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cramp

Although I'm quite a strong swimmer I come from an award swimming and lifesaving background rather than racing, so have never been big on front crawl. My usual swim would be a pyramid type session using front crawl, life saving backstroke, sidestroke and breaststroke - not a typical medley form!

But having been drawn in to this multisport malarky (currently waiting for it to be light enough to go out on my brand new Focus Cayo - sitting in the living room for the last week - first time road bike so excited and terrrified ) I have joined the local tri-club and gone along to a couple of their swim sessions.

No problem with the actual distance, but new to drills and finding the fact that everything is FC based an enjoyable challenge. BUT both times I've got wicked cramp in my calves at the end of the session. Is this just that I'm not used to doing 1200m front crawl at a time, or is there a fundamental problem with my leg kick? So far have had feedback about things to tweak on my arm pull, but nothing mentioned about my legs.

Any suggestions before the next (painful) session gratefully received.

Comments

  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Cramp during or while swimming front crawl is mostly caused by stiffness in the ankle!
    Due to the unsual action of the ankle while swimming most people get cramp from surrounding muscles. Most people who swim alot from an early age dont suffer with this due to supple ankles!
    The cure is to get your ankles supple!!!!!!

    How do you do this? Well the answer is quite simple really. The best and easiest way to get and maintain supple ankles is to spell out the alphabet in upper and lower case in mid air with your toes, this action uses all the parts of the foot and ankle you will need to free up for swimming the front crawl.

    I hope this helps.
  • Thanks Blinky,
    That may well be it - I did sprain both ankles quite nastily about 3 yrs ago. The first one was a legitimate injury running in the woods. I did see the branch across the track 50m or more before I got there - but you know how they have this nasty habit of jumping up at your trailing leg and taking you out The second sprain was just as I'd recovered, when I went over on the other ankle walking TOthe pub . Took ages to recover - needed a spell in an immobilisation brace and the threat of a plaster cast!
    Have tried your exercise - amazed at how different the tracks are with the 2 feet.

    Still at least I've managed my first bike ride without falling off and doing any more damage.
    Presumable the ratio of cries of "Oh ****, this is really twitchy" to " Wow, this is so responsive" won't take too long to reverse!!!!!! :roll:
    Gill
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Gill

    Sounds like your ankles are just unlucky1

    Do that exercise every day and the they will get much more supple.

    Good luck.
  • Gillywigg,

    You have a very similar problem to me, i have had a grade 2 strain of one ankle and a grade 1 & 2 strain of my other ankle, due to me not rehabilitating properly I never retained effective strength and mobility of my ankles. When I started swimming I often got cramp in the bottom of my foot and this was because of this lack of strength and mobility in my ankles, and every time i pushed off the wall or tried to keep my feet streamilned I overused my plantar fascitis rather than the muscles around the ankle, hence the cramp.

    I havent done anything specific to work on my ankles the only thing I have done is work on kick drills focusing on keep my ankles plantarflexed and streamlined this has got rid of any cramp issues. I think working on kick drills and working on mobility and strength drills for the ankles will quickly results in your cramp going away.
  • jacjac Posts: 452
    Stretch, eat bananas, keep well-hydrated and use electrolyte replacement drinks.
  • AtomicAtomic Posts: 126
    rush1884 wrote:
    Gillywigg,

    When I started swimming I often got cramp in the bottom of my foot and this was because of this lack of strength and mobility in my ankles, and every time i pushed off the wall or tried to keep my feet streamilned I overused my plantar fascitis rather than the muscles around the ankle, hence the cramp..
    I've recently had the same problem after about 30-45 mins swimming. I've now started going to squad swim sessions with more emphasis on drills (including a lot of leg work) and the problem seems to have stopped for the time being.
  • I've recently had the same problem after about 30-45 mins swimming. I've now started going to squad swim sessions with more emphasis on drills (including a lot of leg work) and the problem seems to have stopped for the time being.
    I think this is key with the swim drills. If you are simply knocking out the lengths in the pool your will be able to curl in your toes (overusing the plantar fascia) or lock the gastrocnemius (part of the calf) when swimming this is going to cause the cramp but also create an inefficient kick.

    Woth the kick drills you are often nullyfying the use of the arms and overemphasing the kick and if you are not utilising the soleus to plantarflex the ankle properly you will get no where during the drills and quickly cramp up.

    Utilsing swim drills will quickly create muscle memory in the soleus part of the claves to act during regular freestyle swimming, and will act towards reducing an overemphasis on the gastroc or the plantar fascitis
  • AtomicAtomic Posts: 126
    Gee whizz


    And I thought I just had a sore foot
  • thebouythebouy Posts: 61
    Jumping on the bandwagon a bit. I've also recently started drill based swim sessions and suffer the same thing. Thanks for the stretching advice (and I will try it), but what I really want to know is....can I buy any carbon that will help alleviate the problem. Or how about a Soreen compress to take down the pain?
  • Just done the exercises again whilst munching on a couple of slices of buttered soreen. Followed that by chopping up the big cardboard box from Wiggle that the newly acquired carbon came in. I guess I've joined the darkside.....
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Never apply soreen externally, it is for internal use only, that is the only way the restorative powers can be released.
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