Novice runner, first post, and first "injury," HELP! (Read 73 times)

Hello, this is my first post, I've combed the internet from one side to the other to formulate the best plan to get better, and decided to go directly to the source and get advice from people who do this as often as I do.

I've only been running "seriously" and "competitively" (both in quotes because I'm no pro, but I take it very seriously) for about 5 months.  I've spent this past year getting better and better at running with each race I run.  My first competitive 5k was in July and I finished in 29 minutes, and I just did a 5 mile turkey trot where I finished in 39:40 (7:56 average), so I've gotten much better through the last few months.

So there is a little background into what I've been doing since I began, here is my problem.  Saturday I was running my usual 5k loop around my house.  I was about 2.1 miles in, and hit a downhill portion I run all the time.  I took a step and felt a little twinge of pain in my right calf, but being the meathead that I am, I decided to keep going.  About 4 or 5 steps later and I couldn't bear any weight on my right leg at all.  It was so bad that I had to just stop, sit there, and wait on my g/f to come pick me up.

I got home and immediately did some research on what could've happened.  I deduced from reading that it was a pretty legit grade 2 calf strain.  I didn't think it could be grade 3 because after a little while I was able to put a little bit of weight on it, there was no bruising, and the swelling was pretty minimal.  I spent the rest of the day with my leg propped up, icing about 20 minutes every hour, and taking motrin every so often.

Woke up on Sunday and it actually felt a decent bit improved.  I still had trouble putting full weight on it, and the stairs were no fun, but I could feel it get a little stronger.  I spent Sunday about the same as Saturday.  My leg was propped up, icing it, etc.  I woke up yesterday and again felt some improvement.  I decided to wear a pair of running shoes to work because they offered much better support than my normal work shoes.  I also bought a pair of compression socks.  I put one on about halfway through the day and noticed some pretty significant improvement in my ability to walk normally (though improved I had been hobbled most of the day), and it felt pretty good overall.  I went to the gym and just did my normal shoulder routine, and skipped cardio.

Today I woke up and again felt some improvement.  Walking normally with no compression, biggest complaint is tightness, mostly in my lower calf, closer to my Achilles, and I can't seem to find a good way to stretch, just that portion, of my calf.  I feel like if I could get a good stretch down there it would feel a lot better.  So any advice on that would be awesome.

My concern at this point is a. does it sound like I'm making the right choices in the process of healing, and b. what are some tips you more experienced runners may have to help prevent this from happening in the future?

I typically run about 10-14 miles a week depending on what all I have going on.  I usually race once every two weeks.  This past week I did the 5 mile trot, and then was in the process of a 5k at home on Saturday when I sustained the injury.  I was wearing NIKE Free RN Distance shoes, which are fairly new.  I have 3 pairs of running shoes that I cycle through fairly regularly to keep the miles from adding up on them.

This year I've lost about 77lbs, so I don't know if rapid weight loss is a factor?  Nutrition wise I'm getting about 22-2500 calories of good food, I don't eat garbage hardly at all, except for about one meal a week.  I'm not sure what other information an experienced runner might need to give me some good feedback...

Anyway, that's me, my intro to the forum, sorry it's such a long read, but I'm kind of freaked out because this is the first time my body has betrayed me to the point that I haven't been able to run.  I haven't ran a foot since Saturday, but I'm hoping to be healed up by this Saturday for a 5k I've signed up to run.

Thanks!

I have gone through probably 1/2 dozen of these calf strains over past several years including about 8 weeks ago in a 5K race. It sounds like a grade 1 strain for you. All of mine have been grade one and most I have been back running within 10 days. 2 of them I came back a bit soon and had minor set backs but stopped running when I felt it tightening up. In those cases, I realized I needed another week. If a mild strain, you can get back to running in 7-10 days. My rule of thumb is that you should be able to walk with no discomfort for at least 3 days and be able to do 10 reps of a 1 leg calf raise with no discomfort. Then take a week of jogging to get back in the flow. DO NOT RACE SATURDAY!

More than likely your muscles were tired from your Turkey Trot race and Saturday you loaded them too much. Be sure to mix in slower runs with faster runs. Also, you are a very low mileage runner. Running more often and more miles makes you more resistant to injuries in races or hard work outs. Your first few runs back be sure to warm up your calf muscles, in a whirlpool or walk 1/2 mile before running. Don't overstretch when muscle is sore but you can go through range of motion stuff and mild stretching when they are warmed up. When healed up, it is wise to regularly stretch your calves and do some strength work preferably standing calf work. Good luck. Be smart.