Why Does My Lower Calf Get Tight During Long Runs? A Runner's Guide to Soleus Tightness
Tight calves are one thing. But a persistent, deep, lower calf tightness that almost cripples you on or after a long run?
Dear running fit fam, I did the dumb.
On purpose. Sort of.
A few weeks back, I committed to my long run, knowing that my achilles and calves would have an attitude the next day (long story.)
What I didn't anticipate was all calf-hell breaking loose 5-8 hours later.
It didn't help that I was on my feet all evening.
But I couldn't remember the last time I had experienced a calf pain that ebbed and flowed. That felt like it died down, just to get turned on full blast again.
You might have felt something similar, with marathon training being 8-10 weeks away, weekly mileage hovering around 40+ miles per week.
And feeling a deep, low calf ache start around mile 8, begin nagging around mile 11, and almost calling it quits at mile 15.
And the only way to describe it is a fatigued, pulling, tightness that does NOT resolve with stretching, no matter how much or how frequently you try.
So what makes THIS calf tightness any different?
When it feels this unreachable...
This persistent...
and consistently happens starting around the second half of your long run.
and it predictably lives low in your calf...
You may be looking at soleus problem.
Because I certainly was.
So let me give you my exact 8 minute, automatic "off-switch" exercise circuit I used to bring down a spicy 7/10 calf cramp to a more tolerable "just tired" and achy lower leg.
Let's hop in.
Why Your Lower Calf Starts Cramping on Long Runs
But first, let's address the elephant in the room.
I've actually worked with a runner who would run into this same problem on repeat, wrecking 1- 1.5 marathons for her.
She was fueling.
Making sure she was hydrated and taking electrolytes, because the internet likes to insist that if you repeatable cramp, it must be an electrolyte problem, right?
Actually, not always.
While fueling plays a huge part in "can your muscles go the distance?", there's a more primal player at large.
From my personal example above, my right soleus was screaming at me because:
1) my right ankle is weak in general from too many BAD ankle sprains, so strengthening that ankle is something I'm always working on
2) my long run was a touch harder than normal, requiring more stability, strength, and all-around-work from my soleus
3) my neuromuscular system was waving the fatigue-white-flag
**record scratch**
What?
So cool part:
We are finding from more recent research that muscle cramps can be partly due to our muscles not being quite strong enough in an endurance-manner to handle the load we're placing on them (ie. greater weekly mileage, a longer long run, a new race distance, etc)
Which makes sense, especially for our soleus, which is involved in more the endurance-aspect of running (going long) compared to our gastroc which is more involved with speed and power (hills and any kind of faster interval work).
So take into account: my long run + an already weak right ankle = prime environment for a cranky soleus.
But to top it all off...
Our neuromuscular system is a fancy (but accurate) way of describing how intertwined our nervous system is with our muscles.
Our muscles can't work without the messages coming down from our brain and through our nerves.
And our nervous system is a sputtering, electricity-flying, frayed wire without muscles connected to.
And this combination of systems, this sending and receiving countless messages for one stride in front of the other, ALSO gets fatigued.
End result: very uncomfortable calf muscle tightness and cramping.
I was experiencing the cramping part. I don't wish to experience that again.
So what I have down below for you was the 8 minute circuit I used to immediately calm things down and get pain/discomfort levels under control.
And to be 100% transparent, I probably had to repeat it 2-3x throughout the rest of my day to remind my calf to stay chill (because I was on my feet a lot and couldn't really rest).
So just know:
It's 100% normal if you have to use this circuit MULTIPLE times to KEEP things calm.
Our bodies will always do the most to protect us, and often pain, cramping, tightness is the way it communicates that to us.
So as a result, we have to communicate back to our bodies,"no really, you don't have to cramp. Let me show you how.."
So just keep this in mind and treat this circuit as your "movement advil."
But also remember...
We can prevent this by building stronger, fatigue resistant muscles through running-specific strength training and plyometrics.
And I have that FULL plan written out for you in my FREE Calf & Achilles Cure which you can grab here:
The 8-Minute Calf Tightness Relief Routine Every Long-Distance Runner Should Know
Circuit:
2 sets each // body weight only
Soleus Muscle Release
Hold with moderate pressure for 20-30 secs. Repeat up to 5 rounds. Rest for 20-30 secs in between.
yes, I know, not an exercise. more details below.
Active Resisted Dorsiflexion Isometric
5 sec hold for 3-5 reps
Hooklying Leg Flutter
2-3 reps each leg, ea rep should be to fatigue
Heel Walking
no shoes on carpet is ideal.
4 reps total (Down-and-back = 2)
Lower Calf Tightness While Running: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
Soleus Muscle Release
PLEASE remember: if you've bruised yourself, you've gone too far.
PRO TIP: while soft tissue / massage may feel good, this is NOT the most "powerful" tool or exercise in this circuit. However, this was the first thing I tried with the purpose of breaking the pain cycle so I could think straight. The cramping was ramping up to a 6-7/10, which I found distracting, making it difficult for me to think of other exercises to actually fix the issue.
So, feel free to use this almost as "primer", just to turn down the volume a little bit on the tension, tightness, or cramping you're experiencing. I want you to almost grab your gastroc, the big, meaty part we think of as our calf muscles and get closer to the shin bone, but from behind. Our soleus sits UNDER the gastroc, so a lot of times, it's easier to access and treat that muscle when we come from the sides.
If this doesn't work for you at all, that is ok! I personally think the exercises are more important.
Active Resisted Dorsiflexion Isometric
Yes, this is stupid-basic. That's the point.
THE SECRET: all of these exercises utilize something called reciprocal inhibition. Meaning, each muscle has a teammate. But this teammate does the OPPOSITE job. So since our soleus does plantarflexion, meaning pointing our toes, if we engage the OPPOSITE muscle (our anterior tibialis), by performing active dorsiflexion, we "force" our soleus to "turn off". And when it's in it's "off stage", it can't cramp (or at least as ferociously).
You don't need to apply a lot of pressure: think about pushing with 5-10 lbs. It should be enough that you're working hard, but nothing approaching pain or strain.
Hooklying Leg Flutter
I do use this exercise a lot with tight calves. And that's because it works.
THE REASON: this exercise is geared more towards addressing a cranky gastroc (although it does still hit your soleus). But it works "better" on your gastroc muscle, as your gastroc actually starts above your knee, crossing your knee joint, and plugs into your heel bone, crossing your ankle joint.
So with your leg straight and moving as fast as you can move it, we're "forcing" your gastroc to "turn off" across 2 joints, sending a stronger signal to that muscle.
Yes, your soleus is still getting the "turn off" message, especially if your keep your ankle flexed towards your nose, but since tight calves can be a vague feeling that can even move around, it's good to hit both big calf muscles when looking for relief.
HEEL WALK
NO, we are NOT using this in a shin splint way (or even to strengthen your ant tib).
THE KEY: the reason we're even doing this heel walk is because the other exercises are rather passive. Yes, you're resisting or moving, but you're not weight bearing on the ouchie leg. And for a lot of runners, this calf tightness or cramping can get worse once they start walking or standing.
So I found that when I used an exercise that more closely resembled running, while still using the principle of reciprocal inhibition, my soleus finally "understood" or got the message that cramping wasn't necessary in a weight bearing position.
Short version: sometimes you have to teach your body in multiple ways, in multiple positions that's being a drama queen. So a mix of different types of exercises can often be the most effective.
WRAPPING UP
Remember...
It's 100% normal to need to repeat this maybe 2-3 times in a day.
However, I also need you to know, you can't "out stretch" a weak calf. Meaning, do these fancy dynamic stretches help in the moment?
I sure hope they do!
But if you're in the same boat as me, looking to increase weekly mileage and run longer long runs, this WILL happen again if we don't continue to work on strengthening ankles as a whole, from peroneals to soleus.
So think of this blog's circuit as your "get out jail free" card.
And the Calf & Achilles Cure Toolkit below as "how to stay out of long run jail".
Because inside, I've included my favorite gastroc and soleus strengthening exercises that go BEYOND your basic calf raises.
Not because calf raises don't get the job done, but because sometimes we need to granular and intentional when we're working on specific running issues like this that show up on particular runs at very consistent times.
So grab the Calf & Achilles Cure Toolkit below. It's 100% FREE!
and until next time...
Dare to Train Differently,
Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit
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