This morning was one of those prime conditions mornings for running; Spring is in gear enough for daylight at 6:00am, the temps are still cool. So it was time to test out the gimp leg again for a gentle run, maybe the 2nd in 5 months.
I has a bit leery since I was feeling a slight stiffness in the left shin after Saturday’s run, pretty much the pattern I cycled through last fall when the nonsense started — run, shin pain crops up next day — wait a few days — repeat.
So this being a test run again, I had little expectations. My wife and I walked the dog over to the park for my walking stretch, and I set out for a slow ganter round the fields and lake, about 1.7 miles in all. It was throbbing slightly when I started, but it seemed like maybe it just needed some movement, and really was not a bother.
So the title of this entry is in reference to my music on the iPod — JJ Cale singing They Call Me The Breeze.
There might have been some theme of rejection in this shuffle set since I also heard Joe Cocker’s The Letter, another JJ Cale The Woman that Got Away, and at the end the beginning of CCR’s marathon version of I Heard it Through the Grapevine. (No worries, all is fine on the relationship front!).
One step at a time. One run at a time.
But I find myself thinking of creating a new web site called I Love Bicycling.
name: Alan Levine
Alan:
I happened upon your web site quite by accident, doing a search on line. I am a physical therapist and found your shin splint troubles quite interesting. I’m sure many folks have thrown in their two cents about how to care for your shin splints, so I hope you don’t mind if I do.
I’ve treated many cases of shin splints with traditional PT techniques – heat, ultrasound, electric stimulation, stretching, strengthening, etc. – and have had little success in having patients return to their sport without eventually having their pain return. I have, however, had great success using orthotics to correct the mechanics of the foot, which in turn takes care of the shin splints.
If you look at the usual cause of shin splints, you will see that most victims “over pronate”. In layman’s terms, the front part of the foot turns downward excessively, causing the anterior tibial muscle to strain in trying to control the movement of the foot. The old fashioned term is “flat feet”. Try this – lift your bare foot off the fllor and look at the arch. You probably have a nice arch when not weight bearing. Now put your foot on the ground and put your weight on it. What happens to the arch? It is normal for the arch to flatten slightly. If yours flattens too much, a multitude of problems may arise – shin splints, plantar fasciitis, matatarsalgia, stress fractures, etc. This becomes especially critical in a distance runner. Think of yourself as a sports car, versus a family sedan. You have tighter clearances and a small problem becomes a big one when you put on the miles. Thus, a small amount of excessive pronation can be big problems for a distance/endurance athlete.
Anyway, I am not trying to take the place of your doctor or therapist. I would suggest a talk with your PT about orthotics and see what he thinks. If you decide to get them, find someone who sees a lot of runners. They can be expensive, but don’t have to be. Shop around, look for some one who sees a lot of runners and makes a good orthotic at a reasonable cost. They may be covered by your insurance, but this is not common.
Good luck to you!
John
Thanks John! Your suggestions are falling on eager ears. I’ve done all the PT approaches you describe, and on returning to running, symptoms are back where they started. The mystery part to me was that I had run for more than a year, 3 half marathons, with nothing like this appearing. But I would not be surprised if my mechanics/form are not the greatest.
The PT I go to (a shout out to Andy at Foothills Sports medicine, http://www.foothillsrehab.com) had suggested it could have been aggravated by the shoes I started using in September and had in fact suggested orthotics and offered to recommend someone they use that custom designs them for runners.
Thanks again….