Reoccurring Calf cramp/strain??

[Doobie]

I have a question for the minds here. I have been minimalist or barefoot since 2010 and have been fairly successful. I have completed a dozen obstacle races in minimalist shoes, to include the 14 mile Spartan Beast. I had a year off from training and have been edging back into it as I am doing another Spartan in October with my brother. We have been doing short milage work during the week with a weekend longer run. I have had no problems for two months training like this. The last three times I have been on my short run, my left calf has cramped or strained at just past the one mile mark. I then stop and walk it in to the end. It remains sore for a few days and I treat with ice, stretching, massage, and rest for a week until there is no residual pain.This happened again yesterday and this has been the third time. I'm drinking plenty of water and eating well (I think) and I am kind of at a loss. I'm probably headed to the doctor, but was interested if this community had any ideas for me.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Backfixer]

Its time to think outside the box a bit. The problem may be a deep adhesion in the calf, but more than likely, this is a core issue, and your foot strike is much harder than you think it is. In my book, Cheating Mother Nature, I discuss how the core is necessary to stabilize you first and we develop power from it, and then we use the legs as we follow through.

If the core is torqued or distorted (there are a number of possibilities this may occur), you are likely to hit hard and there is little or no shock absorbtion through the leg and into the pelvis, and then there is secondary over and under striding in both the legs and the arms and you are likely to hunch your shoulders as well.

I would recommend reading my book because it will explain how things should work and why problems like this occur. I would recommend you go on a treadmill and take a video of yourself from the side and back to see how you run. If you want, you can post it and I will be happy to share my thoughts but you may be surprised at what you see.

Hope that helps. Dr. C