Running - shin pain

awesomewastaken wrote: »

I know the usual advice for shin pain is to go slower, but my running speed is already well below my walking speed, which is pretty pathetic! And it also seems like when I run faster, the pain disappears sooner - the only trouble is I can't run fast (my fast, not normal people fast, so still slow) for more than a minute or two. My stamina is awful.
Could compression socks or thighs help? I try to warm up properly, mostly run in forests or gravel roads and my shoes are good. But the pain won't go away. It feels like my muscles are really-really tight and start pulling as soon as I try to run a few paces.

Any advice?

Chances are, your running *form* is different when you go faster vs slower. Obviously I can't say without watching you in person, but some things to check for:
--Don't overstride (reach too far in front of you with one leg)
--Don't come down too hard/heavy. Think floating or gliding
--Take shorter quicker strides. (I'm guessing that running slower, you are taking the same length stride and just making them slower. This puts you in contact with the ground harder and longer, which is harder on your legs.)

Also, just a thought, your shoes might be very "good"--most running shoes are--but NOT right for you. (Yes, even if a running store employee says they are.) And once a problem like shin splints shows up, the best way to get it to go away is: strengthen the offending weak muscles (here, your calves) and REST.

awesomewastaken wrote: »

I know the usual advice for shin pain is to go slower, but my running speed is already well below my walking speed, which is pretty pathetic! And it also seems like when I run faster, the pain disappears sooner - the only trouble is I can't run fast (my fast, not normal people fast, so still slow) for more than a minute or two. My stamina is awful.
Could compression socks or thighs help? I try to warm up properly, mostly run in forests or gravel roads and my shoes are good. But the pain won't go away. It feels like my muscles are really-really tight and start pulling as soon as I try to run a few paces.

Any advice?

Ice your shins for 15 minutes after you run. That helps a good deal. Stick with the dirt or gravel roads. That helps. You might try getting a different pair of shoes. Of course rest and recovery are always good options. Stick with it. It gets easier.

awesomewastaken wrote: »

I walk and run on the outsides of my foot so I think I'm a supinator and I've only been buying neutral shoes. I'm currently running in Mizunos (have had several different models), because they are the only shoes I've ever had where my foot doesn't "eat away" the inside lining of the heel.

I'm a dedicated overpronator trying out her first pair of Mizunos (neutral--Sayonara). I'm *really* impressed with the inside arch support--my ankles and feet don't want to roll inward at all. So I'm not surprised they're working for you in that respect.

As far as cushioning goes--this seems to depend very much on the person. *I* have had very good luck clearing up shin splints by switching to more heavily cushioned shoes. My magic weapon is a week or so in the Asics GT-2000. Super squishy. Other people are going to chime in here and tell you to wear *less* cushioned shoes. So you might want to give different models a try and see if one of them works better than another.

I *think* the neutral Mizunos would be ranked Enigma-Creation-Rider-Sayonara-Hitogami from most to least cushioning, if you're interested in testing whether changing that up helps you at all.

Also, Mizuno shoes are known for having a stiffer feel than other brands, so even testing out another brand might be something to consider. Even if they don't last as long.