I had a similar problem, and my oropedic surgeon told me to stretch. I told him i already did, everyday. He told me that for people with high mileage, run or biking, they should be stretching many times a day, whenever they are standing still. Ive been trying this, and my achilles problems are starting to go away. Maybe this could work for you.

There is a good thread below that might help. Search on a title of Ouch my calf hurts or something like that.

If you have the injury described there, it is a major pain, but it clears up eventually.

Good luck.

Thanks. I found the other post and it was very helpful. Most importantly, I learned that the calf stretches I had been doing were not actually stretching my soleus, which can only be stretched with the knee bent.

When you make a significant change in technique or speed or distance, you need time for your body to accomodate. I think that POSE initially increases the load on the soleus and gastrocs. Do some cross training, elliptical trainers (later some short stints on a climber (which uses more gastroc than soleus) and short easy runs with calf rest days (cycling and swimming) between. Stop BEFORE your get sore, or at the first hint. Gradually increase the distance and intensity. Eat well. Stretch AFTER or during your run. It is increasingly apparent that stretching beforehand INCREASES injury and may decrease performance. Warm up gradually and carefully.

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

I'm dealing with this problem since about 3 years now and it just recently seems to go away. There is no patent solution for this. However I have some tips that might help.

First and most important, just resting won't help. I stopped running for 3 month and when I started again it was right there on my first run.

Many people tried to explain to me what is wrong but here is the one I believe in and seems to make sense (from Mark Platches, 1993 marathon world champioin and physical therapist). Your soleus runs at an angle over other muscles in your calf. When it heals, scarr tissue growes between those muscles. When you start running, you ripp the scarr tissue off and the whole thing starts all over again.

Therefore you need to get rid of the scarr tissue. The only way to do this is by deep-tissue therapy, ultra sound together with moderate run training and stretching.

If you plan on racing this year, you better start the therapy now, it can go away in a couple weeks, it can also take years.

Here are some more tips that might help:

try a heel-riser, your heel will stryke a little earlier and take some stress off the calf.

Don't run on concrete

Drink a lot of water

Self massage a lot, try to learn what your physical therapist does and imitate the movements with your fingers, it will most probably hurt, a lot.

If your fine on the bike, that has nothing to do with your soleus, since that's a very running-specific muscle.



PS: feel free to ask any questions...I'm no Doc but the injury has made me think about it a lot!

agret-



Platches is in Boulder, isn't he? Do you have a number for him? (I live in Evergreen and work in Lakewood and Boulder).Thanks

wow, consider yourself lucky, mark is the best! Pros come from all over the world to see him.

He is your ticket. It WILL hurt a lot, be prepared.

good luck

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