calves really sore early in run - or walk!

Lolli1986 · May 2012

okay, of course running makes my calves sore, but I am curious as to whether anyone else experiences this type of soreness.

I am just starting up running again.

Literally about a hundred metres into a walk my calves start burning like crazy. This is not even a really fast walk, I'm talking not puffing, heart rate around 115. This has always happened to me so I had never really thought about it....

Today I walked a mile quickly for a fitness test. stretched out my wth-sore calves, then ran for 1K. breathing was fine, heart rate was high but bearable... calf pain just got too intense. walked a couple minutes, then started running again. lasted about 5 mins. walked....

Then I started up running again and the calves were tired, but fine. No pain. I smacked out another K at an almost reasonable pace before actual fatigue, breathing, and heart rate started getting to me.

What's happening? are my super-massive calves not getting enough blood/oxygen and going all anaerobic on me? Why does it stop hurting? Does this happen to anyone else? Is there a way I can skip this pain cycle altogether?

I feel like the crazy burn (to the point the muscles feel like they're seizing up) really hinders my progress. I've trained myself up to run 5K before and it does improve over time, but I'm talking 6 months. I'm fairly sure I should be able to run 5K sooner.

PercivalHackworth · May 2012

Yes totally sounds like the glycogen depletion. What are your intakes before ?

Lolli1986 · May 2012

This happens every time, even if i've had 3 rest days and consumed whole pizzas (ha!), chicken breasts, a block of chocolate, electrolyte drinks, protein drinks, multivitamins. Maybe i don't get enough water, but i can remember chugging at least 9 glasses today, and will be going back for more.

Lolli1986 · May 2012

lol...maybe just my calves hit the wall.

seriously though, I am pretty sure I eat too much and exercise too little to hit the wall these days.

I usually eat 1600-1800, though I know I hit something nearer to 2500 just 2 days ago. burns average out at 300, max at 600, max twice a week. I'm trying not to have a huge deficit at the moment. Muscles are building, DOMs are rare, fat loss is slow, weight is staying the same, inches moving slowly.

traceybush · May 2012

I am just the same. I would love to be able to run. I go to the gym 5/6 times a week. I use the bike and cross trainer, and my fitness has improved a lot. I have lost 19lb so far but it's been very slow, so think jogging would maybe help speed things up a bit.
I can jog for about 5 minutes before i have to stop and walk because i can't stand the pain in my calves. My breathing and everything else feels fine, it's just the burning in my calves. My calves are very muscley. I have walked on an incline on the treadmill and get the same burning feeling. I haven't tried jogging for a while though. i might give it another go

engineman312 · May 2012

i do this warm up before most exercises, and find that it really helps loosen up my body and prevent the initial muscle fatigue.

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/09/warm-up/

714rah714 · May 2012

Do you stretch before you run?

tabinmaine · May 2012

I used to have that problem, my calves would be so tight it was nuts.... what helped was jogging slow to warm up and the minute my calves would tighten I would stop and stretch them... and hold that stretch for like "30 steamboat" count... LOL

then continue on, each time they tighten or burn, stop and stretch.... sometimes I had to do this like 5 times in a 3 mile jog....but I apprec iated the stops anyway

lhdickie91 · May 2012

I am training for a 10k and had the same problem. I was told I wasn't stretching properly and so have started trying to do that before going jogging and that seems to help - particularly starting in a press-up position and pushing bottom in the air while keeping legs straight.

At the stage I'm at in my training now if I stop jogging to walk when my calves hurt it makes them worse, so I'm just powering through and keeping jogging and the pain goes away after a while.

Hope this helps, I know it's not easy because I got so discouraged for a while when I couldn't run not because I was out of breath but because of my calves!!

oliviagetsdown · May 2012

I had exactly the same thing when I started running again. I had to really force my way through 2km because my calves were just making it so hard - I was barely sweating or panting, you know?
At first to help I was told that I was running incorrectly because I was trying to move as little as possible and that I needed to start my whole leg and extend when I run. That helped a lot and I ended up running further as well just because I was taking larger steps.
I think another thing that helped was a change in my diet. I'm not necessarily sure exactly what I changed that helped but I started eating healthily (whereas at the beginning I was just eating crappily and hoping running would make up for it).
But really, time and persistence is probably THE major factor.
Nonetheless, my calves are totally fine now whenever I run even if I only do it twice a week (naughty Olivia!).
Good luck, and I hope it gets better!

oliviagetsdown · May 2012

Yes! Stopping to walk made it flare up so badly, it wasn't even worth it.

schwim · May 2012

i'm the same. i know that its going to happen early on in my run so i just push myself through the 10 minute barrier. after that i'm ok. i guess it just takes time to warm up but my calves hurt at first even if i decide to run in the afternoons.

the first minute of my run i sometimes have a mild panic attack because once i've started i have to finish without stopping. i'm usually counting down the first 10 minutes and then i convince myself its going to be ok.

Meegz84 · May 2012

Do you warm up? If so, doing what and for how long?
Have you been properly fitted for shoes? Do you run on your toes/mid foot/heal??
I haven't had a problem since ice had my running style corrected.. My calves were horrible for about a month recently but it was because I needed new shoes!!

Lolli1986 · May 2012

Do you warm up? If so, doing what and for how long?
Have you been properly fitted for shoes? Do you run on your toes/mid foot/heal??
I haven't had a problem since ice had my running style corrected.. My calves were horrible for about a month recently but it was because I needed new shoes!!

I have never had running style corrected...

I over-pronate severely, so have the correct super supportive shoes.

I am still getting my running legs on and due to the calf pain i tend to switch around between toes/mid-foot/heel, pushing more through the quads, pushing more through the calves, changing up stride length. I never do a long stride though... i try to minimise impact on my shins and knees. Changing around helps, but every style ends up hurting. My natural default is mid-foot strike.

Lolli1986 · May 2012

i do this warm up before most exercises, and find that it really helps loosen up my body and prevent the initial muscle fatigue.

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/09/warm-up/

I do basically my own version of this before any strength training, but hadn't considered doing it before a run. I will try and report back.

LOL i always considered running as a warm up in and of itself.

I used to have that problem, my calves would be so tight it was nuts.... what helped was jogging slow to warm up and the minute my calves would tighten I would stop and stretch them... and hold that stretch for like "30 steamboat" count... LOL

then continue on, each time they tighten or burn, stop and stretch.... sometimes I had to do this like 5 times in a 3 mile jog....but I apprec iated the stops anyway

...and maybe a run as a warm-up IS the answer. that is how I initially trained myself up to 5K level... I'd literally spend about 20 mins warming up in much the same style as above until i hit that nice 'no pain' level, then I'd push out the longest run I could.

Eventually I got the point of being able to jump on a treadmill, walk/jog for a couple of mins, do some low-extension static stretches, then do 5K.

^ but this is no where near enough in the early training stages.

Lolli1986 · May 2012

I had exactly the same thing when I started running again. I had to really force my way through 2km because my calves were just making it so hard - I was barely sweating or panting, you know?

LOL, I am glad to see someone else mention that first 2km!!! First 2km never stops being hard for me, lol, even once i've reached a stage where the calves stop being so insane. my brother and I joke that as long as you can make it through the first 2km you can just keep going forever. I've never tried to run more than 6km yet as i stopped focussing on endurance and started focussing on 5K speed.

Lolli1986 · May 2012

My calves are very muscley. I have walked on an incline on the treadmill and get the same burning feeling.

YES this omg... walking up a slight hill is THE WORST. pain in 0.25seconds within walking uphill, hahaha. i stretch and wriggle and shake and jump and run and do all sorts of silly-looking movements while walking uphill.... meanwhile every other *kitten* is powering past me. i hate you aaaalllll, hahaha.

Lolli1986 · May 2012

...no further takers for the 'why' part of the question?

i don't know nearly enough about muscle/vascular structure to understand what is happening, but it does feel like the description of anaerobic metabolism. I don't get why this would be happening immediately, and I REALLY don't get why it would seem to stop (well, stop hurting at least).

abohn24 · October 2013

I know this post is kind of old but just curiouse to know... how did this work out for you? I've recently started a walk/run program as I am not a runner and would like to work up to being able to do a 5k at a consistent run. Im week 4 into the "program" and it started out good at first... standard out of breathe, could feel the burn the day after a run/walk.... after the end of week 2 though I started having this sever pain in my calves after the first or second round of the run/walk(we do 4 or 5 rotations depending on the day). I've noticed that the pain is significantly worse after we stop a run and transition to the walk portion. Its like the muscles completely seize up and walking actually hurts more than running. Except running on a slight incline...even just the smallest incline is excruciating. I've getting better shoes, provided some relief, so I know that was part of it... but still having the problems. And its not just the calf muscles in the back of the leg, now its moving to the front as well. Pain goes away almost completely within about 10 minutes of completing a cool down walk. Really frustrating as im really motivated to make this work...and my body just isnt cooperating.

KirstenTheFamilyCoach · October 2013

I'll echo the proper nutrition, warm up, before and after stretches and add in some compression sleeves. Worked wonders for me.

McMap45 · April 2014

I know this is an old post, but I suffer from EXACTLY the same thing. And I mean exactly. It's always hard to explain to others (including doctors) who have NO idea. Part of me wants to drag them to the gym to watch me. Best answer I e gotten is Perphial Neuropathy in my legs. For me this began a little over 8 years ago after my hysterectomy. I can walk/run any pace for the first 10-20 mins of my exercise and it still happens. Burning in my lower calves is so unbearable I have to convince myself to continue. For me the worst is from the 1/2 mile mark to just after the 1st mile. Then I can go on with slight pain (for me it never goes completely away, but it isn't that intolerable pain!). Walking uphill absolutely kills me. And fatigues me even faster. I'm so curious IF you have gotten any other answers or not. I read this whole thread and no one seemed to know why?!?! Well if anyone has any other answers, I'd greater appreciate it. In the meantime I will continue to power through.

annaruby4 · April 2014

This always happens to me after 1-2 months of training (if I've stopped for awhile) and I finally made the connection that for me it seems to be from low iron. Running demands more red blood cells than being sedentary and can destroy red blood cells. Two weeks of a iron supplementation always clears this up for me. I got a recent blood test around the time it flared up again and I wasn't officially anemic, but I was on the low side. I usually take one iron pill at night and one in the morning for 2-4 weeks and then switch to one a day or slightly less once I'm feeling good again - but don't overdo it, iron overdose can happen!

metapheric · April 2014

McMap45 - Ditto on the burning calves. There was no such diagnosis as hyperactivity, etc. when I was coming up. That said, I don't run, but I never sit still for more than a few minutes. My calves begin burning after walking maybe a half mile to a mile. What caught my eye on your post was that, like you, the burning is infinitely greater when I'm walking uphill, even on a slight incline. Though the incidence is far better now, it began (coincidentally or not) about eight years ago when I was covering the organophosphate pesticide poisoning of a community in my area. And I spent a lot of time in that community. Many hundreds of people were affected, some with illnesses that linger still today. It was during those months in the summer of 2006 that I noticed, for the first time in my life, that my calves were burning, sometimes after walking only a couple hundred yards. Like I said, it's better these days. If I stop and wait a couple of minutes then start walking again it relieves the burning somewhat. Once I quit walking the burning subsides after a minute or less and does not return. And like you, I've looked around and found no satisfactory answers!! Perhaps annaruby4 is correct about iron. Meantime, I have little trust in doctors since many/most seem to be the spokespersons for the pharma industry for which I have absolutely no trust. I'll check back if I find anything and/or to see if you or anyone else has. There is always an answer...

Eric_DeCastro · April 2014

i wear compression socks when I run. although it might not be needed during my run because I'm only running 6.2 miles but I wear them because I don't like the dirt all over my legs. I also have calf compression sleeves that I wear for recovery. after i shower, i put them on.

brianmcfarland18 · May 2014

I've had about the same but i cant seem to make it past 10 minutes of walking without this intense burning in my calves its not tightening up its just burning and its been like that for years. So a long walk is a literal pain for me any one know whats the cause of this? Yes i stretch first. Any help could help me change my life.

froeschli · May 2014

I haven't read all the replies, but how many of you guys wear heels a lot?
I remember the year I ditched mine for hikers and was in so much pain even walking to college. Then I went one further and got zero-drop running shoes. Another painful adjustment.
Anyhow, it appears your muscles an ligaments shorten and adapt to your customary footwear, and if you only wear walking or running shoes when going out to exercise, they protest the change.

echofm1 · May 2014

I haven't read all the replies, but how many of you guys wear heels a lot?
I remember the year I ditched mine for hikers and was in so much pain even walking to college. Then I went one further and got zero-drop running shoes. Another painful adjustment.
Anyhow, it appears your muscles an ligaments shorten and adapt to your customary footwear, and if you only wear walking or running shoes when going out to exercise, they protest the change.

The heels bit is actually what was in my mind. It's possible that your calf muscles are shorter than they should be (which can potentially be a side effect from heels too often, or natural). I've had nieces and nephews that needed to be forced to walk flat footed because they had shorter achilles tendons and would walk on their tip toes, so I could imagine something similar could be an issue in this case. Constantly stretching out a muscle that is shorter than it maybe should be could lead to persistent pain even at low intensity.

If that's the case though, the only way to fix it is persistent stretching and a good warm up, which was a conclusion you already came to!

SusanUW83 · May 2014

Couple of thoughts here from a long time runner.... 1 -- warm up by a walk before stretching or do dynamic stretches. Static stretches, especially on cold musles, are discouraged nowadays. There are also such thing as dynamic stretches that my chiropractor suggested. I do them for hamstring but there are dynamic calf stretches which are good before exercise. 2- the next time you have severe pain during exercise, ice that part afterwards. Use a gel pack or two inside long socks or ace bandage. You might find that next time it doesn't hurt as much.

la_te_ra_lus · May 2014

you can use a lacrosse ball/raquetball/tennis ball for this..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-H8yKIDnNo

ajamesedit · July 2014

Glad to have found this thread. No-one else seems to understand this! Started Nordic walking 4 weeks ago and my diet 2 weeks ago, and have now completed my 3rd 'parkrun' (5km, N walking it). I am also going out for a 1.2 mile walk each lunchtime and am experiencing high levels of calf pain (lower outside leg, both sides, no redness or swelling) whilst doing this, it stops almost as soon as I stop walking although leaves a bit of an ache. I have very muscular calves too, and struggle to wear flat shoes having worn a slight heel (only 1 to 2 inches, can't do high heels either!) most of my life. I realised doing the 5km that I can push through this to some extent although the pain doesn't stop until I do.

cassandrac1983 · July 2014

I know this thread is old, but I'll throw in my 2 cents for new readers...

If running is the ultimate goal, start slow! I had wicked wicked calf cramps when I started. Drinking more water helped, and getting out there and doing it helped! I'd run 30 seconds, walk 2 mins 30 seconds, then start again. It was a long process, I often stopped during my walk breaks to stretch, but eventually, the pain just went away, and now I'm training for a marathon!

calves really sore early in run - or walk!

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