Is it time to freak out yet?

Last long run - Sunday, in New Balance Minimus WR00. Today is Thursday and my calves are still upset. Should I start freaking out now? I did R.I.C.E every day, then applied Voltaren Emulgel for 2 days and now switched to Tiger Balm. I missed my Wednesday run because there was too much pain and tightness in my calves to be comfortable running, but I hope the pain to be gone completely by Friday night or Saturday so I can squeeze in a last 30min run before the marathon. It's getting there, but it's taking its time.

A few things that I learned from this experience:
- my pain threshold is much higher than I thought, or maybe the endorphins are masking it pretty well when I run
- no matter how much I thought I was going to be ok, trying a new pair of shoes 1 week before the marathon was a risky move
- no matter how much I thought I knew myself, I still managed to become my worst enemy
- you can never predict how long it will take your body to recover when faced with something completely new, even though it felt completely natural
- even if you change your running strike, cushioned shoes are still absorbing a hell lot of shock compared to minimalist shoes
- minimalist shoes are the next step for me, but I know that a whole new transition will be necessary, in which I will need to grow more muscle in key places.

By the way, I found a great article on the "dangers" of going barefoot, I think everyone who envisions to go minimalist or barefoot should give it a read.

Do I regret having tried? Not at all - not yet anyway. I think I am going to be ok for the marathon, and thankfully my ingrown nail and blisters have healed nicely, but this whole ordeal definitely tested the limits of my patience. I know I will finish the marathon, may not be my best time given the rain and 50km/h winds predicted by the weather gods, but all I hope right now is that the pain won't come at least for 30km in the race, so I can enjoy and celebrate the day.