Pain from running?? Advice Needed

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soldiergrl_101
soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,206 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been running for about a month now. I started at about 4.8mph for 10 minutes, and now thanks to interval training and a steady increase in speed I run for about 40 minutes at speeds as high as 7.0mph.

But the past 4 days my calves hurt really badly, to the point where merely standing or walking at a slow pace hurts them. Its right in the back of my calve

Im trying to figure out if this is normal, what caused it and if anyone knows a remedy. Should I keep running, is it just a tightened muscle pain or something more serious? What do you think

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    No specific advice but I assume that your treadmill running. I'm sure there was a post the other week about something similar it may be worth doing a forum search
  • jerbsod
    jerbsod Posts: 48
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    hey I was going to go for my 20 km daily ride this morning, legs had 0 power I just had a rest day, If you exercise a lot you must include recovery days or you pay for it .
    just let muscles heal up then ease back into it.
    its simply fatigue due to overreaching.
  • EvaStrange
    EvaStrange Posts: 59 Member
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    Aches like that are often a sign of some vitamin/mineral deficiency or other, particularly if you exercise a lot and restrict your diet at the same time. In my case, pain in the leg muscles usually means magnesium deficiency. It disappears overnight as soon as I take a supplement and/or eat more. Try and give it a shot? You can't do much wrong with magnesium (and maybe iron) supplements. :)
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
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    I have been running for about a month now. I started at about 4.8mph for 10 minutes, and now thanks to interval training and a steady increase in speed I run for about 40 minutes at speeds as high as 7.0mph.

    But the past 4 days my calves hurt really badly, to the point where merely standing or walking at a slow pace hurts them. Its right in the back of my calve

    Im trying to figure out if this is normal, what caused it and if anyone knows a remedy. Should I keep running, is it just a tightened muscle pain or something more serious? What do you think

    Be really careful. I ended up with torn muscles in my calves earlier this year and had to spend two months on crutches.

    Speak to a physio or even just a trainer and get advice because sometimes the things that seem to be sensible to deal with the pain will be the same things that will crock you up really badly.
  • sanfly
    sanfly Posts: 207 Member
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    Also, I've never had it so not sure on the specific symptoms, but research compartment syndrome - your doctor or physio should be easily able to diagnose this
  • steve2kay
    steve2kay Posts: 194 Member
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    I have no real answer, more just general information about my experience.

    If you're new to running your body is getting used the jolting and bashing that involved - so don't get too carried away and go too far or too fast.
    How often are you running? I found that could run most days but if I did intervals one day I had to do a slow recovery run (heart rate less than 150bpm for me) the next or I'd really ache. Many people prefer a rest day - I was happy to have a slow recovery run the next day (sometimes I'd even have to walk to keep my HR down).

    I also find that if I don't warm up and cool down properly I feel it more the next day - I normally just walk for 3 minutes while getting my music and hrm sorted out - I also walk 3 minutes at the end.
    Also my right hamstring gets really tight so I've been taking more care to stretch afterwards - normally I just want to jump straight in the shower so I'm having to stop myself and have a proper stretch.

    Good luck
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Don't keep running! Rest your calf for now. It will heal. I pulled something in my calf once, and i kept running, thinking it wasn't that bad. Big mistake! That hurt for weeks, and i still have a lump on my calf muscle from the tear, 8 years later. Rest for now!!!! Walk when ready, then go back to running.
  • JerseyGirlinTN
    JerseyGirlinTN Posts: 144 Member
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    Aches like that are often a sign of some vitamin/mineral deficiency or other, particularly if you exercise a lot and restrict your diet at the same time. In my case, pain in the leg muscles usually means magnesium deficiency. It disappears overnight as soon as I take a supplement and/or eat more. Try and give it a shot? You can't do much wrong with magnesium (and maybe iron) supplements. :)

    ^^^I agree with this. Since it's both calves, it could also be a potassium deficiency.

    I'll also agree with those saying you may be going too fast too far.

    KEEP HOLY THE REST DAY!!! Your body needs it.
  • doriharvey
    doriharvey Posts: 89 Member
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    I took a running class that taught about shoes, stretching, and various things to ensure I would not injure myself as I started running.
    In the beginning I did have lots of tight muscles. Once I learned the proper way to stretch out the areas that pained me and stretching several times in the day not just after the running it improved. I did consult a personal trainer in this process.
    Might seem strange but the muscles that were tight and causing my calf pain extended from hip and down the side of my leg.

    here's a spot to begin looking for relief... http://www.runnersworld.com/stretching/how-stretch-your-calf-muscles

    Might look into shin splints depending on where your pain is.
    Good luck.
  • FrankieBenjamin
    FrankieBenjamin Posts: 61 Member
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    See your GP?
    Have you had your gait analysed or changed your trainers recently- shoes that dont fit your gait can cause you pain.
    Rest day?
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    I have been running for about a month now. I started at about 4.8mph for 10 minutes, and now thanks to interval training and a steady increase in speed I run for about 40 minutes at speeds as high as 7.0mph.

    But the past 4 days my calves hurt really badly, to the point where merely standing or walking at a slow pace hurts them. Its right in the back of my calve

    Im trying to figure out if this is normal, what caused it and if anyone knows a remedy. Should I keep running, is it just a tightened muscle pain or something more serious? What do you think

    Foam roll your calves (or use a rolling pin), warm bath (get the blood flowing if this is a muscle soreness thing). Also, how frequently are you running at 7MPH/8:30min/mi? That's awfully fast and I'd say definitely slow down, unless you're a sub-1:30 marathoner. And also, what kind of shoes are you wearing? If you're running in minimal shoes, or low/zero drop, you are putting more work on your calves/achilles. Perhaps a shoe fitting would be beneficial to you as well.
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,206 Member
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    I have been running for about a month now. I started at about 4.8mph for 10 minutes, and now thanks to interval training and a steady increase in speed I run for about 40 minutes at speeds as high as 7.0mph.

    But the past 4 days my calves hurt really badly, to the point where merely standing or walking at a slow pace hurts them. Its right in the back of my calve

    Im trying to figure out if this is normal, what caused it and if anyone knows a remedy. Should I keep running, is it just a tightened muscle pain or something more serious? What do you think


    Foam roll your calves (or use a rolling pin), warm bath (get the blood flowing if this is a muscle soreness thing). Also, how frequently are you running at 7MPH/8:30min/mi? That's awfully fast and I'd say definitely slow down, unless you're a sub-1:30 marathoner. And also, what kind of shoes are you wearing? If you're running in minimal shoes, or low/zero drop, you are putting more work on your calves/achilles. Perhaps a shoe fitting would be beneficial to you as well.

    Thank you guys for all the great ideas Is 7mph really fast? I thought it was slow? I remember a few years back after Basic Training running at 8mph I was trying to get back to that point.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    7mph + math = 8ish min/mi. If that's your daily run, that's pretty quick, but I dunno your background. For my Air Force PT stuff, I did a 1.5mi in 9:58 back in May. I run 9:45-10:15 about 90% of the time to support that. YMMV
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Most treadmills are hard to run on at fast paces because you can't really get the gait you need so you have to compensate. Running fast isn't any more effective than keeping a decent pace consistently. Treadmill running tends to put different stresses on muscles and bones because of the change in gait since you have a defined space and a moving floor.

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