4 weeks to marathon, pulled calf--anyone else

Triathlon Forum
1

so after battling a (real) pulled hamstring in mid-july, it just would not seem to go away. “heal thyself” has never been my strong suit, but I finally figured out the continued hamstring pain was either from my back or piriformis–mri of the back is this week. have been doing exercises to “centralize” the pain–which worked, my leg hurts far less–prolonged sitting is my big problem at work. Anyway, so been training but with less intensity and this past week I came down off a step on my left leg and my calf twinged but i kept training. my long run this week was 2 hrs and it hurt but i was able to run until the last mile when it started to really hurt/cramp so i walked. been doing ice and compression etc for 5 days and today my wife noticed i have a small bruise where the pain is–which btw is soleus not gastroc–so i am thinking a grade 2 strain
if i was giving someone else advice i’d say take at least 3 weeks off. i’m posting here to see if anyone else has had this happen this close to a race. my marathon is oct 25 and my long run has only gotten to 16 miles.
should i just aqua jog and hope, or completely rest, or just cycle if it does not hurt???
thanks
jim

2

See if you can get some ART/Graston work done on it, maybe also use kinesotape.

3

thanks for replying. how long after injury is graston or art okay to do–it still hurts to the touch. i think the boots i wear at work are digging into that area of my calf and not helping.
Thanks
Jim

4

I’ve had it done within a few days of the injury - it will hurt like a bitch (especially the Graston) when it is being done and will still be tender for a day or so afterwards. I had a similar injury about a month out from Boston a few years back and the ART/Graston/tape combo helped salavge my race.

5

one guy i know pulled his calf a few weeks out then broke the world record in the marathon…

=)

6

Had the same thing a few years ago and the kinesotape saved my marathon.

7

Had the same thing a few years ago and the kinesotape saved my marathon.

Or

“Had the same thing a few years ago, and I used kinesotape, and my marathon was fine, which may or may not have been related to the fact that I used Kinesotape”

one should note that haile pulled a calf muscle, then broke the world record, without kinesotape…