Hi all, Im only on week3 but I’ve been getting really sore shins and my knees are hurting too. In fact so much it’s difficult to walk some days can anyone enlighten me as to why this may be and what can I do about it. I really don’t want to stop but so any advice is welcome. Thanks
Sore shins and knees : Hi all, Im only on week... - Couch to 5K
Sore shins and knees
Could be a number of things, you could get your gait analysis done and that will tell you a lot about how you’re running and what stresses you’re putting on your body. We often say slow down on this forum if you’re experiencing pain, and that’s good advice. I run slowly but follow this way of running - m.youtube.com/watch?v=9L2b2... which has quite specific techniques on foot placement, stride style etc it’s low impact and designed to avoid injury.
You may be striking your heel when you land, or landing too hard - take a look at the film (it took me a few viewings to get all the nuances of it), but it should help.
It’s definitely not my speed, I don’t think I could fun any slower lol. But will take a look film .... thanks for the advice. Oh and will defo get my hair done.
As the guide to the plan states healthunlocked.com/couchto5... most new runner's aches and pains are caused primarily by the impact of running, so you need to do all you can to minimise it. Slow down, avoid heelstriking, keep footfall under your body not out in front, run on grass or treadmill and most importantly, wear proper running shoes fitted after a gait analysis done at a specialist running shop.
Stretch after every run, as per the guide and do knee strengthening exercises nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/k...
Hi, sorry to hear about your pain. But we can fix this. It's all about your running gait: you most likely are over-striding. By trying to lengthen your stride, your foot is landing in front of your body (possibly on the heel) and all the impact is getting transferred into your shins. Aim to run with a shorter stride - as you run try to run in a nimble, quiet fashion. You can search this forum for the words "assassin" or "over-striding" to hear me bang on about this at length.
Speed, dehydration, unsuitable footwear are the main suspects. In my case it was mainly footwear. Couldn’t believe the difference when I got a gait analysis and proper running shoes. Your symptoms sound like mine: could be you need shoes with extra cushioning as I did but it could be any number of things as everyone is different: that’s the point of gait analysis.
I wouldn’t have finished C25k had I not spent the money on the right shoes for my feet. Now I’ve been running nearly a year - still in the same shoes.