I started running again almost a year ago. Got up to doing about an hour, at a steady pace, fairly regularly, and suffered no ill effects from this.

When I started training for a half marathon, once a week I had a longer run – 8/9/10 miles and so on. Without fail I would start getting problems once I’d run beyond the hour – calves and ankles really tightening up. Once that’s happened I can’t find any way back and, basically, just hobble along. Then I have achilles pain for ages afterwards.

Here are my split times from a half marathon I did yesterday.

5k – 00:34
10k – 1:10
15k – 1:50
Finish – 2:43

I appreciate, it’s a fairly sedate pace from the start, but I would have been happy enough with something around 2:15-2:20ish. It’s fairly consistent up to 10k, then slows up a touch, then really slow for the last 5K.

The really frustrating thing is that from a CV point of view I’m hardly blowing at all, it’s just that my legs seize up.

Suggestions as to why this is happening?

I’m quite heavy (115kg) and run on my forefoot, if either of those might be contributing (thinking of the work my calves are having to do?)

You are stretching after runs?

Yes

Yes – your legs aren’t up to the task at this point in time.

I predict that this thread will bring up the following responses:

Go barefoot – that’s a daft idea as you’ll get loads of injuries before you see any potential gains,

Adopt a forefoot running style – that’s a daft idea as you’ll get loads of injuries before you see any potential gains.

My tip would be to look up eccentric exercises for the calve muscles or Alfredson protocol and do them religiously. Maybe even get yourself a good deep tissue massage to set you off on the right path before you do so. Then once all is fine in lower leg land build up your training distances slowly and on different surfaces.

One other potential problem you might have is the camber on the roads or pavements that you run on. Find somewhere flat to run – maybe the grass banking round a local running track.

Edit: told you so.

i’m just thinking out loud here:

if it’s your calves/achilles that are getting tight, that suggests you’re running/landing on your forefoot?

if this is the case, and if you aren’t really aware of your style/technique…

as you get tired, and your co-ordination / technique starts to fail, you will have to work harder to hold your technique together, so you get more tired, and etc.

?

as a solution: practise your forefoot technique. Dare i say it, try running barefoot on a hard floor.

if you’re not a ‘forefoot’ runner, and are instead a ‘heel striker’ then please ignore me 🙂

I had a similar problem. Also run forefoot which sorted out other issues prior to changing style.

I’ve found that there are two things that help. Conditioning and gradual loss of weight.
Conditioning running, distance whilst wearing a pack. Helps massively when running without one. Reducing weight, gradual through exercise and good diet.

No quick fix, but it works (is working). The biggest thing is to make sure that you continue to enjoy it!

It’s almost as if I had a crystal ball…

1. Well done on completing HM – hope you enjoyed it
2. Don’t be surprised with tail off at the end. You didn’t train for that, so accept it and enjoy the pacing that you achieved over the distance that your training focused on
3. Get proper (physio) advice on what is causing your problems. Achilles are a nightmare when they go wrong so treat any pain there seriously. It is normally a combination of factors – tight muscles (hamstrings, calves), technique, incorrect or old shoes, over doing it etc. You won’t get the answers on here I’m afraid.

You mention tightening followed by Achilles problems. Very common but potentially concerning. I’m sure the correct advice will include correct stretching to address these inter-related issues.

4. Good luck and enjoy the running. In the mine field of advice on running remember the simplest advice. Put one foot in front of the other and repeat!

I wouldn’t jump straight into the barefoot thing, but there are advantages from taking some of it onboard.

I wear barefoot shoes (merrel) almost all the time now just doing normal everyday stuff, I find it helps stretch out my achilles and calf gently and naturally through the day (probably more accurate to say it doesn’t bunch the calf up with an artificially raised heel). I run with shoes that have a low heel to toe height difference which helps improve my technique, but are still cushioned (saucony mirage).

It’s worked for me, and I can now run much more than I used to be able to.

When I started last year, I did try forefoot striking rather than heel striking, and I did use so called barefoot shoes. I didn’t have any problems with this, I think because I basically started from scratch on one of those couch to 5k things. What I found was that running like this was easier than landing on my heels, I suppose it feels bouncier.

As I say, this has been fine for the best part of 9 months and up to an hour continual running – no problems at all.

So I conclude from my experience up until that point that thin soled shoes and forefoot striking where not in themselves a problem, for me at least.

I will look up some of those exercises you suggest George.

as you get tired, and your co-ordination / technique starts to fail

I definitely noticed this towards the end yesterday.

Presumably the heavier you are the greater the strain on/effort by your calves in suspending that weight, with a correspondingly greater rate of fatigue in those muscles?

Go barefoot. Wearing suitable barefoot shoes obviously. I did, and it cured my baldness.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPdb7ZDJKS4[/video]

TGA – how flexible are you? Lots of common runners injuries are caused by tight muscles that place strain on different areas.

I don’t know.

My back is always stiff in the morning, but that’s from years of rugby, and has been the case for many years. In fact, when I’m running is one of the few times I don’t feel any discomfort in my back – perhaps because it’s moving a lot and warmer?

Today, I can touch my toes with feet together and legs straight, if that is any indication? Normally I would be able to get the first bit of my fingers flat on the floor, but I’m a touch stiff this morning!

I don’t have long legs though – 5’10” tall but only 29″ inside leg – so relatively short legs for my height. And not scrawny legs either. Could that increase the chances of tight muscles?

TGA, forefoot running isn’t all about no cushioning. Purists may suggest that you have to run barefoot or with thin soles that offer no cushioning. However, forefoot style is maintained providing a minimal or zero heel drop is maintained.

I concur with what others have said re getting checked out. If it’s any consolation, I’m in the process of regaining running fitness from a work related injury. Prior to it I was comfortably running 30 miles. Did a HM over the summer that was hard work. Did a 20 mile fell race at the weekend. Similar problems to what you describe, but I know it’s all part of the process of getting distance fit again.

Target is completing the 2013 Fellsman in under 20 hours.

Just keep going. It can hurt, but it’s worth it in the end.

I always enjoy having done it more than doing it. Yesterday afternoon I swore never again. Today, I’m wondering…!

I shall have a good rest from it until the achilles pain is gone – just swimming until then.

I understand the heel drop issue. What shoes are available that provide some cushioning and no heel drop?

TGA – where are you based?

Glencoe

Lucky man. Doing more hillwalking would probably have a good effect on sorting your legs out. Or doing short runs up and round the hospital lochan might be an option.

115kg is around 18 stone in old money, I’d have to say that this is a fair old mass to be shifting around a half marathon course and your time is decent given your weight. Out of interest what height are you?

I used to run around the lochan quite a bit, not so much through the summer as I would have to go so late so as not to alarm the public! Getting up the hills is, as ever, time dependent, but I may mention to teh wife that it’ll be beneficial and see if I get bit more time out.

El Vino – 5’10” , which apparently is a bit short for my weight!

What shoes are available that provide some cushioning and no heel drop?

I dont think you need to go to the full zero heel drop to run forefoot/barefoot style. I am running comfortably in shoes with 5mm drop at the moment they feel very flat. I think a standard shoe is around 12mm. Ive used many inov8 offroaders, Newtons racers, Saucony kinvara and the brook pure. The Kinvara may be worth a look for you, they have a good bit of cushioning right across the sole so the ride height is higher than a flat but still a low heel drop.
Currently im using the Adizero hagio that so far seems quite comfy in the forefoot. They were cheap too! And very very light.
I am around 80-85 kg.
hth
re achilles pain- Heel drops and lifts from the stairs, daily, Even when they dont hurt. But also work yous shin muscles by lifting your toes/ forefoot on to the heel whilst leaning against a wall with your back/shoulders. It works for me.

El Vino – 5’10” , which apparently is a bit short for my weight!

I’m about the same height and weigh 72kg… losing weight sounds like a definite option – although I certainly don’t have a rugby player’s build, 80kg would perhaps be more realistic.

80kg – no chance.

I could perhaps get down to 15 stone by the end of the year, which was my weight last time I did a half marathon, and the lowest weight I’ve ever been since I was about 14/15. Did under 2 hrs that time.

What shoes are available that provide some cushioning and no heel drop?

Saucony kinvara, mirage and cortana all offer progresivly more support with minimal heel drop, I find the kinvara good for shorter runs and mirage for longer runs, I am a little heavier than you.

Thanks, I’ll have a look at those.