Running with a calf niggle.

Niggle or injury?

A niggle is tightness or mild soreness that warms up as you run, does not change how you run, and is no worse the next morning. Stop and get it looked at instead if any of these is true:

• you are limping, or changing your stride to protect it,
• the pain is sharp, sudden, or gets worse as the run goes on,
• there is swelling, bruising, or a spot on the bone that hurts to press,
• it is worse the next morning than it was during the run.

Pain on the bone that grows with impact can be a stress reaction, and that needs rest and a professional, not a training adjustment.

A rule you can use

Many physiotherapists use a pain-monitoring model for tendon and calf problems, based on research by Karin Silbernagel. Running is acceptable if both of these hold:

• pain stays at 3 out of 10 or below while you run,
• it is back to its usual level by the next morning.

If either fails, the run was too much: rest the next day and run easier after that. The rule lets you keep running while the tissue settles, which usually goes better than stopping completely.

The next three days

What irritates a calf most is speed, hills and running downhill. What helps is easy load. For a few days:

• run easy and flat, around 30 to 35 minutes,
• no intervals, no Tempo, no strides, very little climbing or descending,
• add heavy isometric holds: for example 5 holds of 45 seconds on a calf raise, held still, at an effort that feels hard but not painful.

If it has settled after three days, build back into the plan. If it hasn't, it is no longer a niggle: get it assessed.

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