It's been another very strange running week. On New Year's Eve, I did a long run to the downs - all was going fine until somewhere between the 9 and 10 mile point where the calf really started to complain. There was a strange dissolving feeling that spread around the muscle, almost to the point the whole thing felt a bit numb and foreign. It felt like I was in control of the left leg, but the right leg was a slightly numb block that I was dragging around. This was pretty concerning as I was on the downs and still around 4 miles from home. I slowed the pace a bit, stopped regularly to stretch out the leg, and got myself home after 14 miles. A lot of after care, stretching, etc., and I woke up the next day feeling okay but a little spooked.
Strangely, the following two runs were some of the best I have had in terms of the calf. On the first run, I got the odd shooting twinges up the leg, a bit like when you hit your funny bone, and particularly on the uphills. This seems to add evidence to Physio John's suggestion that it is a nerve issue not the muscle. Other than that, I didn't get the usual tightness in the calf and was allowed a fairly free run of 9.5 miles at around 7:45 miling.
This afternoon I had another run largely free of calf problems, which was incredibly liberating! It meant that after a few miles without trouble I could relax into the running more, and without pushing things too hard managed 10.5 miles at 7:30-minute miling, probably my best tempo mid-distance run since the injury. This put me at 34 miles for the week, which is the most I've ever run in one week.
There is still obviously an element of unpredictability about when the leg will cause me a problem, but there is an indication of improvement and long may it continue...the running is so much more joyous without the constant monitoring.
Strangely, the following two runs were some of the best I have had in terms of the calf. On the first run, I got the odd shooting twinges up the leg, a bit like when you hit your funny bone, and particularly on the uphills. This seems to add evidence to Physio John's suggestion that it is a nerve issue not the muscle. Other than that, I didn't get the usual tightness in the calf and was allowed a fairly free run of 9.5 miles at around 7:45 miling.
This afternoon I had another run largely free of calf problems, which was incredibly liberating! It meant that after a few miles without trouble I could relax into the running more, and without pushing things too hard managed 10.5 miles at 7:30-minute miling, probably my best tempo mid-distance run since the injury. This put me at 34 miles for the week, which is the most I've ever run in one week.
There is still obviously an element of unpredictability about when the leg will cause me a problem, but there is an indication of improvement and long may it continue...the running is so much more joyous without the constant monitoring.
No comments:
Post a Comment