The calf pain was primarily from the eccentric contractions of going downhill. The secondary cause of pain was getting back out, which was no small feat for me.
Eccentric calf pain from going downhill works like this.
- You extend your toes to get proper foot placement. When this is done the soleus muscle(1) and the gastrocnemius muscle(2) contract-shorten.
- You put said toes/foot right where you want it, so as not to fall. It just so happens there are a lot of mules that go up and down this same trail, they dig big holes in the trail.
- Now with foot all good, you put all your weight on this foot, calf contracted, and lengthen that muscle while it tries to stabilize.
- Repeat around 1,500 times.
- Calf soreness.
The only area I had any concern over was my right sacrotuberous ligament. With pelvic misalignment there was a unilateral joint pain. I favor my right side, I am strongest on my right side, and it may be that when stepping required a stronger hold, I overused my right foot/leg/hip. I had a massage on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tuesdays massage was a great flush (all I could handle) and some much needed stretching. Rosa did a bit of gentle movement of the sacrum across it's oblique axis and really freed things up. On Wednesday I asked Shawn to check that ligament, he did a bit of cross fiber on it and today the "joint pain" is gone. 100% Tuesday night and Wednesday night I had the best foot therapist in town stay the night at my house and work my feet over until I fell asleep. She's the best, thanks Missy!!!
Keeping moving, hydration, and getting good food into my system has played a key role in this recovery I feel. For a day I thought I made a real mistake. But today it was all worth it and more.
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