Persistent Calf Pain

If you've logged a few high-mileage weeks in your days, you've likely dealt with minor, or even major, calf strains. It's an extremely common problem among runners, and I'm no exception. I'd like to outline some of the things that I've found to help me deal with nagging calf pain. I've tried to list these tips for overcoming a calf strain in the order of most helpful to least helpful, though a combination of many, if not all, of them will likely get you back on the trail the quickest. Last but not least, I'm a runner, not a doctor, so please consult a medically trained professional if you are unsure of the severity of your injury.

Rest

I know it's the last thing you want to hear as a runner, but you might need to take a break. If you act at the early signs of an injury, you could be talking about a few days recovery versus weeks or months. Calf strains are almost always a sign of overuse, so one of the best methods for recovering from nagging calf pain is to give your calves some time to relax. I try to take at least one or two days off whenever a significant pain pops up on a run, and then I test the waters with a short slow run to ease back into things.

Stretching

When you are experiencing calf pain on a run, the first natural reaction is to stop and try to stretch it out. This is probably a natural reaction because it usually works pretty well. A calf strain is generally caused by overusing your calf muscle, and if it's addressed early it's simply a matter of stretching out a tight muscle.

One thing that I've realized as a runner, is you don't always feel pain at its source. You may be experiencing pain in your calves because other muscles in your leg may be tight, and exerting more strain on your calf muscles. So, don't just stretch your calves when they're in pain, make sure to stretch your quads, ex-tensor tendons (the muscles that run along your shin and connect to the top of your foot), hamstrings, glutes, and hips. That might sound like overkill for a calf strain, but one key concept to understand is that all of your muscles live in opposition to other muscles. That's what allows you to move a body part in different directions. For instance, flexing your calves allows you to point your toe downward, or raise up on to your tiptoes. Your extensor tendon flexes to allow you to raise your toes upward toward your knee. If you over-stress one of those muscles, it will tighten causing more stress on the opposing muscle. You may end up feeling pain in either one of the muscles. You can read about how switching to barefoot running, and over-stressing my calves, put me in a battle with extensor tendinitis here. To make a long story short, if you're experiencing pain in your calves while running, make sure to loosen up all of the muscles in your legs, not just your calves.

Compression Socks/Calf Sleeves

This is a debatable product that I don't feel qualified to discuss the science behind, but I absolutely swear by compression socks and calf sleeves as a runner. I've gotten a few pair from Pro Compression, and they work great! The idea behind compression socks is that they provide graduated pressure (more pressure near the foot, and less pressure near the knee), in order to increase blood flow through the legs. From my research on compression socks, most of the debate on their effectiveness relates to whether or not they're actually effective while running, not whether they're effective after a run while recovering.

I like to wear compression socks or calf sleeves while running, but I think I gain the most benefit by continuing to wear them for several hours after a run. I've even worn them to bed before, when my calves are really screaming. Again, I'm not a medical professional, and I don't really know if there is science to support why this seems to help me so much, but compression socks and calf sleeves have become like my runner's security blanket. I absolutely recommend giving them a try if you regularly experience calf pain from running. I've also heard many people use them for shin splints, but, believe it or not, I've never had shin splints, so I couldn't speak to their effectiveness for that. In my opinion, $50-60 for a pair of high quality compression socks is well worth the price.

Hydration

This might seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes it's as simple as drinking more water. When you get dehydrated it can cause cramping in your muscles, and in runners, your calves will be likely be the first to go. Not drinking enough water can sometimes become a problem for me, even though I've been a regular runner for years. One of the ways dehydration sneaks up on me is in the winter when it's cold. It's hard to pound water when it's 30-40 degrees, but it's just as necessary as it is in the middle of summer. When you throw on a warming layer to go for a run, you may be causing yourself to sweat just as much, if not more, than when running in the summer.

Massage

When your muscles are sore massage can feel amazing, but beyond simply feeling good, it will actually help to clear lactic acid from your muscles and improve circulation to speed up recovery. Getting a quality massage can get pretty expensive, especially if you're regularly dealing with sore muscles from running. One great do-it-yourself product that I've found to be insanely helpful is the Stick. This product is so simple, but SO effective, and it has gained a cult-like following from runners over the years. If you don't want to spend $30-$50 on a stick, you can use a rolling pin or a broom handle, but nothing quite works as well as the actual Stick. Basically, you just use it in various positions and roll it back and forth over sore muscles. The only muscles I've ever used it on are my calves, and it works wonders. I wouldn't say that it's anywhere near as good as getting an actual massage from a trained professional, but using the Stick for 10 minutes before and after a run may be enough to loosen up your muscles and get you back to 100%.

Electrolytes

In order to function properly your muscles need the right balance of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, but the first two are the most important. Given that most Americans likely get far more sodium in their natural diet, that leaves you with making sure that you're getting enough potassium. Some common sources from food are bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon, black beans, and beets. There are a ton more if none of those appeal to you. Another option that I generally use on any run longer than an hour is Salt Sticks. I've only used the classic version in pill form. It may be mostly mental, but when I take them during a long run it makes my muscles feel like when I drip oil on a dry bicycle chain. Tightness and tension seem to drift away, and everything just feels smooth. I take 1 capsule per hour while running.

Running Form

This is something that's probably not necessary if you're an experienced runner. If you're just getting into running, and you're experiencing calf pain even after trying everything else I've mentioned, it may be worth analyzing your running stride to see if you're placing unnecessary stress on your calves. Generally this would be that you are exaggerating landing on your forefoot, near your toe, and your heel is well off the ground when you first make contact with the ground. Ideally, your mid-foot should hit the ground first, and your heel should be as low as possible, without causing it to strike first.

Some of the ways in which you can identify problems with your stride, are by looking at the treads on your shoes. You should notice significantly more wear on the treads between the mid-foot and fore-foot where your foot naturally strikes the ground. If that spot looks to be very far forward (toward your toes), then try adjusting your stride while running to land more toward your mid-foot. When you look at the heel of your shoe, you should see some wear on the heel. It shouldn't be nearly as pronounced as the wear on the mid-foot, but there should be some wear present. This shows that your heel is in fact coming down and making full contact with the ground with each footfall. If there isn't much wear on the heels of your shoes relative to the wear on the mid-foot, you may be putting unnecessary stress on your calves by not giving them a brief rest between each step you take.

NSAID's

I decided to put this on here as a method for dealing with calf strain, but I really don't recommend taking ibuprofen or any other anti-inflammatory drug to enable you to continue running. I try to take medicine as sparingly as possible, but there are times when taking an Advil can really help to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. In my opinion, if you're at the point where you need to take pain medicine in order to make it through a run, you probably shouldn't be running. Focus your efforts on rest, and some of the other methods I laid out in this post before you get out running again.

Taking an NSAID after a run to deal with particularly sore muscles can really help. I generally do this after a marathon or an intense trail run. The one thing I would caution against is making taking an NSAID a regular part of your running routine. it should be something used on occasion, not everyday. If you're constantly in so much pain that you need to take something to deal with it, you're running too much, too fast, incorrectly, or some combination of all three.

I hope that some of these methods help you along in your recovery, and get you back on the trail soon.

Happy Running!

Training Plans, Oh Training Plans

I've so missed the obsessive compulsive ritual that is "the training plan" for an endurance runner.  I've put together a training plan mapping out the next several months leading up to the Whistler 50, and I've also picked out another race that I think would be a good training run the month prior, the Flora Lake 50K.  I'm hoping to turn the Flora Lake 50K into a camping trip with the family, and then I can roll out of my tent on race-day and run my first ultra.  Although I haven't done either yet, I really view my first ultra as my first 50 miler, hopefully the Whistler 50.  A 50 km race just doesn't seem that much further than a marathon to me, and, to be honest, I think I could have done another 5 miles after my last marathon relatively easily.  The fact of the matter is that I didn't do another 5 miles after my last marathon, and the only way I'll find out how easy that is, is to do it this September.

As for my training plan, I've decided to alternate between a base week of 38 miles, and a volume week that ranges from around 40-60 miles, with long runs ranging from 12 miles to 31 miles (Flora Lake 50K).  Originally I planned on running a 35 mile training run, but I think the 50K will provide better preparation for the 50 miler even though it's a bit shorter, not to mention the Flora Lake course looks absolutely gorgeous!

As for April, I managed to stick to my training plan, for the most part.  I missed 2 runs, but considering I'm just getting my running legs back under me, I think that's pretty good.  I'm getting really excited for summer, and some nice running weather.  To say that running conditions in Vancouver, BC can be unpredictable, is a huge understatement.  Last week I went from warm and sunny, to cold with hail in a single run.  I even got blasted with a huge spray of seawater one windy morning on the seawall, after running past two sailboats that had run aground in the winds.

Happy Running!

Back in the Saddle

It's felt great to get back into running.  I've logged around 50 miles since my last post, and I've been really surprised by how quickly by legs have adjusted.  I started out expecting it to be a really, really, really long 1-2 months of building up mileage again.  I've certainly stayed active, but nowhere near the level of endurance I had when I ran the Marine Corps Marathon or the Gar Williams Half around two years ago.

I remember building up to my first marathon in 2009, and I felt like a 9-mile training run was such an accomplishment.  Every new feat from there on was incredible in my eyes.  I was convinced that I ran 22 or 24 miles in my longest training run (I didn't have a GPS watch at the time).  I ran for 3 hours and, in hindsight, I think I actually only ran about 18 miles or so.  I came to that brutal realization during the 2009 Seattle Marathon.  I felt great up until around miles 18-20, and then I completely fell apart.  My first marathon took me 1 hour and 22 minutes longer than my longest run in preparation for that marathon.  That's a big difference!

Fast forward to this last two weeks, and I threw down two 10-mile runs with very little effort.  That's something that took me months to build up to before.  Of course, I've run several other shorter runs over the last two weeks, but it's the 10-milers that made me really feel good about my running ability and my general level of fitness.  Granted, I haven't been worrying about speed in the slightest.  I plan to just log the miles for the first 1-2 months.

I'm still thinking about the timing for my first ultra, but the front-runner so far is the Whistler 50.  I haven't registered yet, but I think I will soon!

Happy Running!

Hey Guys...Still Alive!

Well, it's been an extremely long time since my last update.  I almost feel like I should just start an entirely new blog, but after reading some of my old posts I started reminiscing about running and blogging about it in Washington, DC and in Hyderabad, India.  I've really missed sharing my trial of miles, and I'm ready to get back to it.

Most importantly, I've missed the sense of community I felt when running and keeping everyone up to date here.  This blog held me accountable for what I wanted to accomplish, and it put me in contact with real people who could offer support, advice, and friendship.  This blog got me through my second marathon, after a disastrous first marathon.  This blog made me a runner.  Let me clarify that last statement.  This blog gave me the mindset that I was a runner, but I made myself a runner.  I did that by burning through running shoe after running shoe in countless miles of trials.

I never ran my ultramarathon when we got back to the States, and that kind of makes me sad.  I was in the best shape of my life when we got back from India, and I was easily in good enough shape to at least finish an ultra.  I made the mistake of letting life's little events make me feel like it wasn't the right time for me.  Granted, my wife and I were having another child.  That's a pretty big life event!  I figured, I'd just wait another six months until life returned to normal. The problem with that mentality is that life is never normal.  I have a wife and kids and life is always crazy.  Becoming an ultramarathoner is still on my bucketlist, and I'm determined to accomplish that goal.  The one thing I've found most certain in life is that if you want to accomplish something, you have to do it...not think about doing it.  To reference Dr. Seuss, I'm through sitting in the "waiting place."  This is the year that I will run my ultra.

Happy Running!

The India Roller-Coaster

I feel like I'm at a point where I'm trying to break through the wall between recreational fun-runner and serious runner.  I don't mean that I'm trying to become a competitive runner, as in winning races.  I'm not so disillusioned to think that's even remotely possible at the moment.  I just mean that I want to build an endurance foundation that allows me to run multiple races per year.  I want to get to a point where my training becomes more about bettering my pace, rather than just focusing on being able to make it to the finish line come race day.  I hope that training for my first ultra in November will provide that.

I'm definitely beginning to find my running groove in India.  It sucks running on the road, but I'm getting better at it.  I think it's only a matter of time before I get hit by a car, or bus, or auto-rickshaw, or motorcycle, or camel pulling a cart, or anything else you could possible imagine moving along the road here.  Stray dogs are a bit of a problem too.  In general they tend to run away from me when they see me coming, but every once in awhile they get that look in their eyes like they're thinking, "I could take this guy.  That'd be more meat than I've had all year!"  So far so good, but I'm just waiting for my first encounter with a rabid dog.

I found a running group in Hyderabad, called Hyderabad Runners, who do several weekly runs, including a long run.  I'm going to my first run with them this weekend.  I'm hoping that I'll meet some new running partners, and that they'll show me some nice trail running locations.

At the moment, the only thing that seems to be holding me back from building my endurance is my constant bouts with 'Delhi Belly.'  For the last 5 or 6 weeks, as soon as I start to feel like I'm making some progress I get hit with a severe case of food poisoning and the only place I'm running is to the bathroom.  I'm hoping that this is just my system adjusting to a new, slightly less clean than I'm used to, environment.  I've been recovering very quickly, so I guess that's a plus, but I'd really like to avoid these stomach issues in the future. All in all, I think I'm moving forward, and I'm excited to start training with a purpose.

Happy Running!