My New 2024 Frenemy

I took a few weeks off from the blog to enjoy a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed your holiday break and are energized by the new year.

My calf muscles have been perpetually tight and sore. I think it’s getting to the point where my calf tightness might be causing some plantar fasciitis. During my last marathon training block, I noticed that I needed to be diligent about stretching my calves during my peak mileage weeks of training. I have tried foam rolling them in the past, but that did not seem to help. I have seen people in a kneeling position place a broomstick behind their knees and lower their backside to crush/self-release the fascia, which did not seem to work either. I tried using a massage gun once, and my calves did not appreciate it.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally spent some time working on my calves, but this time with a ball. I placed the ball under the tight spots of my calf and stayed in that position until the tightness was released. I kept at it, looking for tight spots in my calves. I tried it with my toes pointed (plantar flexion) and toes pulled back (dorsiflexion). I spent a good 30 minutes on my right calf and about 20 minutes on my left calf. I did this for three days in a row, and it helped. Since then, I have moved over to putting one leg on the other to add pressure, but my calves no longer feel sore or tight. I wish I had subjected myself to this torture device years ago.

What seemingly innocent recovery tools do you use? Please share in the comments below.

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