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Aerobic, Anaerobic and muscle soreness? (Read 647 times)

    I got a question regarding my muscle soreness.

     

    Last Sunday I ran 15 miles. I planned to run aerobic easy pace. My judgement was my chest/lung feeling. I did 8 miles MP which my chest/lung was comfortably easy. However, my calves were quite sore at the end of the run. I had to reduce the pace on the last mile to avoid my left hamstring pull injury.

     

    My question is:

     

    if I could possibly use the anaerobic capacity to run even when I hardly felt anything on my chest/lung. I think when the lactate accumulated too much, the legs get tired and sore.

     

    Or is it just my calves not strong enough and still require development?

     

    By the way, my quads are not sore at all. I always have the calves soreness issue.

    5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08  (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)

      I got a question regarding my muscle soreness.

       

      Last Sunday I ran 15 miles. I planned to run aerobic easy pace. My judgement was my chest/lung feeling. I did 8 miles MP which my chest/lung was comfortably easy. However, my calves were quite sore at the end of the run. I had to reduce the pace on the last mile to avoid my left hamstring pull injury.

       

      My question is:

       

      if I could possibly use the anaerobic capacity to run even when I hardly felt anything on my chest/lung. I think when the lactate accumulated too much, the legs get tired and sore.

       

      Or is it just my calves not strong enough and still require development?

       

      By the way, my quads are not sore at all. I always have the calves soreness issue.

      You're thinking too much.  Lactate accumulation or anaerobic training is not the only source of muscle soreness.  Particularly calf soreness can develop simply on slippery surface.  "Strength" of your calves got nothing to do with whether it gets sore or not either.  It is possible, as a matter of fact, that, thinking you'd need to strengthen your calves, if you've been doing too much of whatever the strength training you may be doing could tighten up your calves too much and make it more susceptible to soreness.  You need to develop SUPPLE muscles, not bulky tight muscles.

        You need to develop SUPPLE muscles, not bulky tight muscles.

         

        Thanks Nobby. Can you explain more about how to develop supple muscles?

        5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08  (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)

           

          Thanks Nobby. Can you explain more about how to develop supple muscles?

           

           

          Nobby's advice is good on this point. I'm not him, but for calves, I'm finding it's important to keep them loose, flexible and as un-knotted as possible (maybe what Nobby means by "supple'). This means moving, stretching and working them throughout the day. To Nobby's point on suppleness versus bulkiness: Eccentric calf raises won't make your calves bulky (I don't think), but they're an important exercise for keeping them loose and strong.

          "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

            David,

             

            I looked at your log. This 15 mile run was at a 7:45 pace. That's the fastest run and the longest run you've completed in the last two weeks. Maybe it's just that you were feeling great but actually pushing your body to a tempo run rather than the easy run you set out to do. A 15 mile tempo run probably would make your legs a bit sore.

              I will put Eccentric calf raises into my cross workout schedule.

               

              dpar, you may be right. Generally I pace myself according to my breathing. For the tempo run, I definitely can feel my breathing up one level from easy. On my level, I don't think I am able to run tempo for 8 miles. 4 was hard enough when I did on last Tuesday.

               

              As Nobby mentioned as well, I might have done too much. The Sunday before I ran 11 miles on a hilly course. My calves were not fully recovered, then Tuesday did 4 miles tempo, then Thursday I ran 9 miles on less hilly but still several steep hills to climb. That didn't help recovery either.

               

              The marathon I am planning to run is quite hilly. I probably try too much hilly run in the last couple weeks. I will alternate my training courses in the next couple weeks.

              5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08  (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)

                15 w/ 8 @ MP is a fairly challenging workout--especially if you're a newer runner.  In my opinion and (very limited) experience, if the soreness is symmetrical, just take it easy for a while.  If the soreness is asymmetrical, you might have a deeper issue.

                "When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." 
                Emil Zatopek

                  15 w/ 8 @ MP is a fairly challenging workout--especially if you're a newer runner.  In my opinion and (very limited) experience, if the soreness is symmetrical, just take it easy for a while.  If the soreness is asymmetrical, you might have a deeper issue.

                   

                  Symmetrical.

                  5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08  (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)

                  bojangles


                    Maybe I read your original post wrong, but did you imply you ran your whole 15 mile run on your "anaerobic capacity"?

                      Maybe I read your original post wrong, but did you imply you ran your whole 15 mile run on your "anaerobic capacity"?

                       

                      No. I was questioning if I ran 8 miles MP pace too fast which led to anaerobic run. But I think from other guys' analysis my soreness was accumulated from the previous trainings.

                      5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08  (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)

                      Coastal


                        Sounds like you hit it pretty hard and that is why you are sore.

                        MrNamtor


                          fwiw, whenever i run farther than usual, my calves will often have a slight soreness. On the other hand, whenever I run faster than usual, I feel it in my quads


                          RunsWithDog

                            fwiw, whenever i run farther than usual, my calves will often have a slight soreness. On the other hand, whenever I run faster than usual, I feel it in my quads

                             

                            This is funny. I feel it in my calves when I run faster than usual. Roll eyes

                            I only feel it in my quads if I do an unusually lengthy hill run or if I ran so long and so hard that everything hurts. Roll eyes

                            PRs: 10k 57:30, HM 2:11:12, Full 5:02:57

                            Next Up: HM 1/6/13 & Marathon #3 3/24/13

                            Training Plan Right Now: Hansons Brothers Beginner Marathon Plan