Shin pain

[Weigh_ToGo]

Any advice for horrendous shin pain when running please? I'll be starting week 2 today and whilst I was definitely finding my stamina improving already, I have to keep stopping as the pain in my shins is too much. It's actually less painful the faster I run but I then can't maintain it.

Any help would be super appreciated.

TIA.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Hi. Good job so far, especially with some pain.

From what you said, could you be landing on your heel and in front of you when going slower and the more on your toes when running faster? That would be a natural gait change from run to sprint, so could possibly be making the difference. If this is the case, and in general anyway, heel strike is not the best way to run, and is a cause of shin pain. It will take some concentration, but the best way to land your feet is flat footed and under your body, or the sprint footfall, which by default tends to be under you. The sprinting footfall will put more stresses into your calf muscles, so I’d recommend flat footed to start.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Well done.

It sounds like shin splints and is caused by the impact of running, so do all you can to reduce the impact. As UnfitNoMore says avoid heelstriking, keep footfall under your body, land as lightly as possible, run on treadmill or grass and the two most important, slow down and wear proper running shoes fitted after a gait analysis done at a specialist running shop.

All this advice is in the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5... along with other tips.

[MarkyD Graduate]

Welcome WTG.

The normal advice for shin splints is to take shorter, more quiet steps. It can be caused by over-striding. With a shorter stride your body weight lands above your foot, ideally on your mid-foot.

If you over-stride then you land on your heel which then jars you whole body (and slows you down).

[Weigh_ToGo]

Thank you all! Will be doing my first run of week 2 tonight (on a treadmill at the gym) so will take into consideration all of your advice.