Calf pain when running....anyone else?

dorkboi
dorkboi Posts: 87 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My wife and I started training for a 5k about 3 weeks ago. This week about a half mile in, my calves get brick hard and I almost have to go to my knees. I drink plenty of water, lots of fruits, veggies and protein. Light stretching before I start, walk a lap to warm up then more stretching before I move into a jog. When they seize up, I try to walk it out and stretch some more, it causes intense pain down to my feet and I almost can't move. After about a 10 minute rest there is no more pain. Any ideas or tips? Could I be deficient in something? It's not like a cramp, but the entire muscle gets brick hard and I can hardly move it. This just started this last week so I'm not sure what I'm doing different. Help! lol

Replies

  • Flafster
    Flafster Posts: 106 Member
    Are you sure? Sounds exactly like a cramp to me. In what way is it different?
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    I have been suffering from the same thing and can NOT figure it out.... one way to relieve it instantly is to take my shoes off..the minute I step down on the ground it's gone, been running home in my socks a lot lately haha

    I am starting to believe the rise in my shoe is the culprit, looking at minimalist shoes now.....
  • dorkboi
    dorkboi Posts: 87 Member
    Are you sure? Sounds exactly like a cramp to me. In what way is it different?

    it's definately different than a cramp. I'm prone to cramps in my calves so I am careful about those. This is like the entire muscle just freezes. It's rock hard like a football.
  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 749 Member
    My wife and I started training for a 5k about 3 weeks ago. This week about a half mile in, my calves get brick hard and I almost have to go to my knees. I drink plenty of water, lots of fruits, veggies and protein. Light stretching before I start, walk a lap to warm up then more stretching before I move into a jog. When they seize up, I try to walk it out and stretch some more, it causes intense pain down to my feet and I almost can't move. After about a 10 minute rest there is no more pain. Any ideas or tips? Could I be deficient in something? It's not like a cramp, but the entire muscle gets brick hard and I can hardly move it. This just started this last week so I'm not sure what I'm doing different. Help! lol

    Honestly consult a running store that have workers that specialize in running who watch your gate and running style (they take measurements also) then they give you the type of shoe that will provide a comfortable run. I having a feeling it is your shoes :)
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    I went through the same thing for the first few weeks of running. I believe it is just that the calf muscles are out of shape. It will improve and gradually go away as you train more.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    what if you have been running 2-5x /wk for 5 months though ??
  • 714rah714
    714rah714 Posts: 759 Member
    My calf muscles were tighting up on me last year, went to runnersworld.com and found some stretches that alleviate the problem.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    what if you have been running 2-5x /wk for 5 months though ??
    Then there is something else wrong. Stretching and rolling with The Stick https://www.thestick.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=SG-2000 will help. Shoes with low drop heels might help although transitioning to them is normally associated with increased calf soreness for a while.

    It may have something to do with your running stride. When you run do you land on your forefoot? If so, does your heel touch the ground before the foot lifts off? Landing exclusively on the forefoot without letting your heel touch the ground puts a lot of stress on the calves over long distances.
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    I had the same problem for a while. I started running with minimalist shoes and changed my stride a bit and it's seemed to help.

    For me it was less like a cramp and more like I was doing a lot of calf raises and my muscles were just burning. I also got a lot of shin splints.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    I went through the same thing for the first few weeks of running. I believe it is just that the calf muscles are out of shape. It will improve and gradually go away as you train more.

    This. The entirety of doing the C25K program for me my calves were always sore, ranging from it moderate soreness to I can barely walk sore (all the time, not jst when running)

    I didn't really know any better at the time but I learned to midfoot strike, not heel strike. My calves had a hard time keeping up with the rest of me getting in running shape, they were just too weak. Eventually the soreness went away around the end of the program.

    When I later started running barefoot and switched to low drop shoes (minimalist). all the things people say about the switch never happened to me. I reliazed in hindsight that the calf conditioning occurred when I did the C25K program, that my constantly sore calves were because of my midfoot strike, that they were getting strong enough to do it.
  • jetabear10
    jetabear10 Posts: 375 Member
    Up your potassium...and keep stretching them out all day long!
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    Well I had a great run on Sat, 2.5 miles non stop, absolutely NO pain, my calves felt great and no lower back pain... I run again tonight...

    I think the minimalist shoe is a great idea for me as I supinate and have high arches, I hate shoes with arch support, actually any kind of support bothers me, I love to be barefoot or in flip flops, my feet prefer it.

    I have been doing some periformis and hip flexor stretches, loosening up my pelvis, I have had mylo facsia releases done on my calves and I am rolling and stretching them.....

    I don't have calf "pain" persay when I run, it's calf tight as a ball.... as though they have flexed but they stay that way, they don't relax inbetween strides...
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    what if you have been running 2-5x /wk for 5 months though ??
    Then there is something else wrong. Stretching and rolling with The Stick https://www.thestick.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=SG-2000 will help. Shoes with low drop heels might help although transitioning to them is normally associated with increased calf soreness for a while.

    It may have something to do with your running stride. When you run do you land on your forefoot? If so, does your heel touch the ground before the foot lifts off? Landing exclusively on the forefoot without letting your heel touch the ground puts a lot of stress on the calves over long distances.

    I am not sure , I know I am not heel striking, been using Chi running techniques and I believe I have a midfoot landing.... I used to be a sprinter so I do know what it feels like to run on the balls of my feet, I don't think I am doing that now...
  • piesbd
    piesbd Posts: 196 Member
    My wife and I started training for a 5k about 3 weeks ago. This week about a half mile in, my calves get brick hard and I almost have to go to my knees. I drink plenty of water, lots of fruits, veggies and protein. Light stretching before I start, walk a lap to warm up then more stretching before I move into a jog. When they seize up, I try to walk it out and stretch some more, it causes intense pain down to my feet and I almost can't move. After about a 10 minute rest there is no more pain. Any ideas or tips? Could I be deficient in something? It's not like a cramp, but the entire muscle gets brick hard and I can hardly move it. This just started this last week so I'm not sure what I'm doing different. Help! lol

    Honestly consult a running store that have workers that specialize in running who watch your gate and running style (they take measurements also) then they give you the type of shoe that will provide a comfortable run. I having a feeling it is your shoes :)

    I agree... try the shoes first, and make sure you are post stretching the calf well after a run.
  • vrutwind
    vrutwind Posts: 25
    I get calf pains when running somtimes. I think it's because I wear high heels a lot during the week. I find the foam rolling my calves every day helps me more than stretching.

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