In Greek myth, when Achilles was born a prophecy foretold that he would achieve everlasting glory, but die young in battle.  To avoid this fate, his mother took him to the underworld and dunked him in the River Styx.  The magical waters made him invincible everywhere they touched him.  The only problem?  The water never touched his heel where she held him.

Fast forward, and Achilles is the hero of the Trojan War, fighting with boldness, daring, and even arrogance.   He is seemingly invincible on the battlefield until a poisoned arrow hits him in the heel, his one weak spot.  Suddenly he’s down for the count. 

But it was going so well!

I’ve said the same words, maybe you have too.  You’re at the peak of a training cycle, everything is going great, maybe you even feel bullet-proof, but then suddenly there’s an ache in your tendon behind the ankle.  In a flash, you are on the sideline just as the big race is approaching.

Achilles’ mother never told him about the whole ankle thing, so he didn’t get a chance to do anything to protect his heel.  If you are a runner, here’s your warning:  you have a 24% chance of having to deal with an injury to the Achilles tendon sometime in your career. [1] 

What can we do to protect ourselves from this fate?