‘Tip toeing’ off the IC and running with Renegades

[RacingintheStreet]

Today I ran

It was a slow and easy 4K but it was literally such a relief 😌 and felt like I’d come first in a marathon 🥇🥇

I strained my calf Jan 19th, had an unsuccessful 1.5K Jeffing attempt on Jan 27th and last ran on Feb 6th , a brilliant 2.5K , everything feeling right and no sign of my calf issue ( until 2.5K when the calf issue did return and I took the ‘Long walk Home’.)

At that point I decided to not ‘give it a week’ or ‘maybe10 days 🤷🏼‍♀️’ but to just write February off .

Which I did but the time had come to see if I could run.

So today dawned glorious and sunny , the wind had dropped and it was a perfect morning for a run .

I watched this ‘perfect morning for a run’ for a full 45 minutes before getting out of bed and getting the kit on .

I then spent another 15 minutes on some new ‘pre run’ stretching sessions by a very nice Orthopaedic Physical Therapist I’ve just discovered on You Tube ( where else 🤷🏼‍♀️😂). I like her and importantly find her easy on the ears 👂👂( and the body 🏃) .

I had been saving a podcast that I really wanted to listen to until I could do this run . ‘Renegades’, Obama and Springsteen in conversation

I would totally stop if I felt the calf ‘going’, I set an alert for 1.5K, would turn, see how I was doing and was hopeful of making 2.5 or 3K.

I also set a pace alert to keep my pace steady and slow .

It was 8:15 by the time I actually got out and it was a great day, clear blue sky, calm and quiet. I headed in a straight line for my favourite, familiar and friendly road to the lighthouse.

I must admit the fear of failure was very real😔

I’ve been ‘Mrs Miserable’ about not being able to run, I confess 🤷🏼‍♀️, sort of in a huff almost 😂😂 I realise some people have had far worse injuries and spent longer than me recovering but I still felt quite down about it . Particularly as the weather is improving etc. I just wanted runs to look forward to .

You do learn that the cliche about ‘ you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone ‘ isn’t cliched at all .😔 .......but I have also been busy 👌

I’ve always been the ‘fixer’ in the family, the ‘ let’s talk solutions not problems’ type 🙄🙄 , much to my family’s irritation but often to their benefit ( I think that anyway 😂).

My calf strain, however, wasn’t something I could just snap my fingers and fix it seemed , and as patience is definitely not in my ‘toolkit’ the frown has been on 😣😣

I now realise I failed to give my calves a second thought all this time, focusing mainly on Glutes and hamstrings etc. ( sometimes on my ‘lost’ core but not nearly enough🤦‍♀️🤣)

So I have trawled the internet and done my research , subscribed to some new You Tube Channels, started some strength training and have really focused on stretching and strengthening my calves. Over the three weeks I’ve felt it was better, then maybe not , then I don’t actually know 😫 Was it sore or just tight or tired ? I was always ‘just aware of it’.

So today was the test, I had waited three weeks, time to give it a go and judge where I was with it .

( I also really wanted to listen to that podcast 😉🎧)

I tried really hard with my pace and kept it for the most part at 8.06 ( exceedingly steady according to Mr Garmin 🏃🏻‍♀️🤔) . I kept pulling back trying to get to nearer 8.30 as I was really trying to keep pressure off, but it remained around 8.06 🤨

Thankfully I seemed to just get into a flow , I felt a bit out of condition and definitely knew I’m way off my last goal of 8K in January but I was running and it was familiar and I was enjoying it .

I was totally invested in my podcast so although I felt/heard my 1.5 K alert and dutifully turned back, I was at 3.4K before I looked at my watch again .

I think because it had been so quiet and with little distraction , I only passed one runner, one cyclist, two dog walkers, although lots of golfers on the course. ( feeling glad they’d book their round for today ☀️☀️☀️)

I’ve been amazed this lockdown at the increase in ‘running traffic’, when I take the 🐕‍🦺🐕‍🦺 out anytime 9am onwards it’s far greater than in the previous lockdown when I started C25K.

I must get back to earlier mornings 🌅🌅

At the 3.4K mark things were still going well and I was enjoying the run, always waiting for a tell tale sign that the calf was fatigued though.

I continued down a street that I knew was around 700 metres and finished at 4.1K.

It was enough, my calf was fine but I wasn’t going to push it, the rest of my podcast I will save for another day 😂

I am so happy that I managed this run today and hopefully if I continue with current exercises and a gradual route back that come Spring I will be able to pick up the distance plan again (although I’m well off 8 K just now ).

Today tho’ I honestly don’t care about 8 or 10 only that I had a run .

I’ve said before that the post run coffee and hot shower are quite the best things in the world and they still are .☕️🛁 I’m quite giddy with the joy of it and have been playing 70’s tracks very loudly since my return 🎶🎸🎶🎷🎶🎸

I realise in the strange , rich tapestry of our lives just now my getting back to running needs a little perspective but having discovered it quite late and in a very strange time it appears to be quite important (to me).

I haven’t dropped by the forum as much recently but I’ve been catching up this morning

Well done to everyone who is making such stellar progress with your running goals 👌🎉🏃🏻‍♀️🥇🏆🎉

I think there’s quite few of you that have had to take a seat on the IC too so I empathise and wish you a speedy and successful return to your runs .

A big well done to those of you who’ve managed to get off the Injury Couch and post or have posted about making your way back , you’ve supplied the hope .🙂🥰

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

You’ve certainly been unlucky, but fingers crossed, things will continue to improve for you. It’s tough when you can’t run. I had a 3 week break, which started off with aches and pains but I had so much going on I just didn’t feel like running anyway. Back to it now, though. I’m taking it steady, too and paying particular attention to pre and post run exercises.

You seem to be doing all the right things! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

[RacingintheStreet Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks Jools 🙂 I was really quite frustrated , I had spent a lot of January avoiding running due to the icy conditions and then injured the calf anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️😔In hindsight I now know there’s more to’ cold weather running’ than just deciding what layers to wear 😂😂 I now have a better and longer pre run routine and do a few five minute ‘kitchen sink’ strength & stretch sessions throughout my day ( not always at the kitchen sink of course 😂😂 I’m not that fond of it )

So hopefully I’ll be able to prevent it becoming a recurring thing .

I have to say I cannot even imagine you ‘not feeling like running ‘ and I’m happy that you are ‘back in the saddle’ 👌🙂

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RacingintheStreet]

Thank you. It’s the first time it’s happened, but I’m over it now and ready to rock! 👍

Hopefully you’ll keep those calf problems at bay 🤞👍

[RacingintheStreet Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Excellent 😂🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Yay! So good to see you back running...what a fab day to start back too... 🏃🏻‍♀️ 🌞🌷🌱🌊

I’ve missed your lighthouse runs, emojis and 🎶😂

Slow and steady will get you back to full fitness, don’t forget to take more recovery/rest days too.

Looking forward to following your progress 🥰🐌🐢🏃🏻‍♀️

[RacingintheStreet Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Thanks Lottie, I did feel quite positive about the calf and also the run 👌🏃🏻‍♀️Clearly my body hasn’t forgotten what to do 😂

Haven’t enjoyed the IC at all but I’ve learnt that I’d rather just be able to run even short distances than not at all.

I have a few new strength& stretch routines that seem to have helped so hopefully I’ll prevent any recurrence.

The weather these last few days has been lovely and encouraged me to get out and test myself , glad I did too. It’s given my confidence a boost too just discovering it was on the mend 👌

I’ll definitely be keeping it gradual tho’

Delighted to see you are steadily heading to that 10 K 🥇

Brilliant progress you’ve made since starting the plan . Hope you get some sunshine for that run ☀️🏃🏻‍♀️👌

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to RacingintheStreet]

It’s true that slow and steady is the way to go...sometimes I wonder if I’m not pushing myself enough...but then I think that it’s NOT a race, and I’m out there enjoying myself. Also, so far, no IC time... 🤞🏼

Did my 2nd 9km on sunny Friday (yet to post 🙄)...and about to go out for my final 4km of the Plan!

[RacingintheStreet Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Fab- u- lous 🎉🎉 good luck 👍

This spot on the IC reminded me that I started this for fun 🙂and the best runs are actually just any you enjoy and feel great after 🎉

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to RacingintheStreet]

...oh so very true 🥰

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

You are doing the right thing in taking it steady Racinginthestreet. Calf strains are often the result of running too fast or too far before the legs are ready for it. Keep up those strengthening exercises on non run days and you’ll be fine I am sure. Don’t want you back on the IC.

[RacingintheStreet Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks 🙂 No, I’ve not been a happy resident on this couch at all 😂 I’ll be continuing to do everything I can so I don’t return to it .

It’s provided a good period to reflect though and I’ve certainly given more thought to what I need to do exercise wise to support my running going forward .

For now I’m just going to enjoy being able to run and let the calf dictate how far 🏃🏻‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🙂