Dealing with Shin Splints

Injuries come and go, but when you are a runner, an injury can be brutal to your workout schedule. After all, a runner's regimen is all about rhythm and consistent determination to better your time. Running is mental and when an injury rears it's ugly head it can be tough to overcome it and push through it in the proper fashion.

My wife, Erin, has been suffering from shin splints as a result of her half-marathon and it has been tough on her to push through it. Too much running on hard surfaces can result in shin splints and they can stick around for weeks and even months if they are not allowed to recover properly. Shin splints can be brutal and always seem to show up when you least want it to.

Erin is very serious about her health and the nature of her workout, and it has been tough on her to slow down and ice her shin regularly. Her competitive nature is telling her to shake it off and head out on the road to get some miles logged... but every time she begins her run, she finds her shin splints aching and slowing her down to a limp. She is frustrated about her running, but as always she finds a way. She has jumped back into her rhythm in the gym doing circuit training, weight training, yoga, and spin class. Erin is doing it the right way and resting her shin icing it regularly. Although it is frustrating, Erin is intent on slowing things down and cutting her miles, at least for a while, until the shin feels better.

I am going to continue to stand by her, encourage her to recover the right way, and get back to being completely healthy.

For more info on how to properly recover from shin splints... take a look at The Stretching Institute and their teaching how to deal with shin splints.