Carol's post calf-strain comeback!
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Hey Coach Rich! I am happy to report that after 6 weeks of no running and PT due to a calf strain, I was able to start again and gradually pick up the pieces. I've hit every single bike workout and have been swimming a couple of times a week. Just took a week off to take my Mom on a little vacation to Florida and got a run in down there. Very different running in 87 degrees after the NJ winter we've had! Anyway, I started a few weeks ago with a 2 mile run and have been gradually increasing the distance. Today was 8 miles with a couple of "fast" mile repeats thrown in just to see how everything felt. So far, so good:-) I am at the tail end of the JOS and am avoiding doing anything really fast (e.g., Z5) running. I believe my injury was from doing fast repeats on the treadmill. Hopefully I can NOT be back on that thing any time soon! I'm just not sure where to pick up with the running schedule. I need to increase the volume (only running a couple of days a week now). I truly think my calf is just fine, but I don't want to take any chances either. I have an Olympic tri coming up in mid-May, then Mont Tremblant 70.3 in June. (IMMT full in August). I'm actually signed up for a half marathon next Sunday which I probably could run if I went pretty easy. Or I could just cut it short around mile 10. Let me know what you think! THANKS
Comments
Hey Carol,
Congrats! Certainly sounds like you're in a much better running place. I'd say that an 8 mile run with interval thrown in is 100% back to normal, if maybe not in line with where you're "supposed to be" in the training plan?
There really is no hard and fast rule, frankly. I see to be always struggling with some flavor of running injury and my method is to use my training plan as a suggestion only. I always listen to my body and make adjustments to the run that day per how I feel that day and what I have coming up on the training schedule next. My 100% goal is to remain healthy and works best, for me, is to get volume and build running fitness through frequent running vs having volume goals. For me, it's usually better to run 5x/wk, at whatever volume and intensity feels right for me, than to run 3-4x/wk and have strict volume and intensity goals for those runs.
Makes perfect sense to me...
So that is what I'll do:-)