Shin splints, shoe inserts and progress

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katrinas626
katrinas626 Posts: 46
in Fitness and Exercise
So I finished c25k two weeks ago and it seems that since I started running longer distances shin splits have started. I bought new shoes at the beginning of my journey and they were great until a few weeks ago. I went to a running store and was evaluated and they suggested that I try some inserts for now before buying another new pair of shoes. How long before I will notice a difference in my discomfort? I wore them a bit yesterday just walking and went for a 1 mile run this morning but stopped due to pain.

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  • stines72
    stines72 Posts: 853 Member
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    i had to stop running due to shin splints.. aghhh i feel your pain.. never did find anything that made them any better aside from low impact cardio instead, but good luck to you
  • katrinas626
    katrinas626 Posts: 46
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  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
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    Check the bottom of your current shoes if you have been running with them for a while. How are they worn out, especially around the heel part?

    I had shin splints problems when I started C25K, but a few hours of Google basically fixed that, and I had no problems ever since. The 2 things I found that were the most relevant to me were :

    - Tight calves, fixed by stretching before after runs for a while, and focusing a lot on running forms during those runs.
    - Heel strikes. It's very important to land midfoot while you run, and NOT on your heel. You can easily assess this by checking how the bottom of your shoe is worn now. To focus on landing midfoot, try to land with your foot as much as possible below your hips, and not forward.

    As far as shoes/inserts goes, my opinion on that is just to get properly fitted for running shoes. Some stores have treadmills and competent employees that can assess your running form and recommend shoes that will fit you. Proper running shoes are really not that expensive too, so it's well worth it.

    So yeah, check those two things, stretching and proper running form. Also, might sound strange, but make sure you also check your walking form. During C25K, I was getting shin splints from walking intervals sometimes, probably because I stopped caring about form at that time, just relaxed and moved forward however I could :p

    Good luck!
  • LindsayG34
    LindsayG34 Posts: 9 Member
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    I know this thread kind of died a few days ago but I have had shin splints forever. I had to stop C25K because of them a couple years ago. I've picked up running again fairly recently and it's going much better now. Don't get me wrong, I'm no pro. In fact, I only run a total of about 6 or 8 miles a week. But here's what I've learned, nevertheless:

    - I agree with Masterdo on both the tight calves and heel strikes issues. It is definitely important to stretch and pay attention to your stride.
    - have a runners specialty store check out your feet and watch you run. They can put you in something really great based on the level of pronation you naturally do.
    - I am a suponator (sp?) which means I tend to run on the outsides of my feet, rather than the insides which is much more common. I loved my old Brooks that I got from a specialty store but I recently bought Nike Free 7.0s which have been a total game changer. They are the most cushioned shoe Nike offers that still counts as a minimalist running shoe. I've found that I really like the minimalist style because I can feel everything. I know exactly where I'm striking the ground and can immediately adjust my stride accordingly, which I couldn't do before in my more cushioned shoes. I was able to double my distance and increase my speed within the first two days because I could feel my body and my feet telling me when I was doing something that wasn't good (striking on the heel) vs. when I was in a groove with a good stride.

    The other thing that helped me was losing weight. I know that's a dumb thing to say since we are all on here to do that and you are probably running to lose weight. But the first time I tried C25K I was about 35 lbs heavier than I am now. It's amazing how much easier it is to run without that extra weight. My trainer even told me to be careful and ease into it because somebody with as much extra weight as I was carrying shouldn't be doing a ton of running (I use the phrase "ton of running" loosely) if their body isn't used to it. He is pushing me to incorporate more running now that I've lost some more weight.

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