Shin Splints/Jippy Calves

Dear All

 I'm in a bit of a tizz!!  I have my first HM in 11days and whilst I am super excited about it, I am also v. concerned, as I have developed shin splints & tight calves that is starting to affect my training.

I severely overpronate and wear custom orthotics and I have had shin splints before, which was the main reason why I stopped running for 3 months last year, as it just became too painful and the enjoyment of running was overshadowed by discomfort.

I have upped my mileage, but I have done this sensibly.  I am fastidious about stretching and spend 20-30mins after each run doing Yoga and various other stretches, ensuring that I focus on calves, hammies, etc.  I have been concentrating on building core strength, so do a number of exercises (that I get from RW Mags) and have invested in a stability board.  I also use a foam roller to iron out knots - and it hurts!!

Here's the thing - I was running in ASICs which were "okay", i.e. they were never super comfy and I felt that they were a little hard with very little comfort/cushioning.  I really wanted to try Nike Lunarglides but when I went to buy them (from Run 4 It) they didn't have them in stock so I ended up with a pair of Nike Zoom Vomero 5's.  When I tried them in the shop, they were heavenly - super cushioned - and the girl video'd my gait and said that my feet were positioning well.  So, I parted with £80 and that was that.

However, since then my legs have been in bits!!  I can feel that my feet, when they hit the ground, are not robustly supported, due to the high level of cushioning and I think that this is what is murdering my calves and giving me the shinsplints.  And I'm gutted that I have spent £80 on a pair of jimmies that are no use!!

So, I am going to have to ease on the running mileage this week and focus on quality cross training and go back to running with my old Asics at the end of the week.  Hopefully, this won't affect my progress for the HM.  Its such bad timing!!

Has anyone else experienced shin/calf probs when changing trainers?

Any advice is gratefully received!!

Thanks

Hailz

I'm not sure about the shoes, but I'd think if you're wearing your orthotics then they should be giving you the support you need.

Have you changed your training at all lately? I know that if I try to introduce speed workouts too quickly I start to suffer from shin/ calf pain.

Hope it clears up in time for your HM. 

Hia Roundy

No, my training has been pretty consistent.  I run for approx an hour on a Tuesday & Thurs with Jog Scotland and then have a longer run on a Sat/Sun.  The midweek runs for the last 2wks have been rough, but the weekend runs are easier, as I try to do these offroad (trail/forest) which are much more enjoyable.  Another thing with these runs is that I wear trail trainers (Inov8s) which are super supportive and really seem to help my legs behave - the grips are too big to wear on the road tho, which is a bummer!

 I think that I need to introduce some more strength and cross training into my week, as I only really run at the moment, with rest days in between.

Thanks tho - I am confident that my issues will be sorted by next Sunday!!