Shin Splints

I used to get shin splints pretty bad, all I can say from my experience is that eventually they go away.

The simple quick solution will be to find another form of cardio such as cycling, swimming or rowing, even the elliptical.

But if your heart is set on walking fast / jogging / running then all you can do is get used to the pain and push on for a bit. Let your body recover and go again.

A large part of running is getting used to discomfort in my experience, blisters, chafing on the thighs, nipples rubbing against your running shirt, pain in the shins, pain in the hips, being out of breath, hitting the wall.

The list goes on. The trick is finding out which pain is merely discomfort and you can push through, and which is 'oh I should probably stop for the day'.

As you get more proficient at running and fitter, the pain decreases until one day you've run 8 miles, it felt easy and you are like "that was awesome!". But getting there can be a grind!

@LeaMarie8031 Shoes Number one issue for me. On outings greater than 10km if I get any shin discomfort the shoes are done and due for replacement. I have some shoes where you look at the tread pattern and they look brand new. My log showed only 300km on them but they had some type of internal structural failure/damage. Replaced them and everything was fine.

Have you had a shoe fitting at a specialized Running store? They will do a multipoint analysis, barefoot standing foot position, videotaped walking and running on a treadmill to get a slow motion replay of foot position on takeoff and landing. Then they have you try differant shoes and do a walk around the store, concentrate on Toe room ( not scrunched up, heel lock, ball of foot, arch position ) You will probably try on 6-12 pairs and have 2-4 favorites. Take them for a walk/run on the treadmill. The one that feels right should probably be going home with you. Write down the model/sizes of all the shoes in your favorites as it will give you a starting point when you need new shoes. Check there return policy, I had a pair of Trail Shoes where the heel cup failed. They were a year old with only 80 km on them and my store took one look at the tread wear pattern and my Strava log and replaced them. Search out a local running club on FB and ask them for store recommendations in your area.

If you think about shoes differant shoes are required for differant jobs.
A ballerina and ballroom dancer have completely differant footwear even those they are both dancers.
A rock climber has differant shoes than an Ice Climber. Downhill skiing - cross country skiing etc etc.
Running and walking are differant than weight lifting.

A +1 on the shoes. I've had shin splints off and on and every time it is solved by changing up my shoes. Either what I was wearing was not appropriate or they had just worn out. Also, I am quite the princess with the weight of my shoe and need a very light shoe to not experience shin splints.

I had terribly painful shin splints. The pain was so bad I went to the doctor. He sent me to a physical therapist who said the cause was super tight calf muscles. I worked with the physical therapist for a few weeks and now I can run again. It's expensive but worth it!

LeaMarie8031 wrote: »

I'll start trying different shoes before I go onto the more expensive routes.

I think you're chasing your tail a bit here. A good running store will either watch how you walk or have you run on a treadmill while they watch. They can then recommend a shoe based on what kind of support you need.

I had "good" shoes that were not particularly cheap, but didn't offer the support I need. I now run in the basic Asics, but they give me the stability I need and no more shin splints (I had them bad for a bit before changing shoes). Just bought a new pair for $75 CDN (on sale) so they were a fair bit cheaper than the pair that didn't work for me.

Try putting Dr.Scholl inserts in your sneakers. They have ones specifically for shin splints. That did the trick for my shin splints. They are cheap enough to give it a shot before buying new sneakers.