Help! Training with painful legs

[Deleted User]

I have read the Training with tired legs thread, which generally supports the idea of carrying on with tired legs and you'll eventually see improvement.

I'm possibly a step beyond tired at the moment...
I've stepped up my training recently (from "when I feel like it" to targetting 4 runs/25 miles per week) and my calves are killing me. I have done my 9 mile long run the last couple of weeks, and a few 4 and 5.4 mile runs including one phenomenally fast (for me) 5.4, but for a week now my calves have been killing me! I've been rubbish at my weekly game of football, unable to chase anything down at tennis and today (and Tuesday last week) had to abort a 5.4 mile run after 3 miles and jog painfully back (one more mile) as I just couldn't keep running any more - not thourgh any cardiovascular effect (HR was in the low to mid 140s today - I consider 155 comfortable usually) but just because my calves hurt and have no strength left in them.

I'm thinking I should stop until I feel better? Maybe take a week off (I have a tennis match on Monday, football on Wednesday and tennis again on Thursday, so it wouldn't be total inactivity) but the theme of the other thread suggests that would be a bad idea?

Help!

Broadsword Calling Danny Boy

Yes, of course you should stop, your body is trying to tell you something!

[Deleted User]

Yep stop and stretch for a couple of days its cheaper than going to the physio.

winterslow

Might be worth trying some sports massage?

I tried it earlier this year and haven't looked back since. Just had a session at lunchtime today to get my legs in shape to race this weekend )

[Deleted User]

ice dem calves. rest & drink some beer. then run again in a few days time. stop chasing the miles, they'll catch you up in there own time.

[Deleted User]

Gotta let those muscles recover.
So the calves hurt when you use them, also when you poke / massage them? Sound like classic DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

Its an indication of damage to muscle microstructure and connective tissue. It will repair but give your calves some time off. You won't be able to do any quality training until they're working properly anyway.

Avoid any stressful activity that causes the pain / discomfort. Return to training once the soreness is gone (could well take a week if you've really overdone it).

Ice and massage may help recovery, as will very light exercise using calves (light enough that you don't feel soreness). You could keep fit by swimming or cycling (with pressure to pedals through heels).

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone.

Yes Alex, DOMS fits perfectly :-{

I'll rest up a while and use the time to plan a more flexible, sympathetic schedule to get me to where I want to be.

I've tried to be sensible now that I'm older/fatter/less fit(unlike in my youth, where recovery used to take 17 milliseconds!) but I guess my macho blinkers kicked in again!

Cheers!
Dave.

Hilly

It happens to us all IG. We feel great running feels good so we push just that bit more and think it'll be ok-we're fit, we'll recover. Then suddenly from nowhere a strange pain appears or we wake the next day and don't feel recovered, but still we run because that's what we do!

Hope that couple of days rest will see your calves ok.

I tried to keep going with a calf tear until eventually I was limping. I'm going out today for a few easy miles to see how it is after resting this week. I can't feel anything on walking, which I could earlier in the week and when I press into the calf there's only a very small ache so fingers crossed!:o)

[Deleted User]

Good luck Hilly! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you :-}

Hilly

Thanks IG, it wasn't too good so another couple of days rest from running I think!

Are you resting?

[Deleted User]

IG,

Is all your running on road at present? Consider using grass / trails. The softer surface reduces the stress on your muscles.


E.G. 30mpw road + 10mpw grass might be a useful intermediate between 30mpw road and 40mpw road.

But full recovery is your first concern right now.

[Deleted User]

Hilly, yes I'm still resting... other than a tennis match tonight, and football on Wednesday! No running though.
I'll see how I feel after those two and decide then.

Alex... at the moment my long run is mostly off-road (7 miles in the woods and fields, 2 on the road) but my other runs are nearly all road. It's hard to find much else where I work (lunchtimes are my only opportunity to run in the week).

[Deleted User]

You could also try showering them in cold water when you finish your run, then after a warm shower/bath do loads of good stretching, you can also buy yourself some massage oil and massage them yourself once you've seen a physio do it.