Achilles Tendonitis and Mushroom Risotto!

Throwing in the towel. Sort of.

I was supposed to run 9 miles on Saturday. Ended up stopping at 4 miles. My ankle/heel was at it again. So I decided to go through a bunch of my Runner’s World magazines. I cut out all the good articles that I wanted to keep, and tossed the rest. 

One of those articles was on common Runner’s Injuries… one looked VERY familiar. Acute Achilles Tendonitis.

Here are some symptoms off of Sportsinjuryclinic.net:

• Gradual onset of achilles pain at the back of the ankle, just above the heel bone.
• This develops over a period of days.
• Pain at the onset of exercise which fades as the exercise progresses.
• Pain eases with rest.
• Tenderness on palpation.

Chronic achilles tendonitis may follow on from acute tendonitis if it goes untreated or is not allowed sufficient rest. Chronic achilles tendonitis is a difficult condition to treat.

This is what convinced me. This is what I’ve been feeling EXACTLY.  Also, Acute tendonitis can lead to chronic tendonitis which can lead to a ruptured tendon. EEEEEEK!

So unfortunately, I’ve decided that I’m not going to run the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon after all. I don’t think there’s any way I’d be well enough by 12/4. :(

I’m pretty bummed about it.  Some tears were shed. It’s not all bad, though. I can still crosstrain. 

Maybe I can take up some cycling, swimming, yoga, and weights, and just do some light running during recovery.

I ALSO decided that kind of bad news requires a drink with dinner. Dinner! From OhSheGlows.com

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/02/08/mushroom-risotto-with-caramelized-onions/

Mushroom Risotto with Carmelized Onions

• 3-4 yellow onions, divided
• 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms (~455 grams), washed and sliced
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 cup uncooked pot barley (or grain of choice, like rice)* see note
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3.5 cups vegetable broth (I used full-sodium), *see note
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to garnish
• 1 tbsp Earth balance or butter, to stir in (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop 2 small yellow onions to make 2 cups worth. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook over medium-low for about 8 minutes. Reduce heat if necessary to avoid burning. Onion chop!

2. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add all the sliced cremini mushrooms to the skillet and let them cook for 5-10 minutes. 

Beautiful mushrooms!

Chopped! 

3. Add the rosemary sprig and seasonings to the skillet. Stir well. Cook for a couple minutes. Now add in the barley (or rice), balsamic vinegar, and vegetable broth gradually as it cooks. You may have to adjust the amount of liquid used depending on the type of grain used. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and stir every few minutes, reducing the heat when necessary to prevent it sticking to the bottom. Be careful because it will burn fast!

4. Meanwhile, make the caramelized onions. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Cut 1-2 yellow onions in half, and then slice them into thin half moons. Add them to the oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn a dark brown, for about 30 minutes. Watch closely. I

5. When the risotto has finished cooking remove rosemary sprig and stir in a spoonful of Earth balance or butter if desired. Distribute into bowl and top each bowl with a spoonful of caramelized onions and freshly ground pepper. Serves 2-4.

Note: Make sure that you add the vegetable broth slowly as different grains will absorb different amounts of liquid. You don’t want too much liquid at the end!

*Good with Winter Ales.