My new life as a runner came to a grinding halt last week after my troublesome left leg caused me to pull up on two occasions and forced me to have a few days rest after only 10 miles ran for the week.  I don’t usually Google anything medical because it usually involves you convincing yourself that you have cancer but I made an exception this time.

It seems that my pesky soleus muscle is to blame, along with me being guilty of not stretching enough and maybe overdoing it a little. Skipping warm ups or cool downs, ineffective stretching, or a sudden change in training distance or intensity are all major factors, so maybe I better hold my hands up and say oops.

Although the soreness in the lower calf while running/running there is also a dull ache has been waking me up in the night.

All running sites and forums hammer home the point that stretching effectively before and after running is key to preventing lower calf muscle pain but I’m the kind of guy that only learns a lesson after something happens.  Like when you are a kid and your mum says stop doing that or you will fall over and hurt yourself, it’s not until you actually fall over that you stop doing it.

I am reliably informed that exercises like wall push-ups can help you keep your muscles flexible and prevent muscle tears and I should think about getting the frozen peas out to Ice the muscle immediately after running.

My biggest problem is the rule “Do not run while pain persists and keep from running for a few days after the pain subsides” this might sound a little strange but I really missed my Saturday morning 10k run and finding it really hard not getting out there.

Although I have continued to stretch the muscle, the lower calf area still hurts when walking and the dull ache is still keeping me awake at night, so I must try and avoid temptation to hit the streets.