The correct answer is: I don't know.
My calf issues is definitely the same issues that's arise before. I've taken off last week and plan to take off this week at least until the weekend. The schedule calls for a 10 mile run on Saturday and then 20 miles on Sunday. According to the schedule, this would be my last 20 mile run (or in my case, my last attempt at 20 before Hyannis), the last three weeks have progressively fewer miles leading up to the marathon - the taper.
I've been using ultrasound therapy on my calf for about a week and I really think it's made a difference. If, as I suspect, the recurrence of this injury is related to built up scar tissue in the calf, this should be effective in reducing that. The first time this injury occurred, it took about two weeks to heal up, the second time took closer to three. I'm not really sure why it took longer to heal the second time around, but it may be because my calf didn't fully heal the first time around - although one has to wonder how I would have been able to run all those miles, including a 19 mile run, between the second and this last injury if it indeed did not heal up fully. It may be that this scar tissue just persisted and it was just a matter or time, or may be my calf was stressed just the right way when running on snow and ice covered roads on the Sunday before the injury occurred (January 21st).
As I see it, my options are as follows:
1) Attempt to run the 20 miles this Sunday, with a few miles on Saturday if not the whole ten to prep for it.
2) Throw out the schedule, continue to rest for another week, and run the 20 miles the following weekend (February 11th or 12th), with maybe a few miles before to prep the legs. I would still get my two week taper in before the race.
3) Switch to the half marathon and just rest longer. I'm not concerned about not being able to finish a half marathon.
4) Just forget the whole thing and move on.
The smart thing would probably be the latter, but I'm not quite ready to call it quits right now, and I'm not all that interested in running the half marathon - I think I'd have a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and just wouldn't enjoy it - that be especially true if I did run the half and felt I could have kept going.
The goal is to make it to the Hyannis Marathon and complete the marathon, with all things considered, option #2 seems to be the best chance I have to reach that goal. On the other hand, my calf is feeling a lot better today and might be set to go this coming Saturday/Sunday. I suppose one other option would be to blend options 1 and 2, I could try a few miles this weekend, run some light miles during next week, then attempt the 30 miles on the weekend of February 12th. If I run this weekend, I'll know right away if the calf is not ready, that's is how it's gone before. I'll continue to do the ultrasound therapy, stretching, and Epsom salt's soak, and try to get in some weight training for the legs too.
So, I still don't know, and I guess I really won't until the the middle of February.
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