Ow ow ow.

So I’ve been doing a run/walk program to try and get back into running after hurting my leg out in Afghanistan.

I’ve built up to running(more like jogging @9.5kmh) for 4 minutes and then walking for a minute. Doing this 6 times.

It’s all been going well until around 4 weeks ago when the pain really built up in my shins and I had to stop. Within a few hours my shins had swollen and I could leave a thumb imprint in the swelling.

It took a few days to settle down.

I tried a run about a week after and the same thing happened but came on quicker this time.

So I’ve left it for around 3 weeks now and have been stretching lots in the mean time.

Ive no idea what bought it on as I hadn’t changed anything in fact my running had been getting much better since changing to forefoot striking instead of heel striking.

Really peed me off as its set my running back again.

Any ideas what causes it and what I can do to alleviate it.

Cheers

Steve

Any ideas what causes it and what I can do to alleviate it.

The pitting oedema is a classic sign of trouble on its way with shin splints. Usually caused by a dramatic change in training load. Ease back and see what happens.

I used to get shin splints…I basically accepted that I just wasn’t meant to run.

At the beginning of last year I tried again and built up slowly, at first running for max 20 mins on a treadmill in the gym as a warm up 3 times a week, and then eventually running 3-5km on the road a bit. I then started running longer until I was running 9km on the road without issue. The furthest I ran on the road was 12miles.

I wasn’t particularly scientific about it and I’m not sure if all that was the real reason I didn’t get shin splints…

About 4 months before I started running we moved to a house that was about 12 minutes walk (at a good pace) to the train station. As I commute to work every day I was doing that walk twice a day. I think that is the real reason I don’t suffer from shin splints.

I’m making a bit of an assumption…are you in the forces? Couldn’t you ask someone at work…would a PT instructor have any suggestions?

Ice after run and nurofen… And lots of sorbothane insoles… Lots and lots of them…

Yep I’ve been seeing the station physio and he has been golden so far. Helped my change my running form and that has helped massively.

We are both a bit stumped as to why they have come on so I thought I would ask on here to see if anyone had experienced them to.