Calf Strain - Recovery techniques

lfcquin

I picked up an injury to my left calf yesterday while out training. My session was a high intensity, high cadence session with some sprint work and followed two weeks of endurance work. I think it came from a poor warm up prior to the start of the session. The pain is in the lower area of my calf, right in the middle. It isn't an intense pain although it is enough to be uncomfortable when walking or riding this morning.

My key question is about the best way to recover. My plan for the week (ahead of a big race next Sunday) was:

- 30 minute sprint session on the Turbo tonight
- Rest tomorrow
- 10 mile time trial or another 30 min sprint session on Turbo on Wednesday
- 30 Mile chain gang on Thursday
- Rest Friday
- Rest Saturday (maybe just a low intensity 30 mile ride)

Does this sound doable with a calf strain or am I best resting with ice, ibruprofen etc? It doesn't seem too bad and I could probably ride through the slight pain, but I am worried about doing more damage.

Any advice most welcome....

softlad

I would leave it alone completely - just rest it. Nothing you do this week will make any difference to your fitness for Sunday anyway.....

lfcquin

softlad wrote:

I would leave it alone completely - just rest it. Nothing you do this week will make any difference to your fitness for Sunday anyway.....

Me thinks you're right. I reckon I just needed someone to tell me that. :roll: The training this weekend wasn't for the race on Sunday, I was just saying I had a race on Sunday. Anything I am doing now is for a big racing month in August. I'll just have to work harder next week.

ellieb

Definitely rest: Try ibruprofen etc and get some compression on it. I may be paranoid, but I had this several years ago when running. Didn't rest it & the next time I went out it went ping. Took weeks to recover