SHIN SPLINTS???

I did c25k as well and for the first three weeks I had shin splints every time. I started doing some stretches that actually HIGHLY helped them and now I rarely get a pain at all.

Heres what I did:

1. Stand by a wall and prop your toe up against it facing forward, lean into it a bit and you will feel a stretch.

2. Either standing on the floor or on the edge of a stair feet about a foot apart just push up and stand on your tip toes and then back down to your heels. Do this about 15 times.

3. Balance on one foot for 1 minute, switch feet

4. Once your balancing is better do the same one foot balance but have someone to play catch with you, basically throwing the ball back and forth while you stand on one foot at a time.

It worked for me and I am up to the 25 minute run of c25k, never been a runner in my life.

Now I am more worried about glute exercises to get my endurance and ability a bit further You can do it!


Also shin splints are not some terrible thing to be afraid of, its just muscles you havent used that don't know what you want them to do.

When you get pain in the lower front part of you legs which is the shin area (the muscle that runs next to the shin). I'm probably not explaining it right but I got them last week so I know how painful the can be. I've been doing research online and have found some great information not to mention some wonderfule advice from MFPers. There are several factors that can contribute to shin splints and for me it was poor running shoes, poor running form, not stretching enough, possibly too much too soon but I also overpronate.....so basically I'm the poster child for what NOT to do. lol

I can tell you that I have gotten great shoes, I am stretching (looking at online videos to make sure I am doing it right) and focusing on my form as I walk slowly while I recover. I took a casual stroll and just focused on my form and can't believe how sore my calf muscles are just from what little I did. Anyway, I'm rambling, feel free to send me a message or add me if you would like to know anything else but I wouldn't worry about getting them if you stretch and have good shoes.

Best of luck,

~Leslie

When I started c25k I had the same experience, the only thing I have to add is that I do not think weight has a whole lot to do with it. I had a few vanity pounds to lose at best and I had shin splints every single time for what seemed like forever. I changed out my shoes (great info on runnersworld.com) and really concentrated on my form and it is rare I have that problem now.

bump

I'm not sure it's a shin splint but my ankle really started hurting after a few days of C25K (week 2 day 2 I think). I haven't been running in years and I wasn't much of a runner in the first place, and my shoes sucked, that's probably the reason why I hurt myself. Now I can hardly walk. I pushed myself again too much too soon as I thought I was feeling better, and just made the problem worse. Does that qualify as shin splint? That's what my hubby says it is, but he isn't exactly an expert and it's more a heel/ankle thing than proper shin. Did anybody go threw this before? It kind of really sucks!

I have had shin splints from playing too much DDR and then having volleyball practice afterwards.

You will feel some sharp pain, and if you keep going too hard (in my case i couldn't get out of volleyball for shinsplints) they get worse. Don't worry too much about getting them, because you have to be really working hard before feeling the pain. If you do feel pain, slightly lower the amount or intensity just so you give your body some time to recover. You can keep working out with them, it wouldn't kill you.