Ouch25k

bscmcse

I spent 2 weeks on week 1 of couch25k. I then moved to week 2 day 1 and am now suffering from shin splints. I know everyone says go slow, but i was jogging at 4mph and walking at 3mpg. I felt it coming and thought I could work through it, but now it is apparent that I cannot. Maybe I'll try again when I'm not as heavy. In the mean time should I be able to use the elliptical without aggravating my shin splints? I really do not want to stop cardio.

jgnatca

How heavy are you?

Never, ever work through pain again. Recovery is a bear.

My daughter suffers from shin splints and she kept trying different pacing, stretches, foot inserts, etc. until she found her sweet spot. I think your shin splints are at least partly because of poor form. You need to be religious about your stretches before and after to prevent further injury.

http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/4-exercises-to-prevent-shin-splints

caitlinrn83

go even slower.
when i started, my neighbor was walking faster than i was "running."

RespectTheKitty

Slow and steady wins the (c25k) race. Also, how are your shoes? Good running shoes can make all the difference. Go to a running store and have them analyze you, then they can recommend a shoe that's right for you.

Also, there's no shame in repeating weeks as much as you want. If you have to keep doing week 1 a few more times, do it!

Edit: You can do other forms of cardio (walking, elliptical, etc.) while you're recovering from shin splints. I did, and it worked out fine.

revolucia78

caitlinrn83 wrote: »

go even slower.
when i started, my neighbor was walking faster than i was "running."

Agreed, when I did sports I didn't do anything that required running so I've never been much of one. I'm on week 5 and I walk at 2.5/3.0 and run at 3.5.

ETA: Once you are done with the program you can focus on speed/distance goals, that's what I plan on doing.

BrianSharpe

I'm not usually one to jump of the footwear bandwagon but.......do your shoes fit really well and give you good support? How old are your running shoes? (Worst shin splints I ever had in my life were during basic training where we had atrocious running shoes.....)


It's not unusual for new runners to experience mild shin splints early on but, as previously said working through pain is not a good thing.

stealthq

Another +1 for check out the shoes and not working through shin splints.

Even if shoes aren't an issue, you might be able to get through C25K once the shin splints go away (if you want to try again) if you add more rest days between and are careful about not running through the pain for the first couple of weeks. Maybe even do each week twice. Sometimes just building up more slowly will take care of it.

revolucia78

Another thing I would look into is possibly changing your gait, not by a lot because personally I think it's important to run how your body wants to run but shifting the strike of your foot may help. I had a really hard time with swollen/tight muscles that would come on suddenly and be incapacitating, leading me to have to stop running/walking and do a different form of cardio. One day I was really determined to finish and I decided to take off my shoes and run barefoot on the treadmill and I got through the workout (I did some research and believe this was because my gait was completely different when I ran barefoot and didn't put as much stress on the particular muscle). I still experience this after a little while of running but I'm progressing. I hope that helped a little!

bscmcse

I got fitted at a running store where they measured my feet 4 ways and then did a gait analysis. I think the shoes are good. C25k is off my list for now at least until my legs are better, what I really need to know is if it is safe to move to the elliptical or if that will further aggravate my shin splints.

3dogsrunning

I'm going to take the unpopular side.
I suffered from shin splints when I started running. My doctor's advice was to rest. I'd rest. Run again. Get shin splints. Repeat.
I needed to run for a program I was in and still hadn't "learned to run" before getting there. At this point, I had no choice, I ran through them. Eventually they went away.
While I don't recommend straight out running through them because it can lead to bigger problems, I would recommend (as others have) checking out different shoes.
I'd also try running on softer ground if possible. If you are running on pavement, see if you can find a track or dirt road.
Also shin splints can be caused by doing too much too soon. Even though you can move on to week 2, maybe repeat week one, or even less. So keep running, but at a lower volume.

Of course, if the pain is extreme, stop. I've had different levels of shin splints.

mbaker566

maybe start with walking first? a comfortable walk and then a brisk walk. you could try doing the c25k program with the walking. and then in a month or two, start over with running.

foxlme

How active were you before? The couch to 5K program is great, but going from very little exercise to suddenly working out 3-4 days a week will make the body go WHOA!!! If you have never jogged before, I would hold off on the jogging and just walk, but rest off the leg until the pain goes away.

erockem

It took almost 2 years for all my shin splints to go away. In the same amount of time I dropped 25lbs doing elliptical and learning to run with proper form, I believe it was both the weight and good form that caused the shin splints to disappear.

1234usmc

I have sffered with shin splints off and on for 30 years. What finally has helped is brooks ghost running shoes and good calf stretches before and after runs. Seemed weird at first that a good toe up on the wall, heal on the ground tow stretch would help my shins but it really has.

laur357

In between my first attempt at a Couch25K (I stopped after two weeks) and my second, I lost about 30 pounds (I'm still quite heavy). But I also added a lot of lower body strength training/body weight exercises between tries, and I think that helped a great deal. Think squats, bridges, lunges - strengthen and stabilize.
My legs aren't getting nearly as tired this time around. And no shin splints! Or knee/foot pain! (I'm on Week 5). Maybe adding some low-impact leg/glute/hip strengthening exercises while you're recovering will help you as well?

bscmcse

All good info. Thanks. I went from 45min intervals on the elliptical 4x per week to c25k. I understand that I over did it in some manner with the c25k, but honestly I started just to switch up my cardio. I now want to just go back to the elliptical so I can continue to burn and lose weight (down 35lbs so far and motivated). I am not looking to dissect what went wrong with the c25k, just really want some educated opinions from you fitness gurus if going back to the elliptical will aggravate the shin splints. After some light stretching and Advil last night, I already have some relief today.

Wicked_Seraph

bscmcse wrote: »

I got fitted at a running store where they measured my feet 4 ways and then did a gait analysis. I think the shoes are good. C25k is off my list for now at least until my legs are better, what I really need to know is if it is safe to move to the elliptical or if that will further aggravate my shin splints.

YMMV, but whenever I had a running-related ouchie (sore hip, painful shins, weird ankles), I always used the elliptical. I found that my shins hurting often happened when I tried to run with a stride that was unnaturally long for me. For the future, try running slower and with smaller steps and see if that helps. As for using the elliptical... it never aggravated my injuries, but I also made sure I had rest days. I'm not a fitness trainer, but I might recommend the elliptical if, and only if, using it isn't painful.

stealthq

bscmcse wrote: »

All good info. Thanks. I went from 45min intervals on the elliptical 4x per week to c25k. I understand that I over did it in some manner with the c25k, but honestly I started just to switch up my cardio. I now want to just go back to the elliptical so I can continue to burn and lose weight (down 35lbs so far and motivated). I am not looking to dissect what went wrong with the c25k, just really want some educated opinions from you fitness gurus if going back to the elliptical will aggravate the shin splints. After some light stretching and Advil last night, I already have some relief today.

IMEO, it's impossible to tell because we don't know what caused the shin splints in the first place. If I were you, and felt I needed to use the elliptical and the shin splints were pretty minor, I'd try the elliptical fully prepared to get off the moment I felt it aggravated the shin splints at all.

If it were me, I'd just use my gym's rowing machines or seated bike.

lorrpb

The elliptical probably will not aggravate your shin splints because there is no impact. Just try it and see. Also see if only walking is OK for you. I used to get shin splints 2 yrs ago, but with strength training, stretching, and weight loss, I no longer get them and now run 30-40 min 2-3 x per week.

nordlead2005

There is research out there that correlates calf strength with reduction in shin splints. Personally I can tell you that I went a whole year where any running (playing Ultimate) lead to shin splints. That following January I started SL5x5 and after 4 months of strength training in the winter/spring I no longer had shin splints without losing any weight at all (in fact, I gained 10lb more and weighed 220lb). I also did no cardio training at all during the Ultimate off season, so it wasn't taking the running slowly that solved the problem either.

I can't guarantee that resistance training will solve your problem, but doing full body resistance training is good for you regardless.

As for the elliptical, use it if you want. If your shins start to hurt then stop. Taking a week off of cardio has no baring on weight loss (all you have to do is eat less to accommodate for the lower energy expenditure), and will meaningless in the long run in terms of cardiovascular health and running ability.

bscmcse

Just as an update if anyone is interested, I took a day off and felt 50% better more sore than pain. Yesterday evening, I set the elliptical for a 45min program of intervals and stopped at 35min when I started to feel some pain. It was just below and to the inside of my knee. Very sore in one spot. I stretched and went home. I iced the spot below my knee and knee twice over the evening and took some advil. It is still sore, but somewhat better today. I am lifting tonight and will rest tomorrow. Hopefully after 2 days rest, I will be good to go on the elliptical. If I'm still aggravating it, I will move to the stationary bike for a week and see where I stand.

jgnatca

Thanks for checking back. You are paying attention, which is huge when it comes to prevention.

mbaker566

glad you are figuring it all out

kaaaayla

I used to get them too. My problem came from the wrong shoes and running on pavement. I've found that I do not get them on a treadmill. I think the impact is slightly less.

kpkitten

I can't run at the moment because I've put on weight since I did C25k before and now I get shin splints from running (or walking on a steep incline, at a fast pace etc.) I am avoiding all high impact cardio, so I use the bike and cross-trainer a LOT. My trainer won't let me run until I've lost another stone (I've currently got 7 to lose before I'm even at the lower end of overweight, to put that into context) and I personally think it will take another stone after that, at least.
You run the risk of doing some serious damage, or at the very least, making walking painful and difficult for a coupel of days, and IMO, it's not worth it. I love running, and I really want to be able to do it again, but it's just so miserable hobbling home after less than half a mile because I tried too soon. Going slowly didn't work for me - as I said, I get shin splints just doing a fast walk, so trying any other gait didn't help at all.

trjjoy

I second the strength training advice. And yes, try to lose more weight first.

niblue

I had shin splints when I started C25K as well but after the first few weeks they stopped and haven't come back (fingers crossed!).

mumblemagic

1. Go to the doctor and see what they say.
2. My fiancé was told to rest up and ease back in with new running shoes. If it costs to go to the doc (UK here so nhs) then try that and see
3. In the mean time try non-weight-bearing cardiovascular such as swimming or cycling
4. Do not push through pain!
5. There is no evidence that stretching before exercise prevents injury. Indeed, some studies have shown that stretching cold muscles can give you microtears and reduce performance, so be careful. Check out nhs fitness studio for some good videos.