Not sure what is going on…out of no where on Monday evening I had some soreness about inch below gastroc calf muscle. Its sore to push on it. It was a little stiff/sore Tuesday AM but after my run Tuesday PM it was really sore. It seems most achilles injuries are closer to the heal. But this is way up the leg. Any thoughts? I can feel it dorsi and plantar flexing in that spot. It only sore in one sport about the size of silver dollar. Thoughts?
I never experience this before and I have been running and doing tris for 5 years.
Sounds like the lower calf muscle but archilles or calf, I would be very cautious
Tore my lower calf muscle cause I ran although it was tight and sore. Then it was 4 weeks of no running and then 4 weeks of ramping up
Would take 4-5 days off while you nurse it
Then see how it feels. If good another 4-5 days of easy running
It sucks but 8 weeks of no or light running is worse
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Sounds like a sore soleus to me. Try doing some wall calf stretches with bent knees
Thanks. Its weird I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. I’m assuming bike and swimming are okay. It doesn’t seem to be bothered by this.
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I’m just getting over an Achilles issue and for me, biking actually bothers me as much or more than running right now. Especially easier riding. I’m not sure if I position or move my foot differently when riding easy than riding hard. Especially this location you mention were the Achilles attaches to the calf. I’m wondering if some of it is the lack of running caching up with me. I’m going on 10 days without running and very slowly working back into it with a run/walk strategy.
I feel like I’m doing one of those couch potato to 5k things. It’s very humbling to have an injury like this.
Always look at the bright side with injuries. Time away from running isn’t so bad… I nearly doubled my swim volume. I haven’t swam this well since high school 17 years ago.
I’d rest it a few days or really drop your volume and/or intensity and stretch it really well and use some ice if there’s swelling.
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I’m just getting over an Achilles issue and for me, biking actually bothers me as much or more than running right now. Especially easier riding. I’m not sure if I position or move my foot differently when riding easy than riding hard. Especially this location you mention were the Achilles attaches to the calf. I’m wondering if some of it is the lack of running caching up with me. I’m going on 10 days without running and very slowly working back into it with a run/walk strategy.
I feel like I’m doing one of those couch potato to 5k things. It’s very humbling to have an injury like this.
Always look at the bright side with injuries. Time away from running isn’t so bad… I nearly doubled my swim volume. I haven’t swam this well since high school 17 years ago.
I’d rest it a few days or really drop your volume and/or intensity and stretch it really well and use some ice if there’s swelling.
Thanks…no swelling. It feels tight when I walk and gets better when I move so I’m wondering its more muscular.
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I did a few easy runs and the soreness/tightness went away at the end of the week last week. It was almost 100% by Monday and Tuesday I felt great so I did some tempo intervals on the treadmill. However, when I did a recovery run yesterday I noticed it really tight again. I tried running this AM and I was able to run my normal training pace but I get definitley feel the tightness/soreness returning. Its really sore right now and I can feel it on push off when walking. I checked with my PT (with pic where it is sore) and he said its the soleus muscle. Do you think the hard running is aggravating it? Or the treadmill? I ran on the roads when it was starting to feel better.
I have a 70.3 in 2.5 weeks so I guess I should just avoid any faster paced runs.
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It’s a bit like pornography, you know it when you see (feel) it. One of the keys to longevity in endurance sports is learning to tell the difference between an annoying pain that you can push through and a warning that you need to stop before you hurt yourself.
Is there swelling? Does it feel better once you get warmed up?
If you are unsure, ice it and bike and swim for a few days. Spring is a bad time to get hurt.
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Roll it out…It will hurt, but it will help!
If you are unsure, ice it and bike and swim for a few days. Spring is a bad time to get hurt.
I think 2 weeks before your A Race you trained 9 months for is a really, really bad time to get hurt. Spring is sort of a “good time” to get injured in comparison.
I’m found that cycling aggravates my Achillies nearly as much as running. Especially easy rides. Pushing off the wall swimming, does not. But everyone is different.
It’s a bit like pornography, you know it when you see (feel) it. One of the keys to longevity in endurance sports is learning to tell the difference between an annoying pain that you can push through and a warning that you need to stop before you hurt yourself.
Is there swelling? Does it feel better once you get warmed up?
If you are unsure, ice it and bike and swim for a few days. Spring is a bad time to get hurt.
No swelling. Just tight and sore. Doesn’t hurt until I toe push off. I guess I will start my run taper early for my 70.3. I haven’t taken a day off running over 60 days so maybe this is part of the problem.
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Saw an orthopedist yesterday for the same issue. I was having the same pain in both legs and it turned out to be an issue with the soleus muscle. He recommended some PT and stretching (with knee bent to better isolate the soleus muscle) and strength training. Fortunately I will be able to run through some pain in an upcoming race without any fear of long term injury… it’ll simply slow down the rehab process.
I’m just getting over an Achilles issue and for me, biking actually bothers me as much or more than running right now.
Same here, day of snowboarding was cut short due to rain said hey I’ll go run but my calves were super tight and I hurt my achilles, whoops. Was off running jan 2 through first week of march. I tried to get some trainer rides in on and off but it was making it worse. Unlike you pushing off the wall was aggravating it and I was having a hard time not pushing off on it and then also pointing my toes was hurting…I was really angry with myself.
It is fine now but the past 3 weeks running has been ok but the bike was bugging it a bit at first and I have been having issues with my opposite calf cramping because I over compensated with it.
Rest a few days as you and others have said is really the only way to get started, took a lot for me to stay off my feet just even at work but if I didn’t I wouldn’t be healed now.
I did lots of foam rolling and a someone mentioned bent knee stretches against the wall really hit that area, I do them in the shower everyday.
I’m just getting over an Achilles issue and for me, biking actually bothers me as much or more than running right now. Especially easier riding. I’m not sure if I position or move my foot differently when riding easy than riding hard. Especially this location you mention were the Achilles attaches to the calf. I’m wondering if some of it is the lack of running caching up with me. I’m going on 10 days without running and very slowly working back into it with a run/walk strategy.
I feel like I’m doing one of those couch potato to 5k things. It’s very humbling to have an injury like this.
Always look at the bright side with injuries. Time away from running isn’t so bad… I nearly doubled my swim volume. I haven’t swam this well since high school 17 years ago.
I’d rest it a few days or really drop your volume and/or intensity and stretch it really well and use some ice if there’s swelling.
Bummer. Weren’t you registered for New Orleans 70.3? Do you still plan to race?
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Thanks…I decided to give Aleve a try for the heck of it this AM. And gosh the soreness/tightness is gone. I can see why endurance athletes could get hooked on this stuff. I usually try to stay away since I like my own body to heal it but maybe this could help the inflammation.
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Thanks…I decided to give Aleve a try for the heck of it this AM. And gosh the soreness/tightness is gone. I can see why endurance athletes could get hooked on this stuff. I usually try to stay away since I like my own body to heal it but maybe this could help the inflammation.
While I did take some this last go around to help sleep (since I was off my feet for the night) I was advised by my Dr the first time I had an achilles injury not to take anything during the day as the pain was basically a reminder to get off it and let it heal. I know that this seems to probably not be an Achilles issue but Id be careful with it feeling ok and really doing more damage as you move around but don’t notice it. Just be careful.
I did a few easy runs and the soreness/tightness went away at the end of the week last week. It was almost 100% by Monday and Tuesday I felt great so I did some tempo intervals on the treadmill. However, when I did a recovery run yesterday I noticed it really tight again. I tried running this AM and I was able to run my normal training pace but I get definitley feel the tightness/soreness returning. Its really sore right now and I can feel it on push off when walking. I checked with my PT (with pic where it is sore) and he said its the soleus muscle. Do you think the hard running is aggravating it? Or the treadmill? I ran on the roads when it was starting to feel better.
I have a 70.3 in 2.5 weeks so I guess I should just avoid any faster paced runs.
The issue, whatever it may be, is right at the threshold. Just because it disappears from your radar for a few days doesn’t mean that it’s internal stress level is zero. Stop doing tempo intervals and faster paced runs. Working out breaks down the tissues so that they can respond by getting stronger, but they’re already broken down. Treadmill running requires different forces and stabilization biomechanics than on the road, and may stress the area more than on the road.
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I did a few easy runs and the soreness/tightness went away at the end of the week last week. It was almost 100% by Monday and Tuesday I felt great so I did some tempo intervals on the treadmill. However, when I did a recovery run yesterday I noticed it really tight again. I tried running this AM and I was able to run my normal training pace but I get definitley feel the tightness/soreness returning. Its really sore right now and I can feel it on push off when walking. I checked with my PT (with pic where it is sore) and he said its the soleus muscle. Do you think the hard running is aggravating it? Or the treadmill? I ran on the roads when it was starting to feel better.
I have a 70.3 in 2.5 weeks so I guess I should just avoid any faster paced runs.
The issue, whatever it may be, is right at the threshold. Just because it disappears from your radar for a few days doesn’t mean that it’s internal stress level is zero. Stop doing tempo intervals and faster paced runs. Working out breaks down the tissues so that they can respond by getting stronger, but they’re already broken down. Treadmill running requires different forces and stabilization biomechanics than on the road, and may stress the area more than on the road.
Yup…I learned my lesson…I’ve dealt with calf strains before and usually just run through them. But this seems to be lingering more. The tempo intervals were great. I was faster than my target paces. I guess now the fitness is in and doing any more interval work on the run won’t make that much difference. My plan is all easy/recovery paces until race. Maybe a few pick me ups thrown in the end of next week to keep the leg speed sharp.
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The hay is in the barn for your 70.3. If I had a race coming up, I would tend towards being a Nancy about it.
I am battling an achilles issue, in my defective right ankle lots of scar tissue.
Biking works or loads up the achilles no doubt. I can feel it heat up. This probably leads to irritation and inflammation.
Another suspicion I have is improper alignment. Any deviation off the pure center line of the tendon could be a problem.
I think the result is “shortening and weakening of muscles, increased tension on tendons and entrapment of nerves”
…Whatever entrapment means??
Anyway, I hurt my achilles a few weeks ago busting around the track in flat shoes (I should not be in flat shoes!) and it’s be hurting ever since.
So I went to a PT and he did the following:
- Ultrasound to begin to address the ankle scar tissue.
- Acupuncture - 4 needles - to work over the nervous system and get the whole leg to relax. First time for me. Felt very electrical. I went to shift my leg with the needles in it and whoa.
I go again on Wed.
I still wondering about alignment and how look at or to correct that. My right arch is a little collapsed due to the old ankle injury.