General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Did my calf have a heart attack? (long) Rss Feed  
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2011-10-17 5:18 PM

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Subject: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

I don't keep my logs here so I will provide some back ground:

I have been upping my run miles over the past 6 months. In April I was around 12MPW and I am now around 20-22 MPW. At no time did I make "huge" jumps in MPW. So I think my progression has been subtle enough. In May I went minimalist with respect to my running shoes to see if it would rectify some knee issues. Not all the way to vibrams but with a shoe that only has 3MM of drop and they are pretty much a shoe body on a piece of rubber. Initially I went in to them pretty easy with 10-30 min runs at a Z1 pace. I did that for a few weeks and then started adding miles and intensity. For the first few weeks I had tight calves from transitioning to a mid foot strike but that cleared up. All was well and I continued to train and for the first time pain free running!!!

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago where I had a pretty heavy training week with a lot of bike workouts that thrashed my legs and a long run (8 miles) or high intensity track workouts. My coach was working me pretty hard building for an Oly and by the end of the first week both calves were tighter than they had ever been. I upped my foam roller and stick sessions, I also started using a golf ball to get in deep on the sore spots. Things got a little better but a second week of build training left my legs pretty wrecked again. My long run for the week was going to be 10 miles but I only managed 5.5 before my right calf cramped up so badly it put an end to the run. At that point my calves felt like someone took a hammer to them but the right one was in the worst shape. My coach and I agreed to go with a really light recovery week and I left it at that.

I pretty much shut down the next week to let things heal up for an Olympic race this past weekend. I did zero running and on race day my calves were pain free and loose. I will admit I ate the paste on the bike and went harder than I should have so that could contribute that what came next. I got off the bike and out of T2 fine and as a matter of fact I was on a good pace that was about 30 seconds faster than usual and my HR was in Z2 bordering Z3 which was awesome!!! There wasn't even a hint of pain in either calf. About .5 miles in to the run my right calf just seized up! My left was fine but the right was staging a major coupe de tete. I was literally limping and eyes were watering from the pain. I managed to stretch it a little and get going again. However, it would get really tight again and I would have to walk until the pain subsided enough for me to run. That 10k was the most brutal as I had ever run and it was a slog/stretch/jog to get it done.

Sunday was an exercise in pain. The right calf would barely take any weight not to mention the foam roller and stick had me uttering expletives like a sailor. I discussed it with my coach and she seems to think some aggressive RICE and ART to get things loose and re-evaluate Tuesday is the best course.

If it is in fact a calf heart attack can it be diagnosed? Is it just my body adjusting to the newer load and I need to stop being a over a severe cramp? Anyone else had these types of calf issues after heavy weeks and was successful treating it?

I will see my DR but I was just wondering if there is something else I can do to work through this tight calf stuff without ending up like I did Saturday? I usually don't stretch post workout but I do long cool downs and use the roller and stick. Until a few weeks ago that seemed to do just fine. I used to stretch but it always seemed I injured myself more stretching than I did not stretching.

Sorry for the long post.



2011-10-17 5:26 PM
in reply to: #3727405

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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

What the heck is a calf heart attack?

It sounds to me like you suffered a cramp as a result of drinking too much of the minimalist kool-aid and wearing the wrong shoes for five months.

 

I had a calf cramp during a race last year that wasn't nearly as bad as what you were describing, and it was sore for several days afterward.



Edited by JZig 2011-10-17 5:28 PM
2011-10-17 5:35 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
Yes, sounds like a cramp to me.  I cramps in several places in my legs on the run in my first OLY.  Very painful, and finishing was a chore just as you describe.  Took several days post race to be able to walk without pain, and the muscles that cramped were very sore to the touch.  But walk (slowly) is what I did until I could swim, bike and run again.  While I'm a fan of ART (great help with an IT band issue), personally, I wouldn't go at it with any aggressive massage or ART for this.  YMMV, but for me it just needed a little time and TLC to heal.   
2011-10-17 5:41 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

It sounds like you  thrashed your calf muscles 3 weeks ago and they never fully recovered before the race. I used to have trouble with my calf muscles cramping after a hard bike then run. They would be chronically tight and tender. After awhile they strengthened and the problem went away.

I am not anti stretching, but I would be really careful stretching out your calves. Sometimes the knots stay, and the surrounding muscle gets over-stretched leading to injury. You may get better advice than mine, but if they were my legs I would work on getting blood flow in them and loosen them up with massage, toe raises, ART if you can do it. 

But go easy



Edited by Broompatrol 2011-10-17 5:44 PM
2011-10-17 5:41 PM
in reply to: #3727412

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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
JZig - 2011-10-18 3:26 PM

What the heck is a calf heart attack?

 

http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=6071

2011-10-17 5:47 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
That makes more sense.  "Calf heart attack" is a silly name, but yes.  I wouldn't be surprised if as others have said you injured your calf weeks ago and the muscle didn't quite have adequate time to heal before your race.


2011-10-17 5:53 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

drinking too much of the minimalist kool-aid

^^^

Switching to a mid/fore-foot strike will typically put the burden on your calf and achilles and takes more than just a few weeks to acclimate.

2011-10-17 7:26 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

As was said above, you overtrained it, damaged it and then raced on it before it was ready.  Now- it's recovery time.  keep massaging it to break up the scar tissue, rest it for a while, hot tub, and when it feels ready to move lightly, try some easy cycling with it.  something to keep the blood flowing without straining it.

it'll heal in a month.  Maybe 3.  But, it will heal.  You'll be good.

Welcome to triathlons (and running).  I did something similar a couple years ago.  but, how would we know what our limits are, unless we exceed them from time to time. 

2011-10-17 7:46 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
I've suffered a severe calf cramp in the middle of the night while sleeping before.  I think due to being asleep, the cramp has more time to set in before the pain wakes you, because the two or three times it happened, I was massaging the cramp out for a good 5-10 minutes, had to limp for about a day and a half and the pain didn't fully subside for 3-4 days.  Sometimes it's just that bad of a cramp.
2011-10-17 7:57 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
A calf heart attack is a sharp debilitating pain deep in the lower to mid calf. You can't run on that leg once it hits, but you can walk on it and after a few minutes of walking it feels ok, but comes back instantly once you start to run again. One of the scary things about this injury is its very subtle. After a few days rest, it feels fine. Then you go for a run, everything is great until about 20 minutes then...bam...it hits again. I stopped running for about two weeks, then slowly increased my mileage.


2011-10-17 8:40 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

My calf heart attacks leave me barely able to walk - and only with my entire foot rotated outwards - and minimal ability to bear weight the 2nd by and by the end of the first week I'm starting to walk without a limp.  I did this every 3 months for 2 years so I'm pretty familiar with the symptoms.  When I tore my muscles I would not have been able to complete a 10K - just walking home would tear the muscle further.  Then I'd be black and blue (sometimes) on the calf.

So in my limited experience I'd say not a calf heart attack as I define them for me.  I would ice and compression them, but that's my recovery when I get this injury.  The "medicinal" runs (as outlined in the article) are key to recovery.



2011-10-17 9:07 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
Like all before me, take it slow! I pulled a calf muscle back in '86 trying to keep up w/ another cyclist and it has NEVER completely healed. Take it slow!
2011-10-18 9:10 AM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
spudone - 2011-10-17 3:53 PM

drinking too much of the minimalist kool-aid

^^^

Switching to a mid/fore-foot strike will typically put the burden on your calf and achilles and takes more than just a few weeks to acclimate.

While this is true, the calf heart-attacks happen regardless of footwear.

2011-10-18 9:12 AM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
Yep, calf heart attack. I had one earlier this year that curtailed a half-marathon. REST it. Lots of massage, and REST. At least two weeks. Cycling will likely be okay after that. Then after more time, light running, low mileage, and build slowly.
2011-10-18 9:28 AM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
spudone - 2011-10-17 6:53 PM

drinking too much of the minimalist kool-aid

^^^

Switching to a mid/fore-foot strike will typically put the burden on your calf and achilles and takes more than just a few weeks to acclimate.

this. when i did the switch it took months of sore calves and babying them sometimes to go away.

2011-10-18 12:35 PM
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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

Sounds like a classic calf cramp, also known as a charley horse, and probably has to do with the earlier injury, overtraining, etc. I get these occasionally, worst are when they happen during sleep. Typically it takes a few days before I can walk comfortably again.

I do not understand the coining of the term "calf heart attack". Calf cramps have NOTHING to do with a heart attack. Calf cramps are muscle spasms, painful, and not life threatening.  Heart attacks are usually caused by a clot blocking a coronary artery in the heart, causing the muscle to die.  This often, but not always, causes pain, and is life threatening.  The term calf heart attack to me suggested a clot in the calf, or intermittent claudication (both very uncommon in athletes since they are associated with inactivity and diabetes), rather than a cramp- why the new term?



2017-03-10 12:11 PM
in reply to: jedibluez


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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)
I started having calf problems in my 40' which would happen while I was running. It felt like a hammer hit me in the calf and I then could not run again for at least a month or it would reoccur. Hydration, heel lifts etc. did not help. Finally, I noticed a pattern, I would eat ice cream and if I ran within a few days of eating the ice cream the calf heart attacks would occur. I then eliminated ice cream, butter and the like from my diet, and I no longer get the calf heart attacks. But even after eliminating these things from your diet, you will need to wait an appropriate amount of time for your calfs to heal. For me it is at least one month from having the calf heart attack. Good Luck!
2017-03-10 3:01 PM
in reply to: jedibluez

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Subject: RE: Did my calf have a heart attack? (long)

The charley horse (calf cramp) in the middle of the night is the worst. You want to scream out it hurts so dang bad. I corrected this by increasing my water intake during the day.

You increased your miles per week but I wonder if you added extra hydration as well.

You may want to do a sweat test.
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