Oh, hi there! Let’s see… when we left off last Sunday I was finishing a great week that was derailed at the last minute by pain in my calf. My goal for this week was to a) heal up that calf, b) do lots of cardio, and c) follow Sally McRae’s advice to do something to make myself stronger every day. Let’s just see how that played out! Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting this Weekly Rundown.
Monday
My calf was still feeling sketchy, so I went to the gym and spent 40 grueling minutes on the bike. I was a little cranky, and failed to take a photo. Later in the day I did an upper body strength workout.
Tuesday
New day, new calf! I had a great 2 mile walk with no pain.
Later in the day I did my hip stability exercises.
Wednesday
One hour of cardio, which broke down like this: 30 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes on the treadmill, including two pain-free miles of running. Now that I’ve banned the Stairmaster, the elliptical is my machine of choice.
Later in the day… Caroline Girvan deadbug workout.
Thursday
Another 2 mile walk…
and a lower body strength workout.
At night I watched the Miami/Ole Miss playoff game and GAH!!! I needed to turn it off and go to bed, but there was no way to turn that one off!!! Did anyone else watch it? (I know Jenn did!) Not only did I stay up until 11:30 to see the end, but then I couldn’t sleep because I was so hyped up.
Friday
Ouch. This morning’s alarm was painful. I got out for a one mile walk, one mile run, and then went to the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical.
Later in the day I did a short upper body strength workout.
Saturday
This has been a pretty great week! I haven’t felt the calf since Monday, and I went out for a planned 5 mile run… but not even a mile in I felt that calf pain again, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I was able to continue running, but after 3 miles decided it would be smart to call it quits. There may have been some cursing.
Later in the day I did a Caroline Girvan abs workout, and some wall sits- I’m trying to improve the strength in my quads since they get so sore after my long runs.
This was a discouraging way to end the week. I originally had a long run planned for today, decided to push it back to Wednesday, and now instead of a trail run it will be a 4 hour bike/elliptical/treadmill extravaganza (yep- send thoughts and prayers my way).
Onward!!! Get with the program, calf.
How was your week? Are you watching football playoffs?— GAH!!! THAT BEARS GAME!!!
Anyone else dealing with niggles right now?
30 Responses
Ahh I am so sorry about your calf pain! I think you are smart for pushing your long run back and seeing how it feels later in the week. Hopefully babying it will help, but I know that’s not what you want to do! Good luck!
Thank you Melissa! I’m trying to do a combo of pushing myself while babying the calf, and hoping that it will heal up while all this is happening. Sounds like a foolproof plan, right??
My Husband is a Bears fan and it has been a roller coaster here lately. He turns 50 this year and i said if the Bears if to the Super Bowl it would be the best birthday present ever.
I’m sorry that your calf isn’t getting with the program!! Doesn’ t it know you have plans for your life???
I KNOW! I’m going to have to have a serious talk with this calf.
I told my husband if the Bears get to the Super Bowl, I’ll make a deep dish pizza. We contemplated it for this game, but it’s too much work (hot dogs were much easier). So we’ll see- we have a ways to go but I have faith in them!
We have been really into making deep dish pizza lately! The ending of the Bears game last night was so good. Being a sports fan on the East Coast is much harder on bedtimes than here in California. The late games still end before bedtimes, so whenever we are at my in-laws for a big game, I’m always surprised how late it is!
sorry to hear about the calf issue, maybe it was strained during last long run? that muscle is so sensitive!
great that you kept up with other cardio workouts. how do you like peloton? I have a colleague who’s obsessed with it and I’m intrigued.
HI, I am another Coco and hooked on Pelton — happy to share why I love it!
The weird thing is, I didn’t feel the calf at all during the last long run. It came up a few days later- but yes, the seeds may have been planted during that run.
I don’t actually do Peloton- I used to, but ended up canceling my membership and now I just do free workouts on Youtube. I know I lot of people who love it though!
I went to bed to read at half time and the bears were NOT looking good. I think it was 21-3. I am surprised to see they won but very happy! But how stressful! Way to put your fans through turmoil! I hope the can continue to win!
That calf issue is so annoying. Can you go back to the ART person you were seeing? I hope the issue resolves!
I had a good week of fitness. I really liked the HIIT+strength class I did with friends yesterdays. We would do a strength move for 3 minutes and then 6 rounds of Tabata. It was so hard but so great! And then today I will go to OTF. it’s been great to be back in group fitness!
I have my first work trip since the fire incident this week. So I am taking the boys on an adventure to a library with an amazing kids area to give Phil a long stretch of quiet today. I’ll be in Boston for 2 nights.
At the start of the 4th quarter it was 21-6. Crazy way to end the game! I was texting back and forth with my sister the whole time, and at the beginning of 4th quarter she said “Time to come from behind.” Chicago fans are used to this!
I should have gone to my ART guy this week! Now I’m kicking myself, but I thought it was getting better on its own. And next week we go to Tampa and I doubt I can get an appointment before we go. Grr.
Good luck with your travel! It has been a while. And- your fitness classes sound great, and really fun. I’m sure it’s great to be back at it.
ugh, sorry about your calf! Maybe your running alternatives are taxing it more than you think. Maybe try just walking and strength between your running days and see if that helps?
I enjoy watching football but I’m not good at staying awake unless it’s one of “my” teams.
Weirdly, I suspect the walking! When it started to hurt during my run, I tried alternating running/walking and noticed it hurt more during the walks. But… I don’t know. I definitely cut out Stairmaster because I thought that was hurting it.
I consider the Bears one of “my” teams, and I was determined to stay awake! It helped that I could sleep in today.
Sorry that your calf is not behaving! I’ve got nothing to offer you as far as insight–sounds like giving it rest might be the only thing? Unless you want to get in the pool….
I confess that I did not stay awake until the end of the Bears game…but I was happy to see that they won. This has been the pattern all season…crush our souls, then bring us a win…
I know Wendy! The Bears have really brought their fans on a wild ride.
Ugh, the pool. Our own pool is too cold now (it’s not heated) and I did- reluctantly- look at the pool at my gym. It looks like it’s not deep enough. It’s a lap swimming pool with no real deep end. DARN IT. Oh… I’m thinking of pool running. I guess I could swim laps, but I’m not that desperate… yet.
Bummer sorry to hear that your calf is angry again! Sometimes it just pays off to do rest it totally. Yes football! Our Indiana team is crushing everyone!! We now play Miami next week.
I’m excited for that game!!! You know we’ll be rivals for one night ; )
Gah! That calf is like the villain in a horror movie. Just when you think the pain is dead, it springs back to life again. Take a hike, calf pain! Nobody invited you to the party!
I’m sending prayers for your Wednesday Gym Extravaganza. I’ve still got the weird rib cage pain from being sick in November. This only means that I can’t do any strength training, which I mean fine since I wasn’t exactly killing it in that department before. But I would like to do pushups again someday.
Ha ha… yes, it is like the villain who won’t die. Well, we all know the villains are defeated in the end.
Do you think you had a broken rib? I mean- there are so many things that can go wrong in that area. I know, I’ve been there. Everything heals up eventually though.
Ugh on whatever is going on with your calf! I hope you can figure it out quickly and get it on the road to healing. Four hours of 4 hour bike, elliptical, and treadmill work sounds boooriiing, but you can do it!
I went to bed before the Old Miss/Miami game was over, but hear it had an exciting end. The next night I was thrilled to see the Hoosiers win!
So many exciting games lately!!! I’m excited for the next round of the playoffs, and of course the college championships.
I’m already thinking about how I can get through the 4 hours. I’ll have some podcasts lined up, and I’ll have to make a special playlist!
ofc I watched all of the football and also some excellent basketball (wi beat mi!!)
cardiac bears for sure
Yes, I was actually going to write that I got some extra cardio watching that Bears game! My heart was pounding at the end.
I haven’t watched any basketball yet- I usually get more into basketball when football ends.
Oh OUCH on that naughty calf! Hoping those four hours go well with all that low-impact cardio equipment. My niggles (the controversial hip/TLF) seems to be happy at the moment. Of course, as we ALL know, there’s always something else…like a gunky nose. I’m hoping of our discomforts give us a break soon!
Yes, there’s always something! I’m VERY glad your hip pain is gone, and it just goes to show- everything heals, eventually.
Ugh, I’m so sorry the calf issue doesn’t seem to be resolving but it sounds like cross training may be the way to go for now! Does fast walking aggravate it? If not, you could try doing a long “power hike” on the trails for some of your planned long run — power hiking is such an important part of ultras, especially in the later miles and you could still get some time on your feet in without aggravating the calf as much!
omg seriously I was so stoked for you that the calf injury/niggle seemed to be gone!!! UGH. I’m so sorry!!!
Boo on that cranky calf. You are smart to take it easy so it doesn’t develop into an injury.
I’m good probably because my distance is so low.. 3 miles and 6 on the weekend.
Hope you half starts to feel better.
Jenny, I need you to motivate me. I tried doing strength training yesterday, but I was just not into it and I wanted to cry, so I just stopped and did cardio. And then today I did yoga. But I have to be more consistent in strength training. BUT I DON’T WANT TO. I need you to give me a pep talk. You’re out there doing all this with a calf thing and my excuse is I’m tired? That doesn’t seem right.
Ah dang, you were so careful the whole week only for your calf to act up again… I am so sorry! I hope it’ll calm down.
Your calf is making me mad! Come on,Jenny’s calf! Get it together!
Yes, that game was insanity. And I still haven’t recovered. There was also a nail biter for Jags and Bills game. Bills won, which stinks for Duval, but what can you do?