My First Half Marathon - derailed by calf cramps
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ChrisRiches
Posts: 45 Member
Hello all;
I am 48 years old, and was a self professed couch potato until meeting my now husband 7 years ago. He is very fit and active, and really good at motivating and encouraging. Two summers ago, I decided to sign up for boot camp, in preparation for our wedding. About a year ago, I started running more regularly.
To make a long story short, I decided to sign up for a Half Marathon (The Lululemon SeaWheeze in Vancouver), and followed the training schedule almost religiously. Two weeks before the race, I ran 20km in 2 hours 19 minutes. So my goal was to do the whole race (21.1km) in under 2 hours 30 min. I felt pretty confident that I would be able to achieve this.
Last Saturday was race day. Everything seemed to be falling into place. I had the proper breakfast, brought along my electrolyte drink and energy chews. The weather was a little bit cloudy and perfect for running. I was running along enjoying myself until around the 16km mark, then it happened.
All of a sudden, both calf muscles started cramping up at the same time. I could barely run, and had to walk it out. Every time I started to run again, they would cramp up again. It was soooooo painful. So I basically hobbled along for the last 6km, finishing the race with a time of 2 hours 47 minutes. Two hours later they were still crampimg up on me.
I know I should be proud of myself, but all I feel is a great sense of disappointment. I have never had this happen before - I feel that I had addressed the things that can cause cramps - electrolytes/potassium, proper training, etc. But apparently not.
I just did a half marathon, and I honestly don't feel any sense of accomplishment. I know that is not how I should be feeling. So I went out for a run yesterday morning - 10km, no problems at all. So I don't have an injury, which I am grateful for. Same thing this morning - boot camp, no issues.
I am considering doing another race in Kelowna in about 3 weeks. It's a wine country half. And my training is still pretty fresh, so I think I could do it. My husband thinks perhaps I am a tad too competitive. But he supports me signing up if I feel I need to do this (he is so great).
Any thoughts on this? Has it happened to anyone else? Suggestions on what caused it and how to prevent it happening again? Any insight into my lack of emotion about actually doing a half marathon? Or suggestions on how to take a more positive spin on it? My brain says I should be happy, but in my heart I'm not. Lol - have I got issues? I know that's a lot of questions. Just looking for answers.
Thanks!
I am 48 years old, and was a self professed couch potato until meeting my now husband 7 years ago. He is very fit and active, and really good at motivating and encouraging. Two summers ago, I decided to sign up for boot camp, in preparation for our wedding. About a year ago, I started running more regularly.
To make a long story short, I decided to sign up for a Half Marathon (The Lululemon SeaWheeze in Vancouver), and followed the training schedule almost religiously. Two weeks before the race, I ran 20km in 2 hours 19 minutes. So my goal was to do the whole race (21.1km) in under 2 hours 30 min. I felt pretty confident that I would be able to achieve this.
Last Saturday was race day. Everything seemed to be falling into place. I had the proper breakfast, brought along my electrolyte drink and energy chews. The weather was a little bit cloudy and perfect for running. I was running along enjoying myself until around the 16km mark, then it happened.
All of a sudden, both calf muscles started cramping up at the same time. I could barely run, and had to walk it out. Every time I started to run again, they would cramp up again. It was soooooo painful. So I basically hobbled along for the last 6km, finishing the race with a time of 2 hours 47 minutes. Two hours later they were still crampimg up on me.
I know I should be proud of myself, but all I feel is a great sense of disappointment. I have never had this happen before - I feel that I had addressed the things that can cause cramps - electrolytes/potassium, proper training, etc. But apparently not.
I just did a half marathon, and I honestly don't feel any sense of accomplishment. I know that is not how I should be feeling. So I went out for a run yesterday morning - 10km, no problems at all. So I don't have an injury, which I am grateful for. Same thing this morning - boot camp, no issues.
I am considering doing another race in Kelowna in about 3 weeks. It's a wine country half. And my training is still pretty fresh, so I think I could do it. My husband thinks perhaps I am a tad too competitive. But he supports me signing up if I feel I need to do this (he is so great).
Any thoughts on this? Has it happened to anyone else? Suggestions on what caused it and how to prevent it happening again? Any insight into my lack of emotion about actually doing a half marathon? Or suggestions on how to take a more positive spin on it? My brain says I should be happy, but in my heart I'm not. Lol - have I got issues? I know that's a lot of questions. Just looking for answers.
Thanks!
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Replies
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as for signing up for the second race, I think you can probably do that. I ran two races 6 weeks apart with no problem and actually PR'd at both of them. I have two half marathons scheduled for September and my first full in October. I know your feeling. When I finished my first half I was 10-20 minutes slower than I had hoped and was very disappointed. I was still proud that I had finished one, but it really just drove me to sign up for another and another to get better
As for the leg cramping, I don't have any real suggestions, but maybe you got a little dehydrated?? If the weather isn't hot, people tend not to drink because they aren't sweating as much. just an idea?0 -
Good point - I was probably not drinking as much as I had during training. I will work on that. Thank you. 0
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Hi, I'm a half marathoner as well. The only time I've had this happen is when I have not trained enough for the distance. You are fine for 10 km, for 16 km fast but no more. Training you are fine for 21 km but with race pace you are only good till 16 km. so no worry, keep training till your calf muscles are stronger. I suggest more 21 km runs. I'm training for a marathon now and do 30 km runs, my calves hurt like crazy because I just started 30 km and am getting used to it.0
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Thank you - that also makes sense. Sometimes it's good to get objective second (and third) opinions from others. Much appreciated. 0
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P.S. Congrats on your runs and good luck with your Marathon!0
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First of all, congratulations on running the Sea Wheeze! That is a very popular race - they weren't even accepting more volunteers when I checked it out a few weeks ago. I'm sorry to hear that you experienced such a painful end to a glorious running day.
No advice from me at all - I'm just working up to my first 10k at the end of this month - but it looks like you're getting some good tips from other halfers. I'll sneak a peek at this thread every now and then, in the hopes of saving myself from a similar fate in my 10k. So far, I've been running without any water breaks; perhaps I need to change that.0 -
How old/how many miles are on your shoes? That's always how I know mine have kicked the bucket....terrible and strange calf cramps.0
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First of all, congrats on completing your first half! I understand it didn't go how you wanted, nor how you're training would indicate it would've, but you still moved yourself 13.1 miles, which is a great accomplishment.
I agree that there should be absolutely no issue with you signing up for the race in a few weeks; you're trained and the half doesn't really trash your body the way a full can, so I don't think there should be an issue with a too short recovery. As for the cramps, the typical first culprits to look at are dehydration and electrolytes. It sounds like you were taking care of these, but remember that hydration starts days before, not just the morning just before or during the race.
Just a thought... hope it helps. Good luck with your next race and Happy Running!!! :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi MoreBean13;
My shoes are about 6 weeks old (Asic Gel Nimbus). And I bought them a half size larger to accommodate my feet swelling while running. So I think I had that covered as well. I think possibly not hydrating BEFORE, as suggested by bert16.
Thank you for all the kind words and suggestions - I am starting to feel better about it already.
Another thought I just remembered - a friend of mine who ran 3 halfs in about a 6 week time frame suggested getting a massage beforehand to loosed up any tight muscles. We went about 2 days before the race. Could that possibly be the culprit? It's the only thing that was really any different.0 -
The massage may not have helped..did you get a deep tissue massage? I don't think you are suppose to get a masage within a couple weeks of a race because it releases all the toxins in your muscles and you need to drink a lot of water to flush you system, it is a possible you didn't drink enough water...I wouldnt' get a massage right before your next half
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The massage may not have helped..did you get a deep tissue massage? I don't think you are suppose to get a masage within a couple weeks of a race because it releases all the toxins in your muscles and you need to drink a lot of water to flush you system, it is a possible you didn't drink enough water...I wouldnt' get a massage right before your next half
Huh? No.0 -
A few things jump out at me:
1) Congrats
2) What did your training plan consist of? How many long runs?
3) Last long run might have been too close to your HM
4) Regular massages/foam rolling helps your muscle fibers to heal smoothly and avoid "knots"
5) Did you do anything different on HM day that you didn't do prior to your previous long runs?0 -
The massage may not have helped..did you get a deep tissue massage? I don't think you are suppose to get a masage within a couple weeks of a race because it releases all the toxins in your muscles and you need to drink a lot of water to flush you system, it is a possible you didn't drink enough water...I wouldnt' get a massage right before your next half
Huh? No.
If getting massages or foam rolling is part of you normal routine than I'm sure it wouldn't cause any problems. But if you don't typically get massages, I wouldn't recommend doing so right before a race.
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/fitness-coach/Before-My-Race-When-Should-I-Get-a-Massage.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/running_dialogue/2010/08/expert-qa-when-to-get-a-sports.html0 -
It was a relaxation massage about 2 days before. I believe the advice I was given was to go a couple of weeks before, but I hadn't been able to fit it in earlier. I explained to the massage therapist that I was running in 2 days, so she said she was careful not to go too deep. She did say she could feel a lot of tension in the calf muscles. So maybe that could have been an issue. I probably should have had more water after as well - both good points too.
Rookie mistakes. 0 -
Thank you for the links - I will read them tonight. I purchased a foam roller, but those things are going to take a little time to get used to!0
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1) Thank you.
2) Training was provided - I started about 3 months before. 3 to 4 runs per week, with 1 long run each Saturday. The last 5 long runs pre-race were: 16; 18; 19; 22.5; and 11. I also attend boot camp 2 mornings per week.
3) Last LONG run was 2 weeks before the HM. The last kind of long run was 11 km the Saturday before.
4) Just got a foam roller, so I hadn't used it prior to the race.
5) Everything on HM day was the same, except maybe a little earlier in the day (cooler and cloudy as opposed to full sun at 28 - 30 degrees).
Thank you for all the input. I still have a lot to learn. I am registering tonight for another HM in about 3 1/2 weeks. I am calling it my "Redemption Run". 0 -
if you walked the last 6k and still had a time of 20:47 then it sounds like you might have also been running a little faster than your normal pace, and your body just isn't used to that, maybe just try to consciously go just a tad bit slower next run, at least the first half then pick up the pace if you are concerned about your total time (your muscles will be good and warm then but not totally worn out)0
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It was a relaxation massage about 2 days before. I believe the advice I was given was to go a couple of weeks before, but I hadn't been able to fit it in earlier. I explained to the massage therapist that I was running in 2 days, so she said she was careful not to go too deep. She did say she could feel a lot of tension in the calf muscles. So maybe that could have been an issue. I probably should have had more water after as well - both good points too.
Rookie mistakes.
You're beliefs about running appear to have been influenced by MFP's "8 glasses a day".
Assuming that you didn't intentionally rid sodium from your system (without killing yourself), "electrolytes" have nothing to do with cramping.
Simple question - if "electrolytes" were involved in cramping, why is it that people who cramp do not have reduced electrolytes? Similarly, why would only certain muscles cramp if one's entire body was "low" on electrolytes?
Those questions are not something I thought up but they are part of the discussion of cramping that occurs in "The Lore of Running" by Dr. Tim Noakes. The best working theory is based on the fact that muscles contract and then relax. A cramp occurs when the muscle's ability to relax is impaired.
Another simple experiment that as done away with the belief is (I kid you not) pickle juice. It's very hard to study people who are having a muscle cramp - they have rapid onset, they're very painful, and they can disappear very quickly. Despite that, researchers found that a person who is having a muscle cramp will have the muscle cramp relieved by taking a small amount of pickle juice. That sounds strange but it's well documented in Noakes' book and other places (here's on report of the study - http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/phys-ed-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/?_r=0)
The other aspect is dehydration. Noakes addresses that in "The Lore" but he's written a book about it called "Waterlogged" (I haven't made the time to read much of my copy).
Most people are on the water bandwagon. And for good reason - every where we look, people are telling us to drink water. There's no medical evidence that we should drink as much water as we do but, heh, people like it and companies make a fortune selling it so why knock it?
As Waterlogged shows, runners started drinking more water when Gatorade was released. Gatorade had to convince people to buy their brand of "energy drink" (or whatever they call it) but they also had to convince people that there was a need for any kind of energy drink. They put their minds to it and they have succeeded. We are now a nation that walks around with water bottles and Gatorade.
How much water do we need when running? It's very simple - drink to thirst. Some folks do have an impaired thirst mechanism. As we get older, our ability to detect the need for water decreases so seniors need to be aware of that. In addition, some people have an impaired thirst mechanism. Other than that, medical science tells us that there no reason to drink copious amounts of water when running.
Fortunately, the tide is slowly starting to change on this. In addition to accepting the research, the American College of Sports Medicine might have gotten tired of having some folks keel over dead at the end of a marathon when those people had religiously followed the guidance to "hydrate, hydrate, hydrate".
In fact, the first chapter of Noakes' book is about a PhD who defended her thesis about the social impact of marathons and then ran Boston and died of hyponatremia…the irony being that her parents had flown to the US to see their daughter finish the race. Ugh.
Good luck with your running - see you at the finish line!0 -
Hello all;
I am 48 years old, and was a self professed couch potato until meeting my now husband 7 years ago. He is very fit and active, and really good at motivating and encouraging. Two summers ago, I decided to sign up for boot camp, in preparation for our wedding. About a year ago, I started running more regularly.
To make a long story short, I decided to sign up for a Half Marathon (The Lululemon SeaWheeze in Vancouver), and followed the training schedule almost religiously. Two weeks before the race, I ran 20km in 2 hours 19 minutes. So my goal was to do the whole race (21.1km) in under 2 hours 30 min. I felt pretty confident that I would be able to achieve this.
Last Saturday was race day. Everything seemed to be falling into place. I had the proper breakfast, brought along my electrolyte drink and energy chews. The weather was a little bit cloudy and perfect for running. I was running along enjoying myself until around the 16km mark, then it happened.
All of a sudden, both calf muscles started cramping up at the same time. I could barely run, and had to walk it out. Every time I started to run again, they would cramp up again. It was soooooo painful. So I basically hobbled along for the last 6km, finishing the race with a time of 2 hours 47 minutes. Two hours later they were still crampimg up on me.
I know I should be proud of myself, but all I feel is a great sense of disappointment. I have never had this happen before - I feel that I had addressed the things that can cause cramps - electrolytes/potassium, proper training, etc. But apparently not.
I just did a half marathon, and I honestly don't feel any sense of accomplishment. I know that is not how I should be feeling. So I went out for a run yesterday morning - 10km, no problems at all. So I don't have an injury, which I am grateful for. Same thing this morning - boot camp, no issues.
I am considering doing another race in Kelowna in about 3 weeks. It's a wine country half. And my training is still pretty fresh, so I think I could do it. My husband thinks perhaps I am a tad too competitive. But he supports me signing up if I feel I need to do this (he is so great).
Any thoughts on this? Has it happened to anyone else? Suggestions on what caused it and how to prevent it happening again? Any insight into my lack of emotion about actually doing a half marathon? Or suggestions on how to take a more positive spin on it? My brain says I should be happy, but in my heart I'm not. Lol - have I got issues? I know that's a lot of questions. Just looking for answers.
Thanks!
a BIG CONGRATULATIONS on finishing and thinking about signing up for your next!
since i've only done 1 half marathon (wine country half in VA - finished in 2:53 and quite proud of that) my only suggestion/thought is to drink more - sounds to me like you got a little too dehydrated which can happen in in cloudy perfect running weather, maybe you were a bit tense because it was your first so you cramped up. make sure you stay hydrated during the race (pretend you are at home training - do everything the same). also do not do anything new leading up to the race. nothing. don't even try new foods.
oh and if you feel good now then sign up for the wine country race - mine was amazing and i can't wait for next year!
Edited to add: last year i ran my first 10k (i know not a half) unfortunately it was a very last minute decision and ultimately i did TERRIBLE! i was so frustrated with how horrible i did the following weekend i went back and reran the course - i know it wasn't the race after i did and finished with a MUCH better time i finally felt that amazing high we all get when we do great at a race.0 -
Thank you all again for all the wonderful advice and suggestions. I just signed up for the Wine Country Half Marathon in Kelowna, and I will take all this new information into consideration.
I went out for a 10km on Monday morning (2nd day after the HM), and did just fine, so I feel like I will be ok for this next one in 3 1/2 weeks.
While I was running the half, I kept telling myself I was NEVER going to put myself through that EVER again. Friends who are runners told me after I finished this one I would want to do another one - guess they were right! I will report back on the results.
What a great bunch of people on this site. 0
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