Please stop if you feel pain! Learn from me!

A word of warning to new runners. Please IGNORE LAURA and stop if you feel pain in your legs when running. I hurt my right leg in week five run one three weeks ago and have been on the injury couch since. It's got worse and is now painful all the time and I can only walk for a few minutes before it's too much. GP thinks a its a torn calf muscle and thinks it's a 2- 3 month further recovery time. I have now booked expensive private physio and had to cancel arranged social activities , dog walks etc etc  

I should have stopped when it started to ache instead of listening to Laura telling me I could do it.  If I ever go back to the programme I certainly will ignore her ! 

This is painful frustrating and expensive!  

I'm sticking to cake not running!! 

[Returning2Run Graduate]

I really don't know what to say except I'm sorry to hear your news, it sounds bloody painful! I hope your dog(s) are keeping you company. Sending you some virtual hugs and homemade shortbread from scotland!

[Hidden in reply to Returning2Run]

Only borrowed dogs sadly - I help a neighbour out with dog walking.  Thank you for the supportive message and hug ( and virtual shortbread !) 

I'm in Scotland too !  It's raining and freezing today ( was frosty first thing) so maybe it won't be too bad not getting out for a while. 

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

Sorry to hear about your injury.  I agree that any pain while running needs to be taken seriously.  However, while doing C25K and now while running longer distances, I do have some aches - sometimes it is like a burning in the calf muscle but it soon passes and I try flexing the muscle to help it.  I also see how my legs are in recovery.  After doing some runs, my legs do ache but by the time I can run again, I am fine.  I have introduced strength and flex exercises every day and find since doing this, my legs are much stronger.  I also run on soft ground on my weekly long run so I reduce impact but still work my legs pretty hard.  Sorry you feel you will turn to cake but if you change your mind, you could continue with walking, swimming, cycling.  I still find running is safe if you are careful and aware of how your own body is reacting and I feel sad that you are not able to complete the programme but all the best

[Rignold]

As is often said on here, the important thing when running or exercising in any form is to distinguish between the inevitable aches and soreness of muscles and joints doing more than they are used to, and the sharp acute pain that signals injury. It can be a difficult thing to gauge sometimes, and especially when you are starting out and things ache a lot and you don't have a point of reference.

[poppypug Graduate in reply to Rignold]

^This ^

Sorry to hear of your injury Hilary.

Heres wishing you a speedy recovery xxx

[skysue16 Graduate]

So sorry to hear about your injury.......you poor thing, so annoying and frustrating, especially taking so long to improve. Hopefully once it does heal you will be able to get back to gentle exercise that you find enjoyable - maybe walking, swimming or cycling. Wishing you all the best. 

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

Oh, Hilary, really sorry to hear this - it did sound a bit of a worry when you posted before and as I said then, I badly tore a calf muscle last year so I know what you are going through. I had got to week 8 with no problems but managed to tear it charging around a playground at the school where I worked!! It took the best part of 10/11 weeks before I could start to run again, and I had to go right back to some of the early runs. HOWEVER...I was patient (albeit devastated and very frustrated) and saw a good physio who helped with my rehab and since returning to running (touch wood) it has not really given me any more problems (aside from the usual aches we runners get!). I guess it was an early lesson that injury is part of the journey, but I do think I now listen to my body more in order to distinguish a niggle from an injury - it can be hard at times. I'm probably a bit over cautious at times (pulled out of a planned run this weekend when I found out it was much hillier than I thought😮) but have also worked hard on strengthening my legs on my local trails during the winter. 

Glad you saw your GP - might be worth asking for a scan too though, if it's still getting worse? That was not my experience - lots of rest, elevation and icing for a few days but then I was able to slowly start doing more. After a week I managed a slow  limp around the block and a week later managed a ridiculously slow hobbly old walk into the village! Progress then continued but it did take time. Btw I am now doing 10-11k runs so don't think that running isn't for you! There is light at the end of the tunnel🙂 Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

That's so encouraging!!  Thanks for sharing. Hopefully I will be back on couple of months! 

[Sandraj39 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Let us know how things go🙂

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

Will do. Physio today

[stecal Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Sorry to hear this how did the physio go?