Aches and pains

After last night's success, comes the inevitable, pain.

I've tried and tried to get my warm down and stretching right so I don't spend the next day looking like I'm walking on hot coals.

Apparently, it's caused by the soleus muscle, which runs between the two heads of the big calf muscle, taking a beating - because it acts first when you use your calf muscles.

I have no idea what that means, but it uses terminology like "soleus" and "two heads" that sounds like it could have been said by a doctor, so who am I to question it?!

It's basically caused by overuse. So to help, people recommend icing the area immediately after running.

Now I'm still a relative newbie to this running thing, but I'm confident enough to assume they don't mean I need to start decorating my leg like a wedding cake.

Much as I don't have icing sugar to hand at home, I don't have ice either - it's January!

I might have the occasional choc ice or Cornetto in the freezer, but the thought of putting them on my leg after a run seems both wasteful, and somewhat seedy.

Since prevention is better than cure, and I have an unnatural suspicion of all medication so don't do painkillers, I need to get the stretching right.

Apparently I need to do wall pushups religiously. These involve standing about three feet from a wall, feet at shoulder width and flat on the ground, with your hands on the wall with your arms straight for support. You then lean your hips forward and bend your knees slightly to stretch your calves.

Sounds good yes?

Two problems.

I warm down outside my house, which is on a fairly busy main road. I would look a right tit doing these.

Also, I live in a bungalow made mainly of windows, and don't actually have an exterior wall to lean on at the front!

So, if you happen to be in the Chertsey area, expect to see a pale northerner being laughed at by passing pedestrians/traffic as he falls through the glass on the front of his house.

But at least the multiple lacerations should detract from the calf pain.