There’s competing schools of thought on the best solution to replacing your running shoes. The current wave of “barefoot runners” swear by their minimally padded shoes such as the Nike Free, relying on a foot’s ability to react to stress and shock more efficiently when cut loose. I’d say they’re full of shit, but look who wins marathons all of the time. It isn’t the guy in the 130$ asics, that’s for sure.
Me, I’m too used to quality running shoes, not to mention having to run in boots for a while now. While I did have some pretty significant leg injuries, including tendonitis in the knee that left me literally bedridden for almost a week, most of my problems hinged around having high arches and chronic foot pain. This would then alter my stride, and then affect the rest of my body as a result.
I tried a wide variety of non regulation boot alternatives, and any number of shoes. I tried all kinds of snake oil orthotics that were incredibly uncomfortable and a pain in the ass to fit. Ultimately, it was on the advice of my mother that I tried the Walking Company’s sport orthotic insoles, which changed my life. I went through countless hours on my feet where the last thing on my mind was foot pain, and the improvement in my running results has been through the roof. While expensive, I find I need to replace them at the 8-10 month which is very reasonable, and they do very well with moisture and fit right out of the box.
I guess unless you’ve had some form of chronic pain it’s difficult to relate, but I really wish I’d had these years ago. Regardless of the footwear I use, it is no longer a race to take it off as soon as I have the opportunity to let my feet recover.
I know that’s slightly off topic, but I figured it belonged.
Former track runner, soccer player, baseball player. I’ve had dozens of pulled muscles I’ve tried to recover from quickly.
What they said back when still holds: ice the area for the first 24 hours (just in case of swelling/inflammation in the tissue) and then treat with heat thereafter as needed for discomfort. Beyond that, rest it, elevated.
With the calf, you want to make sure you give it plent of rest from running, unfortunately. While the calf doesn’t have the heavy load of work that quads and groin muscles and hamstrings have to do, it does have to do some work to set up your foot and ankle for shock absorption when you run; if you’re favoring it, you’re transferring a lot of that load to the achilles tendon and ankle ligaments, and that’s just not something you want to do.
So…I’d say give running a break for at least a week or two. If you’re a member at a club, once the calf starts to feel better, give the stationary bike a good go, and/or do some laps in the pool to keep your aerobic fitness from slipping during your downtime.
I’m not sure I get exactly what you’re looking for, but with running I start with a light yog up until I hit my distance pace about 5-10 minutes in. The key is not to rush it, which unless you have some sort of timer or prearranged distances is very easy to do. I usually don’t start sprints or any faster pace until 15-20+, and it’s important to add more time depending on how stationary you were prior to that.
As for your semi-atrophied muscles, I’ve experienced much the same for a variety of reasons. I’ve gotten to the point where it is easy for me to tell the difference between a muscle that is legitimately injured and one that is simply reluctant, if you get my drift. Usually it’s just a matter of analyzing my mental state at the time: the more worthless my morale, the more it is likely I am dealing with the latter. I find that once I eliminate dehydration and horribly uncomfortable seats from the equation, the rest just tends to come naturally.
Swimming and elliptical machines are usually my therapy of choice, or even just my off-day preference. No reason not to exercise if you feel like it so long as you are not overstraining your body.
As I understand it, the Ice part of RICE is only good if you do it very soon after the injury. After a short time, you get the inflammation, and then the cold doesn’t really help bring it down, instead it helps prevent the physical swelling in the first place if you use it quickly enough.
So since in this case Tom kept running for a while, I suppose he might as well use Warmth instead of Ice, not because it will help the healing, but because it will be more comfortable, relaxing the muscles and all.
I may have had it backward. Ice is to stop the flow to blood to the area, so that the pain and swelling will go down (the little, ripped arteries and veins stop bleeding). Once the area starts to heal however (48 hours), warmth will help blood return to the area and circulate, so the healing process can begin. It seems that ice at this point won’t do any damage, but it could slow the healing process, and it shouldn’t be needed.
Can someone confirm before I commit Internet malpractice again?
I’m not sure why you people are talking about heat and ice and ripped arteries and painkillers and stuff. Tom didn’t mention any swellings, nor any pain when the muscle isn’t being worked.
If that is the case then he needs to do absolutely nothing, other than not exercising that muscle heavily until it is healed. Instead do light exercises below the pain threshold as Houngan suggested. Then just wait, for a few weeks or so.
Sounds like your original question as already been covered pretty well, Tom. As to the future, yeah, more stretching, etc. I’d actually suggest Pilates a few times a week. I love it. Helps stretch out my entire body and I really feel taller (like a baller!) and all of that.
Hit a local strip club with a two drink minimum. Get some good stuff, not that well liquor crap. Park your ass off to one side of the stage and prop your leg up on another chair. If asked by a waitress or dancer “what happened?” explain how you injured yourself kicking in a steel reinforced door trying to save some puppies from a fire. Sigh audibly, and mention that the doctor told you you’ll have to lay off your work as a stunt double for Matt Damon for awhile, but it’s worth it because the puppies are all going to be just fine. Enjoy the free lap dances, you hero.
When you pull a muscle or get a strain, the muscle is tore, ligiments can be torn, joints can be hyperextended - when this happens, little arteries and veins are damaged, and you start to bleed. Blood and other fluids start to pool where they shouldn’t, and the area swells. Nerves are compressed and the area becomes stiff and sore.
I’ve strained plenty of muscles which required me to lay off training and rest that muscle, but rarely had any noticeable swellings. Stiffness and soreness certainly don’t require any swellings, either.
That must be invisible stealth swelling because I haven’t noticed it. Sorry, I think you generalize from a particular kind of muscle injuries to all of them.
