[Ron Burgundy]

Hi all,

I'm a relative newcomer to this running game and need some help and advice - the more specific the better!!

Right, about September last year I was training for my first half marathon - it was horrible at first but eventually I got over that hill and was loving it. By early December (if memory serves me correctly) I was up to about 8 miles in just over an hour and all was going swimmingly. I had been religiously following the BUPA guide on the Great North run website (training for the MK Half in March) which required 3 runs a week. The problem was I stupidly didn't factor in playing football twice a week and so was running, mainly on hard concrete or astroturf, 5 times a week, and kept on training through the strange knot feeling in my calf until, I suddenly felt a pain and had quite severe shin splints in my right leg.

It's now March (obviously) and I'm finally over them. I've been back to physio and he's given me the OK to start training again and for past 2 weeks, twice a week I've done 15 minutes (2 mins running, 1 min walking) and felt fine. My physio has only said to "build up slowly" and "see how you go". What I'm after is some slightly more detailed help....

The shin splints were painful and an absolute nightmare and so knowing how long they take to heal I'm going to go very easy and not bring them back!! But I am doing the Great North Run in October. So I do want to start training again (but I'm not going to injure myself training too hard).

So, this post is getting far too long, but basically I am after some guidance as to how I build on my current little exercises into a regular training pattern until eventually I can return to the BUPA guide (or anything else anyone recommends) and build up to race day.

I'll end here - but any help, if this rambling post makes sense, would be massively appreciated!

 

[Katten]

Hi Ron

Do you have good shoes, and have you had gait analysis? The wrong type of shoes, and being new to running, seem to be the main things that cause shinsplints. That and doing too much mileage.

I suggest you try to run off-road where you can, do plenty of calf stretches, and try not to increase your weekly mileage by more than about 10% each week

Hope that helps...

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Hi Ron

Do you have good shoes, and have you had gait analysis? The wrong type of shoes, and being new to running, seem to be the main things that cause shinsplints. That and doing too much mileage.

I suggest you try to run off-road where you can, do plenty of calf stretches, and try not to increase your weekly mileage by more than about 10% each week

Hope that helps...

Hi Katten,

Shoes shouldn't be a problem - went to a proper running shop and got analysed etc so they should be A OK. As for gait analysis - if thats when they check how your feet land etc then yes, did that too.

 

[Katten]

Sounds like gait analysis to me

So I suggest you just build up your mileage gradually & do stretches then!

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Excellent, thank you.

Anyone else had similar experience and can recommend specific plans etc? Or am I worrying too much?

 

[cheriton]

hi ron there is no quick fix to getting back to the higher mileages unfortunately gradual building is a tried and tested system of minimizing the risk of injury Katten is correct try to vary the surface you run on. grass is really good if you get sore shins. stretching after runs is good also it'sall about patience were all guilty of it you feel ok you push a little harder than you know you should and end up back at square one.

Injury is so frustrating !!

 

[richardsimkiss]

Try to space out your demanding workouts... I tend to run hard on tuesdays and thursdays with my club, but annoyingly I play football on a wednesday inbetween when ideally I'd like to be resting or just having a gentle jog. I soon find if I'm not careful that muscles are tightening up and could potentially turn into overuse injuries.

As you said in your first post, you (unfortunately) carried on training through calf problems which further developed into an injury which sidelined you. It's an all too common mistake that plenty of people make (I know I certainly did a similar thing!). The good news is though that your back into a good situation now, and you know what it feels like when your body starts to near the edge of its tolerances. If you start feeling twinges etc like those you've experienced in the past, lay off a little and give your poor legs a chance to recover and catch up