Ruptured achilles

[tfred67]

Late October I ruptured my left achilles while walking up a hill. Who knew walking was a contact sport? Had surgery and am now in a walking boot for at least 6 more weeks. Surgeon has OKed rowing as long as I wear the boot which by its design just about eliminates ankle movement. Rowing is basically boot on the floor, other foot strapped in, knees bent with minimal movement (never straight/never full forward), seat moves about 1 foot. Doing 3,000 meters daily and working toward 5,000. Pace is about 2:50/500. Time and better technique will come later. No pain and am doing the stretching exercises phys therapist wants done. PT reviewed what I am doing. Following a low slow process with some speed ups, back to slow, and a big finish. Looking for other various rowing ideas or patterns. It is going to take 6-8 more months to get back to 'normal' so I have plenty of time. I am 69, 6'7", 300+ pounds, in very good health. Not going back to a gym due to COVID.

[Ombrax]

Rowing is basically boot on the floor, other foot strapped in,

Bummer about the injury, that's a tough one.

Re: rowing - I seem to remember someone on the forum who had to also wear a boot, and his rowing solution was to get a skateboard and put his foot+boot on that, and let it move back and forth.

Good luck with your rehab.

[DavidA]

Late October I ruptured my left achilles while walking up a hill. Who knew walking was a contact sport? Had surgery and am now in a walking boot for at least 6 more weeks. Surgeon has OKed rowing as long as I wear the boot which by its design just about eliminates ankle movement. Rowing is basically boot on the floor, other foot strapped in, knees bent with minimal movement (never straight/never full forward), seat moves about 1 foot. Doing 3,000 meters daily and working toward 5,000. Pace is about 2:50/500. Time and better technique will come later. No pain and am doing the stretching exercises phys therapist wants done. PT reviewed what I am doing. Following a low slow process with some speed ups, back to slow, and a big finish. Looking for other various rowing ideas or patterns. It is going to take 6-8 more months to get back to 'normal' so I have plenty of time. I am 69, 6'7", 300+ pounds, in very good health. Not going back to a gym due to COVID.

Oy.
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately that kind of thing takes a while to heal.
I hope that you do have a full recovery.
As Ombrax mentioned, you might try getting something to put under the boot so that you can move back and forth more. (I believe a long time user and member of the forum, who, unfortunately is no longer with us (Carol McNally), did something similar when she had a cast for a while.)

David

[tfred67]

Thanks for the replies. Tried an old skateboard and had trouble keeping my boot on it or controlling its movement. Ended up simply putting a rubber mat on the floor for the boot, rocked back/forth off a point in the heel, and push with my other leg. The boot limits the ankle flexion so I do a partial movement within that range. Started doing 10-15 heavier pulls every 500m which knocked 1 minute off my total time for 3,500m. That'll work until I can drop the boot.

[Carl Watts]

Horrible injury.

After 6 weeks mine felt no better. Total rest with the leg in the air and had to crawl everywhere. Then at 8 weeks it made some progress and at 12 weeks I was driving a manual car again. Took about 12 months to get to 95% recovery but even now I get the occasional twinge. The most annoying thing is that I just don't know how it happened, it woke me up at midnight with a throbbing pain in my left foot and an ultrasound revealed a small tear and that's all it took to stop me walking.