Running Help

[JHDAVIS]

I have been walking a lot and averaging around 13 1/2 min miles. I tried jogging a little bit and my shins(outer muscle area) started hurting after 1 block. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid that pain? I would really like to get my heart rate up more but I cant seem to walk any faster

[GarudaGirl]

Yup. Definitely, definitely stretch before you go. I learned that at a beginning run-walk program I attended. You should stretch for maybe five minutes, including leg stretches. One that might help is toe taps. To do these, you keep your feet and heels on the ground, and raise and lower just your toes for a count of twenty. Do it maybe two or three times. That should work those muscles especially. You can also research stretches for shin splints.

If you do intervals, walking and jogging, you will be able to build up quicker. Check out the Couch to 5K programs, for example. Slow and steady really does the job. 

Good Luck!

[gibberish]

Make sure you get some good running shoes.. when I first starting running my shins would really hurt because I didn't have proper shoes.. I then invested in some good shoes and havne't been in pain since! (I got some Nike shoes at around 60 quid) 

[Dominique]

If you haven't run for a long time, pain in this area is normal. Just listen to your body and take your time. It took me several months before I could run again without shin pain.

[Dominique]

---

@GarudaGirl wrote:

Definitely, definitely stretch before you go.

---

Many think otherwise:

http://www.runnersworld.com/stretching/should-you-stretch-before-running

http://www.runnersworld.com/the-starting-line/should-i-stretch-before-or-after-my-runs

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Get-Fit/Stretching-after-walking/m-p/605680

I personally never stretch when walking/running, not before, nor after. You don't need to be flexible in order to run efficiently.

[Heybales]

---

@JHDAVIS wrote:

I have been walking a lot and averaging around 13 1/2 min miles. I tried jogging a little bit and my shins(outer muscle area) started hurting after 1 block. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid that pain? I would really like to get my heart rate up more but I cant seem to walk any faster

---

So that muscle is used to pull the front of your foot up, dorsaflexion, to clear the ground.

When walking you land on heel (usually) and weight gently transfers to mid-foot and then to fore-foot.

If when you run though your foot is hitting on the heel and then slapping down (may or may not be actual slapping noise) from the force of weight causing the forefoot to slam down, not gently roll to it, then your muscle holding it up was eccentrically impacted, it was contracted and while contracted forced to lengthen as fore-foot went down fast. That is the hardest workout on muscles, and causes the most damage in micro-tears. And since they attach to shin, they can do a fare bit of attempt to pull away from the bone, if not really used to it.

So let it heal with some RICE in case that latter reason was it, and confirm you land mid-foot if at all possible, foot can't slap down if landing flat footed. Shock is absorbed by your quads, not bones.

Besides, joints are not real thrilled with greater than body weight impact going up the legs with a hard heel landing.

Ditto's to walking warmup and cooldown, 5 min minimum. You may want to do some walk/jog intervals after walking for a bit just to confirm that happens. Stretching usually doesn't do much for this muscle, mots people spend a decent amount of day with toes pointed out, muscle already stretched.

[GarudaGirl]

@Dominique

The flexibility isn't so much the point, as preparing to run and slowly waking up your body. I suppose running advice is all over the map, as I learned my program through a Fleet Feet running store and the Runners World book I have advocates the same. I know I have definitely injured more readily with no stretching.