I’ve been preparing for the Disney Half Marathon for several months now. I followed a training schedule that I got from Runner’s World Magazine and have been diligent about keeping to the schedule.
More than a month ago, I developed shin splints. I don’t know how it happened. I was wearing relatively new shoes. I was running the amount of miles that the training schedule dictated and I was feeling healthy.
I went to the orthopedist and he told me to stay off my leg for a month. I couldn’t do that. I had the Jingle Bell Jog in Brooklyn, which was a five-mile run, and the Ted Corbitt 15K run a week later, held in Central Park.
That was two weeks ago and since then, I have been unable to run. I’m actually having great difficulty walking and forget about climbing up and down stairs!
What have I been doing? I’ve been eating lots of ricotta cheese, stretching out, putting Bengay patches on my leg, wearing compression pads, and doing R.I.C.E. (Rice, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). Nothing so far has been helping. Now, I have one week to go and I’m very concerned that I won’t be able to complete the race. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to run at all.
This past week, I was in Florida visiting my parents. My husband and I stayed at a hotel that had a very nice gym. Each day we went downstairs to either run outside or workout at the gym. Since Florida was having a cold spell, it was not conducive to running outside. So, we stayed in. The first day, I cross-trained by using the elliptical machine for a half hour. The next day, I tried to run on the treadmill. I couldn’t do it. My one side was so painful. I was overcompensating with the other side and looked like I had a serious limp.
I went back to the elliptical machine and continued to cross train. The next day, I decided not to work out at all and, since then, I haven’t done anything until today.
When I woke up, my husband and I went into our hot tub and soaked. He pulled his back running and I thought it couldn’t really hurt my shins.
After that, I went to the gym and met up with my trainer who had done research on shin splints and showed me various stretches that I wasn’t currently doing. “The more you do these, the better you will feel,” he said.
We spent an hour training session doing some strength training but focusing on my hamstrings to loosen my body up so that the pressure would come off my shin.
When I got home, I was actually feeling better. I’m still nervous about the race in a week, but I’m feeling more confident that I will be able to complete it. Wish me luck!
Article first published as A Runner’s Diary: Disney Half Marathon a Week Away… on Blogcritics.
Related articles
- A Runner’s Diary: Shin Splints – Ouch! (hilarytopper.com)
- Managing Shin Splints (everydayhealth.com)
- A Runner’s Diary: Drinking Before A Race (blogcritics.org)
Hilary, It could be your shoes. I found when I switched my shin splints improved. I also found icing my shins and taking Advil after a run improved things as well. Good luck.
Peter
thank you so much Peter! I appreciate your support… Best!
Good luck and prayers for fast healing are coming your way!
Kim, thank you so much for your support!!!! Best to you!
Good luck and prayers for fast healing are coming your way!