Need Advice Please!

[Mazzy106]

Looking for a bit of advice from the more experienced runners please!......when I run slowly I seem to take smaller steps which makes my calf muscles really painful! If I take larger strides my calves don’t hurt as much but then I’m running faster and I don’t want to burn out too early! I don’t know what to do as the calf problem is really getting me down, I’m on Week four Run 3.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Hmmm.. well, we say run however is comfortable for you...if you are really happy, then maintain that pace... if you are struggling them you will slow done naturally?

How fast is your pace.. ? Running time ?

[Millsie-J Graduate]

I would say do what comes naturally. If that means when you need to slow down you get sore ( not painful) calves then you need to stretch them out regularly. Heel dips on the bottom stair for example. Start doing it now, every day, several times a day. After your runs do a long heel dip, 30 seconds.... you can use a kerb on a quiet street.

BUT if there is pain at any time you need medical advice, physios are brilliant for this kind of thing. Remember the calf, tendon, heel are all joined so any tightness along that route will be noticable as a new runner.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

As others have said, do what suits your body, and if that is faster, go faster and relax into it too....

[Mazzy106]

Thanks.....I’ve been doing loads of stretches every day since I started running. My husband ran with me today and said I was taking lots of small strides which was probably giving me a hard calf workout! I tried taking larger strides and found it less painful but I was breathing a lot harder. Map my Run shows my pace at 11.43.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

However you stride, your footfall should be under you body, not out in front, otherwise you are more likely to heelstrike , which in turn can lead to joint, particularly knee, problems.

Running slowly is something that I am slowly coming to terms with, after years of running too fast. It is difficult and maybe you have to let your musculature develop at your comfortable and natural pace, before you can slow down. That is my excuse, anyway.