Running and injury

luvbwfc
luvbwfc Posts: 107 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am a 36 yr old male 5' 10 weighing approx 16 stone. I run frequently, about 4 times a week on average for 50 mins a session at about 6 miles an hour. I have recently started doing intervals (9.5k/h & 13 k/h) and have done steady stae runs at up to 10.4 k/h for 50 mins. However I now get pain when going up or down stairs, though I am fine otherwise, even when running. The pain doesn't seem to be in the joint, but rather in the shin just below the knee. Would this be shin splints? Should I go back to less strenuous running?

Replies

  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    My guess is that the intervals are the cause as they add a great deal of stress to the body. How often are you doing them? You really shouldn't be doing them more than once or twice a week depending on your running volume. Interval running shouldn't comprise more than about 5 - 10% of your total weekly training volume.

    I would recommend you back off on the intervals for a week and see if the pain goes away. If it is as simple as a pending overuse injury then a week or so should be enough time to adapt to the stress you have already put on the legs. After a week add in a light interval session and see if the pain comes back. If it doesn't then gradually increase the volume over a period of weeks to allow your body to continue to gradually adapt.

    I doubt it is shin splints because those should hurt when you run.
  • luvbwfc
    luvbwfc Posts: 107 Member
    At one point I was doing intervals virtually every session. will back off on those for a while to see if the issue resolves
  • Cwilliams8676
    Cwilliams8676 Posts: 252 Member
    I have shin splints now and it doesnt come and go Pain is there almost all the time. I also have a sprained ankle
  • NickDow
    NickDow Posts: 8
    I would agree that you need to back off for now. I learned the hard way how vital it is to listen to your body , do not to let your ego get in the way like I did , and let your body fully recover, taking a few days off from you routine to get back to 100% is much better than powering through the pain and being laid up for many months...

    I was running about the same routine as you last year but only on a treadmill. I then decided to bump up my training to running outside with all kinds of hills, as well as increasing my distance from 3 miles to 5 or more. I noticed a pain, not in my shin like you, but my lower calf. It was dull and I could "muscle" through it, so I kept up my routine another week until I woke up one morning and the pain was so bad I could hardly walk.

    Went to the doctor to learn I had stage 2 tendinitis in my achillies. Loooong story short, it took me over 6 months to rehab myself back to running condition. 1 month just to walk without limping. Then I went from running 5-10miles to 1 very slow mile. Over a year later and I'm still only up about 4 miles before I start feeling discomfort in my calf and I stop immediately.

    Cheers,

    Nick
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    I was running sprinting intervals last spring, soon after resuming running (after about 18 yrs off!) and ended up on crutches
    due to an overuse injury...Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. I suggest you ice it every time after you run, cut back on intervals and take some ibuprofin. Otherwise you may be off your feet for awhile and it just gets worse as time goes on. Not saying stop running, just slow down your training a bit. I'm back to running again this spring after many months off and most of the time
    my knee is fine, but I am definitely training more slowly.

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