Deep Lower Calf Pain While Running: 4 Signs Your Soleus Is the Problem
- Marie Whitt
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
It usually starts the same way. Your long run feels completely normal for the first mile or two.
Then you notice it: that deep ache in the lower part of your calf beginning to build.
But what doesn't make sense is you've already stretched.
Warmed up.
You're even wearing you're more cushioned shoes.
But this one stubborn spot low in your calf, but definitely not your Achilles tendon, gradually gets tighter with every step.
You try to run through it, hoping it'll loosen up, but you finally stop your run because you notice your stride changing. And it's getting painful.
But as you walk and cool down, it feels fine.
You even rep out some calf raises without much discomfort.
But the next time you head out for a run, that same deep ache comes right back, leaving you wondering why this one spot won't let up. And why nothing you've tried is working.
Hi! This is where I come in. I'm Dr. Marie, a running of 15+ years and a physical therapist.
And what potentially is giving you so much grief isn't:
an improper warm up
lack of stretching or foam rolling
or a sign you need to take a week off from running.
Your soleus may be sending an S.O.S signal. Here's how you know:
Lower Calf Tightness While Running? Here's What Your Body May Be Trying to Tell You
As runners, when a muscle begins cramping, we tend to jump to a fueling strategy:
Maybe we need more electrolytes?
Maybe we need to increase the amount of carbs we consume per hour?
And these aren't bad strategies. Or even necessarily wrong ones.
But if they don't "work", if they don't help...
We jump next to rest, ice, stretch, and foam roll.
Again, could these be helpful? Perhaps.
But if what you're experiencing is an underlying strength and training tissue adaptation problem...no number of gels is going to fix that.
4 signs I look for to tell whether it's truly a muscle or tendon load/strength issue:
if it feels like the niggle came on gradually within 24 hours
you can reproduce the discomfort consistently on a run (ie. it always comes on at mile 2 or at mile 8 when you begin to fatigue)
single leg hopping can irritate it
it specifically hurts when you push off one foot to enter into your next stride, but it doesn't bother you to walk
All of these indicate to me that with increased stress, load, or demand to control/accept power and force created on one leg, that there's something going on at the level of the tissue.
This is good news.
It means you're not crazy for stretching on repeat with no progress or improvements to show for it.
So how about we do something about it?
The Best Soleus Exercises for Runners With Lower Calf Pain
Circuit:
3 sets *unless specified // Medium-Heavy weights
Single Leg Bridge on Wall Calf Raise
2 rounds to fatigue (makes a good warm up)
Elongated Runner's Lunge Calf Raise
8-12 reps as able
can add a resistance band around knee to increase resistance
Runner's stance on Bench: Back Leg Hops
10 reps jumps vs 10 reps side to side hops (10 R; 10L)
Deep Kneeling into Runner's Jump
x8 on each leg
How to Strengthen Your Soleus for Running and Finally Stop That Deep Calf Ache
Single Leg Bridge on Wall Calf Raise
reminder: this can be a good warm up.
THE PURPOSE: sometimes our brains have a hard time finding a muscle. I'm NOT saying you need to be able to tell the difference between your soleus and gastroc contracting. But I am saying there is a crucial connection between your big toe and the rest of your lower leg.
When you do this exercise, focus on completing to fatigue 2x on each side. And remind yourself to ground through or push through your big toe which is firmly planted on a wall. This will help carry over into your running stride as your programming your brain + foot + ankle, "hey, we need to push off through our big toe while simultaneously using our soleus". (if you feel you quickly out-grow this exercise, that's 1000% expected).
Elongated Runner's Lunge Calf Raise
Because I don't like regular knee bent calf raises. .
THE REASON: I know they're a staple when it comes to specifically training an injured soleus, but I think they're clunky, awkward, and it's too easy to get stuck doing the 2-legged version, which quickly becomes too easy to runners. So I brain-stormed my own version.
With this position, get into a long runner's lunge and don't forget to keep about 80% of your body weight on that front foot. If your leg shakes, that's ok. That's partly your nervous system and muscular system talking, trying to coordinate the movement. As you get stronger, it should subside as it indicates affected eccentric control of your soleus (with still some help from your gastroc).
If you need more resistance, you can place a weight on top of your knee, although it is awkward. I find it's better to loop a resistance band around your knee and anchor it under your foot to provide extra resistance without throwing you off balance.
Runner's Stance on Bench: Back Leg Hops
Beginning plyometrics are a must.
PRO TIP: most calf strains, niggles, or running injuries tend to happen around the musculotendinous junction, where the muscles of your both your gastroc and your soleus plus achilles tendon meet and blend together. And while heavy slow resistance training DOES build both muscle and tendon strength, plyometrics are a necessity.
Tendons are not so great at tolerating speed, especially under heavy load such as run fast or running far while fatigued. So beginning plyometrics like this begin to teach the tendon how to handle speed, load under fatigue, and change in direction with the side to side hop.
A lot of runners skip this step and stick with weighted calf raises. But I'm telling you: this last step of rehab is one of the most important and most overlooked
Deep Kneeling into Runner's Jump
Your soleus has to be strong. In EVERY position.
THE KEY: this is why I move my runners out of knee bent calf raises and into plyometrics as soon we can. Because once you try this exercise, and travel through the entire range of motion of this jump, you realize just how much you're asking your soleus (and entire ankle) to do with every stride.
Yes, moving load, strength training is important and it's how we get here and build the ankle that can tolerate this movement, but this particular jump, asks your ankle, achilles tendon, and soleus to wind up like a spring and then release that power in a single leg jump that resembles your running stride. And that's only the first half. Don't forget when you land, to land quietly and softly, also teaching your calf muscles and tendons how to absorb load so this strength can translate into a stronger, injury-free running stride.
WRAPPING UP
Here's what I want you to walk away with:
If you've been battling a deep ache in the lower part of your calf, don't assume it's just something you have to stretch through or wait out.
Your body is giving you information, and more often than not, it's telling you that your tissues aren't quite prepared for the demands you're placing on them.
The good news? Tissues adapt.
With the right combination of progressive strength training and plyometrics, you can build a soleus that's stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to handle thousands of running strides without becoming the weakest link on your long run.
Remember, the goal isn't simply to get rid of calf pain.
I want you to be able to build an ankle and lower leg that can keep producing force, absorbing impact, and pushing you forward mile after mile.
Train the tissue, not just the symptoms.
And as always...
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit
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