OMG I can run.

Glad to hear your run went well. The pre-run drill can be very helpful. Don't be afraid to stop in the middle of your run and do this drill againif you feel things are falling apart a bit. I have done this MANY TIMES and found it really helps to put things back into perspective.

Bending your knees can really help to take the demand off of your calves. In your case, it can continue to prevent futher injury to your calf strain and allow healing. The key (which I am still trying to perfect) is ensuring your ankles are relaxed. Tension in the ankles seems to make its way up the legs.

Tense Ankle = Tense Calves

Relaxed Ankle = Relaxed Calves

Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton said in his book that sore calvesare not a right of passage for newbie barefoot runners, rather an indication of bad running form. I highly recommend his book. Relaxing and bending the knees to a level of awkwardness really helped my form and helped me to mitigate the level of soreness I had experienced prior to making this change.

Stories like this warm my fuzzy, little heart! Congrats and keep up the good work...er uh, fun! -TJ