"lyle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:Hi everybody. I am a new runner (4 months) and making real progress. I
am up to about 5 miles a day and really love it. However, about 10
days ago I was picking up my pace to improve my time ( a little to
fast) and the following morning my left lower leg was completely in
pain anytime I put pressure on it. It did not hurt when I was lying or
sitting. I figured it was shin splints. I waited ten days to run again
and in that time the pain subsided. I tried running a short distance at
a leisurely pace and the next morning I am in pain again. Does anyone
have any tips or advice regarding this type of injury?
Check out the beginner's FAQ posted here just last night.
Generally, it's important to know if it's a soft-tissue injury
(tendons/muscles) or hard tissue (bones, cartilage). Stress fractures are
the kind of hard tissue injury to watch out for - mine started out as a dull
pain in one spot that would come and go, but steadily increased in intensity
after many days. Stretching did not really affect it. Soft tissue injuries
tend to be easily reached by a particular stretch, and can pop up much more
suddenly. Shin splints is the term for a soft tissue soreness/irritation in
the shins that are usually caused by running in shoes that don't support
your legs well (everybody is different - so we can't say which shoe to get),
or caused by doing too much running too soon so that your body simply can't
keep up with the pounding.
Without knowing more, I suspect the last item - shin splints due to
running 30mi/week+ with little/no prior experience. You'll can fill us in
on the details of your progress and history, and we can take more wags at
what's really happening. But my rule of thumb is that with minor injuries,
it's not hard to figure if a particular workout will leave you feeling more
or less sore than the day before. Until I'm certain today's soreness will
be at least a little better tomorrow, I simply rest.
The biomechanics and shoes thing bears mention. The form that you run
with and the shoes you're wearing have a huge role in the abuse your legs
must endure. Far and away, I see recreational runners/joggers who have
significant up-down motion in their stride. This bouncing usually is worst
at slower speeds, where the tendency is to take the same 'size' steps as
usual, but lope along with more up and down motion. The fix is to take
smaller length strides - to me it feels like I'm shuffling my feet - and you
should notice your head isn't changing elevation anymore. It will feel much
different in your legs and hips - I feel my hips using more range of
motion - and it takes a couple of weeks of dedicated focus to this before it
ingrains into habit and muscle development.
For shoes, if you haven't already, go to a good *running* shoe store and
have them watch you run, evaluate the wear on your existing shoes, and try
on a bunch per their recommendations. Price, styling, and brand should not
be as important as fit and function. As well, the first 500mi should be
running miles, and no more. If you're using general walkabout running shoes
or tennis shoes that had been worn prior to your start in running, replace
them. Running shoes are only good for the first 500mi - so it's really
important to suck up a little money and get a fresh pair - they can be used
for walkabout stuff after their running career is over.
Dave
