Could be a disaster

With the marathon in Luton only two weeks away, I was out yesterday morning for a fast 13.1 miles as part of my tapering. I was running well and feeling fast and strong, happy to be clear of my recent hamstring problem at last, when I felt my calf muscle go. I was about 3 miles into my run and just stopped and yelled at the sky in frustration. 'Noooooooooooooh'!

I just can't believe it. I immediately stopped and walked the 3 miles or so back home, iced my leg and rested it for the rest of the day. This morning its still a bit sore (I certainly couldn't run on it and find going up and down stairs difficult) but has eased off considerably. I'm just hoping that it clears up in a few days rather than two weeks but it has really blown my marathon preparation. Between my ham string and my calf, the longest I've run in training for this marathon is 14 miles. Not good enough although i have the consolation of knowing that I can run a marathon and have stayed fairly consistently in training since my last marathon in June (Stockholm).

I'll keep you posted as to how it goes. Any quick fix cures for muscle tears please feel free to reply. Its a Grade 1 tear I think which is supposed to take 2-3 weeks to heal. I can't afford it to take that long.