My calf muscles have twinged and seized up again. So I’m back on the injury couch.
This seems to happen to me at least once a year! I do enough stretches, and running or rowing has never triggered this.
But walking for longer periods is a trigger, then keeping me from running and rowing.
Real bummer!
So it’s upper body workout only, for a while.
😩😭
Will have to explore some exciting, upper body workouts
UPDATE: My IC and recovery journey is posted at healthunlocked.com/strength...
oh no! How frustrating! I hope your visit to the IC won’t last long 🤞💐
Oh no not again. So sorry to hear that. You’ve been here before and you can do it 🤗
... and there are plenty! Calf muscles are trick beasts and sometimes just seem to twinge for no reason! Maybe a tiny tear?
Foam rolling and some calf raises ?
Oh, no! So sorry to read this, CBDB ! Wishing you a quick recovery!!!
Liz from Pilates for Runners says that often our calves need more strengthening than stretching (or at least as much), so maybe check into that?
Yeah, I’m on to this. Already preparing a post to hold me to account and share my experience. You are so right!
(Of course, what is a conundrum is that I thought I’d had strengthened calves with all the rowing I’m doing … but I think I need to look again into the differences between soleus and gastrocnemius calf muscles. I think my conundrum lies somewhere in understanding these two different muscles. )
Yes, it could totally be that running and rowing uses different calf muscles... There are three free videos at Pilates for Runners if you want to check them out: pilatesforrunners.co.uk/cat...
Almost missed this. Thank you!
Really sorry to hear this! Sending you masses of sympathy and wishing you a full and fast recovery ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
Thank you. Life of a runner, eh?
You are so right about that!
So sorry to hear you're back on the injury couch. It's so frustrating. I hope you can find some good upper body exercises to keep you going. I had dreadful cramp in my calf muscle on holiday which was really tight when I walked (OK when running though). I had a leg massage which seemed to cure it and so far have been pain-free again. Maybe a massage might help you?
This injury couch is getting pretty full! 
I'm wondering if this is happening the same way people get cramp. Maybe taking on board a more water or a little salt in your diet would help? Particularly before or after a long walk. I hope you feel well rested and ready to go again soon.
Thank you. Salts …. I’ll have a think about that. Water … I’m ok. Drink a lot of water and fruit/herbal teas but I’ve been thinking that I drink so much that it might be possible that I’m depleting myself of salts. Huh. Will think about this.
Is there a seat left on the injury couch for me?
@CBDB I hope you get better soon! I feel for you, especially as I'm in the exact same position. I think it's a combination of IT band syndrome and quadriceps tendonitis but my knees have put a stop to my running streak (made it to week 5 of the NRC 10k plan, running 5x week).
I've been moping all week but you just gave me some hope... I could just to upper body exercises D'uh.
If you have any recommendations, I'd be delighted to read them
Oh dear. I wish I could keep you from my couch, but it sounds like you need it as much as me. You are very welcome here and we can keep each other couch company!
Yes, the positive of being on the couch - for me at least - is that it often makes me attend to different ways of strengthening, walking or even training back up to 5k. After (and because of) my last IC stint I fell in love with jeffing.
I am preparing a post to keep me going, so maybe it will help others as well. It will be on the S&F forum, so make sure you’re subscribed.
Just a quick note that I dropped a post over at S&F talking about my IC journey. Just in case this is of interest
healthunlocked.com/strength...
That’s great, thank you. I’ll have a look. Gonna keep me entertained while doctors are figuring out what I have done to my meniscus 😭
Hope you can figure out what’s been happening. It’s always a bit of detective work, isn’t it?
I fear I didn’t mention much upper body work, but we do have a folder which has plenty of targeted exercises, including upper body work: healthunlocked.com/strength...
Sending you over some good vibes, even if we’re on the injury couch!
I'm sure they will as I went through 6 hours of testing and probing plus an MRI on Monday. So will just have to wait and see what the results are andthen take it from there. Thank you so much for your comfort; I hope you are on the mend! Take care of yourself and thank you for the link. It's a great starting point.
Sorry to hear this, what a flipping nuisance! Hope you find a way to sort it out, pre-existing injuries do seem to be the gift that keeps on giving 🙄
So sorry! I lost a few weeks to my most recent injury, so I know just how frustrating this is. Hope you recover soon!
What a drag. Are you doing the 12 week push-up plan? It's something... And I'm sure you have lots of ideas for how else to keep busy!
Oh! Now that’s an idea! 💡 But I hate push ups! But maybe now is the time? Hmmmm …. Not sure…
As you can read, I’m humming and hawing. So watch this space. But whatever I will do, it will happen on S&F.
So sorry to hear that, heal quickly and enjoy your upper body exercises
Thank you. Will do.
Make room on the couch for me too. Calf strain and soreness and swelling , just above my ankle bone on the inside. Have been advised to do essentric exercises to strengthen once the soreness goes away. Must join a S&C class , I really miss my little runs.
Sorry for late reply. And sorry that you have also been relegated to the injury couch. It is quite annoying, isn’t it.
But there is also the opportunity to plan ahead and get even stronger.
I’ve just dropped a post about my own readings and recovery journey, so just in case this is of interest: healthunlocked.com/strength...
Hi CBDB, I haven't been posting, but I've come off the couch over the last couple of months.
Have you been in touch with a physiotherapist?
I've been having recurring calf problems over the last year and about three months ago I decided to ask for a physiotherapist referral from my GP. I was pleasantly surprised to get a phone call within a week. He went through a few tests with me to check that it wasn't an acute injury and then told me that my calves are feeling the strain because they are weak. He prescribed one legged standing calf raises-to make sure I was working against a good load (i.e. going up onto tip toes), some with straight legs and some with bent knees, progressing to holding weights.
He told me to carry on with any activity that didn't aggravate them.
Interestingly he didn't ask about or mention stretching, massage or shoes.
He said that in order for me to run over 5k without getting calf problems I should be able to perform 30 unweighted calf raises without pain or fatigue.
I haven't quite reached that yet, but it seems to be working. I'm doing fairly regular 4kish runs with no issues.
I hope your spell on the couch is not prolonged. Maybe now is the time to get some advice, I had been assuming it would be a long wait or a big expense. But turns out it was neither. Good luck!
That is such great advice! Thanks so much for sharing. Am still thinking of how to approach it and do have the option of going to our university sports physio office for a reasonable cost. So this is an option.
Also so good to hear that you feel your calves are stronger.
I’m not yet at the stage of full calf raises yet, but getting there. My journey I posted in S&F at healthunlocked.com/strength...
It’s going well, I feel. And I’ve started with some strengthening this weekend.
Should I be on the injury couch?
Cautiously off the Injury Couch!
Almost off the injury couch...
Gentle run to test recovery from calf strain
