My last post was over six weeks ago, and said that I'd hurt my calf while running barefoot. Well it didn't get better like a normal calf strain, and it has taken all this time to get back to any training at all. But I now seem to be on the mend and back on (a slightly delayed) track.
After I felt the stab of pain in my calf, I rested it for a couple of weeks, and then tried a short run. No joy. Within a hundred yards the knife was deep in my calf and I limped home again. Anther week of resting and a very gentle run. First half mile was ok, but there it still was, and again I walked gently home. This pattern went on and on. In France 2 weeks ago I ran a mile or so around the campsite and was very pleased when I got back to the tent and called in for a drink. Setting off for another lap I got 100 yards (or maybe metres) and it was back.
I was starting to get very worried about the OMM. I had missed six weeks training in the last four months before the event, and my calf still wasn't showing signs of recovering. Luckily the campsite had a gym with a cross trainer, and I found I could do a hard 30 minutess on that without straining my calves. But I NEED to exercise my calves if I am going to manage the miles of Dartmoor peat bogs!
The good news is that I am on the mend. Last week I ran a tentative couple of miles, taking care not to stretch or strain my calf too much, and it was ok. No twinges while I was running and no pain afterwards, Two days later I did the same thing, but over three miles. And then another run of four miles. Finally at the weekend I met up with Pete in the New Forest and we did 3.5 miles and I didn't spare my legs (in fact Pete was running too fast for me to think about my calf!). All good.
I'm back!
(I hope)
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