Calf tear - 6months on still 'feel' it - questions

Hi all - havent been posting here in a while - long time member, longer time lurker!

Ive always had valuable responses here so thought Id ask for some info

Quick overview - tore my calf pretty good back in March and was off running for a good 3 months -in this time I rested from impact work but continued to do light cycling that didn't hurt - sports masseur after about week 4/5 and he worked on the calf well each week and really helped - he said that Id tore it well (soleus muscle tear)

Since then have been back training/racing and rode fairly decent and back running (doing a full and half ironman events over the summer plus others)

However - Ive started getting a tight/sore feeling from that same location on the calf especially when I do tough hilly work on the bike ( really tingling and annoying, but didn't 'go' as such - just felt i have to stretch it) - and in some runs I can just feel it there.

Just wanted to know if its a case of just concentrating on trying to strengthen it over winter with specific calf stretches/ raises etc. If so has anyone got a specific programme or point me in the direction of a good one?

Got IM Austria booked for next year and just afraid of tearing it again really and thought by now it should have fully cleared/healed.

Hi Gareth

I tore my calf playing football, the Gastrocnemius muscle, about 5 years ago.  Obviously for the first few weeks it was very painful, had to walk with a stick for a while to take the weight off.  I then had discomfort in my calf for about the next 2 years, at which point I took up running.  When I was running, it wasn't so much painful, but felt like I had an iron rod stuck in my calf - not the most pleasant feeling.  As I ran more and more and also did strength training (needed to resolve runners knee!) and my calfs finally started to feel good about another year later.  Today, if I push my fingers into where the injury was I can still feel some tough tissue, but it doesn't bother me any more.

So my advise, bear with it, do plenty of stretching, calf raises to strengthen the muscles, and massage.

Paul

cheers paul! yeh think a winter of strength, stretches and massage is on the cards

Get yourself to a sports massage therapist who will break down the scar tissue. It will hurt like hell but it will be so much better a few days later.

Hi All

New 2 this Needs some advice,just ran13miles very hilly when i got to the 12mile point i felt my calf go i walked the rest home ,feels really tight do you think i will be out for long got cardiff half in 4 weeks cheers

ICE it....like now!