Are we there, yet?
Then you should get a new therapist because she doesn't know what the hell she is talking about. Lactic acid is removed from your muscles within a very short period of time after exercise. People used to blame delayed onset muscle soreness on lactic acid but that is completely wrong.
Glad someone picked up on this. Lactic acid, or to be more precise, lactate is transient and is quickly removed after running.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Barking Mad To Run
Lilac, if your shins are hurting that bad, just as a precaution, and to rule it out, I'd suggest you ask your doc to do a test for compartment syndrome. If it isn't that, then try some of the very good suggestions the other folks here have given you.
So sorry you are having to deal with all this! Hope you find the right answer, and the right fix, very soon!
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
... 1. Calf Step Stretch; 15-20 seconds for 5 sets. Begin this calf stretch standing with your heels over the edge of a step and hold onto a rail for balance as demonstrated (figure 4). Keeping your knees straight slowly let your heels drop down below the step until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf or knee (figure 4). Hold for 15 seconds... 3. Sitting toe raises as fast as you can for 1 minute. Sit down in a chair and raise your toes up off the ground leaving your heals in contact with the ground...Do all of this daily. Ice as needed. Advil as needed, and of course rest. For the icing part she recommended to take some Styrofoam cups and fill them half way and freeze them. Peel the cup half way to expose the ice and apply directly to the aggravated area.
... 1. Calf Step Stretch; 15-20 seconds for 5 sets. Begin this calf stretch standing with your heels over the edge of a step and hold onto a rail for balance as demonstrated (figure 4). Keeping your knees straight slowly let your heels drop down below the step until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf or knee (figure 4). Hold for 15 seconds... 3. Sitting toe raises as fast as you can for 1 minute.
Sit down in a chair and raise your toes up off the ground leaving your heals in contact with the ground...Do all of this daily. Ice as needed. Advil as needed, and of course rest. For the icing part she recommended to take some Styrofoam cups and fill them half way and freeze them. Peel the cup half way to expose the ice and apply directly to the aggravated area.
1. Doing this stretch with a straight leg will stretch the gastrocnemius muscle. Slightly bending the knee while keeping the heel in the dropped down position will stretch the soleus muscle (which lies underneath the gastroc).
3. One of the best things you can do for shin splints is to keep your foot in a toe up (dorsiflexion) position for up to 15 minutes a day. I had my dad make me something years ago, but you could use a pile of books and a piece of plywood. Try to make the angle from the floor ~45 degrees. Then just stand on it, working your way up to that 15 minutes.
Be very careful of ibuprofen/anti-inflammatories/nsaids. I'm one of those people who don't tolerate it very well and I tend to go towards renal insufficiency.
Ice cups. I use the 3 ounce Dixie cups. Fill them up, freeze them up, then tear off the bottom. The angle of the cup keeps the ice from sliding out the bottom and you're able to hold it better. When icing with an ice pack or frozen peas, where you have the ice covered, keep it on the affected area 15-20 minutes. But when using a piece of ice directly on the skin, keep the ice on the affected area for about 6 minutes
I always advise my clients to hold a stretch for about 30 seconds. YMMV.
running is bad for you
....boy I swear, if it ain't one thing it's a damn 'nother with running those early years!
**AMEN**
Sorry you're having issues. From the posts I've read sounds like good suggestions!
Jess runs for bacon
Wow, lots of good stuff here.
Aimee, will do. Fortunately I am not registered for anything longer than a 5k for months. i had orthotics, but I melted them :/
flarunner, I have a stash of those ice cups already, I will use them.
tamas sage went well, she said she thinks its the calves pulling that is causing the shin splints. She broke it all down, and said I really really need to be stretching more. And icing.
It sounds like you may be trying to come back too quickly after taking a break from running.First, I'd recommend that you skip the HM you were planning to run on Sunday. Second, try replacing some of your running with biking or elliptical work until your legs start feeling better.
I agree with this. I understand your frustration as much as anyone with your body not doing what you would like.
hop, hop, hop...
Lilac, if you feel you need stability shoes why did you buy a pair of Kinvaras? Not only is the heel drop lower, but they're neutral. Also, when you get fitted for shoes do they put you on a treadmill and check your gait with video? Your walking/standing foot placement could be different from when you're running. For instance, my daughter severely pronates when walking or standing yet she has a neutral gait when running. *shrugs* I don't claim to understand why, but she does.
MM #8764 / HF #6535 / Double Agent #668
PRs: 5K - 27:43, 10K - 57:14, HM - 2:06:18, FM - 5:22:42
~How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were supposed to be?~
Because they are pretty? Honestly they are OK for short ones, I usually only wear them when racing 5ks.no, they didn't video it but they did have me on the treadmill.