Running issues due to muscle imbalance?

soccergod · Jan 20, 2008

hey guys.

I just started running and every time I ran for say more then 5 or 6 minutes at a jogging speed, I get a weird burning sensation in my calf area. It makes me stop and unable to run until it calms down.

I dont know why this is happening, but could it be that my calf muscles arent strong as the rest of my body?

Please help me out.

Curtis · Jan 20, 2008

I'm sure a french guy posted about a burning in his calf after doing exercise. I'll have a search and try and find the thread.

runner2000 · Jan 21, 2008

Does it feel like normal muscle burn or is it different, a real pain?

soccergod · Jan 21, 2008

normal burn. i get the same burn when i do squats and feel it in the quads.
wat could this be?

xswtsalvationx0 · Jan 21, 2008

maybe its lack of calf endurance or maybe your not stretching your calves before you run? I don't know....maybe calf raises (bodyweight with one leg over the other will work)? and are you stretching your calves before you run?

soccergod · Jan 21, 2008

ya I did stretch. Maybe I need to warm up more so the blood is flowing. I am going to do some leg press calf raises maybe even one legged and see if thats the problem.

xswtsalvationx0 · Jan 21, 2008

Oh okay - I only get burns in my calves if I have not stretched them enough. I do the stretch where I am on all 4's (hands and feet) with one leg over the other (leg being stretched straight) and feeling the stretch for 20 seconds and then I do the other leg for 20 seconds. After that, I do a different area of my calves by with the knee bent (same stretching position, but the only difference is knees bent) for 20 seconds each.

I also do Inchworms and sometimes that makes my calves burn doing them. Its a dynamic warm up exercise where the legs are straight and you are on your toes trying to bring your feet as close to your hands as your hamstring flexibility will let you, and I do it 5 times up and down. The only time my calves usually burn is if I do not do the calf stretch I just mentioned. What may work for me may not work for you though.

runner2000 · Jan 21, 2008

Yeah, see if doing the calf raises you have a burn after just a few one legged calf raises, if so then you just have weak calves and then you can work on that. If not then you may try doing a few calf raises before running just to warm them up.

Do you bounce alot when you run? That could be overusing the calves. If you do none of the above then maybe you shold take this to the injury section of the forum and see what people over there have to say.

Good luck and keep on running!