sore calves

Just keep it going, when I ended up forefoot striking, my calves were dead for at least a month, possible 6 weeks. You can probably keep training through it, just be aware of your achilles tendon, and any pain rather than soreness.

I have been experiencing the same soreness. I've always been a forefoot striker, but have recently started upping my mileage. Granted, I'm not running in flats (I'd imagine the soreness would be a lot worse), but I think the soreness/burning calves are a result of increased mileage combined with the forefoot striking (and not being used to forefoot striking for longer distances).

I bought a pair of Zensah compression sleeves and they have helped to lessen the severity of the soreness enough so that it doesn't prevent consistent training. I put them on after the evening run, wear them to bed and my legs usually feel pretty refreshed the following morning - even after hammering the previous night's run, they still feel pretty good.

I haven't tried post-run stretching. I'd imagine that might help (?).

rolling pin works wonders. I could barely do it the first two days, but gradually it loosens up and doesn't hurt nearly as bad. I just sit it on the floor and roll my calf back and forth about 30 times, 2x a day.

whenever i switch to a lower heel-to-toe ratio/weight shoe (adidas marathon 10 --> adizero mana (the white, black, and red one with the japanese thing on the back --> nike xc 2 streak flats) i experienced this soreness for about a week or two...its part of the process since yure forcing to workout different calf muscles and lower leg muscles that weren't used as much before...youre also forefoot striking, which forces you to use your calves more than usual. Both are logical reasons for this soreness. I just bought the saucony hattori (a 0 drop shoe, completely flat), which will definitely ensure a little bit of calf pain for the next weeks, but im sure it'll disappear after a while. In short, yes, ive been through that too, but im sure itll go away.

It's a high risk strategy to suddenly switch to doing all your running in flats when you're not used to it - you risk damage to your calves and achilles tendon.

Gradually increase the percentage of your running you do in flats, to give your body a chance to adapt.

Stretch the calves and do strengthening exercises (e.g. eccentric calf raises).

Some people swear by foam rollers - probably won't do any harm and might help.

You need compression sox

Run slowly until the pain is gone. You might have to start very slowly on the first day. Each day your calves should feel a little less sore and your pace a little bit faster.

As for this idea that you have to forefoot strike. It's just another fad that idiots with no real knowledge of biomechanics have latched on to in huge numbers. The disinformation has become so bad that even people who are considered to be knowledgeable about biomechanics are trotting out the same bullshit.

The truth is that everyone has different biomechanics, some are natural heel strikers, some have a very pronounced natural forefoot strike and some are in between.

Also, whilst I agree that clunky trainers are not ideal in most situations, there is no reason not to use shoes of different weight and cushioning for different types of training.

well, I tried to go back. I really did. I tried running in trainers again and it just felt so awkward. forefoot running has really struck me in a big way. it's just more enjoyable in every way really. when I run in flats now, I just feel so zippy and nice compared to when I run in trainers. like, i feel my calves like crazy when I run in flats, but now I feel it in my whole leg when I run in trainers. it's really unappealing and aside from the god damn calves, flats are WAY more enjoyable to run in. I've run in flats before, but it was all interval or tempo work. my calves never really felt it. now all of a sudden they do.

I dunno. I hit the kitchen like one poster suggested and the rolling pin really does help but not completely. I'm thinking of getting some compression socks to wear to bed, but I dunno. it's just frustrating. I was in 16 low 5k shape in the fall and now suddenly 7:30 pace hurts because of my calves. I just want to enjoy running again. training in flats overall is a step in that direction. for a day my calves randomly stopped being sore and I went out for a run and it was glorious (of course they started hurting after 2 miles but those first 2 miles just felt great).

could it be that I took 2 weeks off of running before making this switch? I'm starting to think it has more to do with coming back, but 7:30 pace should not be challenging me.

If this has been going on a long time, it could be compartment syndrome?

Go out for a run and wear your racing flats for 25% of the distance (as an example) and then change back to your trainers for the rest of the run. Over time, gradually extend the period you wear the racers versus the trainers.

yout gonna be sore for a while, I had the same issue altho i made the biomechanic switch in trainers, not flats. the lower heel drop definitely makes forefoot striking harder because conventional running shoes have that higher heel so you dont need to work as much to get onto the forefoot and then lower it back down, you have that high heel for it. with the lower heel its definitely easier to run forefooted or midfooted but it works your calves more because they have to work harder to lower the heel back down after the forefoot has made contact, this is due because of the height they need to lower down completely in order to touch the ground again.

theres also the chance you are coming up too high on your forefoot and not letting your heels come down enough after initial contact. when i started forefoot running i was doing that and basically never let my heels drop down to take some of the load off my calves. lot of calf soreness. this was an easy fix for me becuase i just let my heel come down further after initial contact and voila, no more calf soreness. it's even gotten to the point that i'm now starting to do training runs more midfooted which feels just as good as forefooted, and faster paces are forefooted but have the right amount of heel drop.

just let your heels come down a bit more, this should help you adapt better.