Gutted - day1 of wk 2 - calf strain

[Lynda-King]

Ive been healthy eating to shed a few pounds and decided I would try the C25K to help me along the way . Started last week - I decided on early morning to avoid bumping into people I know ... that didn’t work .. saw every man and his dog (literally ) Anyway after I got over that , I’ve really enjoyed my runs /walks and managed week one quite well considering my fitness level - Today I started week 2 and was doing fine until my final run when suddenly my calf muscle just went and I had to pull up and couldn’t put weight on it .Has anyone else had this problem? Is this common ? Does anyone know how to avoid it - or anything I can do to prevent it happening next time. maybe wearing a support bandage ?

[sarah65]

Stretching before and after has helped me. There’s a link on here somewhere which I’m sure someone more technical than me will post!

[Lynda-King in reply to sarah65]

Thanks Sarah .I had been using my 5 minute walk as a warm up / stretch. Obviously not good enough . Ill rest it for a while then try again .

[sarah65 in reply to Lynda-King]

I had problems with the first few runs and ended up repeating week 1, mainly due to not managing my asthma properly but I was also feeling a lot of strain on my legs and started doing the stretches as advised on here. Will also be going for a gait analysis after next pay day as I know I have a dodgy right foot (technical term!) I’m on week 3 now and my legs feel much stronger already. Good Luck! X

[RuthL Graduate]

Oh no, what a shame. I’m afraid it sounds as if you will need to rest that for some time. Once it starts to feel more comfortable, worth doing some stretching exercises for a few days before trying to restart the running program.

[Lynda-King in reply to RuthL]

Thanks Ruth. Yes , big mistake not stretching. Will definitely be doing a stretch routine when I start again.

[RuthL Graduate in reply to Lynda-King]

Remember there are two types of stretches. Ones you do while staying still and holding stretch positions (static) and ones you do while moving (dynamic). In general, you should dynamic stretches just before a run, and passive stretches after a run. In the program, the warm up walk is a substitute for dynamic stretches, but you may need to do more than this to get your calf moving properly again.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

That's tough, but I am sure can be overcome.

if you read the guide to the plan there is lots of general advice about running and some links in respect of injury healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Having sustained an injury, do take care once you start back. Slow down and don't overstride.

You will soon be back up to speed.

[Lynda-King in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated

[misswobble Graduate]

Yup! You don't know if it's a strain or a tear at first but time will tell. I was running just fine and it just came on me like a hot rod up my calf and i had to stop. A week's rest and it was no better. I had to rest it a full three weeks. Yours might be less time. Just take care. I iced mine! Ice is brilliant Get your ice box crammed with ice. Use old marge tubs, or whatever holds water. You play the ice block over your calf til it melts. keep it moving constantly as you don't want ice burn. You can elevate it but not straight out, keep a downward bend in the leg. I dug out my husband's TENS machine too and I think that helped mine.

Good luck!

[Lynda-King in reply to misswobble]

Thanks for your tips. I'm hoping it's just a strain as it is quite a bit better today. I'll keep up with the ice though as that has really helped.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Lynda-King]

To avoid the ice burn it is best to apply ice through fabric.

Frozen peas are excellent because you can wrap them round the affected part.