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Cycling with a half healed calf?

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Winded Sep 2014 7:51pm, 1 Sep 2014 2,258 posts	Quote Pin Winded I mostly bike at the moment but I ran on the 25th and tore my calf a bit in a 5k, not too badly, I could run the last half mile just shortening my stride & limping a bit. One week on I can walk about without too much of a problem and do heel raises etc. I can feel it when I stretch. I've had this injury before; it is caused by me having a wonky shorter leg after childhood accident and a twisted outwards pronating foot or maybe not warming up or trying to stretch out my unwarmed legs on a steep downhill after a few miles - what causes it is a bit of a mystery to me. Experience suggests that I should do nothing for one week (done) - go for some walks in weeks 2/3 and jog about a bit in weeks 3/4. - but that experience is for running. I should also have iced it lot but a combination of having to sit in a car and cba meant that I didn't. I have a sportive on Sunday, 13 days after injury. I was going to do the 95 mile option which would have been within my fitness level but am a bit uncertain now, they also have 61 and 47 mile options. If I get on a bike in a day or two and it feels ok should I be ok to ride? Should I try 30 or 40 miles tomorrow to see how it feels or would I be better off leaving it another couple of days, should I ride but stick to one of the short routes? Is it just a BAD IDEA?
K9 Sep 2014 8:07pm, 4 Sep 2014 809 posts	Quote Pin K9 I've torn my calf cycling before - when I stood up out of the saddle to get up a steep hill... So - if your sportive is hilly and you'll need to stand up to pedal, then it may not be a great idea. I'd test it gently before hand and see how it feels - you'll know if it's a non-starter
Yorkshire Pie Sep 2014 8:17pm, 4 Sep 2014 12,267 posts	Quote Pin Yorkshire Pie 3 years ago I was just getting into cycling and entered my first 100 miler. On the thursday before it (ride on sunday) I tore my calf running. I rode the sportive and was fine even though I couldn't run for a month or so. The key seemed to be staying in the saddle and spinning as easily as possible. But it was a relatively flat ride so that was possible!
Winded Sep 2014 10:53pm, 4 Sep 2014 2,278 posts	Quote Pin Winded Hmmm, I've been out yesterday and today - not huge distance and flat but it seems fine, not hilly. I think I'll be ok, I will try not to stand on hills.
Derby Tup Sep 2014 11:00pm, 4 Sep 2014 12,339 posts	Quote Pin Derby Tup I tore a calf good and proper a few years ago and didn't run a step for a month. I did go mountain biking and hill walking (relatively gently) and was fine. Good luck!
Winded Sep 2014 5:25pm, 6 Sep 2014 2,291 posts	Quote Pin Winded The event on Sunday was today, Saturday! Luckily someone told me yesterday so I turned up. The leg was fine, in fact I had a few niggles from other bits of my legs but not my right calf - probably just comes from (over)thinking about them.