On Friday and Saturday the calf really doesn't feel good. Stiff, tender, painful walking downstairs. Decide I must have torn it slightly. After deferring from injury last year, this send me to the bottom of the pits of despair.  There were tears, that's all I'm saying.

So naturally, I self-medicate with wine (only because alcohol is a muscle relaxant - duh). And call my physio (before the wine, I hasten to add) leaving him a "HELP MEEEEE!!!" answerphone message.

This morning, I wake up more cheerful with the calf feeling a lot better. 19 miles is scheduled but that ain't happening. Instead, I head to the pool and swim 92 lengths. Of a 33 meter pool = 1.86 miles. I didn't plan to do that many, I just kept swimming. And swimming. And swimming. By the time I got to 85 I was planning a round century, but at 92 my body said 'OK, that's it, you've had your fun'. Fair enough.

Totter home feeling really quite knackered. And then my physio calls - he can see me this afternoon! 

45 mins later I'm in unfathomable depths of pain. I've had plenty of sports massages and I am Glaswegian, we're made of tough stuff, but this is something else. In between waves of agony I fantasise about a large glass of whiskey (that'll be the Glaswegian), wonder whether anyone has passed out on a massage table before, and decide my physio must actually be a practising psychopath underneath his soft spoken, 'umming' exterior. Those slatted blinds are probable carved from the femurs of 2009 marathon no-shows. I've always found his pictures of Kenyan runners that adorn the walls slightly odd.  Now they make perfect sense.  I am merely the Sacrificial Lamb at his alter to the Running Gods.

Eventually, I am roused from my delirium as he goes to get ice to put on the calf "I've gone in a bit deep, so we don't want any inflammation".  Of course. That would spoil the flavour of the meat.

Prognosis-wise, he doesn't seem that worried. The pain could indicate a slight tear but could also be inflammation from over use. Apparently a tight band of muscle right through the calf was the route of the problem. I think I'm relieved, but that might just be because the pain has stopped.