Quad Cramping

by Sharon
(NY, NY)

I am a treadmill runner. Every time I start a run, my right quad starts to cramp up enough for me to usually end my runs early as my leg feels like lead. This happens every time I start a run without fail. My left leg feels completely fine. I have running shoes fitted for my feet and they are relatively new with about 150 miles of use so far. I also stretch for a few minutes before my runs and try to hydrate properly.

I am wondering if type of cramping is normal and if I am just supposed to push through all my runs. I usually do my runs first thing in the morning. I noticed that if I cross-train on an elliptical before my runs that I do not experience this quad cramping. But I would really like to just immediately get into my run without having to expend 30 minutes on an elliptical.

Once you get a cramp or pull a muscle in your leg, it tends to cramp up more often than normal. My calf muscle this fall tightened up on me this fall, and I couldn't run effectively for over three weeks. You can read more about leg cramps running here.

My suggestion to you is to actually run about five minutes nice and easy on your treadmill, then get off the treadmill and stretch. Stretching cold muscles really doesn't do much. You have to warm them up with a light jog first. See if this helps.

Another option is to run later in the day. You'll be looser from walking around during the day which might make a difference with your quad.

Happy Trails - Coach Tief