Shin splints - rest or train through?

[Andes]

So, I ran the Mississauga Half a week and a half ago and felt good during the race but have had shin splints since. My shins were a bit achy leading up to the race, but at the time it was pretty mild. Since then, the pain has been a lot sharper, particularly on stairs. I've been taking it easy since then - easy runs only; extra rest days - but it has not gotten better.

My question is - would taking a few extra rest days help, or should I just keep running and count on stretching & ice to make it better eventually? I can still run, but am not sure if doing so will make the situation worse (I've done that before with a different injury so don't want to repeat that mistake!). I am not training for anything in particular at the moment, so while I'm eager to get ramped up again I could take some time off if I thought that it would help me heal. Any advice would be appreciated!

[eme]

Take the rest.

Since you are not training for anything specifically, take the time to heal up, do some cross training that does not bother your shins and be ready to train for your next race.

Ignoring injuries does not usually work out very well.

[Marg]

Take the rest.

Since you are not training for anything specifically, take the time to heal up, do some cross training that does not bother your shins and be ready to train for your next race.

Ignoring injuries does not usually work out very well.

+1

[Strider]

Take the rest.

Since you are not training for anything specifically, take the time to heal up, do some cross training that does not bother your shins and be ready to train for your next race.

Ignoring injuries does not usually work out very well.

+1

+1 too.

But while taking the rest/recovery time try and figure out what caused it so it doesn't happen again. Shoes? Strength? Form? Treadmill to Road?

[Andes]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I guess I knew rest was the smart approach but needed a little convincing.

Strider: I am not sure what is the root cause, but believe it cropped up when I started speedwork. I was training with the RR and I don't think we phased in the speedwork gradually enough for my body's liking - it was fun, but more impact than I'm used to. I also have bad feet, so while I think I am wearing the right shoes, my flat feet probably contribute to the issue.

[b_squared]

Take the rest.

Since you are not training for anything specifically, take the time to heal up, do some cross training that does not bother your shins and be ready to train for your next race.

Ignoring injuries does not usually work out very well.

+1

+1 too.

But while taking the rest/recovery time try and figure out what caused it so it doesn't happen again. Shoes? Strength? Form? Treadmill to Road?

+3

i went through this in Feb and 2 weeks of no running did the trick for me, with no recurrences so far. If the lower mileage is not helping you then no running might be in order.

[ananas]

In terms of shoes, even if you are in the right shoe, if it has started to wear out you may end up with shin splints because the shock absorbing ability of the materials starts to die, even if the upper is in great shape.

500-800km is the life of a shoe usually.

[DonnaRigs]

In terms of shoes, even if you are in the right shoe, if it has started to wear out you may end up with shin splints because the shock absorbing ability of the materials starts to die, even if the upper is in great shape.

500-800km is the life of a shoe usually.

Also, as I am prone to shin splints, I find I have to replace shoes more often.

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

I had serious shin splint issues when I got to about week 7/8 of training for me first 10K. Shoes were definately the problem for me. I rested, had some active release therapy, iced (lots) and bought new shoes. They healed up fine.

[Andes]

OK, I'm convinced - time for some new shoes! I did intend to get new ones after getting the half out of the way, so now I have a good reason to make sure it happens.