What Makes Your Calves Sore While Running? 

Before going on a run, do a couple hundred hops, like skipping rope, to warm up the calves and get your blood vessels dilated sufficiently. Then do about 50 squats. This helps you from getting tight painful calves and shins due to anaerobic muscle contractions during the first mile of your run. It's very easy to run too fast at the start of a run, not realizing that the lower legs need some time to drastically increase circulation. Once the metabolic waste products irritate your calves, it's hard to flush those products out.

I was getting a lot of leg pain until I concentrated on relaxing my feet and legs while running. If I find my legs and calves tightening up, I try and wiggle my toes and think about softening my foot strike and landing properly and within a few hundred metres the pain starts to fade. I also switched to Brooks shoes for extra support and can’t recommend them enough for comfort for beginner runners. Just with the above within 2 months from starting running I am doing 27min 5k at 48yrs and am aiming for low to mid twenties in another couple of months. Can’t recommend listening to these guys enough as well, watch every video you can.

Started running 2 years ago, but despite having a decent engine from road cycling, I've been unable to run more than 5 miles in one go and certainly no more than 10 a week in total, without having to take a week off for my lower calfs/soleuses to recover. (I switched from heel to mid/forefoot strike pretty early on.) Had tried everything calf specific (stretching, rolling, noo shooz, hundreds of heel raises etc) but nothing worked. Hip work helped a little (donkey kicks, fire hydrants, clamshells, rolling/massaging trigger points and so on), but what has really made a difference is glute work - and one legged squats in particular. Seems my glutes weren't activating and my calfs were overcompensating and basically permanently contracted. I've just been out for a five miler, after a relatively speedy 5k parkrun yesterday and absolutely NO soreness! I actually feel like a runner too!! I'm also walking with more poise (engaging my pelvis/core in the process). So, your calf problems might not be directly about your shoes or your strike or what have you, but more about underlying issues with underactive glutes, hip stabilizers, and core. So my recommendation is (one leg) SQUATS ! (And derivations thereof.)

Thank you! I was a heel striker so I switched to forefoot running but the calf soreness was overbearing. I had no idea there was supposed to be a “heel kiss”.

Hadn't thought about the heal kiss and it's importance! Thanks for the helpful advice.

Excellent. First day back to running and I chose hill sprints. That explains a lot!

I've seen just about all your videos, and they are very true! I've been running many years... starting off as a 1500m in 80's to move on to ultras since 2008, mountain or road. Total contrast! I've done too many mistakes in the transition, so studying your videos really helped me, TY.

Everything you said, I have learned the hard way. I wish I knew this 3 years back

Most helpful running calf video I’ve ever seen- Thank you!!:)

Very informative, very helpful ... thank you

I wanted to thank you as this channel videos have been big help for me. I`ve had problems with both calves just 1 week prior to my 1.HM. What happened to me is exactly what you`re describing - going too much/ too fast/ too soon. My "problem" is having fitness level higher (from other disciplines) than my legs are ready to take, so it`s perfect receipt to get problem/injury. Also this made me to study more about running form/ foot strike and to make necessary corrections. I was pretty sure i will not run this HM. However, 2 days before event i`ve seen physio, got some needling therapy and green light if i`ll feel ok. Today i`ve run it, starting very safe at 6min+/km (was not confident and even a bit scared to run faster), but finally finishing last 2km at 4:30/km netting 1:54. Most importantly, my legs feels tired, but not injured!. So once again, big thanks to you. A lot of good info on this channel.

This couldn't have come at a better time my last couple runs have left one of the calves sore and now I think I know what is causing it. Thank you

Good advice about letting the body adapt to new shoes and routine. Now I know that rest and dialing it down some is absolutely necessary if running is going to be something long term.

I wish I saw this earlier. I pretty much injured myself last week cus was obsessed with trying to change my heel strike cus got caught up in the hype about how its so bad.. So for two miles I tried "running on my toes" and blew out both calves. Literally was limping and walking like a cripple. My calves tightened up for like 4 days. So I focused on changing the other aspects of my running form. (10 degree forward tilt, landing under center mass, not overstriding, etc...) I found that after I fixed the other things, I started landing midfoot naturally. So pretty much self induced an injury due to lack of the proper info and guidance.

Great insights, gonna try. Thanks for posting.

Great Info!

Lol I love it! Been in Vibram five fingers for nine years. Also used Adidas supernova. Had holes in Vibram, so ran more in Adidas. Just ran first full. Pictures showed I started heal striking again. I got sloppy. Just picked up my Altra Torin 3.5 ran 5 miles.... Oh my just like I've never ran in Vibram.... Calf muscle sooooooo sore. So I've got to recover and easy back into these new shoes. Thanks for all the great videos. I'm going to subscribe.

I’m a new runner and found this to be very informative. Much thanks.

Best video on RU-vid for calf pain. I like running but if I can cure this calf soreness I’ll love running for the first time. 👍

Watching this before going for a run in the trail. Thank you 😊🏃‍♂️

Thank you Coach Nate!! 😎

Thank you so much!

Awesome info👍 really useful thanx 😊

This was very informative. Thank you

THAT HEEL KISS COULD BE THE ANSWER. Gonna try it.

"Short 1 to 3 miles" Bro My calves are KILLING me at 0.5 miles man. I did just change my shoes though so that might be it.

I think you hit the nail for me talking about downhills, too much forefoot, and lower shoe drops. I can add hip tightness from sitting all day and not warming up.

Great video man, thanks.

Great information👍

Great video

Spot on...thank you

I used every shoe out there and had Achilles, calf problems, runners knee, blisters, hip pain etc. You name it I had it. Then I converted( gradually) to 100% Altra and within 6 months all those problems disappeared. I use nothing but Altra in road and trail shoes. Anything from 5ks, marathons to ultras I use altra. Do I still get sore from time to time, absolutely but it's from recovery for a week or two then starting back up. Seriously, best move I ever made. Ultra friend told me about 5 years ago and I just want to pass along the advice. Your Achilles/calves get stronger with more range of motion and your foot hits ground more natural including toe splay. And no I don't work for them and no I'm not getting kickbacks from them either. I was miserable and always in pain til I made the switch.

I actually noticed my calves are more sore when I slow down and take smaller steps. I have really long legs for my height, so longer strides do feel more natural.

I changed my route for just a couple runs. A day later my left calf was sore. So went back to old route, must have been the longer gradual down hill portion. I should mix routes once in a while

Good episode.

My calf muscle is tightening up while running... How to overcome from that ? It's causing me so much of pain

I have no words to thank you

Best effort

85% of runners, sooner or later are getting injured! After few years of 'inactivity' I started to run again. And yeah, my calves are 'behaving'. In search of why, and how to prevent some serious shieeet to happen, started to read & also found those vids :) . TRE videos are an awesome supplement to Jay Dicharry's books. Really eye opener! Thank you & please keep uploading more!!!

I also use Azengear calf compression sleeves. They help me a lot! A must-have for long runs 👍

This monday ready to beat the pace again🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️

Once again another great video - love the tips on kissing the ground and the shoe drop. You're absolutely right, I moved to a zero drop shoe and have had sore calves since. Need to transition into them. Thanks for the great advice.

Thank you Coach Nate for those tips. Honestly, I just started shifting to running on my toes this week, 2 last runs actually, and my calves are so sore. I've been a runner for almost 3 years now and I am always a heel striker. I noticed that running on my forefoot didn't add up any problem to my existing knee and shins slight pain but the calves pain is killing me. It feels like that effect when you hit the gym for the first time.

Please make a video about proximal hamstring tendinopathy. What might be causing it, could it be running form, shoes etc.

I have sore quads, the outer one (vastus lateralis) and sore calf from running up and down Santa Monica stairs for an hour on Saturday (it's now Monday). I ❤ this pain. It's a good pain and I'll miss it when it's gone.

When you said if you have pain in a specific area, such as calves, then you are utilizing them to much. Really hit with me. Been focusing on activating glutes and hips. Not that easy lol But when I get focused on the hips the run is great and seemless

Thanks

Thanks heaps! Can you please tell me where you get your music from on your intro?

I was out for 3 months earlier this year with a calf injury so can't emphasise how important to strengthen and stretch your calves. Set a new HM PB this weekend so all the work has paid off!

My calves were sore for years and it also made my feet very sore. I used a myofascial release ball to rid me of the tension knots and I was cured over night I kid you not !

My left calf has been tight and slightly sore for several weeks. It does not bother me while running and seems to fade away with the miles. Nevertheless, it just doesn't want to go away. I've been working on slowing down and shortening my gate. I have about a 165-170 cadence, which I've been working on bringing back up to 180. Also trying to improve my core strength. Right now. I'm running 20-30 miles/week, following a training program, working towards an early May marathon. My first full. [Update: it's the upper calf on the interior side].

Why are ultra shoes so flat vs a classic running shoe? Just to help the full open and relax of the calf?

thanks bro

Great stuff! Any advice on sore hips. Since I’ve started running more 10k length runs I feel is though my hips and sciatica hurt more than normal.

can you do a video on hamstrings? how to help a strained/hurting hamstring and how to prevent it?

I ain't sore nothin' but I do need to tell you that I got that earn your miles cap and I love it Nate🥳

I would say the average heel-toe drop is 8-10mm, I rarely see 12mm drops. That aside, I really liked this video, I'm having some calf issues and I think it's a matter of taking smaller steps when increasing my mileage

You are absolutely right, recovery is key. In any kind of sore muscles from running ! Best is active recovery. Example is ligth bikeriding to recover from running soreness. Recovery, sitting in a couch is not recovery ! High heellift in running shoes is mostly poison. Running shoes are only to have very slight heeldrop. Otherwise it ruins your mechanics. Its a huge cultural mistake to use drops like in most Nike's, that are also extremely unprecise in the sole in general.

I have a really bad habit of holding my toes up (pointing them skyward) while running and it makes my shins and calves tight when i run more than a mile until i realize I'm doing it and try to relax. I'll definitely look at all these points to help. Thank you.

It's true - I'd like to know how many people get told we're "heel strikers" and then start running on toes and get sore calves. Its probably like half the viewers of this video. Also, changing from Asics or Adidas running shoes to Nikes tends to give people sore calves, and I think you just explained that at the end of the video. Personally, I just accepted the fact that I can't run in Nikes without soreness so that solved the issue for me. Another thing that might help people, is if your doctor tells you that you're working your calves and feet too hard, try to twist your upper body more when you run.

while doing a running drill at home before the short run, I damaged my Achilles tendon on my left knees, that time I thought it must be general muscle stress but during my short run I felt a quite sharp pain in my Achilles tendon area of the left leg and I was forced to stop for 3 - 4 times during my 37 Minutes 6KM run, though now no more run for 4 weeks. Thank God for my all Marathon 2021 are postponed and hope to get stronger for the main event London Marathon and Berlin Marathon finger cross. Still, I can't believe how the Achilles tendon injury started, was it happen due to my new shoe Saucony Endorphhine Pro, which doesn't have more gel than my previous ASICS KAYANO 27 shoe or also I failed to learn how to run with the Carbon Plated Shoes, or is it due to the old age sign now. However, my weakness is I was more focused on the other areas of the muscle strength during training but never gave seriously to Achilles tendon stretch.

so which shoe is easier for the calf? higher drop or lower drop? thanks

After I got my latest running shoes from Saucony Guide, I’ve noticed some of my toes are sore after a run. I never experienced that before. I wonder if my shoes are too small 🤔

Great man. Thanks

My left leg is not the same as in the right or in short after a 1 year running my left leg is bigger than my right .what can I do about it?

I was wondering I was running for half a mile and I couldn't run because the pain got so bad. I waited like 5 minutes tired to run again then it spread up to my knee. Great vid though

I’ve been doing distance running for a month now, my calves gets sore while I run and I am aiming for my calves to stay toned and not get bigger in muscle, how can I prevent that?

I've been barefoot trail running for four years now. Never sore for more than a day. I practiced for a 5k on concrete 5 days ago and still sore! I appear to be injured!?The 5k is a week away and I'm nervous.

I'm training for Pat Tillman run which is 4.2 miles. Yes I know its not that much, but i'm going with a group of friends who has background running experience, so I want to able to keep pace with them. I've never ran a straight 4 miles before only 2 but at my own pace. My calves are always burning at the half way point, so I want to make some adjustments on my running mechanics.

“Don’t increase distance too quickly”… too late :/

Plz will you make a video on Shin pain relief exercises

Get to it sooner. 🙂

For me, I was getting constant calf pain (calves would get so tight) running in a neutral shoe instead of a stability shoe. As soon as I switched into a stability shoe, tada no calf pain.

I am training for my P.T. for the police academy and I did 1.5 mile in 18 min 54 seconds, cut off is 18 min 30 seconds. I initially started with 1.5 mile in 33 min (i know its embarrassing), but today after my run of 19 min 6 seconds, I could barely walk. I came home had to sit and could barely get up and If i did, my legs were shaking, but got better after 40 min.

Shin splints? How to avoid and massage for recovery

New guy to running and I think you just diagnosed my problem; I hope. I think it's the shoes. I got some Hoka Bondi 6's and I love them because it took all the stress off my knees but it is hitting the outside of my left calf and it hurts. At one point I felt like I've sprang my ankle. So I'm going slow to build up the muscle. I really need to have someone watch my run to see how my left foot is hitting. After I've been running/walking (fast) for 10 to 20 minutes. That foot changes it's profile and kind of goes limbish. It's weird. Just going slow and staying positive. Just trying to run a 5k. Huge goal for me.

I have a Groin pain also. Could you suggest something, please?

Ok so my question regarding shoe offset is this...Why use a low or zero drop shoe ? If you have to condition yourself to safely tolerate that type of shoe, tell me why I should make the extra effort to do so ? What's the advantage or payoff or benefit ?

Whenever i run in my football boots my it feels like i have 100kg weights on my calves and its hard to run

Should I drop the intensity 30% for the full week? (in the 3rd or 4th week) or just for a day or two?

I switched to a new brand of road shoes after training for a month in trail shoes. I did just 22 minutes on a long run and my left calf seized. With 5 weeks of training left I'm going back to the brand and make of trail shoe I had before. Fun how the same trail shoe I had 2 years ago is no longer for purchase and they change the shoe design dramatically each year. Whelp, at least it wasn't 22 min into a marathon. In my case a very very gradual new shoe introduction would have been best. Wear them around walking around for a week before running in them.

Few months only when I’m running, not sore to touch or before/after the run... any thoughts?

I've struggled with tight calves for years. I couldn't run over 5 miles without having to take 10 days to recover. The big breakthrough for me was a combination of compression socks and hydration. This worked for years but they no longer work as well as they did. I can never run two consecutive days and max out at 3 runs a week (15-20 miles). Even then I need a weeks rest every so often. A few months ago I was talking to a Team GB coach and he told me how taking Magnesium tablets had worked for him. I've been using them for around 4 months now and my calves have been great ever since. Not 100% but with a days rest, I'm not starting my next run with the soreness that I once did. I've run out of tablets recently and can feel the pains creeping back in. Just waiting for a new batch to arrive.

I have recovered from plantar fasciitis. I actually had. Prp. On one foot. I am released to run. But now after running my calfs are killed. I am work on a new running form. Any suggestions. I have eased back on how much I run that has helped

I got this issue and it leads to me having bursitis of heels. And now I can’t walk and run. Whenever morning, waking up and wake will be pain at the back of the heels. I can’t and don’t know how to cure this..

Great advice as always and love the shirt...do you sell them?

When i overtrain, my lower calves blow up during a run. After an hour, the tightness fades. I just think theres too much muscle breakdown thats not healed yet. Nobody really has an answer for me but i believe thats that case

i’m 19 and a 6’3 guy who’s about 80 lbs overweight (300 lbs), and i’ve been running about once a week almost three miles at a time for the past three weeks. today i tried to bust out a quarter mile sprint and right afterwards my right calf felt agonized. just soreness that felt like it went all the way to the bone, wether i picked up my foot or stood on it. it is most excruciating on the inside of my calf just under the belly of the muscle. foam rolling makes it hurt around the whole circumference of my tibia. could somebody help me? i need to lose this weight and learn to run well fast, as i am looking into the military asap. thanks folks.

I have been getting cramps in my calves at night for months. I also have a sore tendon(?) that seems to run down my lower leg. No pain when I run at all.

What shoes are you wearing?

When I run in a certain kind of shoe, I am up on my toes, however when I run hills, My calves just start feeling sore, but when I get into flat surfaces they feel better.

can u please help me im a runner, when i run my calf will be pain a little bit but when i stop running my calf getting too much pain/hurt then after a few minute the pain will be gone?.

OMG! Yes! They recently told me I am a heel striker and I run badly and I twist to the sides when I run so I ve been trying to “ correct that” 😭

What if you play soccer and your heels are not always gonna be able to be on the ground and what if the running is a lot of quick cuts. This pains my calves and shins what do I do someone please help me!

I went to a running shoe store and got me a pair of hoka's but when I was on the treadmill I was shown that my right foot lands on the inside of the knee and that I swing my right leg around. What should I Do to fix my mechanics?

Should I run for one day and stop running and I can walk during the week then run one day the next and so on?

I have this weird thing when I run over time my right calf hurts but my left leg never hurts. Idk what’s up

Side note: when you take off your shoes, untie them first, loosen the strings and pull them off. DO NOT TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES WITH YOUR FEET WHILE THEY ARE STILL TIED. It's a small thing, but taking off your shoes while they are still tied will only worsen the condition of your Achilles and calves. I've seen many runners do this and they wonder why they never get better with their injuries

Ive been told I have tight ankles. years of injury have made my ankles less mobile than I would like

Idk what to do because I have football practice 5 times a week and idk if 2 days is enough