By Lachlan Chisholm, 3:37 1500m runner and physiotherapist at Nowra Physio Sports and Rehabilitation As I have grown older I have experienced and seen in the clinic many cases of what is commonly known as “old man calves”. This condition occurs in men more than women (hence old man calves not old person calves) and tends to effect people from their mid 30s onwards. Though the symptoms and exact nature tend to vary it generally presents as a tight painful calf little like a small tear that just feels “a bit tight” walking around. When you begin to run however, it feels like someone has replaced your muscle with a bit of rope or a steel rod and it is about to tear with the next step. As is logical most people carry out the standard treatment for a soft tissue injury, they rest, ice, stretch and so on and then in a few days it feels normal again. They might even get through a couple of short easy runs without incident, it is usually when you try to do a session or a long run that BOOM, the pain returns. There can be a lot of different sources of this type of pain and can be easily misdiagnosed particularly when self-diagnosing. It could be mistaken for a tendon injury, compartment syndrome, muscle tear, referred pain, or a stress fracture just to name a few. This is one of those injuries where I would strongly recommend going to see your physio for an accurate diagnosis and treatment rather than relying on “Dr Google”. This will ensure an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan. To read on please join RT ADDICT. Runner's Tribe pays our writers and film makers to create exciting and entertaining content. We are putting all RT ADDICT proceeds back into the platform. We have sourced the world's top writers and film makers to deliver any athlete, coach, parent or fan the ultimate portal for athletics education, enjoyment and inspiration. See for yourself at Runner's Tribe ADDICT. https://vimeo.com/358722025 
 and tends to effect people from their mid 30s onwards. Though the symptoms and exact nature tend to vary it generally presents as a tight painful calf little like a small tear that just feels “a bit tight” walking around. When you begin to run however, it feels like someone has replaced your muscle with a bit of rope or a steel rod and it is about to tear with the next step. As is logical most people carry out the standard treatment for a soft tissue injury, they rest, ice, stretch and so on and then in a few days it feels normal again. They might even get through a couple of short easy runs without incident, it is usually when you try to do a session or a long run that BOOM, the pain returns.){kind=link}