Went for a shortish run on Monday evening, maybe 35 minutes, all aerobic, nothing special. I felt absolutely fine when I got back. Yesterday, I noticed a little soreness in the muscles by my shins and the muscle below the two head of the calves and above the achilles. Today they feel much worse. Anyone have experience with this? For such an easy run, I can barely walk almost 48 hours later. I've been running and riding enough recently that this shouldn't be so debilitating.
Triathlon Forum
Login required to started new threads
Login required to post replies
Re: Lower leg pain [matty1281]
[ In reply to ]
Hmm. Hard to say by just a post over the internet, but two things come to mind: Tendonitis and stress fracture. Actually, a third thing comes to mind: Blood clot. Take that leg to the doc to make sure there is nothing serious going on. JMHO
__________________________________________________
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain
__________________________________________________
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain
Last edited by:
CrashingGirl: Oct 27, 04 14:06
Re: Lower leg pain [matty1281]
[ In reply to ]
Any pain in glutial region on same side ?
Re: Lower leg pain [trithis99]
[ In reply to ]
No, the pain is on the shins and the lower calves only, but on both legs. And the run ways two days ago, but I'm only feeling crappy today.
Re: Lower leg pain [matty1281]
[ In reply to ]
Oops, sorry I didn't note that it was in both legs. Nix the blood clot worry then. R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation). 20 minutes icing at a time only.
__________________________________________________
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain
__________________________________________________
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain
Re: Lower leg pain [CrashingGirl]
[ In reply to ]
Thanks for the help!
Re: Lower leg pain [matty1281]
[ In reply to ]
Matty,
First, a dumb question: any chance you landed wrong at some point and twisted your ankle a little? An injured ligament would feel a lot like the symptoms you describe. Although it wouldn't explain why it hurts on both sides.
How old are your shoes? If you're not getting enough arch support, you could experience pain in the areas you describe. There are tendons that run from the front of your leg (shin area) and the lower part of your calf that support your arch. If your foot is flexing more than usual in the shoe, those muscles could be sore.
Likewise, if your shoes aren't providing the same amount of cushioning that they did when they were new, you have to use your muscles more to absorb the impact of each landing. I've noticed that with some shoes the decline in cushioning is gradual, and with others the decline is like falling off a cliff -- one day they just stop doing enough. That might have happened to you.
Last, you might also have a muscle cramp or two. A warm bath might help loosen things up. You can also try rolling the back of your calf on a tennis ball to get out any cramps -- if it really hurts when you put your body weight on the tennis ball, particularly if it hurts in the spot at the bottom of the big muscle at the top of your calf, that's a possibility. Find the spot where it hurts the most when you put weight on it, and hold it there for 30 seconds (breathing the whole time) then get up and stretch your calf. That could help, too.
Hope that helps!
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Park Slope, Brooklyn
First, a dumb question: any chance you landed wrong at some point and twisted your ankle a little? An injured ligament would feel a lot like the symptoms you describe. Although it wouldn't explain why it hurts on both sides.
How old are your shoes? If you're not getting enough arch support, you could experience pain in the areas you describe. There are tendons that run from the front of your leg (shin area) and the lower part of your calf that support your arch. If your foot is flexing more than usual in the shoe, those muscles could be sore.
Likewise, if your shoes aren't providing the same amount of cushioning that they did when they were new, you have to use your muscles more to absorb the impact of each landing. I've noticed that with some shoes the decline in cushioning is gradual, and with others the decline is like falling off a cliff -- one day they just stop doing enough. That might have happened to you.
Last, you might also have a muscle cramp or two. A warm bath might help loosen things up. You can also try rolling the back of your calf on a tennis ball to get out any cramps -- if it really hurts when you put your body weight on the tennis ball, particularly if it hurts in the spot at the bottom of the big muscle at the top of your calf, that's a possibility. Find the spot where it hurts the most when you put weight on it, and hold it there for 30 seconds (breathing the whole time) then get up and stretch your calf. That could help, too.
Hope that helps!
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Re: Lower leg pain [lsilverman]
[ In reply to ]
Oh man, good call on the shoes! Duh...
__________________________________________________
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain
__________________________________________________
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain
Re: Lower leg pain [lsilverman]
[ In reply to ]
It could be the shoes. I got two pairs of Nike Zoom Elite's in mid-August, and I've been alternating them. I'm 5'11", 170 lbs with medium to low arches. I hadn't had any problems while wearing these shoes before, although that certainly doesn't mean that the shoes are fine either.
Re: Lower leg pain [matty1281]
[ In reply to ]
Here's my two cents...
Did you stretch properly? Could it be shin splints?
I get similar pains if I do not stretch properly.
I also was having more of these pains and I switch my shoe brands out (brooks to NB). Pain stopped immediately. These new shoes now have a couple hundred miles (300+) on them and the pains are starting back up a bit.
Did you stretch properly? Could it be shin splints?
I get similar pains if I do not stretch properly.
I also was having more of these pains and I switch my shoe brands out (brooks to NB). Pain stopped immediately. These new shoes now have a couple hundred miles (300+) on them and the pains are starting back up a bit.
Re: Lower leg pain [matty1281]
[ In reply to ]
jeeze ... sounds like you could be seriously "internet injured" ... ! ;)
my take, sounds like what i've been having, which is deep soreness in the soleus, the flat muscle that runs pretty much from your knee to your ankle. does it hurt when you squeeze your lower leg from the side just below the big calf muscles? that's where mine's been sore ...
anyway, if so, i've been told that it's micro-tears in the muscle similar to shin splints, but in back, not in front. anti-inflamitories and calf stretching seem to be the ticket to prevention of further injury ... namely the classic runners stretch (on foot flat on the floor, the other a step ahead, lean forward to strech the calf and hamstring), and hanging calf streches - off of a step. Also, try stretching your plantar fascia by sitting and pulling back on your big toe (mine also turned out to be tight).
this happened to me after a period of relatively little running, where i also did relatively little stretching.
my take, sounds like what i've been having, which is deep soreness in the soleus, the flat muscle that runs pretty much from your knee to your ankle. does it hurt when you squeeze your lower leg from the side just below the big calf muscles? that's where mine's been sore ...
anyway, if so, i've been told that it's micro-tears in the muscle similar to shin splints, but in back, not in front. anti-inflamitories and calf stretching seem to be the ticket to prevention of further injury ... namely the classic runners stretch (on foot flat on the floor, the other a step ahead, lean forward to strech the calf and hamstring), and hanging calf streches - off of a step. Also, try stretching your plantar fascia by sitting and pulling back on your big toe (mine also turned out to be tight).
this happened to me after a period of relatively little running, where i also did relatively little stretching.
Re: Lower leg pain [matty1281]
[ In reply to ]
Matty,
Two to one it's your shoes. The only people I've met who are happy with Zoom Elites are front of the pack runners, and they burn through them like racing flats.
The profile of a happy Zoom Elite user is a high mileage neutral runner with a narrow foot. If you fit that profile, a more cushioned shoe might help alleviate your lower leg pain -- perhaps the Mizuno Creation; it also fits a narrow foot well. If you're neutral but have a wider foot and/or lower arch, the Asics Nimbus or the Saucony Triumph might work better.
Best advice I can offer is to go to your local running store (one that is staffed with runners, not just retail clerks). Tell them your story and have them evaluate your feet; they'll probably make some good recommendations.
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Two to one it's your shoes. The only people I've met who are happy with Zoom Elites are front of the pack runners, and they burn through them like racing flats.
The profile of a happy Zoom Elite user is a high mileage neutral runner with a narrow foot. If you fit that profile, a more cushioned shoe might help alleviate your lower leg pain -- perhaps the Mizuno Creation; it also fits a narrow foot well. If you're neutral but have a wider foot and/or lower arch, the Asics Nimbus or the Saucony Triumph might work better.
Best advice I can offer is to go to your local running store (one that is staffed with runners, not just retail clerks). Tell them your story and have them evaluate your feet; they'll probably make some good recommendations.
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Thanks for the advice...and if I happen to be in the NY area and still without new shoes, I'll be sure to pay a visit.