Shin splints

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Edie30
Edie30 Posts: 216
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi... I can feel a little bit of pain in my right shin! Pffftttt !
I've finished the couch to 5 k and have had no problems at all and am now doing 8 k training with some intervals. I don't feel like I have shin splints yet and it's a very light pain but I don't wanna get them!
Anyone got any good resources for stretching after running I can look at? I think I probaly don't stretch enough after a run. I used to get shin splints when I was much heavier and tried to. Run but was delighted as this time much lighter I have had no problems at all so want to avoid it if possible. Thank you :-)
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  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Anyone? :-)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    It's usually not stretching that's needed, it's a change of running form.

    If you are a heel striker, and you flex your foot up before landing so you don't catch your toes, you are engaging that muscle on the shin, the tibialis anterior.

    So while engaging this muscle, your heel is slamming in to the ground forcing your foot flat lengthening this muscle, you have just created a huge eccentric force, and that is a hard workout for muscles, foot landing after landing.

    In this case, too much, not helping to get stronger, but possibly slight pulling loose of the bone. Your form may be different between sides too, hence only on one side now.

    You should indeed do warm-up walk to get muscles ready to go, after that may do a very slight stretch, but not much, before running.
    After a cool-down walk is indeed when you want to do better stretches.
    Best order so you are not shortening unstretched muscles first, which can lead to cramps.
    Calves - gastrocnemius and soleus both.
    Hamstrings
    Glutes
    Quads
    IT band
    Inner thigh

    Pick a muscle here, last section of each muscle is stretch options.
    http://www.exrx.net/Lists/WtFemale.html
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Thank you so much. I shall have a look. I think I am a heel striker! I shall investigate running forms. I've also noticed I tend to get more problems on the right of my body too. Thanks again :-)
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    In the meantime... What do people think of compression calf sleeves?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I have bad feet blood flow, actually achilles too, so no go for me. I actually need ankle warmers, but don't want to look like Jane Fonda and others with '80's aerobic classes.
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    But the Jane Fonda look is super cute!!!! :-)
  • alecno
    alecno Posts: 27 Member
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    Reassess how you land on your feet while you run. Consider how you run barefoot - you land on the ball on your feet, which is the natural and safe way to go about running long distances. When you add shoes, we tend to try to land on our heel, leading to shin splits. Try running barefoot for a bit to feel the difference, then try to force yourself to do it with shoes. After a few runs, it will feel normal to run properly, on the ball of your foot. Check out some youtube videos on proper running form.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    How are your shoes? Rather I get shin splints or not really is entirely dependent upon the type of shoes I have and how worn they are. It can also make a difference if you've started running on different surfaces. Just something to think about.
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Thanks you two THATS great advice. Yes I'm a heel striker!!! So I'm going to check out those videos. And yes I am going to get fitted for shoes... I do have a nice expensive pair but they weren't fitted with gait analysis so I am defiantly going to do that because I have become a runner!!!! Omg how did that happen! I am such a dag... I subscribed to a running magazine this week... I have a few friends who are runners and have been super encouraging and think it's all too funny as I was like ' me? Runner? No way! ' lol
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Oh also xsmile I run on a treadmill at the moment but I'm going to try and start doing some park runs 5 k as they run some in my area on a Sunday. I'm wondering how different it's going to be running outdoors. I've also found a shoe shop nearby that does gait analysis so I'm going to go and splash my dollars!!
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Also... While I'm asking... Is it ok to run with shin splints? Like I say I only have a slight pain in my right shin at the moment. I did weights today and didn't run because I ran yesterday and will be at work tommorrow so will run the day after in the morning. I work shifts so tend to get to the gym on my days off which means I often run a few days in a row. I wondered if that was the problem too. Like not enough rest days...
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    You tube is so great right!! So I found this little running drill to help me with learning to land on my mid foot rather than heel strike! Thanks guys for all your help... I learn something every day on this forum
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I run if they aren't too bad but take it as a sign to scale back a bit to not make them worse. Also can help to ice the area after stretching post run. I've been told to make sure not to increase distance more than 10% a week to help ensure your body can heal properly/reduce risk of injury.
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Yes I'm not increasing to much at the moment but I did speed up and I think that might be the culprit!
  • trivard676
    trivard676 Posts: 90 Member
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    You probably shouldn't run with shin splints. A minor pain now may turn into a major pain tomorrow. I was suggested a compression sleeve for my leg due to a nasty shin splint in a rather unusual place on the leg. I've always had to rest it though.
  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Ah thanks trivard, I shall rest it for a couple of days and see. I certainly don't want to make it worse for sure :-)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Ya, it's usually tears that's causing the pain. Let them recover, or they just get worse until something really bad happens, then you'll have a long forced rest. At the best it's just sore muscles with micro tears from all the eccentric use, at worst it's pulling loose from the bone.

    Either way, recovery is the only way to repair to allow it to get stronger. Sadly in a diet recovery takes longer. And the latter really longer.

    Ditto's to imitate barefoot run in shoes. Too many stores I've seen look at how you walk, say your are a _________ (pronator perhaps), and then get shoes. No comment on improvements to the form to allow these other better shoes perhaps.
    But landing on the balls of the feet isn't really complete description either.
    Usually called mid-food landing. Balls of feet may hit fraction of second first, but it's followed by the heal coming down with the calves and quads absorbing the impact, instead of the bones from a heel landing.
    If done right, it actually should feel like landing flat footed.

    I thought this had a bunch of video examples to see what mid-foot landing means, and applied to 2 different techniques.
    http://youtu.be/tJWPwVF30yo
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    heybales wrote: »
    Ditto's to imitate barefoot run in shoes.
    Five Fingers took care of my shin splints.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    Ditto's to imitate barefoot run in shoes.
    Five Fingers took care of my shin splints.

    Those gave me blisters at 6 miles, but Merrill's Trail Gloves felt the same except for not having each toe being in own shell, and no blisters. They made the plantar strong enough after recovering from plantar fasciitis never a problem again.
    Except for overdoing it and getting plantar sprain in other foot.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    heybales wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    Ditto's to imitate barefoot run in shoes.
    Five Fingers took care of my shin splints.

    Those gave me blisters at 6 miles, but Merrill's Trail Gloves felt the same except for not having each toe being in own shell, and no blisters. They made the plantar strong enough after recovering from plantar fasciitis never a problem again.
    Except for overdoing it and getting plantar sprain in other foot.

    lol, ouch. The 5 fingers are good for a 5k run, longer then that I'll go with a no drop brooks, but yeah... those things are bananas for strengthening and correcting stride. Good tool.

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