Did road runner have once shin splints?

randomDirtPattern — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:14:29 -0800

I have resumed jogging. However, already after 5 minutes of running, I will have unbearable pain in my lower legs. I might be experiencing "shin splints", and I wonder what are some good ways to prevent/lessen/delay these. I start running, and after 5 minutes I will feel bad muscle pain in the lower-front part of my lower legs. If I continue running for another 5 minutes, I will start running like a duck, as I cannot flex(?) my feet anymore. Another 5 minutes, and I am done and walk back home as a sad duck, although rest of my body is just starting to get warm and I feel like I could have run for an hour if I did not have the terrible pain in my legs. Strangely, this pattern does not seem to change much if I put walking or stretching breaks between these 5 minute sequences. (Although I haven't tried any "5 min run, 10 min walk, 5 min run" kind of extremely loose sequence).

I don't think that I am running too fast, I stretch fairly before I start (and after, when the pain is gone), I am wearing some 'cushion' type of running shoes and I am healthy in general.

I believe this is a bad case of the common shin splints, which should be normal when one is just unfit and needs to get in shape. I wonder if there is anything I can do to reduce or delay this pain. Actually, I don't mind the pain afterwards, since it usually takes 10 min. of rest and then it's gone. I just want to delay the pain, so that I can run longer and so that running is more fun.

I would love to hear from people who had the same problem and how they coped with it... Did you change shoes and the pain was gone? Is there an effective stretching trick? I will be happy to hear some advice or experience.

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Did road runner have once shin splints?