Now you may be thinking, hang on a minute aren't you supposed to be doing Ironman? Isn't that a marathon run at the end of the swim and bike? Well, yep to both of those. I have 2 new pairs of trainers ready and waiting to be broken in; some racing flats all primed for March 6th; routes worked out; a nutrition plan to avoid the awful cramps I experienced in the 1/2 IM; keenness to prove my ability in a marathon; and legs that want to get stuck in...oops hang on, no that last point might not be quite true.
So the week of signing up to Ironman, I had a 'not so good' feeling in my left calf. Having experienced shin splints before, it seemed that I might be suffering the same again. Being proactive and knowing that I needed to keep on top of any niggles, I booked in with the physio for assessment. At the initial appointment I nearly jumped off the bed when he touched the sore area, and the consensus was shin splints. Treatment? No running, light massage, compression.
So for the past 6 weeks I have been going around with a compression sock on (and it's not 34 degrees!). Only a 30% improvement - I now don't jump off the bed. So I was told in no uncertain terms to get an MRI scan before further treatment could be done because it could be a stress fracture. So I did.
And it's not a stress fracture - Yipeeeeeee!
It was however short lived elation. I went into my physio appointment yesterday with my trainers thinking that a 'muscle tear' would mean that my now 7 weeks of no running would have me doing some running by next week. Mmmmm, I got laughed at.
As it happens, it is a fascial tear deep in the left calf between two muscles, that is 2cm long and 1cm deep. My physio has never seen it in a calf before, and one of his colleagues only once. Excellent. And recovery time......16 - 24 weeks. And the advice....absolutely NO running, No long walking, No fin work in the pool, NO hills on the bike, No rides longer than 4 hours, Compression Compression, Compression.
So taking the middle ground of 20 weeks would take me exactly to race day. Cool, skip the run training, go straight to taper and race day! So I have 12 weeks to be running again - nope actually make that 9 to be marathon ready cause then it's taper.
Best case scenario from the physio of 16 weeks, I get 1 week of training, 3 weeks taper. Worst case scenario and I'm 4 weeks past race day. Right!
And now the realities? That the prognosis isn't too good. That what was my racing strength may become my Achilles heel. That I have paid my money and I will be there. That I will be cycling, water running and swimming. That I will make the concession of no fin work and limited 'big' hills.......promise! And if you see me in those silly compression socks please do not laugh...or at least laugh with me :-)
Faye
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