I didn't run yesterday because my calf muscle injury was still bothering me. This morning I was going to take another day off and maybe do some upper body or core strength training. But my wife and a friend encouraged me to get back out on the trail, and they agreed to run with me.
I decided to take it easy, a nice slow 13 mpm jog. I could immediately feel pressure in my calf, but no pain. By the end of the first mile I was starting to feel better. And by the end of the run I couldn't tell I had any calf issues. We ran the Northshore Trail, from Boy Scouts to Rockedge and back, about 4 miles round trip. It was awesome!
I think the key today was the slow and careful pace. I know my past injuries have all happened when I pushed my pace, especially pushing on the inclines. But today I walked the inclines and keep my pace nice and easy. I was also very conscious of my footing, trying to stay as smooth as possible, reducing the impact on my legs. As a result, I had a great run (jog) and didn't injure myself any further. I consider my experience today a minor victory!
Tomorrow I plan to run with the North Texas Trail Runners. I was only able to go about 3 miles with them last weekend before my injury. I am hoping to go the distance with them tomorrow! We are meeting at the MADD Shelter of the Northshore Trail at 7 am and will run to Far Gate and back (some will go further, some not as far). This is probably the worst part of the trail for me to run during a calf muscle recovery because of the inclines and technical nature of this part of the trail. But it's also my favorite part of the trail. As long as I keep my pace nice and slow and walk up the inclines, I think I will be OK again.
Fingers (and toes) crossed!
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