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Painful calf
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I ran (9.2 miles) for the 1st time in a week yesterday after deciding the rest would help the calf.I had no problems with the top of the calf behind the knee, however I found that the lower inner area of the calf became very tight.
After plenty of stretching a hot bath and gentle massage the tightness isn't so bad this morning,gonna go to the gym tonight and go on the bike then my regular appt for massage tomorrow.If need be will then rest 'tll next Sunday.
This explains why the injury would recur without any warning and often in the middle of relatively long runs when well warmed-up.
4-6 weeks of massage/ ultra-sound to break down the scar tissue together with regular stretches to lengthen the muscle should sort it but there is no quick fix for this type of injury and its likely to be 3-4 months before I'm back to normal.
Lessons learned -
this is probably not an injury that will clear up with rest alone - seek advice as I should have done earlier
prepare for a period of inactivity although an exercise bike should be ok to keep ticking over
come back slowly - treadmill sessions ideally with rest days in between and
streeeetch!!
All the best with your recovery and just dont over do the training a little often is the best I can advise.
What works for me:
1. Obviously wearing the right trainers makes a big difference.
2. Rest it! I'd continue to run on a twinge in my calf but have learnt through painful experience that it is one injury where a twinge means stop. A twinge would turn into searing agony and sometimes mean I couldn't walk on it for two weeks.
3. Gentle self massage to ease it out.
4. Ice it every day.
5. I use a wobble board or a step to gently stretch it. I find a wobble board good but it's not really necessary.
The calf problem is now isolated to a point on the inside of the leg which is hard and knotted to the touch, but not painful. I can press on the scar tissue which is close to the surface and feel it give as I massage it- the following day its back again the same.
Its definitely old scar tissue which my phsyio says will never be fully eliminated.
I've seen a podiatrist and had orthotics fitted to my shoes but am still breaking them in. This may correct my running gait to take pressure off the lower leg - if it doesn't then I'm not sure what to do - has anyone else had this problem?
Thanks Steve, Leeds
Have never been to an injury clininc but would not mind if it will be of help
Thanks to all the contributors to this thread you've saved me a trip to the doc and I know what I have to do to avoid it again.
Great stuff.
Good luck, Helen and Michael!! Let me know how you get on. (I could certainly do with the moral support. I am hopeless at being injured!)
i have a pretty much identical problem to yours, though admittedly your leg sounds a little worse than mine. i've emailed a few of the people who have posted onto this forum in the past few years, who got calf pain in the weeks before the London Marathon, and the feedback i've had so far is: rest, no running, X-training to keep you going, ice as you've been doing and regular ibuprofen. i spoke to one of the physios at the gym i use, and on their advice have tentatively tried using the X-trainer too. this seems to be ok, as you're not actually lifting your feet off the "pedals" -- and hence you don't use your calf muscles. it's all in the quads, it appears (i was never a fan of this device until now). i did 45 minutes on it this evening, with no pain, and i checked my pulse a few times throughout and it was ticking along at a decent 145-150 on a Level 5/70rpm setting. so am confident that even though i'm not running, i'm not losing fitness at this point. not sure what time you're aiming for, but i was in the sub 4hour hopefuls, so have already done a 20 and 22 miler in training, so i reckon that if i just keep things going, i should be ok. i don't intend to actually run again until Sunday week. incidentally, in addition to the 4 bits of advice earlier, the physio also reckoned a bit of sports massage wouldn't go amiss, a comment also echoed in many Forum replies and books i've read. the going rate seems to be about £25 to £30/hour down my way -- but to be honest i'd try anything if it's going to help. Like you, I've been religiously following the schedule since January 9th and in no way do i intend not to be on the starting line at 9.45am on the 23rd! Also, everyone has said that by employing these strategies they finished the course, albeit in about 30 mins more than they'd originally hoped for. this is my first (and last!) marathon, and everyone who's been giving me advice has said to enjoy the day, and not stress about the time you do, however hard that might be...
Good luck for the next few days, and in the race itself. keep us up to date on how you go.
Stretching, rest, ibuprofen gel, ice packs. I'll give them all a go. Cold baths work well for me too, at least it takes the mind off the calf.
ahhh, why do we all do this??!! oh yes, it's fun, remember!
all the best, YL
Wish I was less experienced!