W6 - Second Injury :(

[BarryR]

As a person in my late 50s and never having done any jogging before, I was really pleased with my progress. Especially Week 5 Run 3 when I ran for 20 minutes without a break. Really enjoying the process and focused on my goal of running 5k.

Two weeks ago, near the end of run 2, of week 6, I felt my right calf suddenly get painful. It was nagging me on the 5 minute walk home as well.

I had picked up my first running "injury". This made my life pretty uncomfortable for a few days but, a week after it happened, it was getting better rapidly.

So, this morning, my right calf finally feeling back to normal, I embarked on Week 6 again starting with run 1 again (with plenty of hydration and some light stretching before setting out).

All through the first 5 minute run I was nervously monitoring what my right calf felt like. I was so glad that there was no pain or tightness. It seemed I was back in the saddle...

That is until moments before the 5 minutes were up (literally seconds). My right calf was still fine but I felt my left calf go - in a remarkably similar way.

I stopped the run and walked (limped) back home.

To say this is depressing is an understatement.

I am a very driven, goal oriented person so, I imagine I will wait another 2 weeks and I will continue to get to my goal.

But after that? I think a 5k brisk walk once or twice a week will be more sensible.

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Hopefully you will get good advice here, my only contribution is maybe go back to week 5, take 2 rest days between runs and hope it will build up a bit more strength in your calves, head over to strength and flex there are some really good stretches there that over time make a difference

And of course when you get back out there go really slowly at least to start with

Good luck