In need of good cheer.

[earl-grey-sian]

Today was W4R3. My mood has been quite low this week, and dropping. No reason, it just does that every couple of months. Used to be much worse, but I take mood stabilizers (you didn't really need to know that, but I always say too much!) Anyway, I was in one of those moods where I wished I was superfit so that I could just run it out. Run and just keep going.

But, I'm not that fit, even 5 minutes today was much harder than it had been on Tuesday and I can't imagine that I'm ready to move up to 8 minutes on Saturday. To make things worse, I can feel a familiar pain in my right calf. When I first started this programme back in September, on my second outing I badly pulled a calf muscle. I kept resting it and trying again, only to injure it again. I eventually had to rest it for 6 weeks before trying again. For the last 4 weeks it has been fine, but today I felt it starting to 'go' again. It wasn't too bad when I was running, but since getting home the pain has been worse. If I have to rest it again and go back to the beginning, I'll be really p*ss*d off, and I don't know that I'd be motivated enough to start yet again.

[AnnieW55]

Sorry to hear you are feeling down Sian. Fear of a pulled muscle won't be helping. I hope the couple of days rest will be all that's needed to set it right. Is massaging it any good? You need to keep going as I enjoy your posts. Wishing you a speedy recovery on all fronts and an extremely good run next time out

[DeliaItaly Graduate]

Hi there earl-grey-sian! First of all, I suggest you take a couple of days off, rest and spoil yourself. Then, around Sunday, or even Monday, have a go at repeating today's run. I bet it'll be just fine! We're right tbehind you -- you can do it! xox delia

[Tiddlywink Graduate]

I know the feeling - by the end of Week 1 I had agonising shin splints and I had to rest for a fortnight. Even walking down stairs was horrendous and I was terrified that my old torn ligaments would come back to haunt me.

It was tough, but the rest did the trick and I only had to go back one run, rather than start all over again. I made sure I did stretching afterwards and I got myself a foam roller to really dig into my calves!

On the plus side, I also found that an enforced break made my motivation to get out again go through the roof! x

[vikicats Graduate]

Like Delia says rest for a few days, give yourself a treat or two, then have another go. Sometimes you just have to remember to be kind to yourself. I find I talk to myself in a way I wouldn't dream of speaking to others - so unkind and mean! Think we should all spend sometime telling ourselves how great we are. After all you've got to week 4 - what an achievement, injuries and all!!

Take care

Viki x

[earl-grey-sian Graduate]

Thank you all of you. I'll play it by ear. Maybe take an extra couple of days rest. I know my mood will pick back up, it always does, it's just crap waiting for that to happen. But my life didn't come with a guarantee of sanity!

[teeandtoast]

Hi earl-grey

First off, thanks for being honest about mood. Its not saying too much,we dont blink to talk about our legs and feet and backs and lungs and all sorts of other organs feel but shy away from the major organ of the brain I say this having had depression for many years, generally well controlled and as relevant to my health as my asthma is. Doesn't change who I am and what I can achieve!

Positive rant over - be gentle with yourself, take it easy with the runs. I'm fortunate to have had an injury free run (no pun intended! ) but the advice above seems sensible to me. Why not go for a walk instead of a run for a day or two?

Also, a close friend of mine is a physio and she suggested I do some water running or aerobics on my off days as this helps strength but in a gentle way - may be worth getting some professional advice on if that would be good for your calf

Lots of positive thoughts for you and you can do the runs, if not today or this week, but in time you will

[earl-grey-sian Graduate]

Thank you teeandtoast. My mood is a bit better today, on the way back up. For most of the time I'm quite irritatingly happy, but when my mood crashes it goes down in flames. It used to be like this from week to week. I then developed epilepsy (at age 24) rapidly followed by panic disorder. Thanks to meds I'm seizure free, panic free and my mood is mostly stable. I'm very open about my mental health problems as talking about these things is the only way we'll eradicate the stigma that surrounds all things psychiatric.

[vikicats Graduate]

Good on you earl-grey-sian! I agree we should all be more honest about these things - too many people shy away from getting the help they need because they worry about what people might think.