Calf and learn

It started off as a hotly anticipated long run, spanning two states, North Dakota and Minnesota. I was due in to Fargo in the mid afternoon and was looking forward to following a half marathon course I had found online, which snaked its way along the Red River, either side of a line marking the Minnesota and North Dakota border. It couldn't have been better conditions for a long run. 2 hours in 70F beautiful summer weather. Certainly a welcome change from the 90's I had been training in of late.

However, an hour in to the run, not long after my trusty biking colleague had left my side, that my left calf popped up to ensure I knew it was there. It was immediately obvious what the origins of the pain was. A strain? Cramp? It wasn't uncommon to experience muscle fatigue after a day of flying and then heading out for a long run. However, this pain became progressive and there came a lot of stop-starting, stretching and walking. I was still 3 miles from the hotel I was faced with 40mins of awkward running and walking back. Certainly not ideal for 6 weeks from race day.

With every setback there is an opportunity. The focus, after I had finished sulking, immediately began to focus on what I could do. Fortunately, the discovery that biking provided no discomfort at all set out a week of biking and swimming. Not a bad thing really, based on the premise that I am not your strongest cyclist and I had been neglecting the swimming side of things. Yes, there was and is a continue subconscious pull calling me to go for a run. Just a short one. However, a week off of running will allow the injury to repair and also help my biking a lot, if not my posterior pain! 

This week has also encouraged some good recovery work, loosening many of my tight abductors and hips, a source, no doubt, linked to the possible calf injury. A lot of rolling in the basement and reflection of how my body is doing. Again, a positive, if not painful, step along this training route.

It also gave me time for experimenting with Training Peaks - a new toy, which has proven, so far, a usual tool in logging all this training malarkey.

Hopefully, the forthcoming week will prove successful, following the week of resting the calf. 

Good luck to us all!

My long bike route this week: