Pain in shins!!!

[Sammiejones]

I'm currently doing couch to 5k and I'm on week 2 run 2, the problem is my shins burn after my runs and continue to do so for an hour! I am leaving a day in between running.

Any ideas on the cause of this and what I can do to help it, the last thing I want to have to do is quit!! Thanks.

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Hi Sammie, my shin pain was caused by the wrong trainers and after gait analysis and new trainers it disappeared overnight. However, lots of other people have also had shin pain and I'm sure they will have other ideas - I hope you get it sorted.

All the best,

Annie

[TJFlute]

It might help to do a longer and faster warm up walk and then do a shin stretch before you start the running.

It is quite a common problem I think...hopefully you'll get a few more suggestions on here.

Good luck!

[jbroox Graduate]

My calves and shins were really painful at the beginning, especially at the start of week 2. I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it to week 3, honestly. My daughter is studying to become a PT, so I asked her what to do and she suggested stretching a lot before the run and on my off days. I have to admit that I also had to stop about half way through the course during week 2 to stretch some more before I could even think of finishing. The other thing I read was to slow the pace, which I also did. I also took Aleve about a half hour before I ran (another suggestion I read somewhere). All of that helped a lot and now I've finished week 3 and can easily go the distance without stopping.

I found a post on the Runner's World Forum with some good exercises that have been really helpful for me.

forums.runnersworld.com/for...

I decided to stick with a pace that allows me to finish and not worry about how far I am getting at this point.

Hope it gets better for you, too!