running question

kmbrooks15

I did the first day of week 2 of C25K tonight. I'm doing fine as far as endurance (my breathing was better this week than last week), but I have one problem. The muscle on the lower front of my leg tightens up something awful. The left leg is worse than the right. I'm taking short strides, but it is really painful. They are still hurting right now, in fact...really sore. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, any suggestions on easing this, or do I just have to grit my teeth and get through it until those muscles strengthen?

RBXChas

Great job getting on the C25K bandwagon - it's such an awesome program

Anyhow, it sounds like it might be shin splints, which can absolutely occur in one leg only, especially if your left foot is flatter than your right (though other factors do come into play). They can occur from repetitive impact (e.g., running) either over a long period of time or if you are new to this type of exercise after long-term inactivity. I'm not a doctor or other medical professional, but typically ice, OTC pain meds, and rest are the best remedies until you feel ok enough to get moving again. Obviously if you go back to runnning and it gets worse, you need to stop. Maybe then you can start walking regularly and allowing yourself to heal before getting back into C25K - whatever you need to do to keep the momentum going without aggravating your injury.

Otherwise, the best thing you can do is get proper running shoes. I completed C25K in old, worn-out shoes with shin and lower back pain until I finally got the good sense to invest in some "real" running shoes (the rule of thumb I'd heard from someone I know who runs marathons and such was that I should never spend less than $75 on them). I figured for running, the only piece of equipment you need is a pair of shoes, so to me it was worth the investment in higher-end shoes. Even if you can't swing expensive shoes, it's better to have a newer pair of sneakers than a worn-out pair. For me it has made all the difference in the world, and I regularly run 30-45 minutes without any shin or lower back pain.

Anyway, I hope this helps and that you feel better soon! I know it's frustrating to be sidelined this early on, but the last thing you want to do is aggravate the injury so that you're either sidelined for a LOT longer and/or saddled with medical bills.

Congratulations on your loss so far, and best wishes to you in your running!

kmbrooks15

I already got fitted for shoes (did that before I even started C25K), so I don't think that's the problem. The shoes I got are good (I'm a bad supinator and my big toes curve up at the end, so I have to have lots of toe room) and fit really well. I looked up shin splints online, and the pain I'm having seems to be lower than where shin splints occur. The pain starts about the middle of my leg (halfway between knee and ankle) and extends down. It almost seems like sore muscles, but I'm just not sure. They are still sore this morning. I took Aleve last night, which calmed it some.

I'm tempted to go by the running store and see if they have any ideas or suggestions. They could actually take a look at where the pain is. If it doesn't ease off, I may have to go see my doctor. I'll see how it goes the next few days.

RBXChas

I already got fitted for shoes (did that before I even started C25K), so I don't think that's the problem. The shoes I got are good (I'm a bad supinator and my big toes curve up at the end, so I have to have lots of toe room) and fit really well. I looked up shin splints online, and the pain I'm having seems to be lower than where shin splints occur. The pain starts about the middle of my leg (halfway between knee and ankle) and extends down. It almost seems like sore muscles, but I'm just not sure. They are still sore this morning. I took Aleve last night, which calmed it some.

I'm tempted to go by the running store and see if they have any ideas or suggestions. They could actually take a look at where the pain is. If it doesn't ease off, I may have to go see my doctor. I'll see how it goes the next few days.

Good for you on getting fitted for proper running shoes right of the bat!!! I think that's a good idea, to go to the running store, at least to start. They may have an orthotic that would help. The lady who fitted me happened to be a chiropractor, so she was able to give me some helpful advice about my form in general, too, but that was just dumb luck that she was there. Anyway, go easy on yourself, and I hope you recover soon!

rmdaly

If you are running on roads or sidewalks, try finding softer trails and see if that helps.

Otherwise, back off a bit and do some run/walking until this gets better then ramp up the running again.

Roadie2000

I already got fitted for shoes (did that before I even started C25K), so I don't think that's the problem. The shoes I got are good (I'm a bad supinator and my big toes curve up at the end, so I have to have lots of toe room) and fit really well. I looked up shin splints online, and the pain I'm having seems to be lower than where shin splints occur. The pain starts about the middle of my leg (halfway between knee and ankle) and extends down. It almost seems like sore muscles, but I'm just not sure. They are still sore this morning. I took Aleve last night, which calmed it some.

I'm tempted to go by the running store and see if they have any ideas or suggestions. They could actually take a look at where the pain is. If it doesn't ease off, I may have to go see my doctor. I'll see how it goes the next few days.

What is your form like? You mentioned you're a supinator, are you a heel striker?

First off, let me just say I am certainly no expert, but I've had shin problems in the past too and I've done a fair amount of research on the subject and have a new theory.

Modern running shoes are designed with really thick heels and almost promote an excessive heel strike. When you strike your heel first, it puts even more force on the front of your foot and your shins.

My theory is all about form. Pretend like you are running barefoot or barefoot over hot coals. I needed to buy a pair of minimalist shoes to teach myself how to not be a heel striker. They forced me to take smaller steps, and to be lighter on my feet. In theory, they also strengthen they muscles in your feet which should lead to less injuries.

I try to run a few miles a week in them, but most of my running I still do in my normal running shoes. I haven't had one single pain in my shins since I've been doing this. But I don't know what your form looks like, or anything about you, I just felt like I should share what worked for me.

kmbrooks15

Not sure if I'm a heel striker or not. Since I'm just starting out, it's been mostly about just getting one foot in front of the other and trying to inhale enough oxygen to keep going! LOL

This may be something I can have them observe at the running store. Interesting that you talk about the foot strike...not really something I'd thought about.

Right now, I'm only running a minute and a half at a time and walking two minutes. The walking seems to be fine; it's just the running that brings the pain. It could also just be those muscles working differently and they're protesting, but I want to be careful not to cause a serious injury.

I'll definitely pay attention to how my foot strikes; that could have a lot to do with it.