Running help desperately needed!

Walk and run....and relax....you'll have plenty of company.  It's not worth getting injured over trying to "catch up" on your running before the race.  Get back to running slowly, and run what you can of the sprint.  There are ALOT more races......there is plenty to learn in your first race that has nothing to do with how much you run.

Have fun!

honestly i would stay off it. you don't want to mess with an achilles heel which is sore.  if you make it worse you may never run again.

some advice i gave a friend of mine who was doing marathon prep and got hit with the same problem: focus on swimming/cycling more to keep your aerobic base up, get some KT tape or similar for your heel, and stay off as much as possible until it gets better.

Hi Stuart,

Don't sweat it.  1.84mi in :18 works out to :06 per km = :30/5K which is a great start.  I run slower than you (about :36 per 5K) and you'll find the adrenaline and runners beside, behind and ahead of you will pull you along faster.  In a 5K fun run at the end of September I ran 5K in 33:30 my best time yet so I was :02:30 faster than my training time just due to the excitement.

I did my 1st and 2nd Sprints in Aug and Sept this year and I found the same thing - you'll run faster than usual.  What I did was picked people ahead of me then tried slowly to catch them and I did catch some, plus when I heard someone coming up behind me I did my best to run faster to make it harder to pass me.  Because I'm slow they did pass me but it still got me to the finish just that bit quicker.

I loved my Sprints and you'll do fine and have fun as well.  If anyone is friendly chat with them and if anyone is struggling give them some encouragement.  Don't worry about your time just finish comfortably and then on your next one you'll do better because of your experiences.

Also plan out your transitions so you have only what you need.  I wore tri jersey and tri shorts under my wetsuit so I only had to strip the wetsuit then throw on my bike shoes (no socks) then grab the bike and run to the mount line and take off.  Then back to transition and I just took off the bike shoes put on socks and runners then took off again.  Don't take ANY food with you just maybe a water bottle or gatorade.

Good luck, have fun. 

Add:  I just saw Clempson's advice and he certainly is right.  If you feel anything at all don't risk a greater injury or re-injury be honest with how your body feels.  And, if you decide to start and you have problems in the run don't push it.  I'm 62 today and I've got a lot of Sprints, Oly's, Halfs and Challenge Penticton in my future. 

I'm constituted by nature to disagree with guys from Clemson, but...he's right.  Take it easy.  Trying to 'prepare' for this race is pointless at this stage -- don't do anything stupid.  If the Achilles feels OK, you can certainly do some easy runs, but don't go crazy.  Injuries have a way of feeling fine, and then, not.

Longer term, as Colin said, consistent running, even for short distances done at an easy effort, is your ticket to getting faster or at least more comfortable on the run.