Running Question

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kaylz0106
kaylz0106 Posts: 117 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
i used to be able to run 5k a day without even blinking an eye but now I am struggling and not with getting out of breath as I would think, it's pains in my legs and not even in the same place on each leg totally different places. On my left leg my shin kills and I mean it feels like it could snap and on my right leg its the right side of my calf....any suggestions? At the moment I can run for around 3 mins befire they really really start to hurt and I have noticed that even when I am walking these areas still hurt?
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Replies

  • takehimaway
    takehimaway Posts: 499 Member
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    -Same issues-
  • Nikstergirl
    Nikstergirl Posts: 1,549 Member
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    Check your shoes. Are they fit properly? Are they new (less than 300 miles on them)? That's the first place I would start. If the shoes aren't the problem, make sure you warm up well before you run, try the C25K program if you need to work back into it, and make sure you stretch really well afterward. One stretch that I had to do when I started was actually taking my toes and "writing" the alphabet on the floor or just in the air. The stretching used in that move really helped me strengthen my calves and ankles.

    Good luck! And above all, if it still persists, see a doctor.
  • saligator
    saligator Posts: 96 Member
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    i'm no doctor but sounds like it could be shin splints or an oeveruse injury, you should really get it checked out and maybe switch to something lower impact like swimming? maybe even try running only every second day and on grass?
  • littleali
    littleali Posts: 179 Member
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    I say go to your doctor, you have nothing to lose by doing it.
    But the pain in your left leg sounds like shin splints. Have you been trying to increase your mileage too quickly/been running too fast?
  • kkramey1970
    kkramey1970 Posts: 82 Member
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    I'm no expert by any means and have even had the same issues. Probably shin splints. I fixed myself by getting better/right shoes.
  • shannonperry13
    shannonperry13 Posts: 99
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    my bf is having issues with his legs too, and its not overuse trust me. he says his legs cramp up. i can't do cardio with him because he has to go too slow or stop and stretch too often.
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    Have you recently returned to running after a lay off, or have you recently upped your frequency or duration of runs? The shin pain sounds like classic "shin splints". For this, the normal course of attack would be to ensure that you were increasing runs gently and consider the condition and suitability of your running shoes.

    The calf pain is probably more difficult to put your finger on but do you feel that (because of the shin problem) your running style is uneven and that could be putting more strain on the calf of the other leg?
  • shannonperry13
    shannonperry13 Posts: 99
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    when i say its not over use, i mean him, not you! :)
  • yarn_nerd
    yarn_nerd Posts: 26
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    I started running a year and a half ago (I was almost my heaviest weight). I started running by using the Couch to 5K program by Coolrunning.com (it's free:). It's a gradual program that takes you from the couch to a 5k in 9 weeks using interval training. I was an assistant coach for this same program a year later and I'm running my 1st 1/2 marathon this weekend.

    It's nature for your body to have pains when starting to exercise again especially if you are carrying extra weight. Be sure to ease into your routine, make sure you have good snearkers (I'd suggest visiting a running specialty store and being properly fitted, it makes a WORLD of difference), and be sure to warm up and stretch aferwards.

    If you continue to have shin pain you can google stretches and exercises to address that. From my understanding it's often associated with tight calf muscles.

    Hope this helps and have fun running!!!
  • tanya_613
    tanya_613 Posts: 15 Member
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    Having ran with a rupturing Achilles (until it finally ruptured totally) I would definitely not ignore the pain. One sounds like shin splints and you may just need new shoes and to exercise that muscle that runs along the shin by doing toe taps (just like you tap to music) but AGAIN, see your doctor... I don't have an M.D. behind my name (that's what my doctor told me when I told him I thought my Achilles pain was nothing)

    Slow down, you have to build back up to it, check your shoes and make sure you are warming up and stretching those muscles first... AND visit your doctor...
  • rbarker
    rbarker Posts: 3 Member
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    I used to have the same kind of problems. The first thing i would suggest is to drink a lot of water. The muscle is your right leg probably isn't getting enough water. For the left leg i would suggest some stretching. What i do is i face a wall and put my foot up against it and stretch it that way so you foot is kind of at a 90 degree angle. then i would switch positions with my butt against the wall and go on my tiptoes to stretch it that way. You can also do it sitting down by stretching your foot back to you and then flexing it the other way. Hope this helps!!!
  • jaxCarrie
    jaxCarrie Posts: 214 Member
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    1st thought it shoes and 2nd thought is stretch?
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    First of all DON'T PANIC! These aches and pains are perfectly normal when you start or restart running. When you're sure you want to get more into running you absolutely must get properly fitted for the right shoes at a specialist running store, but most problems can be addressed through technique.

    Many new starters deliberately land on their heel and roll through the foot even if this is not the most natural action for them. This can strain the muscles in the front of the shin as you pull your toes up, especially if you run on the treadmill at a constant gradient, and jar through the length of your leg, then strain the calf as you push off. Let your leg swing naturally forward so your foot lands underneath, not in front, or your body. You may find you land more naturally on your mid-foot.

    Next, repair the strain with rest, ice and ibuprofen and stretch. A great stretch if to kneel down on your feet and lean backwards. To strengthen the muscles, kick off your shoes under your desk and write out the alphabet with your toes.

    But the main point is as your body gets used to running, these aches and pains will gradually dissipate.

    Here are my beginner's running tips, including some ideas on shin splints. Hope they help! :flowerforyou:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/20-things-i-wish-i-d-known-about-running-when-i-started-103936
  • elishabeish
    elishabeish Posts: 175 Member
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    I'm with the check your shoes idea. My daughter tends to play with my shoes and loses them so when I have to wear a pair other than my walking/running shoes I get pains in my shins and calves too. A friend of mine just got fitted recently and found out her shoes were a size to small and with the right size now has relief!

    Good luck!!
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    In reply to the suggestions of visiting your doctor: My experience is that my doctors have been very dismissive of running injuries and problems. Their standard reply to "I have x pain when running" is "Stop running then". Unfortunately this is a common reply with a lot of UK doctors, and it's not just running; the reply is the same for most sports. I'm not beating up doctors here, but they have limited resources (especially time) and a general medicine training, This is a stark contrast to the longer consultations with and a specific background in sports injuries that a private sports consultant (a physio who specialises in running for example) can provide.

    So, if you are lucky, and you have a doctor who is sympathetic to running a visit may be fruitful. If not, it won't be. At this point I'm not recommending getting a private consultation somewhere either. There are a few things that the OP can eliminate before professional advice is required.
  • tanya_613
    tanya_613 Posts: 15 Member
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    yes, you are right about the doctors being dismissive about running... When I had to go to the doctors for that I specifically called my membership (insurance company) and made them find a doctor that was into running. I specifically told them that I was not going to listen to the Doctor tell me to stop running and luckily, the first doctor they sent me to USED to run but he referred me to a great doctor who still ran and he understood my attitude. unfortunately, it was too late for me, I had to go in the "boot" then surgery so yes, you will have to make sure your doctor knows you are a RUNNER ;-)
  • angbieb
    angbieb Posts: 692 Member
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    NEW SHOES! Get fitted at a specialty store like Fleet Feet; I had awful shin splints and after I got my shoes (like 4 months ago) I haven't had them since! They are a little pricier but well worth it to not have that pain!!!
  • LizKurz
    LizKurz Posts: 340 Member
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    Yea, I'm with the new shoes group.

    Also, if it's shin splints, the one sure fire way I know to get rid of them, as I used to get them every time I ran, which was 5 x a week, is to do calf raises, but on an elevated surface like the step of a staircase. Let your heels hang off, and go all the way down on your heels, then raise back up on our toes.

    I did this until I couldn't do it anymore, (about 5 minutes really) before bed. No more shin splints.
  • kaylz0106
    kaylz0106 Posts: 117 Member
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    koay so we will kick of with new shoes because I have had them a while and maybe they need renewing. What specialist running shoe shops are there in the UK?
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    koay so we will kick of with new shoes because I have had them a while and maybe they need renewing. What specialist running shoe shops are there in the UK?
    There are lots, depends where you are based! Try Sweatshop, Runner's Need, Run and Become or Up And Running or check the Runner's World UK website for shops near you.

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