Take a good break from running & biking. Concentrate on your swimming. Be carful making the turn at the pool with the push off. Do some light kicking drills & use a pull buoy during your swim work outs. Hit the weights for upper body. You may doing more harm to yourself by not resting the injury. You will get back quick if you continue to do swim & weight work outs during your next ten weeks from biking & running. Good luck & do your self a favor go to a doctor.

Smitty

Buy some new running shoes. Seriously. Get some expert advice from someone knowledgeable about your condition and what shoes will help. The same thing happened to me last year and the shoes fixed the problem. Granted, it might be more than simply buying new shoes, but checking into it won't hurt. I hope you get better.

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**All of these words finding themselves together were greatly astonished and delighted for assuredly, they had never met before**

Hi Steve. Although you have what you describe as calf strain it could be similar to what I have had trouble with since 1998. (If you do, may god have mercy on your soul!)

But seriously, after numerous calf pulls, limp homes, two min turn around attempts at running, I slowly began to get a handle on it. The best diagnosis I could come up with is mild compartment syndrome. (A toughening of the sheaths around the muscles that leads to a build up of pressure and the associated pulls, soreness etc.) I tried everything from total rest from running and only a bit of riding for six months - 2 mins into first run back (very easy jog) bang gone again.

The worst things tend to be any moderate intensity or above on hard surfaces. Often the pain is worst after I stop - seizes up badly and a hard 3km plus run will leave me hobbling for days afterwards even if there is no actual "pull".

The best treatment for me seems to be slow consistent running (this tends to "toughen" them up without killing them) and lots of massage. I met a fellow Ironman athlete in Darwin (northern territory Australia) recently who had exactly the same problem. He would self massage them every morning as soon as he got out of bed then before and after every run he would do the same for 5 mins.

The good news is that despite the problem I have been able to get through 3 Ironmans during that time and he had even gone 9hrs 10mins.

If you think this sounds a bit like your problem let me know and I will be happy to give you more info about how best to deal with it.

Cheers

Adam

compartment syndrome is easily diagnosed via a Wick catheter to measure the compartmental pressures (may have to run on a treadmill first, then a little local anesthesia and get a measurement). A chronic, inducible compartment syndrome would be very unsual indeed. Must be a "down under" sort of thing.

I think you know the answer to your problem though.

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Fatigue is biochemical, not biomechanical.
- Andrew Coggan, PhD

The sports doc that diagnosed the compartment syndrome (top AG triathlete himself) wanted me to do the test - I fronted for it but then he thought it wasn't bad enough to get an actual reading so we never did it.

As I said on and off and only just manageable for coming up 8 years - frustrating to say the least.

(they never said anything about anesthetic for my test - must be a down under thing!)

Worst area seems to be the soleus just where it dives under the gastrocs.

Area of "pull" is quite localised and seems to shift medial to laterally. ie a medial area will come right then a new spot will become effected more laterally. Often one leg will be worse and then as that one improves it will become the other one.

Lately I notice that I aren't getting much drive out of the calves when I run faster - they seem to fatigue, stiffen and then comes the damage.

As I said mild compartment syndrome was the best diagnosis I could come up with but it isn't your classic case (I doubt anyone with proper compartment syndrome would be able to nurse themselves through 3 Ironmans and a marathon?)

TriSteve,

I had a similar situation that started right before Thanksgiving after lifting weights and running the next day. Did a couple of rounds of the two week rest routine with no results. The pain always returned during the first or second run. A long distance runner friend of mine recommended I go see a massage therapist for some deep tissue treatment. I went twice last week for treatments and I have gone on three runs since with no trouble. My runs have just been about three miles or so and I was not pushing it, but before my massage treatments the tightness would start at between a half mile to a mile. It did not bother me when I was on the bike so I kept riding, but here again I did not go overboard. Hope this will help......

I had a calf strain that sidelined me once for about three months. Tried stretching, ultrasound and electric stim, all with little success. DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE got me back on the road. The old feeling comes back from time to time, and when it does I get massage more frequently. A half hour every couple of weeks during race season seems to work for me.

What you described is just like my problem. This is a good article.

http://www.thestick.net/...20Heart%20Attack.htm

I have found that Rolfing and ART (active release therapy)have been the best thing to get on top of this. Insurance pays for ART, Consumer usually pays for Rolfing which I suggest to anyone.