I have been having some achilles/calf issues for about 6 weeks. I was getting a pulling feeling and numbness on the outside of the achilles and heel. I went for physio and was diagnosed with strained calf muscles ( I was told my calves were constantly firing) and that I had possible scar tissue on the sheath that surrounds the sciatic nerve in that area. I was told it was not achilles related. Through deep message, ART, stretching and exersices ( something called sliders works the best) things seem to be improving.
My question. After a tough workout (running or riding) my calves are constantly twitching or “firing” and unless I’m constantly stretching or foam rolling them they tighten up terribly. I’m not sure how to describe it any different than that.
My only changes this season are, Alot of early season hill training on the bike that has given me my best bike season ever. New TRI bike P2SL amd more agressive position. 14 cm drop and I’m 5’8". I’m able to stay in the drops comfortably. no change in running
Any thoughts? I don’t want to be pushing through something that could lead to worse injury.
I hope to put you at ease because your description sounds exactly like what I experience regularly. I have the same thing after long, hard, hot, humid etc. workouts… I get rid of the “twitches” with electrolyte tablets (endurolytes are my favorite). It usually takes a few of them to get the “twitching” to stop, but it has worked for me. No big deal.
I dealing with the same issue and it does seem to be a serious problem that won’t go away if you continue doing the same old thing. Do some searches under “running calf tightness” and read up a little, it seems to be an overuse injury related to tightness in the achillies.
I’m not sure of the progression, I have been skipping running for the last couple weeks and just riding, working with a thing called “the stick” and doing more stretching. I think with rest it will get better, but it appears to be something related to biomechanics that has to be managed.
I get twitches all the time when I work hard. It’s my body telling me that I’ve done my job. No big deal… just have some salted chips and they’ll go away in a day or so.
My right gastroc has been a “bag of worms” for over 20 years. It has little twitches constantly, mostly insensible, but if you sit and watch it, you can be entertained for hours (it’s like watching a meteor shower, trying to guess where the next one will appear). I have never found a way to make it stop, but really deep massage (oh! the pain) reduces the twitching a bit for a little while.
