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.B. Jun 2015 9:50am, 10 Jun 2015 17,086 posts	Quote Pin .B. Good news Max
Tecnikal Jun 2015 2:44pm, 11 Jun 2015 59 posts	Quote Pin Tecnikal It's all going terribly wrong. Help. I was concerned about doing 60 seconds walking/90 seconds running in week one of C25K so I decided to take it even slower. I did a couple of weeks beforehand doing 30 secs/3 mins and the next week 60 secs running/3 mins walking. This week I started week one (official). On Monday my calves were very painful, today I was only 5 minutes in and on my 3rd lot of 60 second runs when I had to stop and limped home. There was no pop or twang. I'd had this twice before years ago, overdoing it. So this time I learned and stopped immediately. I have tried everything. I had gait analysis, proper running shoes, calf guards, the stick and am doing calf stretches. Perhaps I just need to build up even slower. I'm going to leave it till Monday now to give me 3 days rest and just do twice a week 1 min running/3 mins walking. It seems to me that I have to accept that being in your mid 40s, overweight and having done no exercise for many years, my body is just rejecting it. I'd hate to think there is not a way through this. All I want to do it run and I would rather take a year building up to a 5k rather than push do it in 9 weeks and have four months off for an injury. This is my 3rd attempt in 10 years to do a C25K and the last two times I got a calf tear although I was doing 4 times a week on a treadmill so was perhaps overdoing it. Am I doing the right thing or should I just accept there is something wrong with me and I will never be able to run.
Autumnleaves Jun 2015 2:51pm, 11 Jun 2015 6,197 posts	Quote Pin Autumnleaves Hi Tecnical - this does sound tough for you I am not an expert - and you've clearly tried to do the right things. Is it worth sticking with walking vigorously for a while, plus the calf stretching and strengthening? I presume you have seen a physio at some point? They might be able to give you some advice and sets of exercises to do.
Tecnikal Jun 2015 3:00pm, 11 Jun 2015 60 posts	Quote Pin Tecnikal No I haven't seen a physic. They sound kinda expensive. But all the advice you could possibly want does appear to be on here and on the internet etc. There are many legitimate websites showing you the correct way to stretch both sets of calves and I have been doing it properly, plus am wearing compression calf guards right now. Will also massage the calves later. The only thing I can think of that I haven't done is if I have some something wrong with my calves, but I genuinely believe that I've my body is just not used to it. I think if I take it so slowly, like you say just walking for a while then just build up over several months instead of weeks. I can walk for hours and don't have any problems and have cycled from London to Paris before so I'm using that info to work on the basis that my calves are ok, but just not used to running. Will cycling build up the correct muscles I need for running? i.e. Soleus and Gastrocnemius? Should I perhaps do a bit of that?
Tecnikal Jun 2015 3:00pm, 11 Jun 2015 61 posts	Quote Pin Tecnikal ... or will that just add to the overdoing it?
Tecnikal Jun 2015 3:01pm, 11 Jun 2015 62 posts	Quote Pin Tecnikal Did I say physic. I hate spell checker. I meant physio.
Rosehip Jun 2015 3:08pm, 11 Jun 2015 5,139 posts	Quote Pin Rosehip I'd try something like this before running Tecnikal kinetic-revolution.com and afterwards, before stretching. do hamstring stretches afterwards as well
snogard Jun 2015 3:14pm, 11 Jun 2015 299 posts	Quote Pin snogard I was going to make the same suggestion as Autumn Leave, calf strengthening and brisk walking and also as RH says hamstring stretches. For calf strengthening I use heel Dips/heel raises, I began on both legs started with 5 and built up to 3 sets of 30, now I am on single leg building up the same way, next progression will be with weights.
Tecnikal Jun 2015 3:24pm, 11 Jun 2015 63 posts	Quote Pin Tecnikal Thanks Rosehip, I have not done the exercise before on this video so will try that. Might wait a few days till calves stop hurting though. Is there a danger that I can overstretch if I do all these exercise many times a day or is that recommended?
Rosehip Jun 2015 3:31pm, 11 Jun 2015 5,142 posts	Quote Pin Rosehip There is a school of thought that being too stretched before you run is not good - mobile and warm yes, " stretched" not so.