runners help! shin splints I think?

[emtrem]

Hello everyone,

My last post was about ill-fitting running shoes causing pain, which is now resolved, thanks for your helpful repiles.

I am just about to start week 6 of C25K, and have to admit, I have not been having rest days, and will admit to over doing it, adding on another 10 mins to runs etc, and self-prescribing some interval training to try and get fitness up. I have not been finding C25K difficult thus far, and thought I could speed things up but running on rest days. Bad, I know, but I am incredibly impatient. :violent:

The upshot is, I got lower leg pain when running on the treadmill the other night, and had to stop. Googling my symptoms leads me to believe it could be shin splints? The advice on how to treat it is conflicting though: from two different running sites:-

1st site: stop all exercise, ice, rest etc, wait for it to heal, will do more damage if you continue to run.
2nd site: On no account stop running, worst thing you can do. Reduce amount and speed, and invest in good compresion socks. Do calf strengthing exercises.

My natural impatience leads me to favour the advice to keep running / jogging with caution, but I would love some advice from those who have experienced the same, and what to do. I haven't run for two days now, can feel very slight pain on walking.

Any help/ suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[Jrahien]

First, I'll just quote what I said in your last post:

My first thought is shin splints. Medial tibial stress syndrome often comes on when running at a brand new intensity that's too much for you. (Keep in mind, this term is a catch-all for compartment syndrome, stress fractures, and muscle strains.) Yes, you should always do good stretching, and yes, IT bands tend to be the bane of a runner's existence. (Unfortunately, it's a pretty hard one to stretch.)

You'll probably want to see a clinician for a full assessment. If it turns out to be a chronic condition, then you'll likely need to correct your form, your gait, and have a look at the structure of your feet and legs themselves.

To add to that, yes, you should stop and RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) your legs when they're at their worst, but overall, you can keep running, but there's clearly something that needs to be corrected when you do it.

What are your new shoes like? Too much support at the heel results in an exaggerated heel strike. It's striking the with the heel that causes the most damage to your legs, since it doesn't allow the rest of the bones in your feet to buffer that shock. Also, hard surfaces such as pavement will increase the stress of running due to having no give, so if you can, try to stick to trails and other soft surfaces.

And yeah, remember to stretch, well, everything.

 

[51by50]

Go to a doctor to determine if it is really shin splints. Pain in the shins can be normal as you warm up, so long as it goes away as you continue running. (For me, this point is at the 1 to 2 mile point). If it really is shin splints, you will want to stop running until it heals COMPLETELY. A friend of mine ignored her shin splints and had to refrain from running for over a year!

 

[Albert Smith]

That would be better if you give a pause. But it does not mean that you have to be inactive. Just follow my advice:
• It would be better if you decrease your activity or make sure that you gradually increase your activity. For example, when running, you should never add more than about 10% volume each week.

• Run or exercise on softer surfaces. For example, if you run on concrete, which is one of the hardest surfaces you could possibly run on, switch to pavement, or better yet, the gravel or dirt on the side of the road, off-road running trails, or grass.

• Choose your footwear wisely. I know you did that. Just follow what I am saying. Rather than buying your shoes at a sporting goods store or online, go to a store that specializes in selling running shoes and have them watch you stand., walk and run, and then make shoe recommendations based on your unique body mechanics.

• Change worn-out shoes. Running shoes should be replaced every 300-500 miles, or every 3-6 months-whichever comes first. If you frequently run on hard surfaces, you will need to change your running shoes more frequently.

• Train your core. A strong core will allow you place less stress on your lower limbs with each step.

• Stretch your calves. Stretching the calves is good for both preventing and recovering from shin splints.

Now that you understand shin splints exercises, here is a shin splints workout:

• Do a 5-10 light warm-up, preferably non-weight bearing, on a bicycle or elliptical trainer. If you’re
stuck at home without these items, the warm-up is optional.

• Do a wall calf stretch for each leg for 30 seconds, and then do 30 seconds of down-dog.

• Do 25 yards of heel walks, or 30 reps of toe lifts.

• Repeat the stretches and the heel walks or toe lifts three times through.

• Finish with 20-30 foam rolls for each calf.

Hope so you would recover soon.