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Hi - I"m Jen from Perth Australia. I"m on W4... I used to run 10 years ago but it all stopped when I gained 2 kids and 30 kgs... I've still got the kids but I've lost 22 kg and I feel fit enough to run again. I'd forgotten how great it makes you feel! I'm hoping the running will help me lose another10 kg. I look forward to every run and all going well except that I sometimes get sudden, intense calf cramps from time to time and I have to stop. I've gone to the physio and there are massive knots in there. But two days later - the knots are gone and I"m fine, until the next time. I'm also getting sharp abdominal cramps in pilates class when I do crunches. Someone suggested that it might be magnesium deficiency. I do lots of stretches and I'm really flexible so I don't think that is the problem. I'm going to try magnesium supplements to see if it helps, but just wondered if anyone has had any successs with this?

I've not had anything like that. It'll be great if a simple supplement can help you out! If you can report back with your progress, I'd love to hear how it goes, and I expect others would be very interested too.

If you do get a cramp, you might find that as well as good stretches after the run, giving your leg a massage will help (you can get gadgets that will help you with this – they're a kind of roller that you run the calf muscle over).

Really hope the magnesium helps!

Best regards,
Benjohn