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Calf strain (Read 76 times)

Jae_em


    Hi there

    I’m I am a marathon and half marathon distance runner. I recently have started to experience calf pain while tying to correct some running form issues. The pain starts from the outside of my calf almost the entire length of the muscle. It went away and then it has come back. I am looking for treatment and preventive measures to take in the future if anyone has any suggestions that would be really helpful!!!!!


    SMART Approach

      If changing your running form you are likely stressing different areas of your body and in this case your calves. Analyze if you really need to change your running form. If you want to do this,  practice in stretches vs committing to it full time. Let your body adapt to the new stresses gradually. With any ache or injury, knowing the cause is the key to your treatment.

      Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery

      Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training

      Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique

      www.smartapproachtraining.com

      Jae_em



        hey there thanks for the advice!!! Ye I feel that I want to commit to correcting these imperfections in my form and I feel that It is definitely a catalyst of this pain. I’m going to rest to for 7-10 days because I have been trying to rush it back and it keeps flaring up soo I’m going to take your advice and I’m going to take the recovery process seriously and not rush it...once there is zero discomfort. When coming back I feel I should gradually build my mileage back with corrected form? Let me know if that sounds like a good plan? Again thanks a bunch for the advice and insight!!!

        darkwave


        Mother of Cats

          Hi there

          I’m I am a marathon and half marathon distance runner. I recently have started to experience calf pain while tying to correct some running form issues. The pain starts from the outside of my calf almost the entire length of the muscle. It went away and then it has come back. I am looking for treatment and preventive measures to take in the future if anyone has any suggestions that would be really helpful!!!!!

           

          A question - how did you confirm you have a running form issue, and how did you determine how to correct it?

           

          (for the record, my guess is that you believe you are a heel striker and that you are trying to convert to a forefoot strike by forcing yourself to touchdown forefoot first, and you are developing some peroneal muscle/tendon pain as a result.  My hunch is that you are also working to correct this form issue on your own, since if you were working with a PT or similar, you'd be asking that person this question, rather than posting here).

           

          My humble opinion, based on experience and observation, is that one should not try to change their running form themselves, based on what they've read in a book or magazine or heard on a podcast.

           

          For one thing, there is no ideal running form.  We all have different bodies, with different proportions of femur to tibia, different hip sockets, differently shaped feet, etc.  And very few people, if any are symmetric.  The ideal running form for one person may look very different from that for another, due to these differences (and heelstriking is a big example of this - some runners run best striking further back on the foot - I'm one of them).  Working with an expert who can observe you helps you differentiate between flaws that actually need to be fixed and "flaws" that are really just your gait as modified to work best for your body.

           

          Second, what we think we are doing with our bodies when running can be very different from what we are actually doing with our bodies when running.  Working with a knowledgeable outside eye is best for that reason.

           

          Third, the best way to fix a running form issue is generally with a combination of exercises outside of running (to train new muscle memory) and thinking about form cues while running.  Just trying to change your running form while running doesn't do the job - at best it's ineffective and makes you slower, it can also get you hurt..   Developing that combination of exercises and cues requires an expert who can tailor them to your body and advise you how to transition.

           

          [if my guess is totally wrong, and you're working with a PT or similar on an ongoing basis for this running form issue, then I apologize.  But I'll leave this here anyway in case someone else finds my opinion interesting]

          Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

           

          And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

          Jae_em


            All valid and most all correct point and assumptions! I plan on consulting a PT as soon as the current world health crisis has calmed down but you are correct and i have taken a lot of your points isn’t consideration and while I recover I will reassess how to proceed

            Jae_em


              ....and thank you for your advice and input it’s greatly appreciated

              Christirei


                I worked with a PT last summer to change my strike from heel striking to mid foot...it took several months, and it was agonizing on my calves, they were constantly sore and ached for a month, to me it felt like i was one one thousand weight calf raises a day, and i was only running about two miles a day while i made the switch. but then....it gradually got better. in the meantime i used calf sleeves after i ran, i foam rolled all day long, and i used a ball for deeper massage. my feet also had to get used to the change and i had to (and still do) roll the balls of my feet and stretch my feet after every run

                 

                good luck

                  It's ok to heel strike as long as your foot lands under your body and in line with your knee. In fact letting your heel touch down will take load off your Achilles and calves.

                  55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

                  " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

                  Somewhere in between is about right "      

                   

                  Martin4324


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                    Akashbro120


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                      harvey2787


                        Calf pain is the one that mostly affect the beginners. Reasons are not doing stretching before workout and lack of proper techniques.