A pain free run

     In 2011 I ran my first marathon.  What I thought at the time would be first of many.  I'd hoped that after getting into shape for the first one, I'd be able to tick off multiple ones in fairly short order by maintaining my fitness.  After the marathon I started pushing harder and faster wanting to be better.  Soon I was plagued with Plantar fasciitis,  and then achilles tendonitis.  It feels like I've been nursing some sort of injury ever since.
    I'd pretty well decided that if I could ever get healthy again, maybe I'd make an attempt at one more marathon, in an effort to qualify for Boston.  I don't know that I feel a desire to run Boston, but I'd like to be good enough to qualify for it.
    When a friend suggested to me two months ago that I run Salt Lake with him on April 18th, I wasn't in shape for a marathon.  I had run a half two months previously, but had quit running after an injury at work.  I took inventory of how I felt.  My ribs still hurt a little from the work accident.  My feet and achilles felt alright.  I didn't feel like I could put in the training to qualify for Boston without getting injured, but possibly I could get in good enough shape to finish the race with my friend.  So I agreed and signed up.
    I've been running 5 times a week since that time.  Strictly sticking to my training plan, and not allowing myself to do extra, trying to avoid any injuries.  My left achilles has bothered me the entire time.  I've been icing it on a fairly regular basis, and I've tried wearing compression sock on my more challenging runs (which has seemed to help).  But still it's been sore, and felt like I could be on the verge of getting worse.
     Well yesterday I had a difficult speed session scheduled.  Speed work usually seems to be the worst on my achilles, which is frustrating because I enjoy doing the speed work despite the pain.  So yesterday somewhere about 6 miles into this workout, it struck me "I'm tired, and my lungs hurt, but my I have not noticed my achilles this whole time."  Even today, nearly 24 hours later (quite often the day after a speed work the achilles is still sore)  It is still pain free.  I don't know what happened or changed in the last two days, but I'm excited.  Maybe I will be able to finish this marathon healthy and injury free.  If that's the case, then I'm already hopeful that I can turn around and build on this base and start training for a marathon that could be a Boston Qualifier.  Knock on wood.