Advice needed with calf tightness/pain...

QuintanaRooster

So I made it thru the 20 week outseason injury free and now I am in week #5 of HIM training and I am falling apart.  First it was my shoulder with swimming (still bothering me) and now I am having calf pain which seems to be getting worse.  I have an Olympic Distance race in 5 weeks and then a 1/2 IM 2 weeks later.  Not sure how to approach this.  Here is the issue with my calf:  Initially for the past couple of weeks, I'd only feel some discomfort (kinda' like a knot) in the belly of my right calf which would dissipate within the first 1/2 mile of running.  Post run I was fine without any ill effects.  Now the pain (still like a knot, feels real tight) doesn't go away at all and I even feel it with walking.  I was scheduled to do my long run (1 hr 45 min) today but I am worried that I may make matters worse.  Should I stop running all together and take some time off or just run thru the pain.  I am worried that time isn't on my side here.  Thanks in advance.

Carrie Chavez

What muscle work are you doing? Stretching? Are shoes worn out?

Need more info?

ebe4zippy

Robert,
Start with Ice...Ice your calf after exercise as best you can. I would look into a gel icepack that you can wrap an ace bandage around to keep it on you while you sleep. Start Icing evey night. You did 20 weeks of crazy hard stuff, and are now 8 weeks into a HIM plan...Take some time off that leg...skip a couple of runs and insert rides or swims if you feel you need to do something. Ask the Coaches in the Micro thread for some advice on how to change your plan. Go Get a massage and have that calf worked out. If you do not have a foam roller, get one of those so you can re-hab this at home. You can overcome this 7 weeks out, but if you wait too long, this will make your HIM a struggle and probably end up with something that takes way more than a few days to get over. You are Crazy EN fit right now, you will not lose that with a few days rest...you will lose that with tendonitis or a muscle tear/strain...I know it is hard to stop or slow down...but sometimes you need to go slow in order to go fast.
Good Luck!!!
Ebe

Steve Ross

Hi Rob sorry to hear about your calf issue. I to have similiar isues with trg and calf issues. I will soundboard Carrie's issue with the (equipment) shoes may have run there lifespan. Or is it a new shoe wrong type for your anatomy. I only use a cushion shoe due to my many knee operations. I had this issue in my 20 wk OS and shut done my running completely for 2 wks then light running for short periods x 1 week. I was then able to resume OS with marathon hack no real loss of fitness. I focused on my bike(no swimming as yet). Massage, ART,rollers, ice,and stretching to keep myself active. The  symptoms you desribe are identical to my issues to your gastrocs/soleus? There is info in the forums(search) for past members issues and  remedies. I am not a WSM but with 5 weeks before an oly focus on getting that calf issue under control before it becomes a chronic issue with extended downtime and no racing. I hope this helps in your decision making process, cheers Steve

ironfrench

Hi Robert,
I struggle with tightness in my soleus muscle. If I do not stretch or use trigger point/massage on it I develop Achilles issues. Before I join EN i bought the Trigger Point Foot and Lower Leg Kit and use it 4-5 times a week. It works great but you can use a roller and 2 tennis balls and achieve the same results and save $$. There is a great resource in the WIKI 'BuildingYourBodyMaintenanceRoutine_Final.pdf' which you can find under 2011 Maintenance Workouts at the top of the page in the 3/15/11 Update box.
Brian

Tom Glynn

I get really tight calves as I ramp up training, usually once a year or so. I typically ditch shoes if they have more than 200 miles on them, get out the rollers and Trigger Point stuff, and then head off to a local chiropractor for a couple of sessions to really work my legs over.

Respond back to Carrie, her advice is always good!

Tom

QuintanaRooster

Hi Carrie,

Could you elaborate what you mean in your question "what muscle work are you doing?"

I do a stretching routine post run when time permits (lately has been a priority).  I am doing specific stretching for gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. 

My shoes have right around 300 miles on them so I will go to a new pair now.

The only other thing that has changed is did my first ride on my new bike this past Saturday.  Up until then I'd only get the pain in my calf for the first 1/2 mile or so of running then it would go away.  I did a 57 mile bike and then a 2 mile transition run but had no pain on Saturday.  I ran 7 miles on Sunday a.m. and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  Monday was an off-day to recover and then yesterday I did a 4 mile tempo run.  My calf hurt the entire time and then felt like knot in my calf all day at work.  Today it is still there but not as severe.  I took today off from all training.  Been stretching and foam rollering and taking ibuprofen.  Wondering if I should forgo the long run this week.

Thanks!

Robert

Leigh Boyle

@ Rob- I'd get the calf/leg dug out with a sports massage. It's money well spent and will produce results far faster than a few minutes stretching/rolling at home.

If you had the time to really tone things down training wise I would say keep after it with the roller, stretching, IB regiment, but with races looming and OS fitness under your belt, the massage will be the fastest recovery.

Make sure they get the whole leg- bottom of the foot, up the calf into the hamstrings, hip and low back. Get the whole leg chain in other words. Injured calf = tightness/restrictions elsewhere in the chain.

Following that massage- you need to ice and be dilligent about daily stretching so that things don't stiffen back up on you.

Norton

Another angle: the cleat placement on your cycling shoe. I struggled chronically with calf pain in the spring until heeding Bjorn Andersson's advice to move my cleats back as far as possible. This fixed me right up! It works by unloading your calf muscles while cycling, saving those babies for the run.

QuintanaRooster

Thanks Leigh.  Update here:  I took 1 week off from running as it seemed like I was making great progress with the lay-off and home therapy.  I did a 6 mile tempo run on Tuesday.  The calf (usual spot high up) was a little tight for the first 1/2 mile then things loosened up and I had a great relatively pain free run.  I went to work and all felt good.  The next a.m. I woke up and had a relocation of the pain right over the back of the heel where the achilles tendon inserts.  Very stiff after inactivity and quite tender to touch.  This is much different than the pain I was experiencing higher up.  Any different advice? 

QuintanaRooster

Getting worse, now even cycling seems to make the heel hurt. The heel feels like it's on fire. 20 weeks of EN OS and 6 weeks of 1/2 IM build and now I get injured. The way things are going I fear I'll be bailing on St. Anthony's and FL 70.3 next month. I did schedule a sports massage for this coming Wednesday. Hopefully she can work wonders on me.

gsadleriii

Robert - I've had almost exactly the same issues in my right calf. Still have a serious knot in the soleus under the meaty part of the gastroc. Its' not acted up on the bike so far, just running. After my long run this past week it moved as well to the achillies tendon insertion point above my heel bone (still have the knot and pain in my calf). I've been working with a local therapist who's been doing ART (reco from the group...thank you!) as well as some electro stim and strengthening exercises for muscle imbalances (my glutes were week on that side causing my hams to lock up which puts strain on the calf). I've dialed down my runs to Z1 work only. Also doing trigger point therapy at home. It's not gone yet but we're making progress in the right direction and hope to have it under control before IMUT in five weeks. Hope some of this helps in your quest for solution.

QuintanaRooster

Thanks George, sure sounds like we both have the same problem.  I may try and run again tomorrow but just do Z1 work like you are doing.  I am doing home trigger point as well as the foam roller and will be going to a sports massage therapist this coming Wednesday.  Also going to start doing eccentric calf raises as recommended by others who have had similar issues.  I hope you get yours worked out by IMUT.  It's probably a little easier for me to fake a half IM than for you to fake a full IM

Chris M.

 George, Robert- I have the same thing going on.  Three weeks ago, halfway into a 12 mile run, I got a painful charlie-horse type pain in my calf.  Continued the run then took a week off from running.  I did an easy hour on the treadmill and it just felt a little tight.  Two weeks after the initial injury I did a half marathon PR and it felt fine, just a little tight.  Three days after that, I was doing a 30 minute brick and it started hurting again.  

New shoes?  I'm approaching 500 miles.  Stretching, ice, IBU, roller...HIM the weekend of May 22 and I'm getting concerned.

gsadleriii

ART is helping some. Pain has shifted to just behind the achillies tendon on my right calf (with swelling...cramping in muscle belly is almost gone). But now left side has flared up. Added Motrin to the mix this weekend to get the swelling under control. Don't think shoes are the issue, but I did change them out. Think this is my body reacting to too large of an increase in intensity (I did nothing but Long Slow Distance last year before joining EN). My plan is to manage thru IMUT in three weeks. Then I'm taking the rest of May off from running (x-training) and heavy focus on therapies (stretch, rolling, glute exercises, etc). I'll also add some P.O.S.E. method form work in May.

I think the POSE method shift is what I need to hold it together once I get the calves to relax. I'll focus on running form Jun-Jul and then start up EN type run training Aug for my next A-race in Oct. At least that's the plan as of today.

Chris/Robert - wishing you the best in your recovery. There is an answer...just may be individual...keep at it!