Currently I’m in tech school, and we run nearly 3 miles in the morning 3 times a week. I’m always lagging behind the pack though because my legs get so tight from shin splints, and I have runners knee in my left leg. I bought a band to prevent it, but it’s not bulletproof. I probably could do with working on my form, but I would appreciate some quick fix tips on my issues.
The best way to get rid of shin splints is to do proper stretching before you run.
When you are seated place booth feet out in front, and then try to flex your feet outwards so that your toes are pointing away from your body forming a straight line with your leg. This is the way I was taught to prevent shin splints, it works.
thanks for the response. I actually massaged my feet and legs for awhile yesterday, abd stretched a little, and my legs felt much better after. I think one problem may have been my feet. The nerves were probably so tight from all the stress i’ve been through. I think massaging it out made my legs one hundred times more durable
Make sure yo have the correct shoes for your feet/stride. Go to a runner’s shoe store like Road Runner Sports, Snail’s Pace, Runner’s World, etc…not Big Five, Dick’s or Sports Chalet and get fit for some good shoes. They should take a look at your arch and stride, then bring out several that fit the criteria for your feet. Yeah, you’ll pay a bit more but it’s worth it. After you know the make/model of shoe that works for you, you can order on-line and save a few bucks.
Oh yeah, like tires on your car, shoes have a limited lifetime in miles. Remember to replace!
I also had really good success with self massage and more thorough warm up prior to running. I’m glad you’re finding some immediate relief, however IMO you really owe it to yourself to look into improving your form sooner rather than later. I’m by no means a coach/expert and I have no idea how you run right now, so feel free to completely ignore this post. I’m just saying that, for me, shifting from a harder heel strike beneath/ahead of my center of mass to a lighter mid-foot strike behind my center of mass made a huge difference in my running both in terms of enjoyment and performance. I used the Chi-Running method to work this out but the Pose running method looks very similar and seems a little more science oriented and less “mystical” in it’s presentation, if that’s you thing. Not a “quick fix” I know, but hopefully somewhat helpful as an idea to consider.