I want to get back on track... muscle pain..help...

R

rainbowpugs

0
Ok so I think I need to get honest here.
I'm paying the price for my stupidity and am now feeling a whole new motivation for stretching.
I have strange logic and go about life in an odd manner.. I have ADD (inatttentive type) with co-morbid depression & palindromic rheumatism (a form of arthritis).
I have like a gym membership but have been yo-yo in motiation to use it.
On Sunday I completed my first half-marathon for a cancer charity and am feeling very proud. However I despise stretching because I get bored or just don't understand the technique of it. I did this half marathon without any training or stretching. :O I completed the half marathon in 3:22:15. Weight: 85kg Height:5'9. It's now Tuesday and my leg muscles are still aching despite having a 30 minute massage at the shopping centre today. Suprizingly no joint pain just muscle pain.
I REALLLY want advice on quick repair and how to prevent this injury/pain happening again.. because I plan to do 20km fun run on this up-coming sunday. Any tips on how to make stretching fun???
Just tips/encouragement in general would be great!
I am so happy to find a sport that gets me excited and that I REALLY enjoy. :)
Also any good running tracks?

Thanks,
Bex
 
The pain is probably just delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It's a natural muscle response caused by exercise that you're not used to. It's nothing to worry about. If it doesn't resolve in the next week, ask back.

Stretching, honestly, is hard to really make fun. If anything, do it at home in front of the TV or something. It really shouldn't take long to stretch out anyway. Just 30 seconds, twice for each muscle group. 10 - 15 minutes tops.
 
So is it bad that I have done this amount of exercise or good?

I'm feeling a lot better having a sleep after my massage and been haing radox/epsom salt baths and have come up good.. and last night i was determined to be health fanatic and got running magazines... i loled because i read in it that it said to stay away from saturated fats and alcohol when recovering muscles.. and i'm like hrmm i had fries and cider at lunch previously cause i was stressed because my muscles were sore and i really wanted to do the 20km this sunday haha.
i'm going back to no grog and junk.
anywho,
apparently like cherries and ginger work..
they said cherry juice but umm i would be worried by like the high sugar content.. so would it also still work if had a handfull ?
and in regards to ginger.. i hate the stuff.. any ideas on how to introduce it to my diet?

Thanks for the advice and support.

Furthermore,
should i be concerned about receiving massages at random shopping malls.. can they ever do damage? i was in agony when she was giving me a massage.. but i somehow logiced that maybe to a degree i had put up with it for it to get any better.
And the good news is that my family are very suppportive of my recent interest in long distance running.. mum has offered for me to get a massage tomorrow night.

AND aand... in one of my mags (a running one), i got like a poster of stretches to do before and after your run :) i will stick to this now.
 
As long as you didn't actually injure yourself, that amount of exercise is fine. The DOMS will become less recurrent and severe overtime as long as you keep your exercise regular.

Saturated fats aren't any worse for you during muscle recovery than any other time. In moderate amounts, it's never a bad thing. (Trans-fats, though, have little actual benefit in the body.) Alcohol, on the other hand, does impede on muscle recovery, so avoid that after workouts. (That wouldn't have been the cause of your pain, though.)

And as long as the person giving you a massage is trained, then it's fine. Massages are supposed to hurt. That's how you know that they're actually getting deep into the muscle and working out tension.
 
Ok some bad knews.
I never thought I would be the type to be complaining about not being allowed to exercise..
but i am.. i loved the marathon so much and the culture that came with it.. as i was running there was all different bands and djs... anywho on sunday as i said earlier i want to do a 20km run.
however my mother who is a registered div 1 nurse isn't so crash hot on the idea to say the least.
anyways,
i have been having a sore ankle.
i went to get a massage by this AWESOME lady for one hour and she reckons i have pulled a ligament in the the front part of my left ankle.
also apparently my hip joints are kinda mucked and she recommended i see a osteopath.
mum reckons if i dont let it heal it will get worse.
i'm really emo to the point of wanting to cry cause i really want to go.. i think i'm in love with the endorphins. anyways go or not go??

there are reasons to heal however-
29th - 16km hike with *my new* bush walking club
1st Sept- 13km fun run.
a some fun run in oct, sept, nov. (part of a series).


If i need to take a break.. is there something i can do for my mood so that i feel like i am still doing exercise?? ;(

gah. i love running..
 
You can definitely recover from those injuries with some sort of physical therapy. By no means does this mean you'll never run again. In the meantime, however, may I suggest cycling or swimming? They're also great for your health and don't come with the high impact that running does, so they shouldn't aggravate your injuries.
 
Thanks so much for the support and advice.

I am however rather stubborn..
and was in the 'I am gonna go as best as will be' mentality.

I had so many radox/eposom baths, ginger, protein, cherries, 1 half hour massage, 1 whole hour massage, tea.. and creams/ointments.
stretched.
and ended up running the 10km on the day.
i was smart and wore a compression sock on the ankle.
and since, the ligament has seem to have come good..
it must have been a small tear or simply the power of the mind..
i think it was the power of the mind because i was just heavily motivated to get better for the event.
i am lucky i didn't do any more damage.
gah only i wasn't to crash hot on my time.
since i'm getting into all this exercise stuff i've decided to start a blog with photos and the such of my times..
i was thinking it would be cool to put a link to it in my signature but i'm not so sure how..
btw i saw your blog it's cool :)
 
First of all there is nothing to worry about that. Although, this condition can be very painful and discomforting, yet, most of the time, it can be handled at home itself, by making use of some natural cures for pain in the calf muscles. Just try to follow my suggestions with care:

• Keep in mind that before beginning any treatment for calf muscle pain, take an elastic bandage and wrap the affected area with it. This will ensure that the affected muscles remain in one place and the injury is not aggravated.

• One of the most effective tips for relieving the pain is to apply an ice pack on the affected area. Take some ice, wrap it in a cloth and apply on the calf muscles. Repeat this process two to three times a day, for about fifteen minutes each. The extreme temperature of the ice will bring some relief from the pain. It will reduce any possible swelling as well.

• Take proper rest. Do not move around too much. Keep your leg at one place and do not strain it in any way. This will ensure that the injury does not become worse, plus there won't be any pain felt if the leg is not moved.

• Take a balanced diet, which supplies the body with the right amount of carbohydrates, calcium, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Potassium and magnesium are especially known to make the muscles healthy, so foods rich in these two minerals, such as bananas, apricots, dates, cabbage, pork, potatoes, grapefruit, broccoli and corn, should be added to the diet. If the body is healthy, the muscles will heal faster. Along with a balanced diet, make it a point to drink a gallon of water every day. As an electrolyte imbalance can lead to muscle spasms, so take a sports drink which replenishes your body with the same.

• Give your legs a massage. Take any natural oil and apply it on the affected area. Follow this up by applying pressure with your fingers, on your calf muscles, for about five minutes or so. Repeat the process a couple of times in a day. Instead of natural oil, you can make use of an analgesic balm as well, which you can easily find in any chemist store. These balms help the muscles heal and bring down soreness. Taking a warm water bath is recommended too. It will relax your muscles and bring relief from pain as well.

• Stretch your calf muscles. Simply sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Next, push your heels out and your toes towards the ceiling. Hold on to this position for about five seconds and then again come back. Do ten repetitions of this exercise every day. One caution though, before undertaking this exercise, sees to it that the swelling is gone, otherwise it can worsen the muscle injury and pain.

• Researchers have shown that the nutrient Carnitine is necessary for maintaining the muscles in a healthy state. As red meats are rich in this nutrient, so include them in the diet. Otherwise, there are tablets available in most health stores which have the same nutrient, so these can be taken up instead of red meats, as they are unhealthy.

• A natural remedy to reduce muscle swelling and soreness is to soak the affected muscles in hot water to which Epsom salts have been added. These salts draw out the wastes and toxins from the muscles, thus relieving pain and inflammation. Moreover, Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate, which is absorbed by the skin and acts as a nervous system sedative, thus relaxing the muscles in the process.

• As a precautionary measure and to ensure that such a condition does not develop again, make a routine of doing warm-ups before undertaking any kind of strenuous physical activity and ending the same with cool-down exercises. Taking rest before and after undertaking a strenuous physical activity is recommended too

Those are just simple tips you should be able to get relief at home itself. However, if the calf pain does not go away, the reason could be that you have suffered a second degree strain i.e. a lot of muscle fibers have been damaged or a third degree strain i.e. the muscle itself has gotten ruptured. In such a scenario, it is advised to consult a doctor for proper treatment.
 
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