Notes
Very dissapointing DNF around the 3.5 mile mark at Quarryman.
Started off and felt pretty fluid and good. Quads were a bit meh but aerobically felt comfortable. After the first 400, a pack of 5 of us settled in (me, nick, zach, Colin Mickow who ended up winning and a random Euro dude who got 2nd). Got to the first hill and Nick attacked up it while I just settled in the back and chilled. No ankle/tendon pain so that was good BUT my body was compensating for it and came back to bite me in the ass. Made a move a little after the mile and opened up downhill, then had the huge downhill/uphill portion around 1.5 and let Zach/Colin/Euro guy gap a bit although started to eat that gap back up coming up the hill. Hit the top of the hill around 2 feeling decent knowing that the next few miles were rolling and still just trying to stay relaxed as was my pre-race plan. Then the pain started- both achilles started to flare up and just kept winding up worse and worse the next 1.5 miles. Nick passed me around 2.5 as I was trying to calm myself down but it just got worse and worse and got to the point where I was limping really bad. Knew I wasn't going to be able to finish but wanted to at least get myself back to the 6 mile mark at the bottom of the hill near the finish but that wasn't even doable. Figured I was doing too much damage to my body and was really hurting so finally stopped at the 3.5 and stepped off. Took off my shoes and tried to stretch but even that was ridiculously painful. Tried to jog again and just wouldn't go away so called the race and walked back.
Super frustrated, especially because it wasn't even the tendon but the achilles this time. However, I'm sure the reason both flaired up so bad (especially after all the stretching I did before) was compensation. Think I figured out the issue at least: the flyknit upper. Every run that I've had issues or even standing at work has been related to the 3 shoes (epic reacts, lunar epics, and vaperfly) which all have the flynit upper. I think it must just not be providing enough medial support when I'm landing and that is what is flaring up the tendon, which is why I don't have the issue as bad in the 890s or the levitates which provide a lot firmer of a landing pad. Sucks because I think had I raced in the 890s I would've been fine but its a learning lesson. Deff a huge setback and was a race that I was really looking forward to but I did everything I could and body just didn't want to cooperate today. At least I have an idea moving forward of hopefully how to avoid flairing it up more.