Ouch! My calf hurts

[The Moose]

So, after a very hard workout on the poorly maintained track at Quinte HS, I woke up the next day with a very sore calf in my right leg.  It hurts just below the knee (at the top of the calf) and slightly to the inside of the leg.

I rested for a day (kind of, nice light 7 mile run), swam the next day (still sore), then ran (of course) until it hurt again, then about 4 miles more, hard.

I'm a sucker for punishment, so I finished that run in an all out 100m sprint.

So Saturday it hurt, so I went for a nice slow run (really), and stretched vigorously and massaged afterward.  I applied ice, and stretched some more.

It hurt to go up or down stairs, and hills were painful in either direction.  I seriously considered bailing out on todays 20 miler.

This morning I woke up, and, miraculously, there was no pain.  Zero, zippo, zilch.  After I got over the suprise I headed out for my last long run before I taper.

Miles 1-3 were not bad at all.  I had a lingering discomfort (as though I were 15 miles into a marathon) in the calf, but nothing serious.  I found that increasing the pace made things worse (duh).  As the miles progressed things got worse.  Stretching seemed to make things worse, slowing made things worse, speeding up seemed to make things worse.  The miles did not make things better.  Every stop for water was followed by 1/2 km of agony.

I sat on the dock at the rowing club immediately after finishing and dunked my legs in the Bay (WOW is it cold this time of year).  I've been massaging and stretching (gently) ever since.

3 questions.

Other than rest, massage, and light stretching, is there anything else I can do to speed the healing process?

Should I be concerned?

Since I've never really tapered properly before, any advice on how to spend the next three weeks?  (Last week should have been around 60-70 miles, and the week before was between 50 and 60 miles.)  Sorry I haven't been keeping a very good log, but my midweek runs have been 8 - 10 miles 5 days plus my Sunday long for the last 4 weeks.  I do not run on Monday (ever), and obviously I'll be taking a day or two extra this week until my calf gets better.

Any advice is welcome.

Mike

[Jane]

My uneducated opinion??  Stop running.  Even if you have to stop for the next three weeks, you will have a better chance of being able to run your marathon than if you keep doing what you did today.  You're supposed to be tapering now anyhow.  If you aggravate it more, then you have the chance that you won't be able to run your race.

Also, you might want to go and see Brian Dunham of Quinte Athletic Therapy.  He did ultrasound stuff on my calf when I pulled a muscle in it (not in the same place as yours though).  He works out of Loyalist College - Sandy can probably tell you how to find him. 

Massage therapy too -- that helped me as well. 

I am sure other people can add more. 

What to do when you taper?  Do you mean if you can't run??  Bike, swim, aquafit, WALK!   But not with alot of intensity, I would think.

[Sandy]

Can I hire you Jane?

[The Moose]

Nah, not if I can't run.  It's if I can run that I'm curious about.  Last several tapers have been an unscientific mixture of sloth, Ruffles and Steamwhistle, with almost no running mixed in.  I really looked forward to it, but find that this may not be the most productive approach.

I've done don't run.  Found it doesn't work well for me.  I know Brian, he's my post-marathon saviour, just looking to save him as a last resort.

So, I'll take a few days, try it, then go from there for the "no running" thing.  I realize I'm not as young and resiliant as I once was, but I'm twice as stubborn....

Now, assuming I will be able to run in a few days (or a week or more), anything besides "don't run"?

Mike

[Jane]

   Sandy, I think maybe you were being channeled through me.  I guess I have been around you long enough to know what you would say. 

We usually do a bit of a lesser version of our normal program, I believe.  For instance, our last weekend run today was an hour, last weekend an hour and a half and the one before (last long run) was two hours.  So still run but decrease.  Not run so intensely (we forgot that yesterday on our 5K race, but at least it was only 5K).

Another way of tapering is to head to the mall.  But this works better for women than most men, for some reason.  Call your credit card companies and tell them that there may be some extraordinary charging going on.   

[Janet]

I guess a silly question would be if your are stretching the right part of your calf?  I find my soleus is a little harder to stretch, and love my massage roller to roll out all parts of my lower leg.  I think I'd be going to see Brian now instead of later after more damage has been done.  He'll at be able to help you stretch it, and let you know if you're better off resting it, or running on it.  Just my two cents worth for you to do what you like with it.

Janet

[Paul]

 I agree with Janet don't wait, nothing worse than taking a week off only to find that pain in the ass getting worse. I tend to get moody the longer I can't hit the road.
Sandy that pain seems to be getting better.
Now I'm the only pain in the ass around here.

                                                           Paul

[Sandy]

Good to hear Paul.

Why take care of something now that you could put off until later!     If you get treatment ASAP then you can continue on with your non-taper taper or is it your non-running taper, which ever you choose.

All kidding aside.  When it comes to the calf area you should have it tended to ASAP.  Achilles tendon ruptures are the most serious of possibilities and I can bet that surgery and a cast will slow your marathon time considerably.  At this point it may be nothing more then a tight muscle and a good massage will work it out, don't leave it to become more.

[The Moose]

Allright, Allright.  I'll get it looked at.

Thanks for caring so much.

Mike

[The Moose]

Oh, and thanks for believing that surgery and a cast could make my marathon times any worse...Maybe my 10k time, but they might help my marathon time

[ironman]

Moose
If you can Run 20 miles on a hurt leg.  You can for sure improve your marathon in Ottawa.  I wont push you any hard this week........lol

[Sandy]

How is the calf Mike?  Do tell.......

[The Moose]

Was good (no pain at all, zero) as of Saturday, rested Sunday as well (I can't tell you how hard it was to be a spectator at the race) and Monday.  Ran 8 miles medium hard Tuesday, now my other calf hurts (not nearly as bad).  I guess I'll take today off, besides, it's raining out. 

Mike

P.S.  I haven't given up on beating you again Damon....not soon, but eventually.