PROGRESS… FINALLY! After 10 days I think I may have shaken off a pesky strain in my right calf!

After what has felt like far too long resting, stretching, icing and foam rolling, it was finally time to get out there and see if the injury has cleared up. The plan for this week was a few short zone 2 aerobic runs. Nothing hilly, just plain old boring flat road running.

The first run was planned to be 60 minutes, but after 40, I felt a dull ache in the exact same place I pulled the muscle. I swiftly cut the run short and plodded gently home in 46 minutes. The total elevation gain was 130 meters, which is as flat as I can find around my house. I’ll need to stretch and roll this muscle for another few days!

I rested the following day, opting for some lead climbing with a friend at an indoor climbing wall, but promised to get out again the day after. That day came and out I went for a short zone 2 effort. The run went well, and thankfully everything held together with no pain at all. Perhaps the stretching and rolling routine my physio has me doing are paying off?

The stage was now set for something a bit more interesting…

Unfortunately I couldn’t go in the weekend long run this week. I simply couldn’t risk the injury flaring up so close to the start of the season. Instead I decided to venture off road and do a short tempo run on Divis Mountain which is close by.

The run started out as an easy zone 2 effort on the road section out from the car park. My legs felt good, and not just because of the bouncy feel my recently purchase Altra Lone Peak 1.5.
There was a shocking head wind no matter what direction I turned, so I tightened my cap and pushed ahead across the board walk which covered a boggy section.

The trail then reaches a lovely viewpoint offering up views of Belfast city and beyond to the east, before turning back and contouring around Divis mountain on a newly laid trail.

It was at this point that I decided to up the pace and test my legs for the second half of the run. The good news is that my legs felt good and more importantly NO PAIN! I finished the run with a solid 4.55/Km pace over undulating ground and over a few stiles. The stage has now been set to venture back to normal training, although I’ll hold off on another track session for a while. I can certainly reintroduce striding and intervals.