5th
pain=no gain
i decided to take it upon myself to run every morning.
morning one: panting. out of breath. i think i ran a mile. but getting through the beginning stages are the hardest, once you’re in the swing of things you’re golden.
morning two: shin splints are mildly making themselves known. i decided to run a quick couple of blocks anyway.
morning three: there’s no way i’m going. my shins are going to fall off. i can’t believe i let myself get this out of shape!
until i do a little research and find….shin splints doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of shape. it usually means you haven’t been running frequently and your body isn’t used to the stress on those particular muscles.
the leading cause of shin splints (more professionally known as medial tibial syndrome) is poor running mechanics. new runners tend to overstride, causing the weight of the body to come down to hard on the heel of the foot, causing an unexpected stretch in the tibialus anterior (that’s the main muscle in the front of your shin). it’s this unexpected stretch that causes you pain.
the best treatment is rest. boo to my running everyday plan!
