Yeah, I'm thinking of getting back into road-racing. I've been running for the past 12 or 13 years(since sophmore year of high school), but I haven't run a race since I used up all my eligibility in college track and college cross country.
I guess 4 years away from racing is enough time to make me desire that pain again.
I used to jog to stay in shape but I started getting shin splints Pretty crappy cause it used to be relaxing.
What kind of shoes were you running in?
Common causes of shin splints are:
1) Running in footwear that are not running sneakers(Cross-trainers are the most commonly misused shoes that people wear for running). If you plan to run, you'd better go spend at least 45 bucks on a decent pair of RUNNING sneakers.
2) Not breaking your running sneakers in before running in them. It is recommended that you walk around in a new pair of running shoes for a good 3 or 4 days before you wear them out on an actual run. Once the sneakers have been broken in by walking in them, you should dedicate this pair of sneakers purely for running and not wear them out for casual purposes..... because this will kill the running-lifespan and the length of quality protection that the pair of sneakers will provide to your joints.
3) Not warming up/improper warm-up procedures. If you don't like to or have time to warm up, then just start your run off very slowly and progressively work your way up to speed over the course of the first mile of your run.
4) Jumping into an overly aggressive running regimine without giving your body time to acclimate to shorter/slower runs and build up to the longer/faster workouts. Start off slowly and build up gradually to longer runs if you start noticing that you are prone to shin splints or other muscular injuries.... or are just really out of shape.
Sorry for the rant... but, unless you are a very very heavy runner(Weight), don't let some minor discomfort in your shins prevent you from running. Just try to take the proper precautions and build up to your desired run distance and I'm fairly certain that you should be able to overcome them.
you might also want to buy some inserts like spencos to help with the cushioning. there are several types of running shoes to consider depending on your build, your stride, etc. best thing to do is to go to a store that specializes in selling running shoes. they should be pretty knowledgeable and steer you in the right direction. don't be cheap either. a good pair of running shoes should run you at least 70-80 bucks. i'm biased towards asics since that's what i started with. i only run in asics kayanos but then again everyone's different. good luck.
Asics are the shit. I've also been wearing those for the past 5 years.
In my opinion, they are superior to any other shoe manufacturer whose sneakers I have personally owned(Nike, Rebook, Adidas, Saucony).
-Nike's tend to wear out very very quickly and are overpriced. They seem to focus more on style than function, IMO.
-Rebooks always seemed a bit sloppy to me... causing my foot steps to plop, rather than roll, and I've noticed they tend to be heavy sneakers.
-Adidas makes good off-road sneakers that are also very durable, but they don't offer the most cusioning for road running.
-If you have wide feet, try New Balance. Personally, I've never tried them... but several of my wide-footed friends/teamates swear by these.
-Asics makes a durable sneaker with great cushioning and good stability and foot roll for an efficient stride that minimizes momentum loss. The ony negative that I have about Asics, are that their road sneakers have horrible wet traction on many surfaces. If you walk on a Tile floor with a pair of wet asics, or try to climb a steep, wet, grass/dirt hill... you'll feel like you're on ice skates.
I can't stand running on treadmills. I can accept that it is a viable option to running outside in 8 degree weather and snow/ice, but it's just soo damn boring... plus, you end up focusing too much on the time and distance you've been running and how much longer and farther you want to go... essentially making it that much more tedious and painful mentally.
When I run on a treadmill, I feel like a rat running on one of those little wheels.
I can't stand running on treadmills. I can accept that it is a viable option to running outside in 8 degree weather and snow/ice, but it's just soo damn boring... plus, you end up focusing too much on the time and distance you've been running and how much longer and farther you want to go... essentially making it that much more tedious and painful mentally.
When I run on a treadmill, I feel like a rat running on one of those little wheels.
I usually focus on the hot chick right in front of me ALWAYS choose a treadmill directly behind a girl in tight workout clothes, those eliptical machines that are right in front of the treadmills at my gym tend to do a good job of showin' off the goods!!!!
I'm not a runner - I'm a biker - but I know what you're saying about treadmills. When riding a stationary - or my road bike on the trainer - it's a mental game to keep going.
On the flip side for me, though, is that I find that if I stretch myself mentally on the trainer, I can go longer on the road before I give in. I can get better focus, resist the desire to turn back, convince myself to take the turn that adds mileage.
Mostly, it helps ignore the fatigue the slowly builds up as you put 100% into going forward.
...of course, this only works if you actually press yourself on the trainer. Low resistance/slow speed doesn't help much.
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Are There Any Runners Here?
Pretty crappy cause it used to be relaxing.
ALWAYS choose a treadmill directly behind a girl in tight workout clothes, those eliptical machines that are right in front of the treadmills at my gym tend to do a good job of showin' off the goods!!!!
