Here we are 6 weeks from the Squaw Peak 50 mile race and my calves are still killing me whenever I run. I have now been to TOSH (Orthopedic Specialists), been taking fish oil and glutamine, and have been resting my calves adequately. The doctor at TOSH thinks I have either a small tear in both calves or extreme muscle strains. I ran 12 miles on Saturday and was able to deal with the constant pain (no meds whatsoever) until I got a knot in my right calf. Severe knots are excruciating when you run on them, there were spasms going up and down my entire leg. I forced it as long as I could but did have to stop, massage, and stretch multiple times to even run at all. This has been very discouraging as over the last 4 weeks I have not been able to put in anywhere near the kind of mileage I need to in order to compete the way I wanted to.
Over the last 3 weeks I have been using the elliptical machine as I do not have any pain when I do this. By doing this I have been able to keep my cardio training up but using an elliptical for 2 to 3 hours is extremely boring! I hate it! My running has all been on asphalt - I'm sure that doesn't help. My weight is up a couple of pounds as I have not been as diligent with my diet as I need to be. It is obvious that I will not be able to get to my goal weight of 180 lbs by race day.
My plan for the next 3 weeks is to get calf massages daily, my daughter is a licensed massage therapist and has coached my wife on the proper technique as well. Between the two of them I hope I can get a minimum of one massage a day, even twice a day this week to see what kind of impact that has. This week I will not do any running, only elliptical, until Saturday. Saturday I will run on dirt with some elevation thrown in to see how my calves hold up to hiking, not running, uphill. I hope to do at least 13 or 14 miles on Saturday. I need to get my diet back in line. I should still be able to get under 190 lbs by race day if I stay focused.
Bottom line is that I have 3 weeks to make my "Go / No Go" decision. With that being said at this point I still believe I can get through the race. I will not be as fast as I had once thought I would be but will be able to complete it in under 16 hours. 16 hours is the time I need to finish under in order to qualify for the Bear 100 next year. The Bear 100 will be the race I run in if I do not draw out in the Wasatch 100 lottery. If I decide I have to withdraw from the Squaw Peak 50 Miler I will find another 50 mile race this fall to compete in after going through a recovery for my calves.
Injuries are definitely discouraging, but I think you're playing it smart. Just live to fight another day... There's always another race.
ReplyDeleteI'm still optimistic. Hopefully the next couple of weeks go really well and I can still do the race.
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