I have been training on TR since June and I love the training plans.
I actually started riding at the age of 12 and retired at 17. I started riding again after 12 years of being inactive and currently am sitting at 61 kg and 290 watts. However, I always experience calf pain/ burn when riding “full gas” or at threshold which causes me to slow down. I have always experienced this when racing in junior categories and now. My cleats are moved all the way back. Does anyone experience this? I am wondering if this has something to do with my genetics. Any help would be highly appreciated.
I had the exact same issue last year. I fixed the issue by doing these things:
- Check the saddle height (If your saddle is too high and you want to press down your heel, it streches the calf).
- Foam roll your and stretch it. Here are the streches that I do:
Fix Your Squat: Part 1 - Ankle Mobility for Squatting w/ Dr. Aaron Horschig of Squat University - YouTube - When we are going hard, we have the tendencie to stiff everything up. However, you still want a fluid pedalstroke (unless you are doing an all out sprint). So, relax your foot, your ankle and your calf.
I am going to double check the seat height. I have used a foam roller before and it does relieve tension but when riding next day the pain/burn is back.
Also, it sounds stupid but the pain gets worse when I’m wearing bib tights. If my calves are not covered the pain/burn is tolerable but if my calves are covered I’m unable to sustain any high intensity efforts. I hate it and it makes riding less enjoyable. I feel frustrated as it’s always been my limiting factor.