Does anyone on here do any running or sports? Hoping someone can help me with a muscle/tendon I seem to keep hurting.
Started jogging on workday evenings about 4 weeks ago. Do about 1.5 miles, and takes us about 18-19 minutes. When I started we had to stop and walk about 6 times for me to get my breath back, no we are down to 1 stop.
Since we got the rests down to 1 I am finding that my calves in general are hurting a lot more towards the end of the jog. Last thursday and today, I feel like I have strained something in the back of my knee/top of my calf. It is okay when bent, but there is slight pain, and a slight stiffness when I walk and more pain when fully I straighten the leg - like a stretch.
It may not help that at the beginning of the run there is quite a steep incline.
This kind of thing isn't mentioned on the couple of sites I looked at this morning about common running injuries.
I am going to take tonight off, and rest over the weekend, and try warming up better (light jog for 2 or so minutes) then stopping to stretch the legs properly and also taking time to cool down at the end, and again, stretch the legs properly.
Would appreciate any other ideas though from those with sports experience.
Good lord that seems fast! I can run for a bus, but anymore than that... Running is definitely not my sport. I'm a stretchy riding/yoga girl!
Do you where high heels a lot? If so - they contract your calf muscles which could then get strained when stretched during your jog.
Warm up and cool down more, definitely, and start easier.
Also don't completely rest this weekend or you'll just stiffen up more. Gentle exercise and stretching will be the best thing.
A good exercise for stretching and strengthening your calves is to stand on the bottom stair, facing up the stairs. Hang your heels over mid air (so the balls of your feet are on the step) and push your heels down. try that a few times a day.
Nah, it's not fast at all, can barely be called a jog ;D You wouldn't believe it to look at me now, but I used to do what they called 'body pump' which is aerobics with a (small) barbel! I used to HATE running, until I tried easing in to it gently. Also it's free apart from the trainers!
Hmm, you've given me something to think about with the high heels, I have been wearing heels more lately. ???
Moggle, there is a condition that's usually related to upping the amount of exercise a body is used to... the muscle (usually calf/leg) expands faster than the actual muscle sheath which surrounds it, which can be very nasty. Pain is the main symptom. It can be misdiagnosed as 'shin splints'.
'Stretching helps to reduce the pain, although continuing the activity bring it on again. The pain often clears by itself as the legs "warm up", other times it gets worse inhibiting any further activity.
The cause of Compartment Syndrome can be a congenitally small compartment, or poor conditioning where the muscles expand too fast for the compartment to accommodate, or a biomechanical mal-function that forces the muscles in question to work harder than they are designed to.'
???
Hiya Moggle,
had the same thing every year in September in preseason training for rugby. After 4 or so months of doing nothing, then into a lot of running, mainly to build up stamina, like you are doing, the oul calves always, always got sore. Technically I think it's a build up of lactic acid. I don't know. I am not qualified in any way, just 20 or so seasons of doing preseason training. Hopefully today, if you took the weekend off, you are feeling a bit better. But it is something (if it's what I think it is) to be grinned at and borne.
Wearing heels could be a factor as imho they are supposedly the worst thing in the world for posture and muscle strain.
Anyway, it's one reason why most people (99.9%) don't like preseason training. Think of it as 'hardening' up your calves. It usually goes in a week or two.
good luck.
Ciaran
In my dim and distant mispent youth I took up the sport of Judo...loved every minute of it and boy was I fit training four nights a week...fought in Midland area inter-County matches etc. Went on to teach it for a couple of years too.
Many years later I am replacing bits that were damaged as a result of those glorious years.
Five years ago...right hip
Four years ago left knee
Last Saturday I got my new left hip...they released me today a bit sore and tender but raring to go gardening again in a few weeks time.
One thing I was told is that even carrying a relatively small weight can equate to tonnage on leg joints..be careful
Derek
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
Took the weekend off, ran monday, was very careful to warm up, stretch, run, cool down then stretch. All seems to be okay, and I didn't go last night, just to make sure I had time to recover.
Will go again tonight I think as my calf feels okay today.