Length in your quads needed, do not stretch your calf
- Related Injuries: Back
January 12, 2014
David asked The Guru for the following Physiotherapy Advice:
Hi Guru
Well your advice certainly did the trick and the problem is only a fraction of what it was.
However, I now have another injury. 2 weeks ago I ran a half marathon and could feel my calf slightly tight so I didn’t push it too hard. After the race it didn’t feel too bad but the next day was very sore and after 4 days walking on it was fine but still sore to run. I left it a week and had a gentle 5 mile jog on Friday, all felt fine until the last mile when I could feel it tightening up again. Since then I’ve had only slight pain to walk but I’m not risking trying to run. I can pinpoint the pain to about 20cm up from the base of my heel, towards the base of the calf but above the Achilles tendon. I’ve had a tear before I’m the other calf which made walking painful for a week and running impossible for 3 weeks, and its not like that.
I am running the London marathon in 3 weeks. I plan not to run during that time. I do plan to keep fitness up by crosstraining, cycling etc.
Is there anything I should do? Will I be able to run the marathon?
Any advice would be so appreciated. I’m feeling desperate.
Thank you so much.
David
David
January 12, 2014
Hi David
Don’t panic!
Do nothing for the next 3 weeks but keep you fitness up. After the VLM (or even before if poss) do get your running stylee looked at, you got a very obvious flaw somewhere….
The problem is that your symptoms chasing and not cause changing, and eventually you run out of compensatory strategies and break down somewhere else….
Still think you need to have more movement in your thoracic spine, more glut control to limit and control the amount of internal hip rotation, which I’m sure is somewhere near the isse of your calf over straining.
I’d be loathed to say stretch your calf, but may be handy get get more length in your quads BUT keep you back neutral and not over do it….
