General fitness, health and nutrition · Public discussion

Stiff calves after rest days

Jane Lumley · 2005-01-11T10:12:30+00:00

I know, I know. I'm not supposed to run every single day - not hard, anyway. And when I did I got some overtraining symptoms, some pretty severe. But after rest days (three days' running, one rest day) my calves are like boards of wood. No matter how often I stop and stretch, they are often still painful after 6-7 miles, and if I go on and run through the pain I often get a LOT of really savage soreness, then and for the rest of the day, and the next day, and and and, sometimes enough to keep me awake at night (mooooan). Cross-training on rest days made it worse. I tried Pilates (which made me feel silly and didn't help at all). Any suggestions, great running gods of usenet? (I am 43, and I run 50ish miles a week, never less than 40 and rarely more than 60, on road and treadmill depending on life circs and weather). Thank you in advance, and Happy New Year to all. -- Jane Lumley

Started by Jane Lumley · 11 January 2005 · Last activity 15 January 2005 · 27 posts · 1,204 views

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Original section: General fitness, health and nutrition
Published: 11 January 2005
Last activity: 15 January 2005
Original author: Jane Lumley
Posts: 27
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 1,204
Views / 30 days: 0
Topics: Recovery

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Original post
Jane Lumley
Archived post

11 January 2005, 10:12 UTC #1

I know, I know. I'm not supposed to run every single day - not hard,
anyway. And when I did I got some overtraining symptoms, some pretty
severe.
But after rest days (three days' running, one rest day) my calves are
like boards of wood. No matter how often I stop and stretch, they are
often still painful after 6-7 miles, and if I go on and run through the
pain I often get a LOT of really savage soreness, then and for the rest
of the day, and the next day, and and and, sometimes enough to keep me
awake at night (mooooan). Cross-training on rest days made it worse. I
tried Pilates (which made me feel silly and didn't help at all). Any
suggestions, great running gods of usenet?
(I am 43, and I run 50ish miles a week, never less than 40 and rarely
more than 60, on road and treadmill depending on life circs and
weather).
Thank you in advance, and Happy New Year to all.
--
Jane Lumley

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Tim Downie
Archived post

11 January 2005, 11:21 UTC #2

Jane Lumley said:
I know, I know. I'm not supposed to run every single day - not hard,
anyway. And when I did I got some overtraining symptoms, some pretty
severe.
But after rest days (three days' running, one rest day) my calves are
like boards of wood. No matter how often I stop and stretch, they are
often still painful after 6-7 miles, and if I go on and run through
the pain I often get a LOT of really savage soreness, then and for
the rest of the day, and the next day, and and and, sometimes enough
to keep me awake at night (mooooan). Cross-training on rest days
made it worse. I tried Pilates (which made me feel silly and didn't
help at all). Any suggestions, great running gods of usenet?
(I am 43, and I run 50ish miles a week, never less than 40 and rarely
more than 60, on road and treadmill depending on life circs and
weather).
Hi Jane, given that you're no novice it sounds to me like you're carrying a
chronic calf injury. If you've got/had a muscle tear, the surrounding
muscle spasm prevents you stretching the affected part of the muscle and may
aggravate the situation.
Ozzie will no doubt chime in with advice about massage and "rolling" the
calves that will probably be worth trying. Have a look at
http://www.mindfulness.com/of1.asp .
Tim
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.

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np426z
Archived post

11 January 2005, 13:04 UTC #3

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
Roger.

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Tim Downie
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11 January 2005, 13:16 UTC #4

np426z said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
Oooo, cruel but true.
How are you anyway?
Tim

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Donovan Rebbechi
Archived post

11 January 2005, 13:47 UTC #5

Jane Lumley said:
I know, I know. I'm not supposed to run every single day - not hard,
anyway.
Running every day is fine. But running hard more than 3 times a week
is probably too much. Even the worlds best runners don't do more than
3 speed sessions a week.
Quoted message said:
And when I did I got some overtraining symptoms, some pretty
severe.
But after rest days (three days' running, one rest day) my calves are
like boards of wood.
And you run barefoot most of the time, right ? (and do speed work several
times a week) Do you see a possible connection ? I also often get sore calves
after running a long race in light racing flats. Running fast, barefoot
or in flats, forces your calves to work harder.
Quoted message said:
No matter how often I stop and stretch, they are
Stretch all you like, it's not going to repair the underlying muscle
damage.
Bottom line: you're not recovering from your workouts. Which means
you've got to back off somewhere -- volume, intensity, whatever.
I notice you don't say in much detail what you do training-wise, but
my recollection is that you did an enormous amount of speed work, which
is somewhat relevant, because it's the sort of thing that one would
expect to result in sore calves. Last you posted here, you did 4 speed
workouts in a week -- more than elite athletes run. When asked about this,
you said:
"I'm a natural mesomorph, and I like the explosion and the sprint"
Well, that's great, but maybe it's a good time to review the premise
that you're immortal and adjust training appropriately.
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

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Miss Anne Thrope
Archived post

11 January 2005, 15:05 UTC #6

That must be quite a sight. Rock hard calves, and everything else all
jiggly and gross.

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Doug Freese
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11 January 2005, 16:36 UTC #7

"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
-DF

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Doug Freese
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11 January 2005, 16:36 UTC #8

"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
-DF

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TheRosieRuiz
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11 January 2005, 16:38 UTC #9

"Doug Freese" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
mine doesnt. i was so looking forward to all that dry british wit.
Quoted message said:

-DF

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TheRosieRuiz
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11 January 2005, 16:38 UTC #10

"Doug Freese" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
mine doesnt. i was so looking forward to all that dry british wit.
Quoted message said:

-DF

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Tim Downie
Archived post

11 January 2005, 16:52 UTC #11

Doug Freese said:
"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
Probably a good thing. ;-)
Tim

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Tim Downie
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11 January 2005, 16:52 UTC #12

Doug Freese said:
"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
Probably a good thing. ;-)
Tim

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Doug Freese
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11 January 2005, 17:58 UTC #13

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Doug Freese said:
"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
> ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
Quoted message said:

Probably a good thing. ;-)
Oops. I meant to say it does NOT carry it. I like reading out you crazy
Brits and Scots.
-Doug

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Doug Freese
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11 January 2005, 17:58 UTC #14

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Doug Freese said:
"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
> ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
Quoted message said:

Probably a good thing. ;-)
Oops. I meant to say it does NOT carry it. I like reading out you crazy
Brits and Scots.
-Doug

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Tom Phillips
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11 January 2005, 18:28 UTC #15

TheRosieRuiz said:

"Doug Freese" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:

"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
> ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
mine doesnt. i was so looking forward to all that dry british wit.
You mean the indecipherable idioms and being
called a "yank" pejoratively?
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
-DF

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steve common
Archived post

11 January 2005, 21:46 UTC #16

Tom Phillips said:
You mean the indecipherable idioms and being
called a "yank" pejoratively?
I protest! This just does *not* happen, ever!
Except if you mean that "yank" and "jerk" are synonyms >->
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=yank

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steve common
Archived post

11 January 2005, 21:46 UTC #17

Tom Phillips said:
You mean the indecipherable idioms and being
called a "yank" pejoratively?
I protest! This just does *not* happen, ever!
Except if you mean that "yank" and "jerk" are synonyms >->
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=yank

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Tim Downie
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11 January 2005, 23:20 UTC #18

Doug Freese said:
"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Doug Freese said:
"np426z" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
> "Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
> news:[email hidden]...
>
>> ps. Don't forget that there's a uk.rec.running as well.
>
> Why not? Everyone else has.
FWIW, my newsfeed does carry your group.
Quoted message said:

Probably a good thing. ;-)
Oops. I meant to say it does NOT carry it. I like reading out you
crazy Brits and Scots.
That's odd, that's how I read it too. Your writing and my reading problems
cancelled each other out! ;-)
Tim

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Tom Phillips
Archived post

12 January 2005, 00:10 UTC #19

steve common said:

Tom Phillips said:
You mean the indecipherable idioms and being
called a "yank" pejoratively?
I protest! This just does *not* happen, ever!
Except if you mean that "yank" and "jerk" are synonyms >->
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=yank
Well, _I_ doth protest too 🙂
Mainly because most Brits use "yank" in context
of "American," which is wrong. I'm an American,
but not yankee American. And Bush certainly is
not a yank. He's a southerner 😉
It's the difference between calling a scotsman
"English" or someone who is Welsh "scottish."

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Tom Phillips
Archived post

12 January 2005, 00:14 UTC #20

Tom Phillips said:

steve common wrote:
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Except if you mean that "yank" and "jerk" are synonyms >->
Of course in dubya's case I accept this definition...

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