towards the end of my run today (~1.25 - 1.4 miles) my legs felt as though they were going to explode. Worse than they ever have before... I just started running again a few months ago after taking a long break from doing so. I quit b/c of shin spints and i fear that if I take another break it may be a while before I start up again, so I'm wondering if there any quick way to get rid of them or at least be able to continue running without them getting worse?

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003177.htm says to ice them and stay off of them, but i'd really prefer to be able to run for the next 2 weeks...

thoughts and opinions??

5/15/2006 8:29:41 PM

[Edited on May 15, 2006 at 8:38 PM. Reason : !]

5/15/2006 8:38:21 PM

tape them up

5/15/2006 8:40:28 PM

during the run?

also my shoes have ~400 miles on them, its time to get a new set right?

[Edited on May 15, 2006 at 8:43 PM. Reason : q]

5/15/2006 8:43:04 PM

shin splits are a bitch...doesn't help that i'm a big fella who doesn't run enough to make them stop splitting whenever i do more than a gentle jog

5/15/2006 8:43:09 PM

tape them during the run

and you should change out shoes every 3-6 months depending on miles

5/15/2006 8:45:17 PM

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_shinpain_sma.htm
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_xshinpai_art.htm
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_shinpain_rex.htm

You'll have to back off for awhile. When you get back to running, make sure you have good running shoes, and you may want to consider running on a softer surface.

5/15/2006 8:45:57 PM

Quote :

"towards the end of my run today (~1.25 - 1.4 miles"

you dont mean your entire run was 1.2-4 miles?

5/15/2006 8:48:36 PM

yea, it looks like its time for new shoes and a break

Quote :

" you dont mean your entire run was 1.2-4 miles?"

sadly so. i used to run a 5k everyother day but when i started to no be able to walk 100 yards without stopping for a breather i took a trip to visit a specialist at duke medical and they told me to cut it out for a while... so over a year and half later i started back and my lungs/legs are nowhere where they used to be.

[Edited on May 15, 2006 at 8:53 PM. Reason : a]

5/15/2006 8:51:44 PM

run on a track with that rubber pavement material made out of sneaker soles. Like paul derr.

5/15/2006 11:04:12 PM

if you have shin splints running a couple of miles or less,

it has nothing to do with the shoes, the surface or your weight. You are using shitty form.

Run on the balls of your feet (the front), not your heels. Your foot should strike the ground directly under your body, not in front. Pay attention to just those two things and your shin splints will almost garaunteed magically disappear.

Also, keep your stride short, it will help your form, you can lengthen you stride as you warm up and get comfortable running properly. You want to run evenly, as little bounce as possible.

If you can HEAR your feet slamming the ground you aren't using good form. A good runner's steps are almost silent in terms of impact, and over-exaggerating that will help in the beginning.

5/15/2006 11:23:27 PM

Quote :

"i used to run a 5k everyother day but when i started to no be able to walk 100 yards without stopping for a breather"

so a lot training caused you to get short of breath when you walked around?

youve got like some serious medical issue....that aint normal

5/15/2006 11:41:35 PM

^^Not all shin splints are caused by bad form.

5/15/2006 11:44:53 PM

^I would have to say damn near any shin splint from running LESS than 2 miles, is from bad form.

I could definitely see if he was pusing 5-6 or more miles in a run and attribute it to being out of shape, but for someone who runs at all, that little, it's form.

5/15/2006 11:47:13 PM

stress fractures are probably a greater cause of shin splits, plus inflamation of the periosteum.

5/15/2006 11:50:34 PM

Mine are cause I am fat.

5/15/2006 11:55:57 PM

and again, you dont get that shit from running less than two miles, unless maybe you are like 900 lbs, or COMPLETELY out of shape. Like, never run a mile in your life out of shape.

Weeeeeees: No way to quickly get rid of them, its a strain in the muscle and or ligaments, just rest it for a good week, and work on your form.

5/15/2006 11:58:43 PM

Quote :

"and again, you dont get that shit from running less than two miles, unless maybe you are like 900 lbs, or COMPLETELY out of shape. Like, never run a mile in your life out of shape."

once again no.

5/15/2006 11:59:28 PM

rest, ice, and massage are the best method for alleviating the pain.

5/16/2006 12:29:02 AM

because you have how much practical experience with this ailment again?

^and yes

5/16/2006 12:32:21 AM

I have a lot of personal experience with this ailment.

and I was expecting a comment like that.

5/16/2006 1:00:05 AM

well, it is true you hardly ever partake in any kind of physical activity. But only one of us ever came close to tipping 300lbs.

5/16/2006 3:31:11 AM

Now I rarely ever partake in physical exertion beyond disc golf, but I have beat up my body in the past. Just because I choose not to do so now doesn't mean I didn't partake in sports. You forget that I was a varsity wrestler, played baseball my entire life and played soccer.

5/16/2006 5:45:50 AM

nerdfight .... over exercise?? wtf

5/16/2006 6:11:50 AM

Quote :

"i started to no be able to walk 100 yards without stopping for a breather"

Weeeees wheeze

jk - tough break.

[Edited on May 16, 2006 at 7:24 AM. Reason : sigh]

5/16/2006 7:22:55 AM

aiiight, let me catch up:
Noen - i run on the balls of my feet when running uphill, but the path I take is 1/2 uphill 1/2 downhill, and i end up running heel-toe downhill. I'll run again on wed. and pay special attention to my stride.

Josh8315 - yeah, i know. thats why i skipped going to a general practitioner and went straight to see a specialist at Duke. They said I was in great shape and believed it to be exercise induced asthma.

nutsmackr - iced them last night and massaged them some, prolly going to try and keep running to see if more streching & better form (along with icing/massaging) help out

5/16/2006 8:09:37 AM

Here, check this out

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shin-splints/DS00271/DSECTION=1

Its a pretty simple explanation of what they are, how they form, and what you can do to treat and prevent them.

I had them pretty bad because of basketball (lots of stopping/starting, hard surface, repetative jumping) not to mention i dont have a lot of arch in my feet.

New shoes definatley helped, and i only play on the weekends so its easy for me to rest them during the week.

If all you're going to be doing is distance running def get new shoes and depending on your feet maybe look into the arch support that the article i posted talks about.

I can definatley relate though, splints are a bitch.

5/16/2006 9:58:53 AM

Quote :

"my shoes have ~400 miles on them, its time to get a new set right?"

uhhhhhhhhhhh....... DUH?


You don't have much choice but to rest them and then start over. When you do, make sure you have new shoes and make sure you are not running on asphault or concrete... stick to a track or grass/dirt.

Honestly, if they're this much of a problem and you want to keep your cardio up you need to get on an eliptical. If you're serious, that is.

[Edited on May 16, 2006 at 10:36 AM. Reason : ]

5/16/2006 10:35:49 AM

tape em when u run

ice them after

5/16/2006 10:43:42 AM

If you run on a hilly course, you should be running the same speed going downhill that you are going uphill. I've gotten destroyed out at lake johnson trying to run the hills down after just a lap, keep it slow and controlled.

Also, try a different path or course that's more level for a while.

And DO NOT RUN FOR A FEW DAYS. It's going to do nothing positive for your pain and it will just weaken the muscles even more causing a repetitive injury.

5/16/2006 11:26:00 AM

avoid hard surfaces, and get new shoes when your old ones are spent

that's all the advice I have

5/16/2006 11:29:07 AM

yea i feel your pain

i have to take aspirin or tylenol every time i play just in case my splints pop up.

at one point i took about 2-3 weeks off, then gradually got back into by doing non-impact excercises such as the eliptical machines. then when i went back to basketball it was much better, then i progressed to running.

also, new shoes alone may not cut it. most new shoes dont have enough support for me so i buy a good pair of arch support and/or athletic insoles.

[Edited on May 16, 2006 at 11:37 AM. Reason : ^^^^this coming from the guy who is crying about not parking in the handicapped spot]

5/16/2006 11:34:07 AM