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Lower Calf Strain recovery time?
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Well I've done it again - overtraining, poor sleep habits, 61 years of age, and the failure to pay attention to what my body is telling me has me on the sidelines again. Eleven days ago I started an early morning easy run of 5 miles @ 9'/mile with chronic soreness in both lower calves when a sudden and sharp pain in my lower right calf stopped me dead in my tracks and I had to limp-walk back.

I iced for the first 5 days and rested until an easy swim after 7 days. My limping started to fade after 3 days and after 7 days was 95% gone. With all the rest (finally!) my left calf feels 'over' the chronic soreness I have had coming and going since March and the right (injured) calf is also pain free except for some soreness if I pivot while walking.

I plan to get on a bike tomorrow.

How can I know when I can run? I have a 5k race October 6 and a sprint tri on Oct. 20 with my next 'A' race being a 5k on Nov 11.

If I feel ZERO soreness and I have learned my lesson about sleeping and hydration and electrolytes and over-training, isn't it time to ease into running and not wait 5 weeks?

Would certain exercises or weight training be helpful?
TIA, Allan
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Re: Lower Calf Strain recovery time? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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This is what my physio advised me to do:
Foam rolling the calf every day.
Running every day with a slow progression: 10 x 1min run/1min walk. The next day 5x 2/1. And so on.
No strengh exercises for now since running will already stimulate your injured calf.
If you feel any pain at all during the run, you should stop.
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Re: Lower Calf Strain recovery time? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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I'd try some KT Tape. For me at least, it works really well. I've had the same calf strain you are describing. Would go away after a while but soon as I started running, it would flair up. The KT Tape alleviated the pain.
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Re: Lower Calf Strain recovery time? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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Cycling is usually ok. Running, depending on the severity, seems to take about 10 days off or very close to off. Walking ok, eccentric calf raises ok, but running is generally not ok. Running too soon seems to prolong the recovery. . That's without therapy, and is kind of antectodal based on my experience and the experience of the athletes that I coach.

If both are sore, then it's likely fatigue or general DOMS. If one is sore, like your right one, it seems like it is generall fascia related and seems to require time away from running. So the hydration, rolling, electrolytes, and therapy seem to help.


Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |
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Re: Lower Calf Strain recovery time? [Cookie Monster] [ In reply to ]
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Cookie Monster wrote:
This is what my physio advised me to do:
Foam rolling the calf every day.
Running every day with a slow progression: 10 x 1min run/1min walk. The next day 5x 2/1. And so on.
No strengh exercises for now since running will already stimulate your injured calf.
If you feel any pain at all during the run, you should stop.

Same from my physio. I was instructed to wait for pain to go away, then wait another 7 days, and then start this plan, slowly working up to 10min run 1 min walk; All this running was at Z1 with no speed work or intensity.
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Re: Lower Calf Strain recovery time? [CyclingClyde] [ In reply to ]
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[reply][quote] was instructed to wait for pain to go away, then wait another 7 days, and then start this plan, slowly working up to 10min run 1 min walk; All this running was at Z1 with no speed work or intensity.[/quote]

Thanks very much to all - much better than just “wait 5-8 weeks”.

But what is Z1? Just a jog? [/reply]
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Re: Lower Calf Strain recovery time? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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Heart Rate Zone 1 - sorry for being so dense 🤡
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Re: Lower Calf Strain recovery time? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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Ah, yes! to be clear, HR zone 1, very easy jog, almost a walk for me haha
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