my arms and legs pumping madly began to gain traction and ground on many of the competitors in the 3rd wave. As we came upon the Big Sur River Inn we got a pleasant surprise as the Ultrarunner Man himself Dean Karnazes came floating by…I cheered him on with a "Big Dean!" as he gave me a big smile and thumbs up! If you ever feel like you’re not getting enough attention in life wear a big boot and enter a race, I can’t count high enough to number the amount of people that wished me well as we worked our way up the coast…I got comments like "you walk faster than I run", and "are you kidding me, your really passing me on this hill", that last one cracked me up…I’d do my part telling people I was there to keep them honest! This was one of the funnest times I’ve ever had at a race, the banter was priceless and encouraging…I was told so many times what an inspiration I was and it worked both way as each comment put a little more wind in my sails…Speaking of wind the forecast, typically I might add, had the wind at a mild 5-15mph, but in reality when we hit the feared Hurricane Pt. (2 mile climb of @ 500ft) it was blowing 30-40 mph! That wind would buffet us for the next 6-7 miles and was particularly strong at Garapata, where it felt like the hand of God was pushing against your chest! The only real down time came when this woman that was chugging along @ 2 miles short of Hurricane stuck herself to my shoulder and proclaimed that I now have a stalker and she was serious! When I run or in this case walk really fast I climb into my own head and heart and with laser focus drive myself through the route…I’m not saying I don’t enjoy interacting with others cause I do but this woman was on my shoulder for 4-5 miles and really had a wearing mental affect as all of a sudden all the positive interactions ceased as she vampirically suctioned every positive bit of energy i was involved in, the kicker was that her 2 friends kept asking her to run with them and she just kept saying no she wanted to stick with me! lol, I finally and nicely was able to drop her near the top of Hurricane Pt. All the comments started turning from good job to you are one tough sob, my favorite was this huge buff Military guy told "Son you’re tough as woodpecker lips":) The lady leading the 5:30 Cliff Bar pace team dedicated a mile to me around mile 16 as they finally caught up with me, they were all so nice to me as we went back and forth I’d pass them on the ups and they’d return the favor on the down hills…Btw Hurricane point was awesome except that’s where I worked the traction off the front of my boot as the whole toe section broke away…I from then on had to toe off of hard plastic on the forefoot causing my foot to slip a bit here and there…From mile 17 on I had to make sure I was gobbling salt tabs like they were candy as my legs started to cramp, from then in it was all heart and determination as I pushed on with pure emotion. I could see the faces of my Wife & kids in my mind and the stride of my Friend & Hero Oswaldo Lopez as I kicked it into another gear. People started slowing as we approached 20 mile mark and I did my best to return the earlier encouragement telling people to push on and take it a piece at a time…Also "don’t let the one legged man beat you:)" I was happy to be a part of people’s memories of the race as one woman told me she’d be talking about me in the hot tub that night! lol and that she’d never forget and would talk about me for years…At Point Lobos I knew I was going to make it as I had the leg cramps under control, from then on I challenged myself to finish at 5:30 hrs, as I crested the last hill and saw the finish line I surged ahead to finish at 5:33 hr/min! What a brilliant finish as the MC announced my name I pointed skyward to glorify my Lord and a few tears came to my eyes…The cheers came up and I saw my family along the rail and really had a great upwelling of emotion…After the race the handshakes and hugs and pictures were very touching…People can be so warm, love each and every person I competed with, even my 5 mile shadow what a compliment :)…Post race seeing my friends in the elite category do so well was great and the time hanging was warming! Well that’s how my awesome and picture perfect Sunday went! Tendon feels great legs are sore but tendon is great! My doc was there at the finish and was very proud of me…I iced at home and enjoyed a great BBQ with my encouraging family after!

Legs not in marathon shape, finished on heart

This is me & a Doc that wanted this pic to show to his patients that were being wimpy lol

Me & Boot we did it!

Marathon

I never sleep well before a race before my last race the Last Chance 50 miler I slept 1 hour…I thought being in my own bed and the fact that I wasn’t really running to get a PR would make sleep easy, I mean I’m still recovering from an Achilles Tendon Rupture, so I’d be walking this year’s Big Sur International Marathon in a big bulky boot cast…Sleep never came no matter the adrenaline suffices, So at 2:30am I got out of bed to do some ultra sound therapy and to bath and get dressed…After arriving in downtown Monterey I along with 9,000 other runners boarded a vast caravan of buses that would take us down the snaking HWY1 to Pfeiffer State Park…Driving down and around the curve on the south side of Hurricane point was amazing, never seen so many buses, looked like a train all lit up in the pre-dawn hrs. After we made our arrival all us participants huddled in the ranger station parking lot shoulder to shoulder in what became cramped quarters as we waited for @2 hrs…

The sun coming up over the mountain peaks was an amazing site and the day only got better from there. Bart Yasso lead the runners out to the start, we heard a stirring rendition of the National Anthem as white doves were released…I had to explain my injury and how I thought I’d be able to finish the marathon wearing my boot cast countless times as we mingled in the 3rd wave corral…I have to say I was a little melancholic looking up to where the 1st wave corral was where I’d of lined up pre-injury…None-the-less people were over all very supportive.

The race began and we were off, for a moment I feared everyone would blow right by me and I’d be left all alone but that wasn’t the case and I with my arms and legs pumping madly began to gain traction and ground on many of the competitors in the 3rd wave. As we came upon the Big Sur River Inn we got a pleasant surprise as the Ultrarunner Man himself Dean Karnazes came floating by…I cheered him on with a "Big Dean!" as he gave me a big smile and thumbs up! If you ever feel like you’re not getting enough attention in life wear a big boot and enter a race, I can’t count high enough to number the amount of people that wished me well as we worked our way up the coast…I got comments like "you walk faster than I run", and "are you kidding me, your really passing me on this hill", that last one cracked me up…I’d do my part telling people I was there to keep them honest! This was one of the funnest times I’ve ever had at a race, the banter was priceless and encouraging…I was told so many times what an inspiration I was and it worked both way as each comment put a little more wind in my sails…Speaking of wind the forecast, typically I might add, had the wind at a mild 5-15mph, but in reality when we hit the feared Hurricane Pt. (2 mile climb of @ 500ft) it was blowing 30-40 mph! That wind would buffet us for the next 6-7 miles and was particularly strong at Garapata, where it felt like the hand of God was pushing against your chest! The only real down time came when this woman that was chugging along @ 2 miles short of Hurricane stuck herself to my shoulder and proclaimed that I now have a stalker and she was serious! When I run or in this case walk really fast I climb into my own head and heart and with laser focus drive myself through the route…I’m not saying I don’t enjoy interacting with others cause I do but this woman was on my shoulder for 4-5 miles and really had a wearing mental affect as all of a sudden all the positive interactions ceased as she vampirically suctioned every positive bit of energy i was involved in, the kicker was that her 2 friends kept asking her to run with them and she just kept saying no she wanted to stick with me! lol, I finally and nicely was able to drop her near the top of Hurricane Pt. All the comments started turning from good job to you are one tough sob, my favorite was this huge buff Military guy told "Son you’re tough as woodpecker lips":) The lady leading the 5:30 Cliff Bar pace team dedicated a mile to me around mile 16 as they finally caught up with me, they were all so nice to me as we went back and forth I’d pass them on the ups and they’d return the favor on the down hills…Btw Hurricane point was awesome except that’s where I worked the traction off the front of my boot as the whole toe section broke away…I from then on had to toe off of hard plastic on the forefoot causing my foot to slip a bit here and there…From mile 17 on I had to make sure I was gobbling salt tabs like they were candy as my legs started to cramp, from then in it was all heart and determination as I pushed on with pure emotion. I could see the faces of my Wife & kids in my mind and the stride of my Friend & Hero Oswaldo Lopez as I kicked it into another gear. People started slowing as we approached 20 mile mark and I did my best to return the earlier encouragement telling people to push on and take it a piece at a time…Also "don’t let the one legged man beat you:)" I was happy to be a part of people’s memories of the race as one woman told me she’d be talking about me in the hot tub that night! lol and that she’d never forget and would talk about me for years…At Point Lobos I knew I was going to make it as I had the leg cramps under control, from then on I challenged myself to finish at 5:30 hrs, as I crested the last hill and saw the finish line I surged ahead to finish at 5:33 hr/min! What a brilliant finish as the MC announced my name I pointed skyward to glorify my Lord and a few tears came to my eyes…The cheers came up and I saw my family along the rail and really had a great upwelling of emotion…After the race the handshakes and hugs and pictures were very touching…People can be so warm, love each and every person I competed with, even my 5 mile shadow what a compliment :)…Post race seeing my friends in the elite category do so well was great and the time hanging was warming! Well that’s how my awesome and picture perfect Sunday went! Tendon feels great legs are sore but tendon is great! My doc was there at the finish and was very proud of me…I iced at home and enjoyed a great BBQ with my encouraging family after!

Pics to follow soon.

Weather has been fantastic here in the Monterey area…How bitter sweet, you know how great to feel the sun on your skin but at the same time wistfully  sighing at the roads that lead to the beautiful trails in the area, the trails you can only daydream of for the moment.

For now I’ll have to make due with some still pretty outstanding stuff, tho shadows of what truly makes me happy…Working a lot, walking & able to do most nonathletic undertakings…

working-at-pebble-beach-week-before-the-marathon

Awesomely sunny, hard not to be optimistic right now. I can deal with lugging my boot around every work day…

travelin' boot

Ok, let’s get on with the update…I have my scheduled follow up with my doc on Friday, going to surprise him with the news that I plan on participating in the marathon, of course this will be after he checks me out…Hoping he has nothing but good things to say about my progress…I’ve had no discernible pain other than a touch of soreness, there’s only been minor swelling after work and treadmill. I’ve taken it easy since my power walk last week, was really moving 11 1/4 miles sub 2 1/2 hrs…Starting to have those fun butterflies in my stomach leading up to the race…Working at Spyglass Hill GC tomorrow for a client then it’s time for the Docs appt & the race expo! I’ll update after that…Relying on Jesus, he’s never let me down…I may have to go through things like an ATR, life’s not perfect but the Lord is and he’s never failed to lead me through the Valley’s of my life! I just hope I can bring Him glory in whatever I do as imperfectly as I do those things!

God Bless all, looking forward to surmising the race. Good healing.

toro-park-near-where-i-atred

day-of-docs-appt-tendon-rolled-up-into-calf-above-ankle

difference-between-the-two-is-drastic-feb-18th-8-days-post-treatment

18-days-into-treatment-ugh-still-ugly

feb-28th-18-days-into-treatment-swelling-still-persistent, leg muscle weak

march-6th-few-days-short-of-a-mo.-some-swelling-calf-weakening, tendon smoother

mikey-at-work, shortly after being cleared rainy, tapped bag around my boot @6weeks

hard-to-tell-which-ones-injured-8-weeks, calf coming back

mikey-in-2-shoes, few days ago @ 8 weeks

today-8-weeks-5-days-tendon-looks-feels-strong-calf-as-well

8-weeks-5-days, rupture occured below fingers above ankle

Well, hopefully this gives a good idea of the process my tendon has gone thru and will continue to go thru…To me there has been a dramatic change from tendon rolling up into my calf, to my calf softening and weakening, then to the swelling as my body tries to protect and heal the site, followed by a regeneration and reformation of the tendon, culminating(so far) in a strengthening of both tendon and leg…

Not sure how long 'til I'm running in the Mts. like this again, but it'll happen in due time :)

Sprinting in at Last Chance 50m

These are two goals one longer term, running and qualifying again for the Western States 100 via the Last Chance 50m. The other getting back to the fun of training in the Sierra Nevada’s with my best running buddy winner of the toughest footrace on the planet Badwater! Oswaldo Lopez, missing out on all kinds of great runs with my Bro!

Mizuno Wave Riders! 1st x since ATR

Was a little nervous to tie up the laces today.  I’ve been tooling around my house barefooting along sooo figured it might just be time. All went well even went to the grocery store with my wife.  Of course I walked slower than i felt was necessary just to be cautious. It was great cause my wife who usually flies through the store had to slow down and spend a little time with me + I got to grab all the little snacks I usually miss when we’re in a hurry! Every little move towards normality is so nice…I imagine it’s what a prisoner facing parole must feel like. One more step towards the light at the end of the tunnel. I treasured running before although I’ll admit to slogging through a few runs wishing they’d be over soon, but I promise to soak in each and everyone and treasure them for the gift that they surely are…Walking in my favorite running shoes today, wow, I could almost taste those sweet endorphins!