On the return from my second soleus minor tear in 2 years and can handle the treadmill on my saucony endorphin shift for an hour no troubles after 4 weeks of rehab.
I have been doing strength training for years with calves which has kept it at bay, but unfortunately I pushed the volume a little bit too much and ran easy on tired legs and that was enough to tweak a minor strain. After recovery and adding plyometrics I’m feeling pretty good but vary wary -I will be looking at reintroducing speed work Again soon.
In time I need to bring these runs, well atleast a portion of them, back outside to the unforgiving road as well and that may include said speed work.
TLDR:
Just wondering if anyone has stories of nylon plated fast shoes for tempo or interval days with success despite suspect calves ? I have been using the vaporfly’s which have been ok but think I’d prob be best if I use something a little less aggressive in rebound to protect the calves that bit more ?
On the return from my second soleus minor tear in 2 years and can handle the treadmill on my saucony endorphin shift for an hour no troubles after 4 weeks of rehab.
I have been doing strength training for years with calves which has kept it at bay, but unfortunately I pushed the volume a little bit too much and ran easy on tired legs and that was enough to tweak a minor strain. After recovery and adding plyometrics I’m feeling pretty good but vary wary -I will be looking at reintroducing speed work Again soon.
In time I need to bring these runs, well atleast a portion of them, back outside to the unforgiving road as well and that may include said speed work.
TLDR:
Just wondering if anyone has stories of nylon plated fast shoes for tempo or interval days with success despite suspect calves ? I have been using the vaporfly’s which have been ok but think I’d prob be best if I use something a little less aggressive in rebound to protect the calves that bit more ?
Had 4 months off running last year (training for Rotto), started back running and quickly tweaked my left calf. Rehabbed tore it again, then the right x 2. So ran very little between May and September. Been running 50km/week since with only 1 minor tweak (didn’t warm up properly). I have to warm up in winter, not so much in summer. What works for me:
hot shower before run
stretch in shower and after
quick foam roll
When I tweaked my calf this year, I didn’t follow that routine, just jumped out of bed and ran. In summer I can do that, not winter. And also wearing calf sleeves in winter.
My calves definitely don’t like certain shoes. The Endorphin Speed 3s (with nylon plates) are good and I’ve been using them for a few years. Bought the 4s and my calves didn’t like them, so have gone back to the 3s. I haven’t noticed much difference between nylon plated shoes and non-plated.
I hear u with the sleeves - every run I use them now…. But yeh your calves have been shockers ! Was curious about the endorphins - the pros I always found hurt the calves afterwards a bit, have never used the speeds
I’ve got the Pros and couldn’t run in them for training as too stiff. But the Speeds are good. No issues with my calves really with them. Physio said I should never have stopped running when training for Rotto.
Here is a thought. Mainly a hypothesis. With highly padded carbon shoes, you have less stability meaning the calf and shin muscles also have some extra work to stabilize things. Maybe a shoe with no plate with firmer foam could help the calf issues? Again, just a hypothesis.
I deal with calf tightness and achilles pain pretty frequently. I use endorphin pros for races and occasional speed workouts, endorphin speeds for long runs and the remaining speed workouts and kinvara’s/hoka mach for easy days. A couple things I have noticed. No matter what shoes I wear I always have to stretch my calves after every run and usually foam roll before bed every day. Just basic “maintenance”. The other thing is that I need mix in a “hard” foamed shoe (kinvara) with the softer Pro/Speeds. If I only run is soft shoes I will get calf/achilles issues. I also run on different surfaces as much as I can. Just mixing things up a bit seems to keep my lower leg issues at bay for the most part. I believe the Hoka mach’s are actually too soft so I try to use them sparingly for easy runs.
I’ve been dealing with calf issues for many years. Before turning 40, it was just stiffness that responded well to a weekly massage. In the 40’s, things turned for the bad and I suffered many strains and tears. One leg at a time always, 3 to 4 months apart.
Tired of the situation, I managed to take control of the problem with 3 approaches: 2x or 3x strength work in the gym (with really big loads and very controlled repetitions), daily self massage (with all the toys you can think of) and a pro weekly one, and having a type of shoe for every specific workout.
I mostly use Nike because my foot shape fits as perfectly as it can. So I use the Pegasus for slow and easy runs, and drills. The Zoom Fly 5 for long speedy workouts on hard surfaces so I don’t overload the calfs (focus on the soleous). And out of commission Alpha’s for short high intensity workouts on the track.
So far so good.
Here is a thought. Mainly a hypothesis. With highly padded carbon shoes, you have less stability meaning the calf and shin muscles also have some extra work to stabilize things. Maybe a shoe with no plate with firmer foam could help the calf issues? Again, just a hypothesis.
this, but also the drop in shoe will make your calves work differently (even with out the spring devices). best to do something more natural, zero drop, or go barefoot on grass/beach sand here and there
I have had minor calf and hammy strains for years. None since I stopped statin during season and wear calf sleeves. Never know. I don’t stretch much and when I do, lightly.
Highly recommend eccentric calf work. I do calf raises with light weight and when at peak height I then isolate one leg and do a slow eccentric. Repeat on other side. This has been game changer.
Then during the day I wear barefoot shoes to work on my calves while just walking. When I run long distances it is Nike Infonity React.
Funny you mention my physio has got me doing just that. Overload and just slow negatives.
I’m up to hour plus and did 10x400’s this week as well as 20 mins tempo amongst easy runs. Volume is nearly back. Minus a day plus 20 minutes lacking of another easy day. However all still on treadmill. The test is taking it outside for easy runs on unforgiving road. Fast runs will stick to treadmill for now.