I will get back to running.....one day......!

[run_forrest_run]

Hello all,

It's been a while since I last posted on here and I wanted to give people an update on my seemingly never-ending shin splint situation! It's now been over FIVE MONTHS since I did proper running on a regular basis. You might remember I bought Brooks stability running shoes from Sweatshop on NYE and ever since then, have had trouble with shin splints.

I'm now having physio and have been ordered to do lots of leg stretches as apparently my calf muscles are very tight - things have greatly improved here and I can now say that I can sit on the floor, lean forward and touch my toes which I was about 6 inches away from before!

I went back to Sweatshop the weekend before last to ask for another gait assessment and explained about the trouble I've been having. They've come up with the same conclusion - that I overpronate - but I am still unconvinced. Not sure why I didn't think to do this earlier (and why didn't the guys in Sweatshop??), but I looked at the wear pattern on my old trainers, and there is consistent wear on the outer edge of the shoes rather than the inner, which to me points to a more neutral/supination gait than overpronation. I also notice that the sides of my slippers keep falling outward which looks odd so I'm even more convinced I'm rolling my feet the opposite way to what I've been told. If I'm wearing the wrong running shoes, it's no wonder I've got shin splints!

My plan is to start week 1 again this Saturday, in my old Skechers trainers which never gave me any problems when I started the programme in October. I've not run now for 3 weeks so am hoping that's given my shin enough time to heal. Whether I get more shin pain or not, I'm determined to show both my physio and the guys at Sweatshop the wear on my trainers and am hoping I will end up - finally - with a nice cushioned pair of shoes which don't give me shin splints!

Wish me luck all - hope to finish the programme at some point this century!!

[greenlegs Graduate]

Definitely wishing you well - there's plenty of this century left to work with though!

Some would argue that it's cushioned shoes that cause the problems!

For example see Gordon Pirie's online book about running, Running Fast and Injury Free - available free online: scribd.com/doc/13695/Go...

A bit controversial, I know, but he was a world-class middle-distance runner, and after reading this and Chi Running and Born to Run, I decided to try running in flat thin-soled shoes instead of my chunky running shoes. I find the thin-soled ones more comfortable, and have so far not had any injuries - though it might also be partly because I run very slowly. (Admittedly I do have a slight twinge in one shin today, but think that is more to do with having run on three consecutive days. But maybe I'm deluding myself. )

[George42 Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

I would argue it, I will never change back from my barefoot shoes.

[vespa Graduate]

Hi, I also have been getting shin splints. I went on to YouTube and found some really good videos of exercises to do (walking on my heels, then on my toes and finally doing calf raises - two sets of 20 every day).

I also found out I was tying my trainers too tight, which didn't allow my foot to move correctly.

Touch wood I am not getting shin pain at the moment. So my advise would be to check out YouTube it's a lot cheaper than a physio.

Good luck and don't give up.