Ow - the gremlins are upping the ante - advice reqd please!

[SueKen]

It's been a funny 10 days. It started with a paced run with my new running group. I was pleased to manage the full 5k at 7m/k, and even more so because there was a moderate hill involved. However, I think I may have strained my Achilles in both legs.

Tuesday was a very slow but steady 30 min run with C25k graduates, calves/Achilles felt stiff but nothing terrible.

Thurs I was away and did my seaside run. 4K, but ended up walking part of it, but mainly in my head rather than my legs.

Parkrun this morning, I had to walk part of it as got cramp in both calves, which spread up one leg into my hip.

I'm really hoping this won't mean a trip to the injury couch🙁

However, advice needed please! I have my first 5k race on Weds, was planning a gentle run on Monday, but would I be better to just rest until the race?

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Sounds very painful indeed...You have had a very strenuous week running wise.

Gosh...! It is really difficult to advise..How easy/difficult did you find the paced run.. how sore were your legs after...? How slow was your 30 minute run with the graduates? Were you comfortable with the pace on all the runs..?

Did you warm up well, stretch and exercise before and after all your runs...aches and pain we expect, pain we do not.. and we should never run through pain... were you in pain?

If it were me, and I always would err on the side of caution, I would rest up, do some gentle stretching exercise, rolling, those calf muscles really well too, if possible .. and if in any doubt do not run until you feel fully recovered.

[SueKen Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Oldfloss. I suspect I haven't been stretching quite enough post running. I havent tried anything massively taxing but it has been a pretty constant schedule since I graduated ~6 weeks ago.

Think I will try getting to grips with my roller, it's been mainly gathering dust since I bought it😊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to SueKen]

Do... I think you have gone at things with a vengeance... The roller will help.. exquisite torture... Just take care of you... the runs will still be there x

[Hidden in reply to Oldfloss]

I think Oldfloss is spot on, sounds like you've done an awful lot of late. Rest and recuperate oh and good luck for that race

[SueKen Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks😊

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Stretching can and does make all the difference, especially when something is tightening up. I hold post run stretches for 30 seconds and they should be intense enough to be slightly uncomfortable.

What stretches are you doing?

Heel drops are good for Achilles tightness.

[SueKen Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Hi Tim, thanks for the advice. I've been doing a collection of stretches after each run, but may be need to be holding them a bit longer now I am running further and longer. I've also been doing the heel drops this week, think I'll need to be consistent several times a day until I get better.