Frozen calf muscles

[Bazza1234]

I went for a long 12 klm bushwalk last Saturday - it wasn't particularly difficult and we did it quite easily and slowly - it was basically a (long) "walk in the park". I have previously done three x 10k run/walks which were quite hard - and I pulled up fit after them -- but after this "walk", from the next morning onwards, when I get out of bed, my calf muscles are almost frozen. After a bit of hobbling around, they come better - but they are still obviously not happy - went for a "gentle" 5k yesterday morning just using 1minute run/1 minute walk and, although I finished it easily, it was obvious that my legs aren't very happy at all after this walk. I am thinking that only time will fix them - and think I will abandon the plan for a further 11K run/walk which would have been part of my training plan for this week - but now unsure what else to do.

Apart from the usual tight calves when running and the acing calves the next day, has anybody else had this apparent extreme of completely frozen calves??

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Hmm - interesting!!! I am finding that my calves are almost frozen when I get out of bed - after a little while , walking , some easy stretching etc, it becomes kind of "OK" but there is residual "soreness" that is certainly not conducive to doing too much. I don't feel that I am "injured" - more a case of extreme usage of the calf muscles and they need a rest. But I can't really understand why this would be so after a relatively easy albeit long walk???

[misswobble Graduate]

Yes me! I think mine might be better now the dog has gone home. I felt cramp in my feet as if my feet were curling under as the calf muscle shortened, or something

I think rest is the thing Baz

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I'm thinking that perhaps your bush walk was all quite flat Bazza so the same muscles would have been used in the same way for the whole duration. As an ex long distance hiker we often found aches and pains the day after a long flat hike where as a munro or two caused very little trouble to leg muscles.

My cure albeit a bit brutal was to run up and down the office stairs every hour or so, it loosened off the tight muscles but its a grit your teeth job. Did you by any chance stretch after your walk, we always did regardless of what type of hike it had been. Hope it settles soon which I'm sure it will.

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Oldgirl

yes - it was not excessively hilly -- just LONG. Now that I think about it, I have run/walked 10 klm in just over and hour -- but this walk took just over 4 hours ( why? I don't really know except that we weren't hurrying) . Didn't do any stretches afterwards - because felt quite OK. I am thinking that it is the very long (4 hours) repetitive use of my calves - this was the longest time I have ever used them!!!

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Try the stairs Bazza, grit your teeth and do some really good stretches after each session. You may need to do it a few times but it always worked for me.

[AnnieF Graduate]

If you have access to a gym, you might try using a foam roller. I've only been converted to these of late. They really help with loosening tight muscles, I've been known to take a rolling pin to my quads! Damn painful but it works!