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Lower leg (calf/shin) pain

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 Oli Greg 22 Apr 2015
Hi all, I'm after a bit of advice on some leg pain.

First a bit of background. Completed my first marathon (Hardmoors) last Novemeber and over the winter I havenet run as much as I had when training, maybe once or twice a week. I have signed upto the 3x3 ultra in October and I started training again around 4 weeks ago. Running for 2 days then a rest day, I comfortably ran half marathon distance at the weekend.

But I keep getting pain/discomfort in my calves. On every run I will have very tight calves for the first 3 miles and then on some runs I will feel ok, on others the calves get worse, especially when running uphills. On a couple of runs the pain has radiated from the back of the calves round to the front/inside of my legs (but not right on the shins).

I stretch and roller after each run, especially if it has been a longer run and I have paid special attention to stretching my calves and achillies, but this does not seem to help. I am using the same model shoes that I ran in last year without issue or discomfort.

does anyone have any advice or suggestions on what may be the issue and what I can do to return to pain free running. I'm a bit reluctant to have too much rest as I don't want be ill prepared for the 50mile hobble. Currently waiting for an appointment at the local physio too.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 Dave the Rave 22 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:
How are you stretching your calves? Are you doing bent knee calf stretches too?
OP Oli Greg 22 Apr 2015
In reply to Dave the Rave:
i dont know their actual names.
Standing with ball of my foot on the edge a a step and dropping one heel at a time. Hands against a wall with my back leg straight and bending my front leg, same position but bending my back leg too.
Cheers
 Dave the Rave 22 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:
Your calves have 2 main groups of muscle.
Gastrocnemius : attaches at the tendoachilles and the back of the knee on the femur. It flexes the knee and points the foot. Tightness will be mainly felt in the bulk of your mid calf.

Soleus: attached to the tendo Achilles and lower portion of the rear tibia. Points the foot.

It is not possible to stretch both properly with the knee straight, as tightness in gastrocs will prevent a full stretch of soleus.
I would try these stretches.( you are by your post doing this on the step)
1. Balls of toes on step, let heels drop until you feel the stretch in back of mid/upper calf. Hold for 30 secs to a min. Repeat x3 , 4x a day
2. Same position with feet, but let knees bend in a mini squat before dropping heels. If soleus is tight you will feel this in the lower posterior ankle area. Same dosage. Do both legs at the same time.

You've possibly upped your training/hills and this is aggravating them?
If you can contact Roadrunner5 on here, he's knowledgeable on training schedules.
Post edited at 18:27
OP Oli Greg 22 Apr 2015
In reply to Dave the Rave:

Thats great, thanks for the help and advice.
I thought by doing 2 on 1 off and not jumping straight back to marathon distance I'd avoid overtraining. Maybe not.
Regards
 Dave the Rave 22 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:
I can't advise on running training, but it sounds like 1/2 marathon after 4 weeks is too much?
It sounds like soleus to me, rather than true shin splints if it's mainly posterior? Soleus attaches to the inside of the tibia( inside the ankle) and fibula( outside ankle).
It would be worth gettin your shoes and running biomechanics tested at a reputable shop or even a gait analysis centre. There used to be one called Rebound in Settle.
Sounds like overuse too soon though.
 SouthernSteve 22 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:

Sounds like soleus to me too. Have a look at this warm-up and do the calf stretches when warm. HTH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zs4hh4cp98&spfreload=10
OP Oli Greg 23 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:

Thanks for the advice folks. Will get cracking with the walm up and stretches
XXXX 23 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:

Too much too fast after a drop in mileage. Rest for a few days and then build up slowly.
physio 23 Apr 2015
In reply to XXXX:

Yes I agree. There is a posibility that it is flexor digitroum longus. This would give the distribution of symptoms mentioned. To test it when you stretch forwards with your knee bent so that your foot is coming towards you...try it with your fore foot (mid foot and toes)pressing down on a hard surface(foot up on a chair), then try it with the toes free (dangling). If there is a differnence it is likely to be involved at least in being overactive for some lack of conditioning in one of the other sets of muscles. When to start retraining to training gradually increase the hill training ( try and not run on your toes.) the physio will test the main posterior compartment muscles. It could take 6-10 weeks for it to resolve so get some professional hands (physio or podatrist) on assessment.
best wishes Physio
 Dave the Rave 23 Apr 2015
In reply to physio:
What would your treatment plan be for this, if it was FDL?
 wbo 23 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:
What shoes, surface do you mainly run on? This might just be excessive soreness from impact, Two on, one off isn't much, so what are you doing in the two on?

It's not overtraining and stretching may help or it may be totally ineffective.
OP Oli Greg 26 Apr 2015
In reply to BikeClimbWalk:

Thanks for the replies folks.
My runs are normaly 75% trails and 25% road, plenty of pennine hills. Shoes are Inov8 Roclite 295. I ruled out the shoes purely because they are what I used last year training and running a couple of marathons.

Thanks again.

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