running shoes
Out of context: Reply #76
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@formed
If you have calf problems changing your shoes will help but might not be enough. You should be stretching AFTER each run and warming up before. A foam roller and strengthening exercises will help too.
The first time I increased my distance I had knee pain for several days (IT Band). The pain wasn't so bad, after a week of rest I could run again. I did some biking to compensate meanwhile. When I changed shoes I tried the a longer distance again and although the pain wasn't as bad it was still there and sometimes prevented me from finishing a run.
I then worked on strengthening exercises like squats and got a foam roller that I used after long runs, this helped even more. The foam roller can be painful but you feel the relief right away. After some weeks of going my traditional running paths I went back to the place where I had tried my first long run and the pain came back again although it was very minimal. I realized that it was because I was running in the uneven ground (the forest, although it was very flat), it seems that although the road is a harder surface my legs prefer stability over softness. I've kept the road for long runs and forest/parks for shorter ones. From my experience, it's a combination of things that will help you with the pain, don't just rely on the shoes.
If all else fails go see a doctor.