UKC

In attempting to train for an ascent of Toubkal in April and Mont Blanc in August, I started running last Autumn. My usual route is 3.4 miles on roads in town, and I nearly always end up with shin splints. Sometimes they are so severe I need to take a few days off to recover...I've tried icing them after the run, warming up before it, shortening my stride, slowing down, but I haven't been able to eliminate them at all.
Anything else I can do?

In reply to paul walters:

Cannot profess to any in depth running knowledge, but I used to have shin splints and I did stretches that isolated the soleus muscle, the lower muscle in the calf. Other than maybe doing too much too soon, even though you say 3.4 miles, I'd start lower and slowly build mileage over weeks.

In reply to paul walters:

If it really is shin splints, you need to take some proper time out - a couple of weeks or so. They won't get better if you keep doing the same thing over and over again. You can keep training, but avoid impact, so cycling, swimming, rowing or cross-training would be okay.

Have you got decent running shoes? It may be that your shoes are causing some problems.

I don't want to rain on your plans, but running 3.4 miles isn't really very good preparation for walking up mountains. What you really need is stamina for long days, which you won't get from a short run.

In reply to paul walters:
see a physio.. shin splints are a bit of a generic term which can be anything on the shins caused by anything..

My missus suffered for years and finally saw a physio for IT band issues and sorting her hip/butt issues she got rid of her shin splints.

In reply to paul walters:

I had some form of shin splints a few years back. I ran through it for a while but eventually it was painful to walk. I had clearly over-done it. My treatment worked extremely well but it is by no means the only way to do it.

I saw a physio who measured various biomechanical factors of my running. I had custom orthotics made (expensive) and then had 6 months off (I still cycled and swam). I really slowly began running again, starting on a treadmill and doing about 500m. 6months after I began running again I was able to do 20-30km cross-country routes again.

Be patient and cautious and find another low impact sport for the mean-time.

In reply to paul walters:
Stretch your calves, what shoes do you have and yes see a physio

In reply to paul walters:

Yes, I've seen a physio who recommended shortening my stride, and trying to land further forward on my feet (all of which has helped) though I never landed on my heels anyway.

I bought new running shoes from a specialist running shop after having my gait analysed.

In addition to the running I use the ATM, stepper and treadmill at the gym twice a week, as well as get out onto the hills as often as I can on weekends.

A friend (with a longer history of fitness than me) did MB last summer and struggled with the altitude (though the group spent no time to acclimatize), but my concern is I won't have the base level of fitness to enjoy (or even complete) the ascent.

In reply to paul walters:

Another consideration is running off road instead. I find when I run on the road (similar distance to you) I get pain in my shin but when I run on soft forest tracks the pain never raises its head. The only problem in winter is that is too dark after work so I do a couple on road in the week leaving a 2 day gap (seems to make it a twinge rather than painful) and the out in the forest at the weekend.

In reply to paul walters:

Pain in my shins (well, inside lower leg above the ankle to be precise) has recently become a problem for me. I'm putting it down to increasing distance too quickly, but it has made me 'reassess' my legs. By that I mean that I've realised that I have very poor ankle flexibility, and a particularly tight soleus, which I'm trying to increase through regular stretching and by using a foam roller. Having bought the foam roller on wednesday I already feel as though I can feel a difference - it's quickly become a key part of my stretching, so I'd recommend getting one.

In reply to lizard-16-07:

I'm with you on that.
The past month I've had MTSS, and found the foam roller, a calf compression sleeve, compression socks, KT tape and a bag of ice are on standby; ironically, I've become more flexible on the poorly calf than I have on the other calf, yet it still, on occasions, gives me jip.