4 Exercises to Prevent Long Run Calf Cramps During Marathon Training

Is it your long runs? Peak week? General high weekly mileage?

Maybe this is just normal as your long runs get longer?

If you're a marathoner, roughly 4-5 weeks from race day, and your longest long run is either up soon or done, AND your calves have been protesting, cramping, and feel as tight as steel...

All of those questions have probably crossed your mind.

Especially if your calves keep cramping or tightneing up consistently at the end of your long runs.

And like most runners, I'm sure you've tried the basics:

• foam rolling

• massage gunning

• stretching

• maybe even some assortment of banded ankle exercises?

All with rather "meh" results.

But what may be the most frustrating part: the location of your calf cramping or tightness may even MOVE AROUND.

And there's only so many ways your can cram your foot up against a doorframe or a curb to stretch your calves out.

So how about I give you an ENTIRELY NEW toolset?

(not the same stuff you see repeated all over the internet)

Let me break down:

• the 3 most common calf cramping spots in runners

• what these 3 different locations actually mean

• the exact mind-muscle connection re-boot exercises to fix them.

• and my favorite 2 exercise pre-run warm up that will help decrease cramping and tightness episodes over time (meaning, you have to actually use these consistently. Sorry, not everything can be a cheat code).

Let's jump in.

Calves Cramping at Mile 15? Here's What Your Calves Might Actually Need

Circuit 1: Calf Tightness Reboot Circuit

1/2 Hooklying Leg Flutter

• 2-3x to fatigue

Down Dog Pedal with Bent Knees

• 2-3x to fatigue

Recovery Tool: Mobility Band Muscle Flossing

• in depth instructions below

• at a glance instructions:

  • only stretch up to 50%, overlap bands by 50%, tuck "tail" in at the top

  • perform 2x10 calf raises, walk for 10 secs. Remove band if needed, then reapply for second set.

Circuit 2: Calf Cramp Prevention Pre Run Warm Up

1-2 sets each // body weight

Bulgarain Split Squat Jumps

• 2x10

Single Leg Forward Travel Pogo Hop

• 2x10

Where Your Calf Is Cramping Matters: 3 Common Calf Cramps in Runners

1/2 Hooklying Leg Flutter:

• I've used this exercise before and I'm going to keep using it on repeat because it's that good.

• If it feels like your "high calf", or the part of your calf closest to your knee is constantly tight, this is your proximal gastroc. I like giving this exercise to my marathoners struggling especially to loosen their calves up to a comfortable level BEFORE a run. It's a fast way to "reboot" your nervous system by using reciprocal inhibition

• What this means: Your gastroc (or largest calf muscle) actually begins above your knee which means it technically assists with knee flexion (bending your knee). By keeping your leg straight and pumping it rapidly up and down, your quad (front of thigh) MUST contract strongly. This hits the mind-muscle connection "reboot" button, naturally releasing your gastroc (quad = agonist // gastroc = antagonist)

Down Dog Pedal with Knees Bent

• yes, your knees being bent is a crucial part of this.

• If it feels like the "sides of your calf" and deep, dull achy, this is probably your soleus cramping (the muscle that sits underneath your gastroc). I've personally had some nasty run-ins with this guy.

• I like the bent knee "pedal your feet out" down dog position because when you actively entire knee flexion (bending your knee), you take the focus away from the gastroc and place it on the soleus. You allow the soleus to lengthen a little bit more with greater ankle dorsiflexion happening but the real magic happens as you gently push your toes into the ground to straight your knee. You're beginning plantar flexion in a knee bent (flexed) position, asking your soleus to gently contract.

• This is another contract-relax stretch, where we ask your neuromuscular system to find safety through gently easy contracting, followed by lengthening, of muscle fibers.

• If you need even more soleus-specific exercises, I have more in THIS article (link).

  
  

Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps:

• yes, plyos will actually help. And they make excellent warm ups.

• One of the theories as to WHY calf cramping, fatigue and tightness can feel so aggressive and linger is due to general calf weakness but also poor neuromuscular endurance, meaning, as you run longer (both distance and time), not only your muscles are fatiguing. Your nervous system is too, since it's responsible for sending and receiving the messages to contract, step, relax for thousands of strides.

• Plyos like this one are one way to help train and "endurance-strengthen" that nervous system component. I like the BSS version here since it encourages some knee flexion, in theory, helping target your soleus a little bit more

  
  

Single Leg Forward Travel Pogo:

• Same theory applies here. Still a great warm up exercise.

• I like this single leg version since it encourages you to keep your knee relatively straight, targeting your gastoc and achilles complex. You can perform this stationary (just jumping up and down) but I like the forward travel as it more closely resembles running and the forces you'll encounter creating power run forward the impact you'll have to absorb with each step.

• Also, it's more of a balance challenge this way ;)

How to Use the Mobility Muscle Flossing Band

*for the most in-depth instructions, feel free to check out RockTape's Website.

• If you're struggling with persistant, nagging, tight upper middle calf, where it lingers mostly on the inner side, you may be dealing with tightness at the myotendinous junction where you gastroc and achilles meet and blend together. And for that, I like to use this flossing technqiue.

• I prefer to wrap distal to proximal, meaning start at the bottom of your calf and work your way up.

• You'll want to only stretch the band to 50% (unsure what this means? stretch it as far as possible - that's 100%. Only maintain HALF that tension while wrapping it around your calf)

• You'll want each new segment to overlap 50% of the previous segment. Once you get to the top, tuck in the little tail.

• Perform roughly 2x10 calf raises (can be single, double leg, flat surface, off the edge of a step, whatever is comfortable for you. You don't need to be sweating and maxing out). Take a walk break between sets as needed. I typically remove the band after 20 reps. Have my runner patient walk around and reapply the band for 20 more reps. This is all based on your tolerance.

• After completing all reps, remove the band, walk around again and note any differences

  
  

Wrapping Up

Before you go...

If your calves are consistently cramping, tightening up, or feeling like steel toward the end of your long runs, you don't necessarily have to chalk it up to “just marathon training.” 

Especially during these final weeks of a marathon build, your calves are dealing with a LOT of repetitive work. So you're not crazy or broken if another round of aggressive stretching, foam rolling, or massage "doesn't work".

Because remember: the goal isn't to find one magical calf stretch that fixes everything. While I never want you all in pain or struggling to finish a run, I do want to give you the knoweldge and the tools to understand and respect your nervous system and calf muscles.

And the exercises in this article are part of the process to finding the right input for the exact calf-problem you're experiencing.

Final Point:

These exercises are NOT a one-and-done cheat code. 

Use the reboot exercises when your calves feel cranky, incorporate the plyometric warm-up before your runs, and give your calves some consistent exposure to the strength and neuromuscular demands of running.

Because the goal isn't just to survive your next long run without cramping. Over time, you want to build calves that can keep up when you're 10, 15, 18+ miles deep into your race .

Until next time...

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit