Forums >Health and Nutrition>Police Recruit Shin Splints
Hey everyone,
I recently started a police academy in October. I started on the wrong foot because two weeks before my first day, I developed shin splints from over training. It's been one month and I've managed to survive. The pain comes and goes. It mostly comes towards the end of the run and afterwards when I'm resting at home. I've been doing everything including massaging, icing, and stretching. I have custom shoes and compression wraps too. For the most part I've been doing okay, but the runs go up every week by a quarter of a mile. Every time I feel comfortable, it just gets worse. In the next three weeks, because of other training, we're not going to be running. We were told to run on our own because when we come back, the runs will be dramatically increased. Do you guys think I should avoid running during these 3 weeks and still to the elliptical or run in a slower pace? Also, I've read a lot online about shin splints turning into stress fractures. Is this always true? I have several more months of this training and I'm hoping they never turn into stress fractures. Can anyone confirm having shin splints and training through them and not having stress fractures? Thank you guys. Receiving any advice is comforting.
Does your academy have a physical therapist to work with recruits? It sounds like you're doing everything possible, I have found that the chair pose in yoga can be helpful. Wish I had more to offer, but I do want to say thank you so much for serving and best of luck in training and on the job. God bless.
SMART Approach
A couple things or insight. Take a week off and cross train. Focus on calf stretching and dorsiflexion exercises daily or every other day. Google it. When you get back to running it is very important to:
* warm up shins before. Hot water, whirl pool would be ideal. If not, do some calf raises, toe taps and walk for 5-10 min before jogging.
* Focus on jogging and not cranking....if you are not running fit, just time on your feet is beneficial
* Icing provides no benefit to enhance healing.....makes you feel better but won't enhance healing and may delay it
* Don't run 2 days in a row.....mix in biking, steppers. I am not a big fan of ellipticals but they would be ok if really working it.
* After a run, do some calf raises, walking, toe taps to enhance recovery.
* Also make sure you have a good shoe. For me, adding support or orthotics did a ton for my shin splints years ago.
Good luck
Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery
Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training
Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique
www.smartapproachtraining.com