More Running, Now with No Shin Splints

{this is now my cell phone picture}


So I guess a while back I said I was going to post more about my actual warm up and running itself. Recently my sister asked me on Facebook how I overcame my shin splints and in replying to her, I remembered I had meant to write it all out.

Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor or a health professional of any kind. What works for others does not work for me and actually created my pain. So what works for me might not work for you, or might cause physical problems for you that I could not forsee. Always consult your own health professionals and make your own decisions based on your own situation and your own body.

Shin splints were a huge problem for me. They have been a problem for years. It has not mattered whether I was in shape or not, whether I had been exercising or not, or what I weighed. Shin splints, as far as I know, refers to pain in a specific muscle attached to a specific bone. To me, it felt like knives stabbing me in my legs. I could not even walk or stand, if I overdid it. And "overdid it" meant running for more than 60 seconds. More than once, I got myself stranded too far from home and unable to even walk back, wondering what I could do to get home. This is one reason why I have to be picky about where I go running. It has to be a loop, a small/short one -- around the block, around a small lake or pond, around a small park, around a track.

Yesterday I went running in 25 degree weather and I did not have any shin splints at all. Oh I had other issues, but not shin splints. So I feel very successful. Here's the combination of things that has worked for me. These things were important not just for shin splints, but to keep me running when other times, I just gave up on the whole process.

How I Overcame My Shin Splints

1. The Right Shoes (and socks). I've already posted about this in detail. Since then I've found more socks at a lower price, at WalMart of course.

2) Change Pavement/Surface. You know where I see people running all the time? Down the sidewalk. You know what the worst surface is to run on? I don't, but concrete is right up there. And how would anyone know this, seeing all these healthy young people running fleetfoot down the sidewalk?!?

When I started running this time around, I was living in a suburban housing development and they had just repaved the street. My first day out, I started by running down the sidewalk. Big mistake. After I did some reading and bought some shoes, I stepped off the sidewalk and ran on the very cushy new tar. Please keep in mind, running in the street while wearing headphones and blasting music can be dangerous. Especially considering how many people text and drive these days. I chose a dead end loop in a closed development, I ran in the parking lane, I ran on the wrong side of the street so I could see any oncoming cars, I ran in the middle of the day when most people were at work, and I was always aware of my surroundings. So be smart.

Now I live in the city. When I want to run, I usually drive to the suburbs. I drive to a local high school with a new running track open to the community. Sometimes I drive to small parks. One local soccer field has a crushed gravel trail circling it. So I have to have time to do this, and that makes a difference. I have not yet been able to just step outside my front door and start running.

Basically, running on sidewalks is advanced. I know, right?

3) Stretch Pre-Run -- Not After. This is a big one. It almost certainly made the biggest difference for me. Every single thing I read about running said the opposite: Never ever stretch pre-run. Never stretch "cold muscles." Warm up for running should be several minutes of fast walking or slow jogging.

Bollocks. Following that advice caused me so much pain and frustration. The first time I actually stretched out before I went out to run, the difference was remarkable.

Now, before even I start walking, I warm up by stretching. I have a set routine I do, one I learned back in 1993 or something. As a young girl I took dance lessons and I wanted to be a dancer. So I am familiar with stretching and warming up muscles, especially mine. I am perhaps a bit more familiar with the process than your average non-athletic person.

I do not just start stretching my legs cold. Absolutely not. I start with my head and neck. Then I move to my shoulders, and arms. Then I do my rib cage, my waist, and my hips.

I do all of this very, very s l o w l y. It is a part of my whole running routine. I don't try and rush it to "get to the point." Some of the stretches are almost painful, but it's a pain that feels good. If you don't know what that means, well, I can't explain it. When your physical body is tight, is sore, when your muscles are stiff, and you stretch them right, it will hurt a bit but it will also feel really good. From my dance background I know how to stretch really slowly.

The exception of course, is the leg stretches, which I absolutely detest. I loathe them because they are hard. I am not as flexible as I was as a young girl. I am heavier. Bending down to the ground and holding it while my legs stretch out can be very difficult. The stretching exercises I do for my legs get my heart started pounding. I am usually wheezing and groaning out loud like an old lady, "uuuuuuuuuhhhhnnnn...." But I know if I skimp on these stretches, at all, I will pay for it with pain later.

I might post what I do to warm up, at a later date. I should also mention that I had to build up the warm up. Some things I do now, I had to skip at first. Some things I do 8 times now, I started doing 4 times and worked up to it. My warm up is generally at least 10 minutes, sometimes 15.

While I do my warm up I am listening to music on my iPhone, and I look at the time when I start because I am looking at the phone anyway to pick a song. If my warm up took only 7 minutes, I know I skimped on something, usually leg and shin stretches. I either do more or I know my run will be shorter.

When I have finished stretching, I start walking. I do not walk fast and pump my arms like I am exercising right now, people. I do not try and get my heart rate up with the walk. I learned that lesson as well. I walk at my normal pace. I might walk a little or a lot, just depends how I feel.

Now it is winter, I have also learned if the weather is inclement at all, I will skimp on the warm up if I try and do it outside. I don't mean to, but I can't stretch or run in my winter coat and hat, so I get cold. So I have learned to do the whole thing at home. Yes, then it means there is a gap, because I have to then drive 10-15 minutes to wherever I am going to run. It's not optimal. I'd rather stretch outside and start my run right away, and make it a whole single endeavor. But I can't. It's ok.

I think I mentioned before that I don't listen to my iPod because it's a PITA to set it up, and that I have different music on my phone, iPod, and laptop. Well, since then I have actually found my iPod, and I found my iPod speakers, and I actually found the cord to connect the iPod to my computer (been lost since way before I bought this computer) and I set them all up at home. I also changed the music on the iPod for the first time since I bought it (about 5 years ago). So now, it's not so bad to do a nice stretch routine at home. I put on a really good song and enjoy not having to wear earbuds. I also sometimes do this stretch routine when I know I can't go running.

I do also stretch some after I finish running. I do different stretches then.

4) Slow down. A LOT. Everything I read said that shin splints come from doing too much too soon. Alleviate shin splints by doing less. Well, how in the heck could I do less?

When I started running this time around, I signed up for one of those daily emails that are supposed to turn you into a runner in a month. The first email said something like, Walk briskly 5 minutes. Run 1 minute. Walk 1 minute. Repeat 3 times. How could I do less than 1 minute?!?!?! I was especially frustrated because before I would run until I was out of breath, then walk, then run more. I could run way more than just 1 minute without being out of breath.

And even more frustrating - if, the first time I ran, I could do 3 sets of 1 min/1 min before pain set in, the next day I could not even finish the 5 minute walk before I was hobbling in pain. I couldn't even walk. Oh I was so frustrated.

So first I bought the shoes, and I tried again. Still in pain.
Then I stepped off the sidewalk. Still in pain.
Then I added the warm up routine. Still in pain.

So then, finally, I slowed down. I found a way to do even less. I lessened my expectations. I think we have all been conditioned by the horrid trainers on Humiliation-Fests list "The Biggest Loser" to think we have to push ourselves past where we think we can go. And maybe we do. But not the first day!

I learned that whatever it is you can do, do half of that. That's a good piece of advice in many areas. Stop eating before you feel full, otherwise you'll find you ate too much. Stop shopping before you spend ALL your money. Take your foot off the gas in the school zone. Don't watch the whole season on DVD in one day. Leave something for later.

I lessened my time. I lessened my distance. I lessened my speed.

First, I changed it up so I was only running for 30 seconds at a time. It really killed me, you know. It killed me to stop running when my heart rate had not even gotten up and I was barely breathing hard. 30 seconds. Humiliating. But what my lungs could do, my shins could not. My phone timer doesn't go less than a minute. I would set the phone for 2 minutes and hold it in my hand. I would walk for 1:30, then run for the last 30 seconds, and stop when the timer went off. Then reset and do it again. And again. I found that while the first couple times were easy, by the 3rd time I was straining a bit, and beyond 4 times was a challenge, all without shin pain.

I also changed my stride. That is an idea I got from a couple of running books I looked at. I call my stride The Hobbit Shuffle. I didn't particularly think my original stride was all that big a deal. When I ran up and down in the running shoe store, I asked the sales clerk if my form looked right. She replied that I looked like I was "floating." I loved running because when I ran, I felt like I was floating.

Apparently, that was not a good idea, for me, at the time. Another disappointment.

So now, I barely pick my feet up when I run. My steps are very very short. In fact, I am only barely beyond running in place. And my steps are s l o w. Yes, there is a way to be running (after a fashion) and be slow. I make sure I land on my heel and roll through my whole foot. I keep my arms bent 90 degrees, but my hands are relaxed.

I have a couple of very simple ways of making sure I am not going too fast, too soon.

First, I sing. In fact, I am very vocal during my whole running process. I groan like an old lady when I stretch: "uuuuuuhhhhhhhnnnnnnn..." or "grooooooaaaaaannnn...." And then I sing along with my music. And I like SINGERS. I listen to Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera. So I can't sing with every note but I try and sing parts. If I am too out of breath to sing, I slow down.

Here's me running:

*wheeze wheeze wheeze* ...don't wanna *mumble mumble* your.... GRAAAVITYYYYY... *moaaaan*... *groooaaaaannn*.. keeping me... *wheeeeezzzze*... DOOOOOOOWWWWNNNNNN.... *makes sound like a rusty door hinge creaking open...squeeeeeeee....*...*groooooannnn*

I also swear aloud, sometimes saying the worst, the dirtiest things I can think of (when I am trying to push myself a bit further), or I laugh out loud, or I make sounds like "WHEEEEEE!!!" or "AAAAHHHHHH!"

I've demonstrated my running technique for a few friends, when they ask me about running. Oh all of them think this is very very funny. They just crack up. Maybe they think I am kidding. No, these are good friends. They know I am not kidding.

Seriously, this is why I have to find places to run that are deserted. When I have tried running where there are other people around, I always have to cut it short. I don't know why being loud helps me out, but it does.

The second thing I do is pay attention to my body, and especially if I feel my muscles tensing up. Running very very slowly (I guess it would be called jogging at my rate) allows me to keep my attention on my body and not on distance or speed or anything like that. It's not a race. No one else is around. I'm not trying to get anywhere or outrun anything. My movement is so slow and deliberate, I can feel it when my muscles started to tense and then adjust.

I'm at the point now where I do run faster, with a longer stride, but I ease into it. I also feel fine lightening up, slowing down, walking if I want to. I don't just hit the ground running like a speed freak and keep going until I have finished my 6 miles or whatever distance. I actually have no idea what distance or speed I might be going. I'd like to find out -- but not yet.

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So those are the things I am doing, or have done.

I have not lost any weight. But there are still changes. I notice them. Here are how things have changed since September:

* I stretch even more and even longer. I spend more time on my legs and shins. I can bend farther down and I am more flexible.

* I no longer have any kind of shin splints when I run. That means my muscle in that area has strengthened enough to carry my weight. That is huge.

* I still don't run very fast, or as fast as I used to try and run. I am not floating. I don't feel like I am flying. Usually.

* I still do a combination of walking and slow running. I work on reducing my walking time and extending my running time.

* I can finally run over 60 seconds.

* I am finally at the point where I stop running and start walking because I am out of breath, not due to pain.

* I do spend a few minutes of my time running at my regular pace, and then I do feel like I am floating, or flying, but I am also usually wheezing and trying to breathe.

* I stop running now because my back hurts after a while. I don't have any real core strength, and I am overweight with big heavy bones. So all that combined makes my back ache after a while.

* When I was at my mother's wedding, I danced the Electric Slide with my cousins, and I did not have to stop and sit down before the song ended.

But the biggest thing is I AM STILL DOING IT. Last week I ran in the pouring rain and got soaked. Yesterday I ran in 25 degrees, and when I started out I was freeeeeeezing. I did it anyway.

It's January 3rd. Everywhere I look are ads and articles and people talking about the same thing -- getting in shape. Getting off the sofa. Losing weight. Doing better. Feeling better. Making resolutions.

I don't have to make any resolutions. I don't have to say, in 2010 I was a lazy sluggard and 2011 will be different!!!! I am going to get off the computer, get off the couch, watch less TV, get outside more, improve my health, blah blah blah.

I went running on Dec 31. I went running on Jan 2. I hope to go running again later this week. I am not "in shape" but I am in better shape than I was several months ago. I can feel the change, I can track it. I write these posts (here and I have another, more private blog) so I can reflect and see the changes over time.

Why do I run? Especially considering all the hassle. It has definitely NOT been "easy."

That's next.