Pulled (torn?) muscle

[Melayahm]

I'm on week 7. I've been feeling chuffed with myself, but keeping it secret from my family until it's a fait accomplis and I can run 5k comfortably. But yesterday, despite doing the usual warm up, I pulled my calf muscle, in like 3 steps of running, ow, Ow, OW! and could barely walk back. I iced it several times during the day, and after a night's sleep it feels a bit tender but better. I'm guessing I should keep it mobile but not stressed until it feels normal? Thinking I'll try a longish walk instead of the run today, but I'm hoping I don't slip backwards too far, which I've found at my age is extremely easy and quick to do. Any thoughts on what I did wrong, or how to rehabilitate fastest?

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Keep icing, resting and maybe Ibuprofen. Don't run until it feels better and then do a gentle first run to test how it feels.

Have you got proper running shoes? Do you stretch after each run? If you are doing these things then it's just one of those things that can happen when we run. Perhaps the ground was a bit uneven and your foot landed awkwardly. You might invest in a foam roller too to get rid of any knots in your calves. This really helped mine and I don't have any problems now.

[Melayahm in reply to Irishprincess]

I did buy some running shoes, not massively expensive ones yet, but they're light. I didn't even get to the stretching after the run, I only ran 3 steps! The only thing I can think of that I did differently was, massaging my calf muscles before I even started out, other than that, it was all the same as it's been the last 6 weeks. Walking is still uncomfortable today, limping along. I can't believe how much it hurts from so little 'work'.

[helingmic in reply to Melayahm]

I sometimes used green clay as a poultice. it's a bit messy because you make a mud of it, but it's divine in its effect. The English name for this is Fuller's earth. How to use: put some in a glass bowl, mix it with cold water and let it get muddy. Apply to the hurt or knotted muscle and put a flannel and wrap in a towel. It dries up and "pull " the inflamation out. You would need 2 or 3 application of this. Google for green clay. One kilo of it should serve you for a long time.

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Ps well done on getting to week 7!

[Melayahm in reply to Irishprincess]

Thank you! Like so many folks, I would never have believed 6 weeks ago that I'd be 'running' (slow job) for 25 minutes non stop

[misswobble Graduate]

You've not torn anything by the sounds of it. You have to warm up really well, maybe even 10 minutes rather than five! I don't start running til I feel very warm. I do arm crosses, skaters, jump rope (without the rope) and jumping jacks etc to really get warmed up before my five minute brisk walk. If you're properly warmed up you have less chance of tweaking something

Rest and Ibufren are really good and I think you should be good to go in time for your next run. Walking, as soon as you can, is really good. Daft as it sounds, walking backwards is quite a gentle way of stretching your calf out

Chin up Mela. You'll soon be back out there x

[AncientMum Graduate]

MissW talks such sense. I can't add anything to her post except my best wishes. Hope you're feeling A1 again very soon.

[Melayahm]

Well, this morning, I thought I'd get back to running, did long warm up, then started with little, short, gentle jogs. The calf gradually wound up from quiet grumbling to loud complaining, so I stuck to a brisk, just over 3 mile walk, some uphill and left it at that for now. I figure that if I try and push it, I'll just set myself back even further. At least I wasn't limping along by the end, and the muscle was just grumbling quietly again by the end. More icing, and some heat, I'm thinking.

[Melayahm]

Well, I'm pissed off right now. I just tried a few steps jogging down the road after work, so I've been standing and walking around all day, and my calf seemed fine. But as soon as I started jogging, it started yelling at me loudly. I don't think I could do week 1 right now. If I have to wait till it stops hurting completely, I know from experience, I will probably be all the way back To week 1, and that's just too depressing.

[Melayahm]

Yay, did first week run today! Took it very gently, I could feel the calf (actually, its very low down, almost the Achilles tendon but not quite, ) grumbling a little, but by the end it was not much more than a normal worked muscle ache. So, will rest again and then try week 2 day after. And I couldn't believe how much I wanted to get out and run again, this is unheard of!

[Melayahm]

Well, that was too hopeful. Did week 2 run and half way through my calf was screaming at me again and I walk/limped home. Might have to rethink this a bit

[Melayahm]

Yay! Did 2 week 2 runs back to back today, with no pains apart from sit bones, which I've had for years (Dr said it's sciatica, but I've seen people with sciatica and they can hardly walk, let alone walk 8 miles a day every work day) Will do another week 2 on Saturday before work

[Melayahm]

Week 3 run today. Not bad considering I'd been Christmas shopping for about 5 hours before hand, so well warmed up but tired too. Next one on Thursday

[Haircultureend]

Couldn’t get dates up,how long has it taken you to recover your injury,mines been 10 days and iv only ran once about 4 days ago,whilst running it seemed fine but really hurt afterwards,not sure what to do next,it’s really put me off,so disappointed