Apologies for the long story below but I feel I need to give full detail to solve a potential personal catastrophic disaster from occuring. Full b/foot for 5 months now after a very fast transition of about 3 months (I know, I know). All went well, no serious issues. I have done 2 full marathons full barefoot with no issues. Doing about 70 - 80 kays a week. My left leg has always been the weaker and prior to barefooting I suffered from a depressing bout of runners knee. Left hammy is also always a bit tender. Sports doctor has also previously advised me that I have significant scarring of both calfs (calves?) due to the high number of ultras I have run. He also said it is common amongst ultra runners. I have been doing some strengthening exercises but, like most people here, not enough I guess.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. Did a third full marathon and this one was unusual in that it was a roller coaster course. I ran a quickish first half. At the 30 kay mark there is a very steep downhill. I have not done much training on downhills under the misguided impression that "who needs to train to run downhill FFS?". So 1 klick down the downhill (heelstriking like mad) my left calf suddenly got very sore. I almost sh*t myself that I had torn it but some rubbing and walking got me going again. I was 9 klicks from the finish so continued at a slower pace without "significant" pain (sidenote: I have a very high pain threshold). Finished, showered, drank copious beer, sounded off about the benefits of b/foot running to anyone who would listen, went home. Took 2 days off then went for a slow 5 kay.
No problems for first 4 kays then left calf again suddenly sore so I walked to the finish. Mr Cautious. Took 5 days off (about the maximum I am capable of before becoming socially undesirable to friends and family) then went for a 10 kay. 4 kays in, same problem. I was not going to call off the run due to weakness of body so rubbed and continued. Did about a further 3 kays on the beach and the pain was not "significant". I could run albeit with some discomfort. The next day I walked with pain and the left calf seemed swollen. If I squeezed it the muscle was sore. Took a week or so off and started icing it once to twice per day.
Yesterday I did a slow 5 kay on the flat. 3 kays in and bang, left calf, same thing again. I swore blue murder and physically hit my calf repeatedly with my fist whilst howling at the heavens. Kept going and ran with some pain. I resolved to simply ignore my left calf. If it did not want to work with the rest of my body then I was quite prepared to exclude it from "our" team. 4 kays in and BANG went the right calf!
WTF? I have never had any problems with my right calf. NEVER I say. Never Never Never. N E H V H E R! Hobbled to finish. Became tearful. Drank beer. Searched internet.
Uninformed and probably fatally wrong self diagnosis: The pain is specific, not widespread. If you stand on your toe and your calf bulges attractivly, the pain is located at the bottom of the bulge in the middle. Not a calf tear as I can point my toe with zero pain, can walk on my tip toes without much pain and could feasibly run some sort of distance with moderate pain. Can squeeze my Achilles without pain. No TOFP at all. Also why all of a sardine the right calf on an easy flat run? Surely you can't tear an uninjured, strong calf during a slow flat 5 kay? I suspect the long downhill stretch of the marathon put significant and unusual strain on both calfs as I had not trained on the downhill. Post marathon, my calfs were scarred and shortened. The resting actually led to further shortening/atrophy and now any running leads to them being forced to strecth out again like unused msucles. The scarring obviously means it is even harder for them to stretch hence the pain.
Treatment: icing, massaging and targeted stretches. Shorter strides, more bent knees, no hills for now.
Please don't tell me to stop running completly. It is not an option. You may as well tell me to stop breathing for 1 week. I have 2 x ultras on the horizon and them dates aint gonna change because of my crisis.
Any and all comments, advice, harsh criticism, recrimination or sympathy welcome. Help. Me. Please.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. Did a third full marathon and this one was unusual in that it was a roller coaster course. I ran a quickish first half. At the 30 kay mark there is a very steep downhill. I have not done much training on downhills under the misguided impression that "who needs to train to run downhill FFS?". So 1 klick down the downhill (heelstriking like mad) my left calf suddenly got very sore. I almost sh*t myself that I had torn it but some rubbing and walking got me going again. I was 9 klicks from the finish so continued at a slower pace without "significant" pain (sidenote: I have a very high pain threshold). Finished, showered, drank copious beer, sounded off about the benefits of b/foot running to anyone who would listen, went home. Took 2 days off then went for a slow 5 kay.
No problems for first 4 kays then left calf again suddenly sore so I walked to the finish. Mr Cautious. Took 5 days off (about the maximum I am capable of before becoming socially undesirable to friends and family) then went for a 10 kay. 4 kays in, same problem. I was not going to call off the run due to weakness of body so rubbed and continued. Did about a further 3 kays on the beach and the pain was not "significant". I could run albeit with some discomfort. The next day I walked with pain and the left calf seemed swollen. If I squeezed it the muscle was sore. Took a week or so off and started icing it once to twice per day.
Yesterday I did a slow 5 kay on the flat. 3 kays in and bang, left calf, same thing again. I swore blue murder and physically hit my calf repeatedly with my fist whilst howling at the heavens. Kept going and ran with some pain. I resolved to simply ignore my left calf. If it did not want to work with the rest of my body then I was quite prepared to exclude it from "our" team. 4 kays in and BANG went the right calf!
WTF? I have never had any problems with my right calf. NEVER I say. Never Never Never. N E H V H E R! Hobbled to finish. Became tearful. Drank beer. Searched internet.
Uninformed and probably fatally wrong self diagnosis: The pain is specific, not widespread. If you stand on your toe and your calf bulges attractivly, the pain is located at the bottom of the bulge in the middle. Not a calf tear as I can point my toe with zero pain, can walk on my tip toes without much pain and could feasibly run some sort of distance with moderate pain. Can squeeze my Achilles without pain. No TOFP at all. Also why all of a sardine the right calf on an easy flat run? Surely you can't tear an uninjured, strong calf during a slow flat 5 kay? I suspect the long downhill stretch of the marathon put significant and unusual strain on both calfs as I had not trained on the downhill. Post marathon, my calfs were scarred and shortened. The resting actually led to further shortening/atrophy and now any running leads to them being forced to strecth out again like unused msucles. The scarring obviously means it is even harder for them to stretch hence the pain.
Treatment: icing, massaging and targeted stretches. Shorter strides, more bent knees, no hills for now.
Please don't tell me to stop running completly. It is not an option. You may as well tell me to stop breathing for 1 week. I have 2 x ultras on the horizon and them dates aint gonna change because of my crisis.
Any and all comments, advice, harsh criticism, recrimination or sympathy welcome. Help. Me. Please.