Runners, need advice on calf pain

msarro
msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone.
I just finished my last distance run prior to the taper in my half marathon training. Ever since around 7 mile runs, whenever I finish going up a large hill my calf/achilles tendon has a sore, pulling feeling - right at the top of the achilles tendon/bottom of my calf muscle. This is in both legs, though it seems to be more prominent in the right leg. To avoid it, I've been structuring my runs around avoiding hills, and making sure to keep a forward lean since that seemed to help a bit.

When I avoid hills, the pain never shows up. However as soon as I throw a big hill into the mix, there is the calf pain. What sort of training can I do to avoid this? I already to pre and post run stretching, as well as calf exercises, but nothing seems to work. Any advice would be really appreciated. I live in a super hilly area and the darn things are unavoidable. I'd really like to train myself to get over it. I doubt its an injury because it never rears its head so long as I avoid hills.

Replies

  • focusedfrances
    focusedfrances Posts: 42 Member
    I am no runner, but I've been told that bananas eaten before or after help with leg discomfort because the potassium. Also cutting out soda pop since there is a chemical (even in diet) that pulls the potassium out (or prevents it absorbtion) and that leads to leg pain...

    Good luck!
  • DaniiDean
    DaniiDean Posts: 162 Member
    I have this too but mine is constant so I have had to rest for a few days.... still so sore though :(
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    I've been having calf pain in my Soleus muscle for about a month now, although now it's almost completely gone. I was seeing a physical therapist for my knee and we started to work this in to my therapy too. He said that while it is very important to stretch before and after your run, if you are having pain or tightness it's important to stretch throughout the day every day. This will lengthen and sort keep it loose. It has really helped me. When I ran this morning I could feel it a tiny bit on the hills but NOTHING like before. This might sound basic, it sounds like you are an advanced runner so, you probably already know this, but I wanted to also mention that it's important to make sure you are stretching the lower calf muscle not just upper calf.

    I hope this helped, I'm a new runner fighting off one setback after another. Calf pain was a total surprise.

    Good luck.
  • nab22
    nab22 Posts: 168
    I just finished a half marathon and had the same problem on race day. It felt like I had pulled both my calf muscles. This has happened to me before too when I upped my mileage by what was apparently too much. I guess bananas may help but for me it was just my body telling me it hadn't been trained properly for the distance! Good luck
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    When you're going up those big hills, you are stretching your calf even more, which are already quite tired at this point. My guess on why you feel it more in your right foot is that you favor your right foot when you're running, so it's more tired. It's very well possible that you need more potassium in your diet, it's sure helped me with being rid of calf cramps.

    I suggest not avoiding hills, probably should even look for them.
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