Each of the last 3 years when my run/bike volumes started to increase (i.e., when the weather finally warms up here in the upper midwest and I can get outside) I have suffered basically the same type of calf injury. This year it is either the soleus muscle underneath the medial/inside gastrocnemius or something deep in that portion of the gastrocnemius muscle. When it first comes on it actually feels like someone stabbed me in the calf with a knife. Two years ago I wasn’t able to overcome it and basically gave up running for the elliptical for most of the summer. In my final race of that year I ended up walking/limping the last two miles of the run in a a half ironman event. Really bummed me out. Last year I babied my legs because I was coming off of knee surgery for a meniscus tear. Minimal running and lots of time on the foam roller limited the episodes but it still happened from time to time and was a pain in the neck. I really couldn’t run as much as I would like. This year I put in good time on the treadmill over the winter - 3x a week, 5 - 5.5 miles a session by late spring. Good for me at least and again I was diligent about the foam roller. The weather got better and I was able to ride and run outside more, still only running 3x per week but 6 - 6.5 miles per session. Two weeks ago, BAM, it happens again, searing pain in my calf and I end up walking back from my run. I’ve not run since, gotten an athletic massage, and used the roller but it hasn’t gotten any better.
I don’t understand why this keeps happening. I have a running background. I run in good shoes (Brooks) selected with help from my local running specialty store. I’m good about stretching before and after I run. I use the foam roller religiously. I’m bigger for a runner 5’10" 195lbs but not terribly fat. I was very careful to slowly ramp up my mileage this year.
Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do?
Thanks. It is driving me crazy that this has happened 3 years in a row now. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
I had a similar problem for several years in a row. Stabbing pain deep smack in the middle of my calf muscle would come on 3 miles into a run. I’d take time off thinking it was a tear (up to 6 weeks in some years) to let it heal, start out slow and easy but it would always come back. Sometimes it would be the opposite calf. Near the end of 2011 I was ready to give up the season by the end of July and figured what the hell, I put some foam lifts under my heals and went to the track. Amazingly, everything was fine. So I trained with the pads, raced (short course) without them for a while and stretched often. Another thing I found was that I could dig into the painful spot and relieve it to the point that I could run again within days, so I assume now that I never experienced a true pulled or torn muscle, just spasms or adhesions that inhibited my stride.
Sounds like a tear to me - I’ve torn mine and it sucks. You really should go see a good sports physical therapist. Maybe you keep tearing the muscle in the same place every year as you increase mileage? Dunno. I’d seriously consider seeing a PT though. They will not only know what is going on but give you exercises to help you in recovery and to minimize recurrences.
I have had the exact same symptoms, read Noakes’ Lore of Running , injuries section for calf complaints. Solved the problem , now have regular massage and cross friction to keep it away. Can’t recommend reading this enough having struggled for years.
The calf has brought many of us to a halt. You will recover. But, pay attention to the advice on how to recover from this one, and how to minimize the next one. Notice that I never said how to ‘avoid’ the next one…my experience is that there is a very low threshold for reinjury.
Are you taking a statin drug for cholesterol? I had the same pain off and on over the last 4-5 years. My doctor decided it was the statin. I went to a lower dosage and things were better, but I could tell I was right on the verge of a calf heart attack when increasing duration or intensity. He allowed me to stop taking the statin about three months ago, until I finish IMFL in Nov. Last weekend I was able to do the Gulf Coast Triathlon half distance, with the fastest run split in my old man division with ABSOLUTELY no twinge in my calves. The run was all out, limited by my cardio-vascular system, not my calves for the first time since I started taking the drug.
Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome. Look it up, if it sound right, get the test to confirm (be sure to test all compartments). The surgery is outpatient and you’ll be jogging in 4 weeks, and running in 6. Do it as soon as you can, because the longer you try to run on it, the more likely you are to get nerve damage that can take years to sort through.
I am currently going through the same thing. Originally I thought the pain was related to the popliteal muscle or the plantaris muscle in the upper calf area, but in speaking to a family member PT, I’ve learned that it’s most likely either the soleus or gastrocnemius muscle. For weeks or maybe even months, I’ve been dealing with extra soreness and tightness in the middle of my calf during and after running. I thought maybe I just had to stretch and foam roll more often, which to be honest I didn’t really do. So because of my ignorance, on my last two runs I felt something pop… as you described the feeling of being stabbed in the calf, and I had to walk home. The PT told me to do several different kinds of stretches and RICE. No matter what muscle it ultimately turns out to be, the treatments will be the same… lots of RICE. I will be meeting with the PT tonight and I will get more detailed information for treatment and ways to narrow down what muscle it is. I can fill you in on anything he suggests after we speak and he examines the muscles. As you’ve already noticed, even when it does go away the chances of it returning are very high. The only thing you can do is try to minimize it when it does in fact rear its ugly head again.
Had it and you can get rid of it. You will notice it will start to get tender as you build up your miles for the summer then POW you’re done for weeks. Read up on all the stuff above. Basically boils down to too much too soon especially speed work if you havent done a lot in the winter. So get into your running work early in the spring but ease yourself into speed work. Stretch stretch and stretch some more all the time. After you have recovered do not downplay the amount of stretching you do. I also do a lot of heel drops and calf raises. Go easy on weighted machine calf raises. I do this every day I run and make sure I stretch a bit before the run. I had this a couple of times before I figured it out. Compartment syndrome or calf heart attack. I’ve been free of it now for at least two years. Good luck.
Given that this doesn’t seem to be going away, and all the mention of compartment syndrome or similar, if your medical insurance is good and your GP is ‘sporty’ and willing to investigate, and really even if neither of those things are true, you need to make sure that you aren’t dealing with a blood clot (thrombus) - very dangerous, or if whatever it is eventually leads to a clot or vein valve damage. Might be prudent to seek an ultrasound, just to rule it out.
I’ve had these too. Maybe about one minor episode per year. I have recently found that dry needling by a PT helped me to get me back immediately instead of waiting weeks. In my particular case the pain is from a spasm somewhere in the soleus or calf, ususally due to slightly torn muscle fibers. The needles tell the spasm to chill out and things get drastically better in two days.
Similar thing happened to me. Stabbing pain in my calf while just running along. I thought I tore an ACL or MCL or something, but I was just running straight so that didn’t make sense. I could hardly walk for 3 weeks and stretching, icing, foam roller, massage all didn’t work.
Then I went to an ART (active response therapy) doc and was 80% cured in one visit. After about 5 visits I was 100%. It was amazing.
Thanks for all of the good advice here. The “calf heart attack” references seem to be right on. Still a young guy, 43, and don’t take any medication regularly.