Newbie with torn calf muscle - looking for advice

[Cyclelady]

Hi there

Just joined the site and after some help. Training for a 250 mile charity cycle ride in Cambodia end of November. Tore calf muscle 10 days ago in the gym, on crutches and can't put foot to the floor yet. Seeing docs again tomorrow but panicing will have to drop out of the charity ride if I can't get on with the training quickly. Have heard I could be out of action for 4 - 6 weeks.

Any advice on what I can safely do or how quickly I can get up to cycling fitness once I get the all clear?

All ideas welcome.

 

[Paulus]

Welcome Cyclelady I don't think there is much you can do but rest the leg until given the all clear. Then you must start riding very short distances to see how the calf muscle acts up. If it feels ok after a couple of weeks start to increase the distances, but DO NOT over do it. I have had torn muscles in the past and there is not much you can do to help them heal. In an old fashioned way you could try Goddards White Oils embrocation, That is very good for muscle conditions, but only when the calf is back together again. Good luck.

 

[Sittingduck]

Ouch, bad luck! The 250 mile ride... is it split into chunks of 5x 50 miles or 2x 125 or the whole lot in one go? Sounds like you might end up with 2 months or so to get up to speed if the muscle heals in the timescales you have mentioned. This sounds like plenty of time to get upto being able to ride a reasonable distance, depends on what level you are at currently of course...


Best of luck with it,
SD

 

[marshmella]

Hi there

Just joined the site and after some help. Training for a 250 mile charity cycle ride in Cambodia end of November. Tore calf muscle 10 days ago in the gym, on crutches and can't put foot to the floor yet. Seeing docs again tomorrow but panicing will have to drop out of the charity ride if I can't get on with the training quickly. Have heard I could be out of action for 4 - 6 weeks.

Any advice on what I can safely do or how quickly I can get up to cycling fitness once I get the all clear?

All ideas welcome.

Hi there. i tore my calf a couple of years ago, hurt like hell for 3 weeks but Doc didn't advise crutches, something about needing to try and keep some strength in the muscle. I had to keep the leg elevated as much as possible and use plenty of ice packs, five months of physio followed, and much to my frustration the young physio wouldn't let me cycle, and i was only commuting 12 miles a day. Hope your physio/Doc has a different view, but then again you can't rush these things. sorry to be a bit negative but that's how it was with me.

 

[Cyclelady]

Ouch, bad luck! The 250 mile ride... is it split into chunks of 5x 50 miles or 2x 125 or the whole lot in one go? Sounds like you might end up with 2 months or so to get up to speed if the muscle heals in the timescales you have mentioned. This sounds like plenty of time to get upto being able to ride a reasonable distance, depends on what level you are at currently of course...


Best of luck with it,
SD

Thanks for the advice everyone. The mileage varies each day, shortest about 35 miles and longest about 70 miles. I had got to the stage of doing some 30 mile rides when it all came to halt with the injury. Just going into week 3 on crutches and it is getting better. More physio tomorrow so am hoping to be off crutches soon. Managed 5 miles on exercise bike and it was sore later that day but not too bad, but of course that is nothing like proper cycling out on the road. Will keep going - have to decide by 26th August if I will go for this event or transfer to one in 2012 through Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

 

[Sittingduck]

Hmmm, difficult situation
I suppose that you will know in yourself, if it's going to be ok, within the next few weeks. Hope it all works out!

SD

 

[lulubel]

I can't offer any advice on the injury other than to only do the ride if you're certain you can manage it. Being in pain the whole time or - worse - having to pull out part way through would be awful.

And if you do have to transfer on to the ride next year, think how you'll feel at the beginning of December. Rather than feeling disappointed that it's over, you'll still have it to look forward to.