Running Calf Injuries
One of the more common running injuries is a calf strain or a tear resulting in calf pain. The biggest of the calf muscles, “Gastrocenemius” to use its correct name, is the largest and most superficial of the muscles in the lower leg and is loaded repetitively and heavily during running sports.
With every stride we take when running, the calf gets loaded, firstly to absorb the shock of our body weight landing, then to help propel us forward into the next stride. Now take into account that for every mile we run we take about 1500 of these strides. Looking at it like this makes it easier to see that if there is a weakness in the calf complex, or a fault elsewhere in the kinetic chain or running technique which leads to more stress going on the area, calf pain through injury is almost inevitable.
Essential Guide to Barefoot and Minimalist Running
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Running Technique Transition Program
Some of our athletes have asked us to put together a couple of example 12 week running programs for those who are in the process of making improvements to their running style.
This program is particularly good for those returning from a period off running due to injury and those who are keen to transition to forefoot/midfoot striking techniques.
These programs guide you through 3 months of gradual progression of volume to safely build up running time with the new technique.
Here are a couple of examples…
Prepare Your Legs For Midfoot or Barefoot Running
One of the most common reactions in people trying to change their running style to a barefoot or minimalist running style with a forefoot or midfoot strike is to complain of tightness and soreness in the calf region and achilles. This is related to trying to do too much running with this new technique too soon, having not allowed muscular adaptation to the demands of the new technique. This adaptation takes time. It is particularly the calf/achilles complex which undergoes a significantly greater and different type of loading compared to its loading during a heel-striking running style.
The most effective method of prevention when it comes to this tightness is to make sure that you start with only small amounts of running with a midfoot strike, and increase the running volume progressively.
