Leg Injuries Get In the Way

I'm an eternal optimist. It's what I do. I see the glass as half full, I see a steep hill as an opportunity to run down instead of up, and I refuse to believe whatever is wrong with my left calf muscle is something serious. Due to my lack of medical insurance, I guess we will never know. I do know that my last three or four runs were really painful. My last run on Monday, a six-miler, has done quite a number.

So what is wrong? My calves have been cramping up and swelling pretty bad as soon as the ASICS hit the pavement, but it usually goes away after the first mile or two. Now my left one is sort of stuck swollen and it feels like someone is inside my leg with a tiny drill going up and down the length of my calf, if that makes sense. I walk like an 80 year old woman recovering from a shark attack... or arthritis or something.

I took Tuesday and Wednesday off and it's getting a little bit better. A very little bit. So what do you guy think I should do? Power through it? Take a week off? Permanently sew an ice bag to my leg? Quit running and pursue my even bigger dreams of becoming the world's fattest woman?

I'm scheduled for a seven mile run this coming Sunday. I am also scheduled for a 5k race the following Sunday. I'm no quitter.

So basically I'm asking, what the crap am I gonna do? Are there any sports medicine doctors out there reading this that think I'm just precious enough to see/fix me for free? Anyone know of a good starter plan for someone looking to be sedentary and gain like 500 lbs?

Thanks.