L Calf pain getting worse. Any thoughts?

Fatamorgana

I had a road bike fitting in 2012.
Very useful and highly recommended.
Club rides, TT’s and Audax rides - all AOK.

Look Keo cleats & pedals and Shimano clipped in on Dawes SG.

Fast fwd to 2014.
Back in the UK (after 200 off any bike), back on the road bike in March, started getting some slight twinges of discomfort in my L upper calf muscle, then 5 months of riding 4000+ miles on the touring bike. AOK. No pain, no twinges.

Back on the road bike for 4 weeks.
Pick up and continue to ride with the niggling upper L calf twinge.

Weather closes in, Nov+ back on the touring bike as my winter bike, all is well, but more recently, this calf twinge has been quite uncomfortable, occasionally resulting in sharp, localised shooting, though still localised pain.

6 days touring over Xmas, and more than once, the discomfort has become painful at times forcing to walk for a while.

Have started rollers on both calfs, two days worth so far & of course, V painful, both calfs, but somewhat expected. I have upped the saddle 1.5mm this week as it's a B17 and occasionally "sags" with wear.

Anyone any thoughts?
Thanks.

diy

Are you running different cleats/shoes? is one foot needing to be more toe/heel out? It sounds more like a cleat issue than calf issue - is it possible that the cleats have slipped.

If its not a hydration or fitness issue - I'd look at possible differences in the setup. The other thing might be to look at stretching out your abductors and hip flexors to see if you are throwing the left leg (guessing that you right leg is stronger).

These pains are sometimes like finding a squeak, its not always where you think it is.

I hope that helps

Fatamorgana

I have ordered some new Shimano cleats, as I am aware that worn cleats can have a disproportionally adverse effect on knees etc.

At present, I am not wearing the road bike shoes (Keo) but did so, for 1 month in October.

I note - and it's only because the Brooks B17 is leather - is that my left buttock / sit bone indentation is almost twice the size and depth as the right side, which is curious.

The cleat setup has not been adjusted in 18 months+, on either set of shoes, and was set up correctly at the Bike Fitting, including insoles.

diy

Have a little stretch out and see if you have even flexibility on your left and right - wondering if you are "throwing" something. Might even be something like a tight IT band on the left side - so many things to be honest. maybe get on a turbo and get someone to watch/video you pedal. Then get a look/feedback.

Fatamorgana

The idea of filming the feet etc whilst on the turbo is on tomorrow's list.
I used to drop my heel below the horizontal, meaning that the saddle was too low.

styxd

Are you sitting squarely on the seat? Sounds like you might be sitting over to the left? Perhaps your left leg is shorter than your right? Hence you sitting off centre and stretching to reach the saddle.

mikenetic

Not wishing to be alarmist, but I had a friend who developed cramps in one calf, then after a while had a severe one that lasted a couple of days.

Turned out he had a clot in his leg i.e. DVT, which is potentially very serious. He's fine now, but it might be worth a precautionary check if it doesn't go away.

Fatamorgana

New shoes, new pedals, new cleats. All new, but the same.

Had a physiotherapist come over in the week and spent two hours working my legs yesterday.

Strictly speaking there is a preliminary chat about previous experience training injuries and such like including a good look at one's posture and gate, looking at shoe-wear, foot position and so on.

I know that my hamstrings are quite shortened, I still cannot touch my toes, and then she got to work on me.Ouch!

She did think that the problem in my left calf muscle might well be symptomatic of an error somewhere else, though with the exception of one relatively small muscle deep within the left buttock, this proved not to be the case and that the areas that she thought would be tender and sore, some of which are the joins between the tendons and the muscles or the tendon & the bone, particularly in certain areas, proved not to be the case.

The IT band was clear as was the sciatic nerve and the back of the knee, shoulders, lower back too. Shoulders and back seem squared-up, nothing obvious out of line.

However it became quite obvious that the right calf muscle was exhibiting precisely the same soreness and constriction that the left muscle is displaying which surprised me since it had not previously shown its hand. It's the outside muscle / part of the calf muscle.

I slowly am coming to the conclusion that until my hamstrings are stretched out better and the calf muscle has stopped hurting, I should park the bike up and see if time might help, along with a 10 mile walk each day.

The culprit? My saddle? It's clear from the indentations that I sit lower and heavier on my L side, maybe even a little skewed (?) something the leather saddle amply demonstrates, it's slight be it's visible so I'll chop that out for a standard saddle and see if that helps.

I too wonder, that now the Brooks B17 is worn-in, 3000ish miles worth, (total miles since March 2014 being 6000) it might be part of the problem, if I have carved out two sit-bones grooves, then maybe that sees me a little bit locked-into that ride position, lessening the ability to be able to shift position?

Beyond that, calf exercises, foam rollers, some more massage, some IT rolling too - but happy to hear what others might have to add.

Rode yesterday, gently, but I am now riding on an injury meaning it flared up at about 1hr, though things were tight from the outset, though things did ease up once the muscles had warmed up.

Going to see a chiropractor this evening to see if there is a more obvious explanation - I do know most peoples' legs are slightly different lengths, and that we're rarely symmetrical - will let you know how I get on!

mrwibble

buy a trigger point stx roller, it's very good, newitts sell them, get the black one