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Date: 14 Aug 2006 07:00:31
From: Doug
Subject: Calf Strain
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I am a runner but also do a lot of cycling. I am currently recovering
from a calf strain. When I cycle it appears to have no impact on my
calf. Can anyone confirm that cycling will cause no damage to my calf
nor have any negative impact on my rehabilitation.
Doug
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Date: 14 Aug 2006 15:00:27
From: Donovan Rebbechi
Subject: Re: Calf Strain
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On 2006-08-14, Doug <doug.corrie@pateltonra.com > wrote:
> I am a runner but also do a lot of cycling. I am currently recovering
> from a calf strain. When I cycle it appears to have no impact on my
> calf.
The general rule of thumb is to avoid doing anything that hurts. If cycling
doesn't make it hurt during or after the ride, it's probably not stressing the
injury.
> Can anyone confirm that cycling will cause no damage to my calf
> nor have any negative impact on my rehabilitation.
In my opinion, it will be fine. But if you want a guarantee, you'll have to
pay me for it (-;
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
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Date: 14 Aug 2006 23:53:37
From: Tony S.
Subject: Re: Calf Strain
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"Doug" <doug.corrie@pateltonra.com > wrote in message
news:1155564031.240463.132630@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I am a runner but also do a lot of cycling. I am currently recovering
> from a calf strain. When I cycle it appears to have no impact on my
> calf. Can anyone confirm that cycling will cause no damage to my calf
> nor have any negative impact on my rehabilitation.
>
> Doug
Just avoid very steep hills on the bike maybe. Cycling does use and will
build up the calf muscles, but will make them tight for running, so to the
extent that you can also stretch it without the stretch hurting it, you will
come out ahead when switching back to running.
-Tony
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Date: 15 Aug 2006 08:19:08
From: Tim Downie
Subject: Re: Calf Strain
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Tony S. wrote:
> "Doug" <doug.corrie@pateltonra.com> wrote in message
> news:1155564031.240463.132630@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> I am a runner but also do a lot of cycling. I am currently recovering
>> from a calf strain. When I cycle it appears to have no impact on my
>> calf. Can anyone confirm that cycling will cause no damage to my calf
>> nor have any negative impact on my rehabilitation.
>>
>> Doug
>
> Just avoid very steep hills on the bike maybe. Cycling does use and
> will build up the calf muscles, but will make them tight for running,
> so to the extent that you can also stretch it without the stretch
> hurting it, you will come out ahead when switching back to running.
I was going to say more or less the same thing. After a bit of a layoff
from running I came back and did a tough 90 mile event on my bike (with lots
of big hills). My calf muscles have been a bit tight ever since.
Tim
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Date: 14 Aug 2006 15:30:22
From: runsrealfast
Subject: Re: Calf Strain
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Doug wrote:
> I am a runner but also do a lot of cycling. I am currently recovering
> from a calf strain. When I cycle it appears to have no impact on my
> calf. Can anyone confirm that cycling will cause no damage to my calf
> nor have any negative impact on my rehabilitation.
>
> Doug
I was always taught that you should not use your calf muscle while
riding (doesn't mean that I don't). But I believe the above advice is
correct, if it don't hurt then your ok. The human body is funny that
way. It will let you know if your hurting it.
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Date: 14 Aug 2006 19:15:15
From: Ozzie Gontang
Subject: Dealing With And Preventing Injuries To Calf Muscles Was: Calf Strain
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In article <1155564031.240463.132630@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com >,
"Doug" <doug.corrie@pateltonra.com > wrote:
> I am a runner but also do a lot of cycling. I am currently recovering
> from a calf strain. When I cycle it appears to have no impact on my
> calf. Can anyone confirm that cycling will cause no damage to my calf
> nor have any negative impact on my rehabilitation.
>
> Doug
Donovan's right from my experiences.
Here's some further thoughts about calf strains gleaned from years of
coaching and folklore shared on rec.running:
Subject: Dealing With And Preventing Injuries To Calf Muscles
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 01:26:11 -0700
X-Priority: 3
Dealing With And Preventing Injuries To Calf Muscles
A look at ways to prevent injury to your calves. Thoughts about what it
means to stretch properly. Ways to massage out the calves to release
knots
and remove excess strain and tension. A dialogue to become friends with
your
calves and not strain your relationship with them
Dealing With And Preventing Injuries To Calf Muscles
by Austin Gontang,
September 27, 2000
A Folkloric Core Dump On Calves: A Dialogue in Progress
c. 2000 Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, Ph.D. & Denny Anderson
Paul Doughty wrote to rec.running::
> >I have tried to start back running several times over the past couple
> >of years. I will begin by running 2 or 3 miles a day but within 3
> >weeks I have always injured my calf (it has occurred to both my left
> >and right calf). My calf will feel fine and then with one stride
> >there will be a sharp pain right in the middle of my calf. Even if I
> >stop immediately, it takes at least 3 weeks before the pain will go
> >away.
Sylvan Smyth answered:
> Have you gone for any really deep massage? Maybe try Ozzie G's calf
> plan: lots of rolling. I use a Stick(tm), because I got one as a
> present, but a rolling pin works just as well. See if you can find
> some knots in there, and just grind them out. Whatever it takes,
> thumbs, knuckles, elbows...
>
>
> Sylvan Smyth
This got me thinking and I brought together my thoughts over the past 20+
years as a beginning to sharing my folklore about calves and running and
injuries to calves.
As mentioned in an earlier post, your calves are being stretched more
because there's lower heel lift in a running flat. The problem is that
the
calf to protect itself will contract...and then the fascia shortens
around
that portion of the shortened calf, and then the tension caused by the
calf
only being able to partially stretch to its full tonic state will begin
to
pull on the tendons. The tendons will take it for a while and then
they'll
start to get irritated.
You'll do some stretching as recommended by many and you'll find that you
now begin to strain the muscle fibers around either side of the knotted
muscle encapsulated by the tightened fascia. The end result is that the
stretching most, likely improper, ( you can't stretch a weight bearing
muscle) will allow the overstretched muscle fibers to shorten to protect
themselves...and they'll join the knotted area. And then people will tell
you that it's because of the fact you've run in racing flats.
1. The up against the wall stretch where you push one leg back to stretch
the calf is improper if you can lift up your front foot. If you can lift
up
your front foot, the weight is on the back leg, and therefore the back
leg
is weight bearing...and the calf can't be stretched. Feels great but it's
like opening your hand and trying to close it at the same time. Great
isometric strain.
If you're up against the wall keep the weight on the front foot so that
you
can lift up the back foot at any time. Stretch away from the back foot
as if
it's nailed to the ground and you're attempting to pull the foot out of
the
nailed down shoe When you do that, then you'd be stretching the calf.
Doing the heels off the curb in my mind's eye is causing the same
problem.
Once you're taking the calves beyond the stretch reflex and if the fascia
around the muscle won't let go, you end up straining good muscle fiber
and
tendon.
Therefore here's a reason for using the railing to massage out the
calves.
Transverse Friction, that is rolling the calf from side to side over the
belly of the muscle to gradually work the fascia and the knotted muscle
(often referred to as adhesions [for the fascia] and scarred microtears
of
the muscle).
Check out the picture: http://www.mindfulness.com/of1.asp for massaging
the
calf muscle. In that article you'll realize that most Achilles tendon
problems are calf problems. The Achilles problem is the result the calf
being too tight or knotted and unable to go through it's normal range of
motion.
Also work out the anterior shin on the bar. Face the bar and turn your
body
45 degrees. Put the closest shin upon the bar and start making a small
circle with the foot as you slide down the shin. Often the shin may be
overworked with the running in the racing flats. The reason for working
out
the shin is that if the shin can't relax, the calf has to work against a
semi-contracted muscle which makes the calf strain all the more.
With the idea that Denny Anderson has been passing on about the short
quick
steps to work on form, it may be that if you're overstriding the strain
on
the calves is due to the vertical lift and the immediate deceleration as
the
landing foot touches down. I'd use Denny's technique to practice. He
mentions running on eggs, I think he meant egg shells so softly that you
wouldn't break them or like Caine upon the rice paper in Kung Fu style
so no
tears occur...or an image I use is running on a extremely hot surface so
that you are always focused on lifting up you foot as soon as it touches
ball/heel. The heel lightly touches and is instantly lifted up because
your
center of gravity is in front of the foot as it lands under you
Picture yourself going "ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh," lifting your feet off the
ground the instant the heel of the ball/heel touches. Remember that the
heel
must be touching as it is the platform of the ball AND heel from which
the
rest of the body is catapulted forward.
It would be the reflex you'd have when you touch your finger to an iron
just
before ironing to see if it's hot, and the reflex pulls your finger away
so
fast because while you thought it was just warming up, it was ironing
hot.
Following in the footsteps of Denny and others, running in racing flats
can
be helpful to improving your running style and becoming aware of how you
land to become lighter on your feet...and therefore the rest of your
lower
legs and then the rest of your body.
If you saw the Boston finish over the last few miles, you saw the way the
upper torso leaned forward on one of the Kenyans, to the erect posture of
the other Kenyan. Minimal vertical lift, the foot landing under the
center
of gravity, and keeping the body propelled forward in its fall at a 5 or
sub-5 pace.
If you learn to run lightly, you'll have a great time running fast.
Flexibility will be your biggest aid in getting faster once you learn the
rapid turnover of the 180 steps/minute.
Remember when the foot touches the ground it should not stop the body
but is
like the pushing foot of a skateboarder as he or she maintains a steady
speed or accelerates. Or in crew, if you watch the coxswain, his or her
body
glides forward when the rowers are maintaining the constant speed or
accelerating. If you see the coxswain jerking back and forth you know
that
every time the oars are put in the water they're slowing the boat and
then
powering it ahead. You also know that the crew are lacking somewhere in
their form and style.
Another picture is you spinning a bicycle tire. Spin it with your hand.
If
your hand is slightly slower than the spin of the tire, you slow it down
and
most likely will get a burn on your fingers. That's where a lot of
blisters
on feet come from as people get tired in the marathon.
Anyway I hope the pictures are a little helpful to get your calves back
into
shape. Remember if your calves are having to push your body forward then
you've most likely stopped yourself from being constant in your running
speed.
Let us know what you experience.
Oh, run slowly up a hill with the quick steps so that your back foot or
pushing off foot doesn't weight the calf. Once you can do that, you've
absorbed the other words. Now you have the feeling and the experience.
Your
calf is being used to bring the lower leg off the ground quicker to get
it
through the cycle faster as the knee goes back and then come up and
forward
with the lower leg bent back at greater than a 90 degree.
So from the front, when the leg is coming forward, it looks like the
runner
for a short moment has only a knee stump. As the knee comes forward and
lifts, you see the lower leg and then it goes down so that in the
majority
of great runners you don't see the heel of the shoe.
Now the above is a core dump. I'll have to go back and see what I said.
I'm
interested in finding out where I'm wrong or am explaining it
incorrectly.
Help me clean up my word pictures.
Again, it's folklore. If it works for you, use it. If not, find someone
who
makes better sense and whose ideas work for you and use them. Or create
your
own images that work great for you, and please share them with me and
others
of rec.running so we can educate ourselves better.
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