Calf cramp prevention - salt, skins or just htfu?! ;-)

7 watchers

jacdaw May 2014 3:54pm, 7 May 2014 753 posts	0 jacdaw Apparently it was these pickles, in case you plan to take a jar of them with you on the WHW race next year:
Marts May 2014 4:34pm, 7 May 2014 4,171 posts	0 Marts Pickles bearing the name of a double world high jump champion too!
HermanBloom May 2014 4:37pm, 7 May 2014 4,537 posts	0 HermanBloom Pretty good Ice Hockey player as well.
HappyG(rrr) May 2014 5:24pm, 7 May 2014 22,147 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Who is the Local Government or Communities Minister? Could we take him on an Ultra? G
Lordy Lumpkins May 2014 5:44pm, 7 May 2014 162 posts	0 Lordy Lumpkins For years I've always got cramp after 10 miles on half marathons, and have previously tried most suggestions on here to stop them coming on - eating something, compressions socks, proper hydration etc. Haven't tried the pickle juice though, but I think for my early ones it must have been down to the training (or lack of - I never really trained for half marathons - I just use to turn up and run :-o). I've since done a couple of marathons, and have also tried a tip Jock Itch put on a previous thread about calf muscle cramps on here, where he suggested having some Crabapple rescue remedy drops before your race. I had a couple of drops in a pint of water on the day of Bournemouth marathon last year, but still got cramp at 24 miles. This year for London, I made sure a few drops went in any water I drank on the Friday and Saturday, and hey ho - no cramp at all during the entire run. At the end of the day it might be the training (I did followed the same plan for both Bournemouth and London), but I'll be using the drops again for sure
HappyG(rrr) May 2014 5:53pm, 7 May 2014 22,148 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Crabapple? Recommended by Jocky?! I'm looking behind me for the Game for a Laugh camera crew?!! But if you have anecdotal experience of it working LL, then thanks for sharing. I think I'll suck a lump o' rock rather than a gherkin or trying to remember to put crabapple drops in my water. We shall see. Anyone else got any patent remedies? Embalming fluid? A small spider placed on the tongue?! G
Lordy Lumpkins May 2014 6:13pm, 7 May 2014 165 posts	0 Lordy Lumpkins No worries HappyG - I wouldn't have believed it, but now I've tried it and it worked for me, I'll try it again. Here t'is said linky thing (sorry if it's not clickable, not sure how to do that on here): http://www.fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=53511&page=2
Lordy Lumpkins May 2014 6:14pm, 7 May 2014 166 posts	0 Lordy Lumpkins It's clickable!
Bazoaxe May 2014 8:17pm, 7 May 2014 6,759 posts	0 Bazoaxe I am a regular dailly golf ball/foot roller as well and its not made any diffeernce, but did help the PF. One thing I havent ever really tried properly is calf strength work
HappyG(rrr) May 2014 9:20pm, 7 May 2014 22,151 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) And getting back to Gus's observation about me fairying my way over the technical bits and that being a possible cause of calf cramps - yes, definitely a possibility! I don't do much technical and I certainly don't usually do it after 30 miles of hardish runnering. Good point. So calf strengthening again prescribed probably. Bazo, careful balance with calf strength not to then put achilles or plantar under further strain (tight calves). I then had to do Achilles strengthening while calf stretching (escentric contractions). Very complicated business this hooman body thing. G