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.