A few days after the 5K race last month, my shins hurt a lot and I knew I had shin splints. The only thing I could do was rest them, which meant not running.
I sat out for nine days, and I hated it. I felt like every day I missed running, all the momentum I had gained in the last three months was slipping away. I tried to be proactive, and I read up on shin splints so I would learn how to treat them, and also how to prevent getting them again. I think adding sprints to the end of my running is what caused me to get them in the first place. I increased the speed that I ran these too quickly.
I also learned I wasn’t stretching my calves as well I could have, so I learned some deeper calf muscle stretches, and some other stretches just for the shins. My two Uncle Mike’s, both former marathon runners, suggested that I start landing on my heel more, versus the front of my foot. The Chi Running method also incorporates this- and teaches you to put more of your weight in the middle of your foot.
After taking nine days off, and not feeling shin pain, I set out last Tuesday to run again. I only ran two miles to take it slow. At first I didn’t feel any pain, but the last quarter mile I started to feel the slightest pain. Two hours later, my shins hurt again. Obviously they weren’t healed. I was bummed, but several people told me, and I read that if you keep running while you have shin splints, it can lead to further damage and even surgery. I was encouraged that even though I only ran 2 miles, I ran those at an eight minute pace.
The next few days, my shins started to feel better, but I had come down with a bad cold so I wasn’t going to run in the colder weather while I was sick. On Saturday, I had no shin pain whatsoever, and my cold was getting better. I decided to try out the 3.2 miles for a 5K distance, but go very slowly, incorporating the new running methods I have read about.
I started out well- there was no pain at all. But I noticed right away landing on my foot differently, changed the pacing I was used to. This caused my breathing to be off, and as a result, I got a terrible pain in my side. Just like when I first started running! I realized I was going to have to find my pacing and breathing all over again! I decided to concentrate on that, and completing the 5K distance for the rest of the run.
When I was about half-way through, I got a shooting cramp in my thigh. That had never happened before to me at all, and I think it was from the new way I was landing. I never did find my breathing and pacing rhythm, and at the end of the run, I realized I forgot to time myself. About the only success I had was there was no shin pain, and I was able to run the 5K distance with a cramp in my side and thigh. Not exactly what I was hoping for.
If I decide to keep running, I am going to have to start out slowly again, and build back up to where I was. I have to start all over again! I wanted to enter a 5K race this month, but there is no way I am ready for that right now. I am mad at myself that I got shin splints to begin with- I should have been more careful. It seems like it is a fine line between pushing yourself to do better, while at the same time not pushing so much that you end up injured.
I admit after that horrible run on Saturday, I was frustrated and disappointed beyond belief! I have been thinking about just giving it up. I wonder if I really have it in me to start from square one again? I thought about asking a few people that have been really supportive of my running, what they think I should do, but I know I have to make this decision for myself. It would be easier to not run, and just wait until the weather warmed up and I could start riding my bike again. After all, I only started out running to run one race, and I accomplished that and more.
I have no shin pain, and in theory I could start again from square one. Tuesday is a day I normally run, but I haven’t decided if I am going to start again today. Part of me tells me not to quit- that I can do this, and another part tells me I’ve done what I set out to do. Is that enough for me? Will I always wonder what else I could have accomplished if I stop running now? Is it worth it to risk more injuries and all the hard work again?
When I can answer these questions, I will have a decision.
5 replies on “Sidelined by Shin Splints-Maybe for Good”
hey there. sorry you are bummed about running but look at it this way…this is providing another chance for you to learn to take care of yourself and do what your body needs you to do. you love running so much, why give up when you started to do so well? since you did well from initial ground zero, why wouldn’t you be able to incorporate these new techniques and pull it all together again? you can do it!! don’t give up because there is a bump in the road…just run over it! 😉 hugs and loves to ya!!
I hope that whatever you decide it is not because you think you SHOULD, but because you love doing it. Time is precious, and there’s so many things you can do that feel great. Maybe running is worth it; only you can know. I hope you don’t think you are “quitter” if you decide on something better. Follow your bliss. 🙂
This was one thing I loved about the Couch-5K program is that it gave me a way to ease in and find MY way of running. If you search for Chubby Jones Podcast on iTunes she has great music and I enjoyed it a ton. I’d already been running when I started, so I started at week one but did a week every run or so until I hit the point where I felt challenged. That way I wasn’t stuck on the whole 9wk, 3 runs a week program when I was already running at least some. I get bored too easily to actually do the whole thing 🙂
Anyway – when I started C25K I had shin splints too. I caught it right near the beginning and tried different ways of running. This is totally unscientific since I’m not a “real” runner, but I found that if I was leaning my body forward to speed myself up I got shinsplints. I solved them by leaning back, centering my weight more and putting my weight on my heels instead of my toes. I think I run slower this way (I run slow, period, and am happy with this) but I think I run more powerfully with my weight sort of condensed like that.
Anyway – the point is not that I know how to solve your shin splints, but that I do think it’s good to go back to basics and learn to run again the way that your body is telling you to. It took me a few weeks to feel like I was doing it “right”. One thing I liked about intervals was that I could run for a bit then slow and and analyze how my body felt.
Sigh. I miss running.
Thank you all for the encouragement. I’ve made a decision and will have a blog post about it soon.
I agree with this was one thing I loved about the Couch-5K program is that it gave me a way to ease in and find MY way of running. If you search for Chubby Jones Podcast on iTunes she has great music and I enjoyed it a ton. I’d already been running when I started, so I started at week one but did a week every run or so until I hit the point where I felt challenged.