Fast Running Blog

I am having pain on the inside of my right leg about half way up.  It goes down into the high part of my ankle.  Does anyone have any suggestions for stretching this part of my leg or what type of "injury" this could be so I can treat it properly?  I had this a few years ago and then it went into my foot and became plantar facisis, I would like to avoid this.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

If it goes into the high part of the ankle, it could be the achilles tendon. Does it start midway between the ankle and the knee? if so, sounds very much like the achilles tendon. Is the pain intense? can you walk? can you up and down stairs? Need more input in order to help some more. If its only soreness, there are things you could do, but if its pain, then probably the best thing to do is go get checked by a physician....

Yes it starts mid way between the ankle and the knee.  I was thinking it could be a calf thing as it is on the side not behind.  I can move easily.  It was somewhat dull the past few days but today was bad enough I cut my run short.  When walking it isn't so bad but when running it progresses.  When I do calf stretches on the wall it really hurts, I hope this helps.

If it does not hurt if you 'pinch' the achilles tendon (1-2 inches above the ankle), then it is the calf muscle. Looks like a muscle strain. Put some ice on it and do some calf stretches on a step (up & down, stopping on down) once the muscle allows you to do so. Maybe a couple of days off will also help plenty.

No problem with the tendon, didn't hurt when I pinched.  Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

I had a muscle strain of my left calf two weeks before my first marathon. Ice, rest & electric therapy did it for me. Got completely cured in one week.

Good luck !

Is it muscle, bone or tendon pain? Does it hurt to make certain movements? Has this happened before? Does it get worse after a run? If yes, are you able to recover to the pre-run pain level in 24 hours of rest?

When I push on the bone it hurts, but when I stretch the calf it feels like the muscle.  The only movements that really are bothered by it are when I run and when I stretch it.  I believe I had this problem about two years ago when I was trying to train for the marathon, last time I believe I prepared incorrectly.  Right now I am still low on the miles and the miles that I am running has not been a dramatic increase (they mostly have been on a treadmill though).  It gets worse after a run, if I come home and ice it and rest it feels better the next day.  Yesterday however, the pain returned quickly and I was not able to finish my run.

Jeff McClellan (http://jeffmc.fastrunningblog.com/) had a similar problem. He may have some insights to share with you. From what I remember he felt it was important to massage the affected area regularly. When he did not sleep and ran a lot  this developed into a tibial stress fracture. But then he learned his lesson, recovered from it, started sleeping, and made sure to massage frequently. The issue went away.