Can we talk about running?

Since this is the other one discipline which is part of a Triathlon, and what has caused my injury.
I have a bad case of shin splints. Am putting ice every evening. Been told to massage and stretch, stretch, stretch. But everytime I do, it hurts again. Is it normal??

Shin splints is one of those injuries that could be down to all sorts, since its a catch all term its quite hard to give advice. Stretching will help to some degree' as may the ice, plus there are some taping techniques which can help, but you need to find the root of the issue, not just treat the symptoms.

In my experience, shin splints, tend to hurt when you 1st start running, then after a while it stops hurting and you feel fine, then later, after you are home and showered etc, the pain comes back with a vengeance. At my worst, my shins felt badly bruised with bad pain whenever touched, took a long lay-off to recover. Since then, I've been to a sports therapist and turns out that most of my issues with knee's (ITB), shin pain etc. was all down to my hip anterior muscles.

I would go get yourself assessed, unless you treat the root of the issue, then chances are you will continue to suffer.

+1. That's it really.

Agree with the others. Could be shoes, gait, any number of things. You need an expert!

can be made worse if your creating impact that your not used to i.e. running on concrete only - sudden extreme force, mine went with better running shoes. Though sometimes its not quite that simple!

Hi, I have been assessed and been told to stretch, stretch, stretch. But every time I do, it hurts, is it normal? This was my question sorry if it wasnt clear

It's not my shoes as I bought them at a specialist running shop when I started running and Im using Mizuno Wave Inspire 7, great shoes. They did my running gait analysis on the treadmill and found that Im neutral on my right foot and very minor over pronation on my left foot (same as shin splints).
The problem has been caused by doing too much too soon too fast! I m going to have and start running on grass when it gets a bit better and then build up road again.

I have suffered a very bad herniated disk a few years ago. That's what prompted me to get a bike which helped me a great deal but now that Im getting fitter am striving for more I started running a couple of months back. To be honest I gave it a go thinking that I might have to accept that my body couldnt handle it due to my back, but at least I could have said 'I tried', instead I went what seemed to me from strength to strength until the injury obviosuly self induced as I like to push myself.
The person who had a look at it said that there are 3 elements that you body uses to run, and whilst I appear to be fit/athletic enough to achieve what I did, I lack of flexibility and my body as muscles didnt adjust as quickly as the rest of my body did!

Anyhow it doesnt seem to be getting better so I think is time to invest in some sport massage/therapy.


Cheers

Anecdotally a lot of people pick up leg injuries when they start running once they switch from general purpose trainers to proper running shoes supplied after gait analysis; which is a highly subjective art not a science anyway. Their bodies have adapted to their gait with all its faults over years, they switch to new shoes overnight, bin the old ones, and hey presto they are crocked.

I think not enough attention is given to phasing in the new shoes and phasing out the old ones but...

I didnt switch from old trainers. I have just started running recently.

It is scientific in principal, however, the person in the shop, can only do their best given limited training and equipment.

If you want more re-assurance with gait analysis then you would have to pay your money and visit an expert, someone with higher qualifications, probably in sports science, bio-mechanics or something medical and/or with access to more sophisticated equipment and such.

Typically things in sport start out as subjective, when it turns out they work and produce results, the scientific world turns its attention to why it works, gait is fairly well understood in the scientific world, however it is rare that the scientific world come up with something good in the lab and manage to transfer it over to the sporting community. Its an odd thing sports related science, its typically a study of things that work and then find out why, rather than find a problem and try to come up with a solution as in engineering and many other fields etc. Of course there are exceptions, but on the whole the above applies.

Agree on the last part. Changing to anything new, whether better or worse, usually feels like regression to some degree whilst you work through your habitual actions, changed to your gait via your shoes will undoubtedly throw up some challenges.

This suggests to me (as a non-expert :P) that either you have done too much too soon (quite likely as a bike fit person), done yourself a mischief and need to either stop running for a while, or drastically reduce mileage until your recover, and then be more careful in the future.

Altertnativelly, (and I wouldnt discount this even in the former point as its probably fairly likely if you are primarily a cyclist in terms of your physical activity) there is a fundamental issue with your running motion or physical condition that should be addressed in order to attune you to running again.

It is very easy when coming from being bike fit, to taking up running to do to much to soon, generally cardiovascular fitness will be well up to the task, so you wont feel particularly stressed by the running experience and will go for longer than maybe you realistically can handle physically as certain muscle groups may be under-developed and tendons and ligaments most certainly wont be ready for it.

Then really what are you asking. If all you want to know is if its normal for shin splints to hurt, then yes, of course its normal for shin splints to hurt, thats what they are, pain, in your shins :S

Stop running, or at least stop running so much and hope for the best.

I GIVE UP!

No, you're weird!
Join the club

I used to run a lot and have completed several marathons plus loads of halfs and 10k's. I trained around the lanes, no pavements, and early in my running career had shin splints and knee and hip problems. Turned out I was getting an imbalance in my legs because of running all the time on the same side of the road. When I started doing time on both sides of the road to offset the effects of the road camber on my legs all my problems cleared up fairly quickly.

Well, I think its quite obvious that if you stretch an injured muscle/ligament/tendon its going to give you a bit of jip, its like poking a bruise, or picking scabs too early! :P

The extent of the pain you should stretch though however is a different thing altogether.

At the risk of sounding like one of those crazy types, going barefoot (Vivo Barefoot Neo) has done wonders for pains. Apart from tense calves while I adapted to the forced change of form, they've been great.

Let me get this clear. Everytime you stretch, it hurts?
Can you describe the stretches you do? Who told you to do them? Where does it hurt? In the shin splint area, or somewhere else? (Just trying to get a fuller picture.)
I am wondering if you are just stretching a bit too vigorously? You should feel the stretch, but if it hurts, that isn't right.

My two penneth:

You've probably been doing too much too fast, build up slowly.
Try running on softer ground if possible, using parks and generally 'off road'.
Read Chi Running and look at a change of technique to more of a fore or mid-foot landing rather than heel strike.

Best of luck.

Slow and steady and you will run through this, honest....................

Try a run specific site,www.fetcheveryone.com
post in the clinic, you quite often get doctors that run chipping in and an excellent running / cycling log.