It has been a strange year, but I’ve definitely learnt a lot when it comes to running.

The main thing I’ve learnt is that I shouldn’t ignore a reoccurring pain or niggle… my legs need to recover and it will only make things worse. In fact, by running with an injury or niggle, your body will try and protect it and it will affect your form…!

Having a rest day or even a week off running doesn’t mean the world will end. I can still be active in other ways.

My friends (and anyone I’ve spoken to really) will know I’ve been struggling with my calves. It was caused mainly by overdoing it and not stretching/foam rolling after each run. If I’m going to do 30 mile week runs, I need to include a recovery stretch after and if it is bad, to rest completely.

Here are some of the ways I have been recovering from my calf injury:

1. A break from running –
   • The longer you run with the pain/niggle, the longer it will take to recover from it. I found having a week off really helped.
2. Specific safe stretches for the injury –
   • There are so many different stretches, it can be difficult to understand which ones will help (and not harm!) my recovery. I spoke to a specialist who provided me with some stretches and once the pain started to ease, I started some specific strength work such as my favourite – jump squats!
3. Run/Walk
   • Once I rested for a week, I slowly rebuilt my running with run/walk intervals. This allowed me to make sure I didn’t just go straight back in. It also allowed me to rebuild my form.
4. Different workouts –
   • I got back into spin at the gym. So much so I ended up buying a bike for at home! I find it really fun and challenging… it definitely gets my heart rate up!
5. Foam rolling –
   • We love to hate foam rolling, but it really does make a difference. I use both the roller and the medium massage ball for certain pain points.
6. Yoga –
   • Yoga really helps stretch and improve strength in the body. I’m still completely rubbish at it, but I enjoy it enough to carry on.
7. Magnesium oils –
   • Magnesium can help tired and aching muscles recover. I have multiple options! I use Holland & Barrett magnesium oil spray, Alive! Magnesium Shower Gel and also the Westlab bath salt soak. I find these help more than just taking it in tablet form as it soaks into the body quickly.
8. Sleep –
   • I love sleeping but I do forget that frequent early morning runs and still going to bed at half 10 can sometimes have a negative effect. I love my weekend naps!

Have you recently suffered from an injury? How did you recover?