Running Chick

I quickly snapped a few pictures of my x-rays when I was waiting in the exam room yesterday.  They were on a laptop and the camera on my phone sucks, so it's not the greatest image, but it's my leg!  Sexsay!

No stress fractures either!

According to the sports doctor, I have gastrocnemius and soleus muscle strains in both legs.  "Your symptoms are classic" he told me.  I'm happy to finally have an answer.

I was pretty sure it was relating to biking, but the doctor didn't think that was much of a possibility.  So, now I'm back to blaming it on my Burma Road run as I noticed my pain the day after that.  Or, it could be from dragging my tube in the Otter River.  James said he had some calf soreness afterward.  In any event, it's nothing major and nothing that rest won't cure.

He recommended I use a compression sleeve when I run in order to keep the muscles warm and stable.  After dinner I'll head out to the shops to try and find one.

As for the half marathon, I'm going to go ahead and do it.  I'll start biking again tomorrow, but will lay off the running completely. 

The worst that could happen is that I completely overload the muscle causing it to separate from the tendon and require emergency surgery.  No big deal, I have really good health insurance.
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Just kidding Mom!  Hahahaha!!!

Some notes for my Dr. appointment on Wednesday.

	Run (miles)	Bike (miles)
July 7th	15	7
July 14th	16	8
July 21st	4	80
July 28th	17	24
Aug 4th	8	28
Aug 11th	9	0
Aug 18th	0	68
Aug 25th	17	58

pain first presents itself on Aug. 4 run. Aug. 2 run was on an uneven, rocky surface.


Symptoms (day after running):

• pain in base of mid-calf (both) to base of calf which radiates down to heel (does not venture past heel or into foot/arch)
  
• tenderness on the inside of calf where muscle narrows, including some swelling (right leg only)
  
• Pain highest upon waking, lessens after moving around
• up & down stairs causes pain
• currently (day 5 of rest) pain exists, but is in a low level controlled by Ibuprofin
  

Treatment

• Ibuprofin
• Ice (20 minutes every 2-3 hours for the first day after running)
• Heat (20 minutes each calf before running)
• new shoes & insoles
• calf & hamstring stretching
• foam roller
• deep tissue massage
• arnica gel