Calf Pain/tightness

For a few weeks I’ve had a super tight calf muscle. I was able to run, but it just felt like it was full of knots and super tight. A few weeks ago I did a 12 mile long run and it felt tight after the run, but then a few hours later I could barely walk. My whole calf/shin area was super stiff and in pain.

I took about 10 days off and I’ve slowly started running short distances. It feels much better but I still feel some tightness when I run and after I run.

I’m feeling very discouraged and I have had to take two weeks off for different injuries and I really want to feel strong in my training!

I planned to try acupuncture later this week and I have been doing heat/cold compress. But I don’t know what else to do!! Do I stop running, or do I keep running slowly? I feel like I need to start building mileage before the race 😫