Sir-
I recently strained my right calf muscle (second time in 2 months). I think it was from not warming up and the shoe I was wearing (I got new shoes now for my long run).
I have been aqua jogging and cross training to maintain my cardio. I was in the middle of a half marathon training program when the injury occurred.
After my right calf heals and has no pain, can I jump right back into my run schedule and stick to my run plan? Worried about the long runs on the weekends, they will be up to 9 if I jump back.
Your advice it appreciated,
John
Dear John,
I may have missed your race deadline, but your questions are important. How to return safely to running after an injury to the leg is an essential consideration in your training protocol. For most of us, the old adage, “if it hurts, don’t do it” has stood the test of time. From your description, your injury seems to be a muscle strain likely due to inadequate muscle warm up and muscle strength rather than lack of static stretching or new shoes. Adding a strength program and adopting a dynamic warm-up routine may reduce your injury time over your years of running. A strategy that many runners use for “new” shoes is to buy the new pair as you transition to your training shoes; then do a short run each week in the new shoes to judge the effectiveness of your training shoe while you break in your new shoes.
While you recover, maintaining your fitness with water and cross training activities, as you are doing, is key to transitioning quickly back to running. The more closely you simulate running, the better for your return to roads and trails. “Running” in deep water with a life jacket for buoyancy is probably as sport specific as you can get without purchasing some very expensive equipment.
When you are healed and pain free, you can return to running on the road. I think it is best to reduce your volume and intensity as your first make the return. Although there is no concrete formula that is proven safe, I am comfortable with the 50 percent plan. Start out at half the distance at a slower pace than usual and see how it feels. The longer you have been away from running, the more gradual the rate of return. In usual training schedules, the increase in volume is 10 percent per week, but if you have maintained strength and fitness, you might be able to accelerate that plan until you approach your previous training volume and intensity. It does take soft tissue like muscle and tendon in the range of 12 weeks to heal fully, so ramping up at a slow rate may protect the new tissue until it is stronger and able to fully withstand the stresses of running.
If this is your second injury in the same place, you may have a “victim-culprit” situation. You may have simply re-injured the healing tissue by coming back too fast or you may have a mechanical issue that needs to be corrected to keep the area injury free. A physical therapist or physician skilled at running evaluation and correction of the body mechanics might be a good investment for training and racing injury free.
The Benefits of Running 10 Minutes a Day.
Cheers,
Bill
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