Posts Tagged → calf pain

This Week No Run: The Calf Story Cont’d

The eagle-eyed visitor have noticed there have been no “this week on the run” for a while. This is quite simply because I haven’t been on the run very much. And if you think that’s because of my hurting calf, you’d be right. Here’s where it’s at.

The week after Gibraltar I was in Paris on a small tour with St Jacobs Chamber Choir. I did manage to sneak in two small runs. But since I started from the hotel both times I had to content with traffic which made it kind of stop-and-go efforts. Also, my stomach crashed the second time and I barely got back to the hotel room in time. Calf was so-so.

Back in Sweden I met up with my new naprapath, Joseph Beg, who promptly got me to buy a foam roller and started showing me how to treat it. And also… forbade my to run until I’ve healed up. I’m certain he’s right, but… damn it is hard!

Also, he analyzed my gait and voila! There it is! The left foot has a distinctly larger pronation than the right, a longer ground contact, the Achilles directly above the heel is markedly bent when loaded, and the left knee collapsed.

Any questions on that?

Anyhow, it is a relief finding out exactly what have caused the problems. And if any runner is reading this and thinks that core, hip and knee stability will be key here: you’re absolutely right. Core, hip and knee stability training it is. And for now I’m cobbled at a measly 5K per week in actual running.

I. Must. Trust. The. Expert.

But hey! Next week I’ll get back into the mountains!

 

This Week On The Run: v20 2012

Following lasts weeks success and calf-pain-free experience, I was eager to get going again:

Tuesday, 5km: Alas, the calf was feel worse again. But apart from that the run was lovely, the legs felt strong and the Woods of Årsta felt like a good place to be.

Saturday, 6km: My first run in Gibraltar. The calf was stiff as usual. I wanted to cross the rock on Queens Road, but forgot that there is a toll for passing into the nature preserve. So, I had to turn around and what would have been an awesome run became a merely rather good one. My legs felt good although it was more vertical than I’ve had for a while. Good stuff.

Slow week, and the return of the calf pain is depressing. I have a coaching session booked in next week which I’m looking forward to. Here’s to hope, and tomorrow I’ll do my first ever run in Paris.

This Week On The Run: v19 2012

Another week another chapter in the hurting calf. The Tuesday I went to a new doctor, namely Idrottsdoktorn.se (literally “the sports doctor”). After listen to my whining, having me hop around on one leg, doing fall outs, squats and various other tricks like such an old dog he passed verdict: I’ve had an inflammation where the Achilles fastens in the calf, and as I continued on training, even though the inflammation actually went away, the pain didn’t. The condition have a Latin name that sounded authentic, and which I promptly forgot. But the bottom line is that there’s actually nothing wrong with my calf, apart from the fact that it is hurting that is.

That’s a relief.

He also noted that my core stability needs to be worked on, which I’ve already guessed, and likewise with my ankle stability, which I haven’t. Also I could do with limbering up a bit, but he wasn’t overly concerned with that. Now he’s passing me along to a naprapath who’s expert on running to give me some concrete training tips for my calf (eccentric training), and core and ankle stability.

Then the week went on, but after two beers after work on Friday I couldn’t help noticing that my calf was… not hurting at all. And when I bounced around my living room I couldn’t trigger the “normal” pain any more. Naturally, with two beers in my body, and a vicious lust to run I couldn’t help myself, which leads us to:

Friday, 5km: And by damn! First run since late February completely without pain! Whooho! I went round in the woods around the corner. Got punished badly by the verticals, but took it easy and walked bits. I can really feel now that I haven’t been able to train properly for a while. But it is a lovely spring, and when I came back it felt like a huge weight had fallen off my shoulders. I’m running again!

A big fat hint: Despite my attempt to play with my footing the last weeks to find out what the problem is, I was far from the truth. I started the Friday run with 1km barefoot, and… That was a completely different step. On both feet. When I took the shoes off, both feet stopped pronating, I landed squarely on the middle on my soles, and my big toe got involved much earlier. Damn difference it made too!

Sunday, 5km: I was hesitant about going out. I wanted to run, but I wasn’t sure if it was too aggressive. I warmed up, took a couple of meters barefoot and then was pushed over by the glorious spring weather. And it seems it worked. No pain, and I had to hold myself back like an old racehorse not to speed up. Again I started with 1km barefoot, and after that the rest of the run was exactly as I want it: smooth and light.

So here’s to hope! Taking the shoes off made a huge difference in my gait. Now. I. Must. Not. Over. Do. It. Easy does it. Calma, calma…

This Week On The Run: v18 2012

Bah! I attempted to tread lightly on Tuesday and failed miserably, after 3KM I decided to cut it short and walk home as my calf was hurting. After which I decide to take a break. And since then the must peculiar thing has happened: although I still feel the calf when I add pressure to it, gradually my left heel started acting up, all around the bottom of the heel (sort of on the border), and gradually seeping under the heel as well: now I have a weird sticking sensation when I walk.

*sigh*

I’m now scheduled for a very expensive doctor specialized in sport injuries for a check-up tomorrow. Here’s to hope!

This Week On The Run: v17 2012

Continuing on the calf-story. Last week my feeling was that it had to do with pace and cadence. So this weeks goes was to run as usual, but try to keep the cadence up and the pace down.

Tuesday, 8km: Round Årstaviken. Pace was slow but calf was bad. Possible I was hurting from the 12K two days earlier. I don’t seem to find any flow at all on flat road running.

Thursday, 6km: The usual round in Årsta Skog. Here’s a new hint: it felt like my left foot does not land exactly like my right. Right foot pronates more, which the world upside down, as it is my left foot all *real* running centers have told me need pronation support. So, a bit of compensation going on? I kept the cadence up, and concentrated on letting my left foot mimic the right. And much better immediately!

Slow Sunday, 10km: Not really slow, and no “discovery” either. I kept it round Årstaviken. After 3km the calf loosened up, and after that it felt stiff, but not hurting. Cadence and pronantion felt OK. Another helpful hint: make sure the hip stays fairly straight, for me that means actively engaging the core. It helped the balance and the cadence.

Not too bad! The calf is still stiff but now at least I’m hoping that it is something I can train away. I’ll keep plodding along a week more at the same distances and paces. Well see!

This Week On The Run: v16 2012

The sore calf story continues. I decided to knock it back during the first half of the week. I went to see a naprapath in the beginning of the week and he recommended back exercises (I’m so surprised) and rest, so that’s what I did. And I know, why a naprapath? Well, seing as I know shit about running injuries or problems I went on recommendation.

Thursday, 6km: Slow pace in Årsta Skog (the local wood). I’m starting to feel that I haven’t been able to train properly the last couple of weeks. I got fairly punished by the 45m climb between 4.5 and 5.5km. The calf held up OK. Felt stiff, but not injured.

I went back to the naprapath on Friday and he proceeded to massage the shit out the calf (“OK, so the back exercises didn’t work, so let’s work on the soft tissues shall we?”). By god, that hurt, but walking away the calf felt better than for a long time, if a bit sore.

Slow Sunday, 12km: I decided that from now on Sunday will be 1) “slow Sunday”; and 2) “discovery Sunday”. Stockholm is an amazing city with areas all around which are perfect for running, so why just stay around the house? I started by taking the car to Hellasgården which is a classic in Stockholm. Lots of trails, restaurant, sauna, outdoor gym, etc etc. The calf felt bad the first kilometers (5 min/km pace) but when I settled back into my back driver speed (5.3-6.0 min/km) it stopped hurting. The trail was OK, with the last kilometers really good, and a few hundred meters the most technical I’ve ever tried. Great fun! I ended with a long shower, a short sauna, and a seafood soup in the restaurant.

The slow pace on the Sunday might have been a clue. I did up the pace after the winter, and increased my mileage. So perhaps I’ve simply overdone it and the calf couldn’t cope. We shall see next week, in which I’ll take. It. Very. Slow.

All in all a terrible week, but with something that could be a bit of sunshine at the end of the tunnel.