Please help, muscle cramp

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Lavander
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Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 4:35 pm

Please help, muscle cramp

Postby Lavander » Sat Sep 03, 2016 10:06 pm

I just come back to running after going through open heart surgery. Used to be a military man, since Doctor permits me to exercise, I have been walking 5-10km daily. In August I even incorporate jogging after doctor gave green light.

However, my problem is this, after 500 meter into the. Walk or jog, my calves and shin muscle will cramp badly, and I have to walk. I always forced myself to continue, and often after 3-4 km, the pain will subside, but if I started to run, the pain will return.

How come? Any one has any dea to help?

I have just got myself a new shoe which is neuture pronation, as advice by the specialist. But it is not helping. How come?

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ultraslacker
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Re: Please help, muscle cramp

Postby ultraslacker » Sun Sep 04, 2016 10:00 am

welcome to RM. :)

Could be the running shoes.

Could be other reasons your muscles are reacting (what kind of shoes do you wear when you're not running? what other activities do you do?).

Could be that you're increasing too much, too soon.

Sometimes muscle cramps come from things like magnesium deficiency (eat bananas!).

Or it may just be that your legs are adapting to running. This can take awhile. If you need to stop and stretch them out in the middle of the run, there's nothing wrong with that.

Sometimes these things are trial and error, and you'll either figure it out as you go or your body will just start adapting. :)
"You're an ultrarunner, normal rules don't apply to you." (Doonst)


First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. ~Epictetus

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Avis
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Re: Please help, muscle cramp

Postby Avis » Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:40 pm

Welcome to RM!

I ditto the above advice, but would just add a word of caution. Given your health history (and granted all I know is what you mention here), it would make sense to make sure your cramps are not related to: 1) a circulatory problem in your legs, or 2) any medication you are taking. It is true that certain meds can lower magnesium or potassium levels in your blood, so it would be worth checking those things out, if you haven't already.

Other than that, you could try run/walk intervals, where you run for 1 minute, walk for one minute, gradually increasing the length of the running segment. That might help prevent the cramps from starting up in the first place.

Good luck and keep us posted!
"We are made of dreams and bones."
--The Garden Song

"By perseverance, the snail reached the ark."
--Charles H. Spurgeon

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
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Nicholas
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Re: Please help, muscle cramp

Postby Nicholas » Thu Sep 08, 2016 6:44 pm

I agree with the advice above. If you have not been exercising for a while due to the surgery and recovery, then your muscles may be very tight and restricted. It would be good to start a stretching programme and maybe some yoga. Also, it seems that the grin and bear it approach to the pain is not working. So, do it differently. Go to a track, walk one lap at an easy pace, do some gentle leg stretching for a few minutes, walk another lap, do some deeper stretching, walk a third lap plus stretching (and maybe a fourth). Now incorporate the run/walk approach...start with alternating 30 seconds of each and slowly build from there. Keep the running to a slow pace. When you feel pain, stop and stretch for a minute or two, then start moving again.
Hopefully, you will soon break down the cobwebs binding your muscles and get everything loose, flexible and mobile.
Just reading what you wrote...I don't think it is the shoes or circulatory issues (like compartment syndrome) because your pain does subside some times and the pain comes on so quickly. But ignoring your body signals (pain) is not a good thing and pushing through may just be ensuring that it never goes away! Starting off after a long layoff is always slow and frustrating but you progress from one plateau to the next, not by a certain percentage each day.
If you still have problems after all of this...it might be time to see a sports doc or a physiotherapist to get some professional help diagnosing the root cause of your issues.
Nicholas

Events in 2018
Walking, Yoga, Soccer scrimmages and whatever else I can do
Hip replacement on September 10....now doing a variation of the None to Run plan


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