RunningAHEAD - Topic: Tight calf/sore achilles

Monkey Bunny

posted: 5/15/2008 at 8:14 PM

Had a calf tighten up on Tuesday. I managed the calf but now the achilles is pretty sore. I know stretching is the worst thing for the achilles, but the calf remains pretty tight. How can I loosen up one body part (the calf) but not overstretch the Achilles? The only thing I can think of is the Stick? I like the Emoticons. We need one for "WTF".

2008 Goals

Run Jax Bank 12/21/08 under 4 minutes (1st marathon)
5K 23.99
10K 50.40
1/2 1:52
Manage injuries so I can stick to training plan
Make healthy food choices

ChknWingy

Oh Mighty Wing

posted: 5/15/2008 at 8:16 PM

I stretch my calf and achilles... I didn't know you could over stretch your achilles!!

C-R

posted: 5/15/2008 at 9:17 PM

Quote from ChknWingy on 5/15/2008 at 8:16 PM:

I stretch my calf and achilles... I didn't know you could over stretch your achilles!!

You can and thats why you should do gentle stretches that you feel in the muscle and not the tendon - per my PT. Stick works great. Try self pressure point massage on the soleous. Worked and works well for me. Careful with this one as it can become a major problem (personal experience)

"He conquers who endures" - Persius
"Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel

http://ncstake.blogspot.com/

ChknWingy

Oh Mighty Wing

posted: 5/16/2008 at 7:40 AM

carmel - did you have Stimpy before or was that someone else? because that would just be a weird coincidence to have two Ren&Stimpy throwbacks at the same time. I stretch often my calves but only ones my PT gave me so maybe that's why I didn't know the difference... I don't ever feel it in my tendon.

C-R

posted: 5/16/2008 at 10:07 AM

Quote from ChknWingy on 5/16/2008 at 7:40 AM:

carmel - did you have Stimpy before or was that someone else? because that would just be a weird coincidence to have two Ren&Stimpy throwbacks at the same time.

Guilty as charged with my favorite cartoon.

"He conquers who endures" - Persius
"Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel

http://ncstake.blogspot.com/

AKFlyer

posted: 5/17/2008 at 2:25 PM

I struggled for years with tight calves/achilles and associated injuries, but now that has all gone away with the following warm up exercise prior to every run. 1. Find something to lean against as if you were going to stretch your calf. 2. Rest the tip of your toe (one leg at a time) on the ground behind you as if you were going to kick a hole into the ground. 3. Completely relax the leg. 4. Roll your ankle in big circles through the entire range of motion using your toe as the pivot point 5. Change directions and continue until the ankle feels loose. These ankle rolls (what I call them anyway) have taken all the tightness out of my lower leg and has reduced my injuries to nothing in that area. Good luck.

Monkey Bunny

posted: 5/17/2008 at 8:55 PM

Ankle rolls - very simple but effective. thanks!

2008 Goals

Run Jax Bank 12/21/08 under 4 minutes (1st marathon)
5K 23.99
10K 50.40
1/2 1:52
Manage injuries so I can stick to training plan
Make healthy food choices

slaptear2

De-slacking in progress

posted: 5/17/2008 at 9:52 PM

Quote from AKFlyer on 5/17/2008 at 2:25 PM:

I struggled for years with tight calves/achilles and associated injuries, but now that has all gone away with the following warm up exercise prior to every run. 1. Find something to lean against as if you were going to stretch your calf. 2. Rest the tip of your toe (one leg at a time) on the ground behind you as if you were going to kick a hole into the ground. 3. Completely relax the leg. 4. Roll your ankle in big circles through the entire range of motion using your toe as the pivot point 5. Change directions and continue until the ankle feels loose. These ankle rolls (what I call them anyway) have taken all the tightness out of my lower leg and has reduced my injuries to nothing in that area. Good luck.

Just came here looking for the same answer- had my first big hill run today and that's the first time I had the achilles tightness/pain. Works good

started running @ age 48 [lost 70#+, quit a 30 year pack/day habit>> ran HM] Ran a few years then quit. Gained 70#+ back and smoking like before. Time to get healthy again @ 52 years over with the C25K program and beyond again. RE-start date 1-13-14

mounteverest

posted: 5/18/2008 at 11:17 AM

I struggled a couple of years with a left Achilles injury and basically solved the problem by stretching my hamstrings; the calve is associated below the hamstring and so a tight hamstring will pull on the calve which then pulls on the Achilles. Along the same line, I now use the stick and do all sorts of stretches on lower back and glutes because they all are sequenced up the same side and I am trying to avoid imbalances and don't want everything so tight that my Achilles takes the heat because its the weakest link. That all said, the final piece of the equation is the shoe, I don't want a soft heel, and had to dump my Asci Nimbus in the trash because they were allowing my heel to sink some which was stretching my Achilles and on long runs and I would get pain everytime. Its unfortunate because my Asci Nimbus V was my favorite shoe of all time, and then Asci changed it, but it was an extremely comfortable shoe.

RunCheffyRun

posted: 5/18/2008 at 1:17 PM

I have also found that my foam roller does really good on tight calves. Plus your arms get a good work out, sort of like doing dips while rolliing your calf. It seemed to really break up the knotts in my calves, and really helped with sore shins when I was just getting back into regular training. Good Luck!

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Tight calf/sore achilles (Read 1541 times)