Calfs,Drugs and Spray-on Shorts

hi all,

as a newbie i have finally aken the plunge and  finally stepped from the shadows seeking advice and/or ridicule!

having started running again early this year my calf promptly strained (a recurrance from last year along with the plantar which has now been rectified) and was forced to stop until 4 weeks ago when i resumed easy running.

the problem is that i need to massage ipubrofen gel into  the muscle whilst taking the same medicine ,orally just to finish my runs without seizing up. am a bit worried that this isn't wise and would appreciate any advice??

if it helps i am 39 and not the11 year old in ill-fitting shorts on profile pic (not the best of looks but it was the 80's) and during runs my calf sporadically does the strange quivering tremor  thingy which used to precede a strain but not anymore!!

many thanks

dash

Hi Dash. Are you stretching your calf after running? I get tight calves and spend a lot of my time hanging off of steps, pushing my heels down and doing heel raises which I find helps.

How far are you running, perhaps you're going too far & too fast? You should be building up your mileage slowly and gradually, once you have some distance under your belt the speed will follow.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Oh, nice shorts btw

hi small,

 to answer your questions,

yes, i have been stretching exactly as you suggest which may be the reason that my calf is merely 'quivering' now instead of failing although it worries me no end when this occurs (my calf has been seizing regularly now for 3 years). that and the anti-inflammatories i expect.

and you are probably right with your second point as i started doing speedwork twice a week in jan and the strain occured almost immediately. i have now got a training schedule which i will follow strictly notwithstanding losing my car in sandringham estate last weekend and running 20 mins longer as a result!

my only question is, is it ok to carry on with the ibuprofen??

....and nice basket b.t.w

I'm not a medic so I can't help there I'm afraid.

Perhaps just rub some of the gel in and try not to rely on taking it orally as well?

And thank you... but it's a tea cup actually

thanks again small,

point taken and will now attempt to wean myself off my drug addiction (trainspotting???)and how silly of me not to realise that cats are now the beverage of choice for the more discerning athlete!

i was always a trend setter, mk-if you look closely you will note the effortless chic of a school jumper accessorised by a cheeky flared collar. i think the look really comes together with the addition of the buttock-squeezing man u shorts!!

and mf,  in that case i think i better dig those shorts out and hit the town although in true 80's spirit, i may need to borrow a shuttlecock from the boys from Wham!!!

am a norfolk lad ,ratz and my routes are bedecked with dockleaf; natures andrex!

 errrr....apparently.......i have a friend.....ummmm...my shorts are bigger these days......

Man U shorts!!

I feel dirty now

That's ok, Dash has some dock leaves