Wk 3 Yay! Then shin splints...

[Ucandothis]

I was so proud last week to get through week 3 with relative ease. Then after a rest day I felt little niggles in my left shin. It is by no means bad, just very slight feeling now in both shins. Have had shin splints years ago and used to get them after long walks as I have very, very tight calf muscles.

Am gutted. But am going to have gait checked later and new shoes [ran in existing trainers so far]. Hoping this will help.

Should I go back and do wk 3 again? Exercise rather than run? Am already on 3rd rest day so feel I won't cope with wk 4 now.

BTW - am 55 and completely new to exercise. I walk a lot and have done yoga weekly for over a year but wanted to do something more aerobic to build up my stamina, hence the running.

Advice?

[HazyJay]

It does sound like getting proper shoes will help. I noticed splints threatening an appearance last week but I bought proper shoes after gait analysis and my first run in them felt much better. Of course I'm only at start of Week 2, but I do feel the difference from the shoes. I need supported shoes personally and my neutrals were totally wrong for me beyond 'social wearing'.

[boptillyoudrop49 Graduate]

I would get a massage roller and run it firmly up and down your legs before and after running. In the meantime use a rolling pin and perhaps try compression socks.

[RachelLewes Graduate]

I suffered with shin pain a bit during weeks 4 and 5 I think it was. Definitely do lots of stretching, massaging your lower legs and agree that you could try a foam roller to get rid of knots and loosen those tight calfs.

I also brought shin/calf compression sleeves at my local sports shop and they seemed to help. Persevere and it should become a thing of the past.

[dexdog Graduate]

Are you using a treadmill? I completed the programme a few months ago and never suffered with shin splints. I then went to the gym (bad weather) and within 10 minutes had awful pain. This happened twice but only on a certain machine (all other times were fine on other machines and outside) the machine had a very loose footplate and that did not suit me!

[ashishkulkarni Graduate]

I used to get kind of shin splints and pain in my calves. I mentioned that to my sports physio therapist. She did her magic and shin splints and calf pain is thing of the past.

It can be the shoes. It can be various other factors. It is worth getting a professional opinion.

BTW, in the past 2 weeks, I have run both outdoors as well as on the treadmill. And no pain in either the shins or calves.

Good luck!

[Statpuss]

I get problems with shin splints when I'm walking 'with purpose' (ie, not dawdling along at my normal unhurried stumpy legged stride). It's getting slowly better for me. I find stopping halfway through the 5 minute warm up and giving my calves and shins a really good stretch helps. Also find, if it hurts while I'm still doing my exercises, that slowing right down is a lot better than stopping. I'll drop right down to 3k and hour when I'm walking, and that helps loosen out the tight muscles while still moving.