6 Ways to Remedy Sore Calves

It's the new year, which means the Runner's High training programs are in full swing! This is our second round of the New Beginnings (New-B) 5K Training Program, and our first 1/2 Marathon Training Program. I could not be more pleased with the turnouts. The New-B Program has 45 participants (up 10 from the fall), and the 1/2 has 20. FANTASTIC turnouts for a new store in a

growing running community.

 

We always cover injuries and prevention at the start of our programs, which sparks a lot of questions about muscle soreness and tightness during runs. The most common, which seems to be occurring a lot this time around (especially in the 5K group), are tight calves wile running, SO I wanted to address this painful issue.

 

Very tight calf muscles are pretty common, especially for new runners or experienced runners who are working on altering their running form (i.e. changing from heel to midfoot strike). In both cases, the issue is muscle weakness. Besides being  uncomfortable, tight calves usually don't result in debilitating injury. It is possible to develop calf muscle strain, which can result in gradual tearing. This is a more serious muscle injury, but normally occurs after long-term overuse (so it's less likely to be the source of pain for our beginners). With some TLC, you can strengthen the muscles and reduce painful inflammation, but uunfortunately, you just have to work through the discomfort, UNLESS YOUR DISCOMFORT CAUSES YOU TO ALTER YOUR GAIT. If this is the case, STOP and talk to your coach. Changing your gait to compensate for pain can put strain on other underdeveloped parts of your body, which actually could cause an injury. 

 

Here are some things that should help:

#1, Do your dynamic warm-ups! Dynamic Warm-ups activate various muscles and increase your range of motion. These should be done after a light warm-up jog (~15 minutes). Your Dynamic W.U. routine should include heel walks, high knees, butt-kickers, and striders. You can do extra heel walk before and after your run to help loosen things up.

#2, Avoid stretching! Your first instinct when your muscles are very tight is to stretch them out. Stretching can actually irritate the agitated tissue even more, so try to resist and instead resort to the dynamic stretches, like  calf walks and calf raises (stand on ledge letting heels off the end, then slowly raise up onto your toes and drop back down). You can also do toe raises (while sitting down, relax your feet in front of you and raise your toes up to flex your foot for ~3seconds, then relax. Do several repetitions).

#3, MASSAGE. When our muscles work hard, they build up lactic acid, become damaged, and inflammation sets in the repair damage. Most of the lactic acid is flushed out within an hour after exercise, so the inflammation is what leads to the tightness and soreness you experience after your workout. You can help relax muscles by massaging your calves out after a run. A tennis ball works great for this.

#4, Pay attention to your foot strike. People who develop tight calves tend to run on their tippy toes. If you notice yourself doing this, try to land more mid-foot (flatter feet). If you fall into the category of "runners who are adjusting their gait", understand that these adjustments should be gradual. As you change how you strike, your legs and feet are now working differently than they're used to. Allow your body time to adapt and gradually change. Rather than going out for your normal 3-4 miles with the agenda of mid-foot striking, do your normal warm-up and cool down, with an emphasis on mid-foot striking the middle mile or 2.

#5, Check how many miles your shoes have on them. Most shoes will taking you 500 miles, but expect less from natural footwear. If you're wearing old shoes, incorrect shoes for your gait, or shoes with low drop, it puts extra strain on your legs. Go to your local running shop and get fitted for shoes (ask them if they do video gait analysis). You will be glad you made the investment.

#6, Stay hydrated and consume electrolytes. Athletes typically cramp in their calves. This is the result of electrolyte imbalance (hyponatremia, or low electrolytes) which prevents muscles from relaxes from an excited state. If you're feeling a lot of strain on your calves, you might have low calcium, sodium, or magnesium. Make sure you're staying hydrated, and avoid drinking ONLY water. A sports drink will help.