Shin splints ☹️

[Dawnh52]

Hi folks, I started the C-5 about 3 weeks ago and was loving it. Unfortunately on week 2 run 2 I made the silly mistake of not stopping when my leg started to hurt, it was a moment of “head down Dawn you can do this” , a bad idea! So for the last week I’ve been in a lot of pain. The pain is just below my left knee to the right as you look down at it. Is this a shin splint? And could someone advise what to do please as I can only walk comfortably if I’ve taken a concoction of ibuprofen and paracetamol, I’m standing for most of the day at work. I’m trying to rest it as much as possible. I’ve signed myself up for the race for life in June and I would love to be able to run it. Thanks 🏃‍♀️

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

June is a very long way off in terms of a 5k run, worry not.

Runner's first aid consists of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Do a search for RICE for runners and you can learn more about it and the variations.

Whether this is shin splints or not, I am not sure, having never suffered from them, but the above techniques should work.

Are you wearing proper running shoes fitted after a gait analysis done at a specialist running shop? If not, that could be contributing to the issue.

Do make sure that your footfall is under your body not out in front and make every effort to land as lightly as possible with no slapping of feet and preferably without heelstrike.

Have you read the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5... which may help.

If this persists or recurs get checked out by a medical professional.

Take care.

[Dawnh52 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you so much, I will read all that you have suggested. Unfortunately I didn’t get a gate analysis but as soon as I’ve recovered that is my first point of call before anymore running.

[davelinks Graduate]

The time you've been running which isn't long and pace being slow, although you may have been going a tad too fast as a lot do and end up on the injury couch, I tend to think it's not shin splints, just a bit of runners knee, so rest up and see how it goes, never try and run through pain, the runs can wait or be redone, there's no rush, so remember! As our lovely old floss say's, slow and steady!

[Dawnh52 in reply to davelinks]

Thank you, wish I’d joined this site before I started 😁I’m learning a lot.

[davelinks Graduate in reply to Dawnh52]

See if it goes away with rest Dawn, my wife had some knee pain at w3 it went away with rest, your legs will get stronger in time to help the knee's but you can also do some leg strengthening excercise which supplements running, the glutes and hamstrings are the ones which mainly support knee's..

[Dawnh52 in reply to davelinks]

I’ve just had a look for some Physio type exercises to help hoping these are the right ones .... google.co.uk/search?q=physi... wow that’s a big link😂

Thank you

[davelinks Graduate in reply to Dawnh52]

There should be a pinned post for leg strengthening excercises on here, just about everything you should need is on here, but for now it's just best to rest until the pain has gone..

It's OK saying what the pain may or may not be but only qualified physios can say for sure... Which we are not..😊

[MarkyD Graduate]

Sorry to hear that you are suffering. You’ve got years ahead of you to run, so there is no need to rush. And you’ve learned to not run injured. So that’s progress.

Doesn’t sound like shin splints, though. These definitely hurt on your shin, and are worse when you try to curl your toes in the air.

Sounds like you have a minor sprain of the ligament around your knee. If that is the case, then rest it for 2 weeks. You can look at knee strengthening exercises in the interim so that it does not happen again.

[Dawnh52 in reply to MarkyD]

Thank you MarkyD, It does seem to be pointing more to a knee problem. I have an exercise bike at home so do you think that would be good to strengthen the knees?

[davelinks Graduate in reply to Dawnh52]

They can strengthen the muscles around the knee, specifically the quadriceps and the gluteal muscles. ... Exercise bikes provide a low-impact, non-weight bearing exercise and are considered “knee friendly,”