Half Marathon Training Advice, Couple of Weeks to go

Been training for a half-marathon for a while now and it is coming up soon on 13th May so about 2 weeks left (Leeds)

I’ve been getting very mild aches in my lower legs/inside of calfs which i took to be shin-splints. I haven’t really done anything to remedy this as they were very mild and only noticeable for about the first 10 or 15 mins on each run.

The thing is, I went for an 18k run last Sunday (22nd) and now the shin-splints are much more noticeable- they were there all the way through my intervals I did in the week and after doing 45mins interval training on Saturday I can actually feel them when I walk now.I wouldn’t say they’re ‘painful’ but definitely I’m noticing then.

I realise there is some action I can take- ibuprofein, reduce workload, stretching, train on grass etc.

But, from a training point of view my schedule has a 20k run posted for Sunday (yesterday but I missed it due to work) and then tapers off.

Am I best off sacking off the 20k run and just doing the intervals now? Or even not doing anything at all and just resting until the event?

Lastly, I don’t really mind running through it but I won’t do myself any lasting damage…right? I’m guessing if I run the event and then rest afterwards, they’ll heal fine?

I’m not exactly Ironman so I presume others must be running with worse aches, it’s hard to have a yardstick for this sort of stuff though 😕

Lastly, I don’t really mind running through it but I won’t do myself any lasting damage…right? I’m guessing if I run the event and then rest afterwards, they’ll heal fine?

Unless you get a stress fracture. But things will start hurting a lot more before that happens (at least, personal experience suggests it will).

If i were you i’d dial it right back – forget about the long run, forget about the intervals. Just do a couple of short runs and try and dial down your eating so you don’t pile on any excess weight with the training reduction.

As Finbar says really. If you run on them they will become worse and you may need to miss the race. You cant train through them.
If it was me I would stop all running and cross train and hope they have improved enough for the race.
I would Ice several times a day. Ibruprofen if you can take them. No evidence streching does any good but shouldnt do any harm.

I know from experience you can’t train through them. Similar experience to yours – March last year the pain started… tried reducing training load but training and racing through it. One year and a couple of months on, after several months off running at the end of last year to try and get rid, I still have problems.

Can only recommend you really reduce training load over the next couple of weeks. Maybe two short runs a week absolute tops – that’s if you want to risk it. In two weeks, you wont lose much fitness doing that. Likewise you wont gain much (if any) fitness by trying to squeeze in a 20km run and intervals now.

I’ve got a build up of scar tissue which is painful, but slowly slowly going away. Not nice.

Thanks for the replies, looks like I will be dialling the running right down then and getting out on the bike in the last two weeks.

Regarding shin-splints- is this just a limitation of my body or if I rest and recover is it possible that in future I won’t have the same problem?

I had vauge plans to enter another half-marathon as late in the year as possible and then do the Manchester marathon this time next year, assuming they organise it again.

If I’m getting shin-splints training for a half marathon though, should I just forget trying for the full one?

I’ve quite enjoyed training for the half-marathon in a weird way.

I suffered a couple of times a year when I was younger (20’s) and was running around 70 MPW. They are manageable if you see the signs. Usual stuff, build up slowly and try to run on grass when possible. Wear well cushioned shoes.
I seldom suffer now and with hindsight if I hadnt been so bloody minded and stupid I probably wouldnt have had the interruptions to my training that I did.
In short no reason why you should continue to get them if you build up sensibly.

As above really, I get them quite severely if I increase mileage/intensity too quickly. I take a couple of weeks off running (does my cycling and swimming training the world of good anyway) and they go away, but it does interrupt my progress, and I have to start a little way back again.

I went to a sports physio who showed me how to self massage the area to break down the adhesions, and I do lots of stretching of calves and shins too.

I did a Duathlon on Saturday with a 12k run, 40k bike, 4k run and have had no pain whatsover from them either during or after. So treat them right and you will get over them.

I would say stop running now, do lots of stretching, and a bit of other low impact cardio if you want/can. You won’t lose any fitness, and could actually be very well rested and fresh for the day.

And good luck.

And post up your time.

do lots of stretching

Why?

Shin splints was always a technique thing for me. If my stride was too long, or I has heel striking a lot, then I got shin splints.

I went through a period of deliberately slowing down and shortening my stride, shin splints went away, and then I built back up. Gone from a 02h36m half marathon and being unable to walk afterwards this time last year, to 02h08m in Birmingham in October last, to 01h59m in the pissing rain at Stratford yesterday and running again fine today.

Personally, I’d stick with the running rather than cross training, but I’d reduce the load and look at the technique.

Good luck with the race.

Been training for a half-marathon for a while now

^this means you won’t miss one run. Make sure you’re healthy on the start line.

I’d go for a gentle off-road run for an hour or so.

Good luck! Might see you there…

Thanks for the replies everyone, that’s pretty encouraging, I was getting a bit depressed on my lunch-break thinking about not being able to do it or having to stop running altogethor for ages.

Mary- yes, I’ll post up my time, hope I don’t regret saying that!

Cheers everyone

UPDATE

Came in at 1hr 47mins which I’m really pleased with, was a fun day.

Thanks for the advice everyone, I pretty much rested the whole time after the original post^^^ apart from a 35min interval session all on grass and 20mins light running the day before the event.

Might sign up for another one later in the year now, maybe Cardiff.

Excellent work…that’s a really good time.

Cardiff’s a nice flat course, so you should better your already handy time easily enough.

I’ve just won free entry to the Bristol Half Marathon…the things that happen when you have twitter… 😐

Cheers DD- I hadn’t realised that Leeds was so hilly until I looked on Google earth a couple of days before- I took it far to easy for the first half and then had to run round like a man possessed for the second half, seems to have worked out overall though as 1.45 was definitely the quickest time I had dared hope for. Mainly I was trying for anything under 2hrs.

When is the Bristol HM?

I have a vague plan now to do another half as late in the year as possible and then do the Manchester marathon next year (so April 2013 I guess) if they organise another one.

was a fun day

Result !
😀

Great effort – well done!

Lumpy wasn’t it! The downhills were quick though (apart from the headwind).

Brass Monkey in Jan is supposed to be really quick, but it fills up within a few hours of entries opening.

Cheers! Yeah I think I gained a bit of time by using my momentum on the downhill bits, possibly I have quite a long stride which might of helped.

Was very impressed with the first few finishers- they were interviewing the ‘second female finisher’ when I was crossing the finish line and she was on stage, already showered and changed with dry hair. Cripes.

Oh, and how are your shins?

I went for a gentle 3-miler yesterday and, apart from tight calves, am surprised at how good my legs feel. Obviously didn’t try hard enough!

A bit after the event but when I started getting shin splints I got some new trainers and they went straight away. Might work for you in future.

Hi teaboy

Surpisingly my shins actually feel OK- think dialling down the training was definitely the right thing to do- during the run, and the 20mins I did the day before to test, they actually felt better than they have in ages since I started training.

Even afterwards now they feel OK I think. The rest of my legs ache like hell though 🙂