I ran 20 km this morning with barely a whimper out of the Achilles. As long as I do nothing silly (and there’s no guarantee of that), then I should be OK soon. That said, the severity of the original injury is something I have no past experience with, so it’s difficult for me to say how long a bad Achilles tear might take to heal completely (if, indeed, it ever will be 100% perfect). Perhaps I’ll still be feeling some residual niggles for years to come? Hope not.

I was a little tired by the end of today’s run. The high volume of recent days, coupled with a heavy social schedule typical of this time of the year, has taken its toll. Nothing I won’t recover from with a little rest.

I’ve mentioned previously that I would like to run the Anzac Ultra event in Canberra in April. There are three different events – 145 km, 290 km, and 435 km. If you’re at all inclined to such events, you should consider participating. These very well organized races will commemorate the centenary of the Anzac landing at Gallipoli, though they will be held in early April rather than on the 25th. If you’re interested, visit www.anzacultra2015.com.

I wrote yesterday about an 800 metre race from December of 1984. Having come so close to breaking the two minute barrier, I was determined to do so when the athletics season resumed in the New Year. I trained very hard, perhaps too hard, and had another crack in early 1985. Reaching the bell in 57 seconds, I was in a great position. However, that pace proved a bit too fast. If I’d gone through 400 metres in 59 seconds I would have had more left at the end. I faded badly, finishing in 2:00.69. It remains my fastest ever 800 metres. Unfortunately, though I believe I had the potential to do so, I never did break that that magical two minute barrier.