Sore Calf Muscle Question

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socaltony69

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Hi, this has been partly asked before, but here it goes again. After my 3rd run (im a moderate runner) last week, my left soleus muscle got sore and took a few days to recover. After running 6 miles last night, it was ACHING : ( Any suggestions. I want to hit the pavement again, but dont want to make it worse and get sidelined.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Tony
 
Aching like cramp or aching like strain/sprain or aching like sore muscle? Is there throbbing, swelling, shooting pain ever involved. When you walk do you limp? When you walk do you feel anything out of the ordinary?

Do you warm up? Does it hurt before your warm up? How about after? Do you cool down?

Does it get better or worse or stay the same as you continue running? How about a few hours post exercise?

How is your range of motion? Can you move normally? How about when you stretch?

How about your shoes? Are they in good condition? Especially inspect the heel region. How about your running surface?

If it's just a low level ache that pops up at the end of a long run it might be reasonable to do a good warm up, stick to favorable running surfaces, reduce distance/intensity, do a good cool down and see how things go.

If you're limping, swelling, and having shooting pains it's time to seek medical attention.

Somewhere in the middle? Maybe you want to switch to biking or rowing or swimming for a week then ease back into things. Variety is good for the body and mind.

Good luck
 
Hey, thanks for the reply.
1) Aching like strong soreness. No shooting pain. Minor limping due to the pain.
2) Got a bit worse during my run on Sunday, after about the 4th mile. Been aching since. Just the soleus. Not the gast. Not close to the achilles. Just deep soreness.
3) Range of motion is normal. Feels better when stretched or massaged, but still sore.
4) Shoes are in good shape. Running pavement at the Rosebowl in Pasadena.

Gonna try running tonight again, stretching before and after, with a warm up and cool down. Maybe reduce the pace and distance. What do you think???

Thanks again, Tony
 
I think part of the trick will be to slow down/stop running before it starts aching. As it bothered you after 4 miles on Sunday maybe you need to stop at 3.5 miles, or observe carefully and stop at the first signs of discomfort. You can always make up the difference with another activity like rowing, spinning/bike-riding, swimming etc.

Sometimes cramps and aching can be caused by dehydration. Drink water throughout the day and avoid caffeine (coffee/tea/soft-drinks) if you're sensitive. Potassium (fresh fruits and veggies) and calcium (milk products and dark green leafy veggies) can also play a role, but in my experience it's usually water intake.

Forgot to add: remember that warm-ups should include joint rotations and gradual increases in exercise intensity while cool downs should include stretches and gradual decreases in exercise intensity.
 
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