Dammitall

After apparently screwing up my Achilles tendon on a training ride Saturday—to the point that it hurts to walk normally—I'm looking into some fast-acting treatments that may help me in time to participate in at least some portion of the charity century ride I'm signed up for this Sunday.

I've gotten some suggestions from friends and family members who are athletes and dancers. Two have recommended that I look into acupuncture, which I've never done before. Lucky for me, there's a local community acupuncture clinic that takes walk-ins, and friends of mine have had good experiences there. Still, I admit I'm a little weirded out by the prospect of doing it for the first time.

For those who have been or who have acupuncture done regularly, do you have any suggestions for a first-timer? Are there any bizarre after-effects to it, like jitteriness or excessive fatigue, that might not make it the best thing to have done seventy-two hours before this ride (I'd probably be going Thursday)? Any other pearls of wisdom or things to be aware of beforehand?

I'm all ears.

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If one million people replaced a two mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. If one out of ten car commuters switched to a bike, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 25.4 million tons per year. [2milechallenge.com]