King of Pain

Can I tell you why I haven't ran (or biked) since Thursday? Well, it is because I got the worst. charlie horse. ever. on Thursday night. Thursday nights are swim nights. It was a good night, because Hairy Spaz was not there flapping around and running us all over. At the very end of practice, the coach had us swim down to one end and then back, each time counting our strokes. As I pushed off the wall to swim back down the pool, I gave myself a mondo charlie horse in my right calf muscle. I am talking about the worse charlie horse of my life. I have gotten charlie horses plenty of times before, but I must say this was the all time worst. I immediately stopped swimming (luckily no one was behind me - I think) and managed to get out of the pool, whereby I could not put an ounce of pressure on my right leg. I hobbled on one leg to the hot tub, hoping the hot water would release the giant knot that had seized up in my calf muscle. And it did help. But stupid me, as I go to get out, I put pressure on the leg and it seized up again. So back into the hot tub I went.

I managed to hobble my way home that night, but the pain in the calf muscle did not go away. Seriously, it lasted for a whole 4 days! Never have I had charlie horse pain last that long - usually the muscle seizes up in the middle of the night when I am sleeping, I rub it out as I yelp in pain, and then I go back to bed with no traces of the charlie horse the next morning. But not this time. Even my trusty, orange foam roller didn't help.

Thus, I thought it wise that I not run until the pain went away. And I can't say I felt TOO bad about not running or biking this weekend. No, not so bad at all. But with the pain in my calf muscle gone, I am back out tonight for (hopefully) a 4 miler.

Here's hoping to no more charlie horses!