Sore shins

[Peter_B]

Hey all,

having just this morning finished W1 R3, I'm feeling a bit achey in my shins. There has been a little bit of an ache after the other runs this week, but I've been putting it down to the new exercise regime.

I bought some new running shoes a couple of weeks ago from Sports Direct, before I found this forum and discovered there are different types and gaits, they're a pair of Nike Downshifters. First and only pair I tried on, they felt ok so they'll do me I thought.

Having done a bit of searching on here, I'm wondering if it would be worth my while to try and find a running shop and find out if they're right for my gait or, if they're not, get some that are.

Obviously I don't really want to take time out from my new hobby and lose my momentum. I do worry that if I did I might not start again.

Or am I being a bit over anxious (having read about shin splints etc) and it is likely to just be the new-ness of running?

[GettingFitter Graduate]

Yiu could try putting ice, frozen peas etc on your shins to see if that numbs the pain. I think starting any exercise regime puts stress on your body which is why rest days are so necessary. Are you running on tarmac or concrete? If you are try to find some grass whuch might be a bit more forgiving.

good luck and well done for starting. You can always take an extra rest day if you need to.

[Peter_B Graduate in reply to GettingFitter]

Thanks, they're not really painful as such. Just a bit of an ache. The route I run is tarmac, haven't found any suitable grass areas near me yet.

Having finished W1 I've got 2 days rest until I start week 2 on Sunday.

Thought I would ask for advice now so that if need be I could try and get to a shop before my next run.

[Pauline_S in reply to Peter_B]

Hi Peter, I've just completed week one run 3 too this morning. My shins and hamstrings feel a bit tight, nothing too painful and I've started running on the grass verges not on the track in the local park, hoping this will help a little.

Have you got a park near you that you could use? I'm quite fortunate as mine's is a brisk 2.5 min walk from my front door.

Good luck with week 2, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for your progress. We're a long way from these week niners!! But I'm staying positive!!

Good luck!

[Peter_B Graduate in reply to Pauline_S]

Hi Pauline - congrats on completing week 1 as well

I live in a village and unfortunately there isn't a park of decent size that I could run in. Couple of kiddies play parks but they're not suitable.

The route I'm taking is 5 minutes walk from home (nice for the warm up/down) and is a little triangle made by 2 roads and a bridleway. There are verges on the bridleway but they are a bit overgrown and it's also used by dog walkers, so being able to see where I'm stepping is handy.

One of the roads does have a cinder pavement to one side, I have been running on the other side that is finished tarmac, so I might give it a go running on that.

Just discovered there is a running shop not far from work so I'm going to pop along in a bit and see if they can advise me.

[Tomas Graduate]

It's a difficult one to give advice on, Peter.

It could be your shoes, so it might be that proper gait analysis and fancy over-priced shoes is the answer.

Or it could be the ground on which you run, with the constant impact of hitting tarmac.

Or it could simply be the initial discomfort now that you're asking your body to do something new, in which case it might go away by itself after some weeks. On the other hand, if it's one of the other things it might get a lot worse in a couple of weeks.

Or it could be because you're running faster than your body would like you to do at this stage.

I would probably suggest giving it a bit more time. Make sure to stretch and to not run too fast. Pay a lot of attention to the shins. A bit of soreness and "gentle" ache is par for the course. Genuine pain, on the other hand, is definitely a warning sign that something is wrong.

All the best.

[Peter_B Graduate]

Thanks all.

They've been feeling better as the morning has gone on. Still an ache there, but lessened a bit. It's definitely not pain at this stage.

I don't think I've been going too fast - I'm not fit enough yet to go too mad

I'm inclined to think that it's a combination of the surface and 18 stone of me embarking on a new activity.

I'll see how things go today/tomorrow and if need be might pop into a shop (think there's a SweatShop in Milton Keynes which isn't too far) and have a word about shoes and insoles.

[Peter_B Graduate]

As a bit of an update, my shins feel pretty much fine this morning. A couple of sore spots if I poke them - so I'll just not poke them

I might still seek advice from a running shop if I'm near one, just in case my shoes aren't right and might lead to problems down the line.

Looking forward to starting week 2 on Sunday.