Why don't my thighs hurt?
I have been running for almost 2 years now, after pretty much never running before in my life. I have had the usual injuries (shin splints, sprained ankle, etc.), but nothing serious. I've always thought I was doing everything right, until I saw this video about the day after the marathon:
Some sites suggest this could be because I have weak thighs, and the rest of my legs are picking up the slack. But I can comfortably leg press about 3 times my body weight, so I don't think that's the problem.
Is this something to be concerned about? Or is it just marathon specific: I mean, I've never run more than a 10K.
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With running, generally you get muscle pain from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). The currently accepted theory is that this comes from stressing the muscle beyond what is is currently capable of. The DOMS is a symptom of the remodelling processing which yields a stronger muscle for that work.
In your case it appears you've experienced DOMS in other leg muscles. This suggests that your quads and hamstrings are adequate for the current load you demand from them.
This would be a good thing!
If you really wanted to stress your thigh muscles then I would recommend hill running. Both running up a hill and running down it will stress those muscles. If you're in marathon shape or similar then two hours would work (modify to suit your current level of training).
Are you forefoot striking? Forefoot striking places more load on your calves than a heel strike would, and could explain the soreness in your calves. And forefoot striking is a good thing as it tends to prevent more serious injuries.
In addition to this, one might think that eventually your calf muscles would catch up. But this depends on the distance you're running and of course nutrition. It'd be easier to build muscle in the areas that are lagging behind with shorter/faster running sessions. This is apparent when you look at long distance runners vs sprinters. The sport shapes the athlete, so to speak.
I remember when I first started sprinting a few times a week. I was amazed at how every single muscle in my legs were sore the day after. And all I did was sprint about 100 meters three times with a little rest in between. Running hills as Sarge suggested would be another high intensity workout which would be great for the thighs.
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