Tonbridge Half Marathon Training: Achilles Heels....

My training for the Tonbridge Half Marathon have been dealt a major blow. Not literally, but metaphorically, my Achilles heel has got me again. Calf strain has struck. To be honest I live in fear of the possibility of straining particularly my right calf every time I go out for a run these days. Cardiovascularly (if indeed that's a word) I am in not too bad shape having already got in around half a dozen seven mile training sessions, cycling to work more often than not, walking and canoeing. The really frustrating thing then was, when I went out for my Sunday morning run, I didn't do anything a whole lot different to my usual build up. I ate a banana for sustained energy, drank a mug of tea, attached heart rate monitor, did some stretches and started my run at pretty much jogging pace until I reached Quarry Hill and gently strode down towards Tonbridge railway station. Towards the bottom of the hill, very early in my run, I started to feel slight shooting pains in my lower leg. Actually I often get this and usually just slow down a little until I run it off. Only this time it wasn't going to be ran off so easily. I continued past the station and round the cycle paths alongside the river and park all the time feeling very wary of my leg. I know that my body still isn't used to running and I am not as young as I once was, but I was only going a little over jogging pace at this point so how could it be pulling my muscles? I struggled on with lower leg feeling very tight on past Tonbridge School and around London Road, cutting back in at the school's sports centre entrance. I was worried at this point that my slight calf strain would turn into a full-on tear so I stopped to do some more stretch exercises and massaged the affected area. It felt a little easier after this but I knew that the other 5 or so miles I still had to do would be a struggle to just get round at all. I slowed the pace right down and reached the Slade. At this point I felt a cramp in my calf which was severe enough for me to decide to walk rather than jog. I thought that this would ease the knotted calf muscle but, alas, it was too late and all I could do was walk on. So I did up to the railway bridge at the back of the park and then tried to jog a bit more. Same tight sensation so walked again. I repeated this a few times, knowing in my heart of hearts that this was probably the wrong course of action but I still wanted to find out if I could run through the injury. I managed to walk the rest of my route feeling, all the while, deeply frustrated and angry that I couldn't get going. I was willing but my body was letting me down. So I went home, sulked and rested it for a bit before having a soothing radox bath. I now discover that this was entirely the wrong thing to do if I wanted to aid recovery. I've read up on this particular injury as its been dogging me now for several years and is the principal reason I've come to fear running any kind of distance. More to come....