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Shin Splints: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
Shin splints are one of the most common injuries reported among runners, and by some estimates, 30 – 40% of beginners will experience shin pain at some point during their training. Understanding shin splints is important for preventing this injury, and everything a beginning (or veteran) runner needs to know for diagnosis and treatment is discussed below.
Causes of Shin Splints
Despite the prevalence of lower leg pain among runners, the exact cause of medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS, the technical name for shin splints) is not entirely understood. Some sports doctors believe calf tightness is to blame, while others assert that fascial restrictions in the periosteum (the muscle that wraps around the shin bone) is the root cause. Shin splints may also be triggered by muscle imbalances, such as weak hips or a weak posterior tibial tendon.
What causes these physiological changes that result in shin pain? The most common reason is that a runner has run too many miles (or added too much intensity) too soon. Often, shin splints are common among new runners who become overeager in their training, or veteran runners who are returning from an injury or extended break. Other common reasons for the development of lower shin pain are running in shoes that are either worn out or the improper fit or doing too many runs on hard surfaces, such as indoor tracks and concrete.
Diagnosing Shin Splints
Determining whether you have shin splints is relatively easy. The best way is to stand barefoot on a hardwood or non-carpeted floor with feet firmly planted below your hips. For the leg that hurts, raise your toes off the ground with your weight resting on your heels. If this movement causes pain on the inside of your shin, then MTSS is likely to blame. However, if no pain is felt during this exercise, you may instead be dealing with a stress fracture in the tibia, which can cause similar pain to shin splints. In this case, you should see a sports doctor for a proper diagnosis.
Treating Shin Splints
The quickest way to alleviate shin splints is to take time off from running in order to allow your body to fully heal. If time off is not an option, compression gear, such as compression socks or calf sleeves, can alleviate shin pain during exercise by drawing blood flow to the affected areas for healing. Calf stretching and strengthening can also help treat shin splints, as can icing the inflamed area after exercise.
Preventing Shin Splints
Shin splints prevention is dependent on the root cause of the shin problems. For many athletes, this means practicing patience when building mileage. For instance, the 10% rule should be followed, meaning not to increase a week’s mileage by more than 10% of what was run in the previous week. Calf and shin exercises, such as calf raises, should also be incorporated into a runner’s daily routine. Finally, tracking mileage on (properly fitting) running shoes and ensuring never to wear them beyond their usable lifetime can also keep shin splints at bay.
Ways to Reframe for Improved Running
Photo of Mireille Sine. Photo credit: Andres Medina.
One of the most powerful tools a runner can use to improve his or her mental game and subsequent running is the reframing technique. Effective use of the technique requires the athlete to “reframe” a negative thought or situation into something positive, which has important implications for performance. Listed below are common reframes and why they are effective.
Training
Negative Thought: “I can’t hit my splits; I’m never going to perform well on race day.”
Reframe: “I’m learning about my limits and am being provided with great data to figure out what I can change in order to improve my workout for next time.”
Why it works: All too often, athletes approach their workouts from an emotional perspective instead of a rational one. By reframing that workouts purely provide runners with data that they can learn from, athletes are able to approach the factors that affect their performance more rationally. For instance, a “bad” workout may help the runner realize that his or her nutrition, sleep patterns, or recovery are inadequate and that improving those areas will lead to performance gains.
Lifestyle
Negative Thought: “My workout is going to go poorly because I did not get enough sleep last night.”
Reframe: “Working hard when I am disadvantaged will help me perform my best when I am well-rested in the days leading up to the race.”
Why it works: Focusing on the factors that we are unable to control (such as too little sleep due to external factors) wastes mental and physical energy. By acknowledging that these are uncontrollable instances that will not affect us on race day helps us to focus on taking our training one step at a time while realizing the big picture, which is working hard every day towards improvement.
Competition
Negative Thought: “My arch-rival showed up; what if he/she beats me?”
Reframe: “Competition brings out my best.”
Why it works: Sometimes athletes get so caught up in what they feel “should” happen during competition (ex. that they must win, must PR, must place in their age group, etc.) that they forget why they enjoy racing in the first place. This reframe helps athletes remind themselves that racing is not always about the end result, but also about the process. While winning is nice, a personal record performance is better in the long run, and focusing on the big picture can relieve the pressure to perform in a certain way.
Tackling Your Mental Game
To run your best, a number of factors come into play: you must be physically fit, determined and arrive to the starting line uninjured. However, an often overlooked aspect of racing is the mental game. Running, more so than perhaps any other sport, is extremely dependent on mental toughness and the ability to push your body through boredom, pain and weakness. Below are three strategies to help you tackle your mental game and improve your running ability.
Cognitive Reframing
Have you ever gone into race day, barraging yourself with negative self talk before the race has even begun? Examples include complaining about the weather, questioning the quality of your training and evaluating the way the course will affect your time. While this negativity may seem harmless, the truth is that it weighs you down and can lead to slower times. According to sports psychologist Dean Hebert, the reframing technique is one of the best mental game tools in a runner’s arsenal Instead of saying, “the hills will slow me down today,” a positive reframe would be, “the hills will help me showcase how tough I really am.” Or, instead of worrying about a competitor beating you during a race, you can reframe the situation positively by pointing out to yourself that competition brings out the best in every competitor. Small changes in mindset like these can make a big difference.
Developing a Mantra
Common areas of weakness that runners often complain about having are the tendency to slow down at the end of the race or give up during the middle miles of a long run. For these runners, the development of a mantra can be helpful. Mantras are short phrases that can be repeated over and over throughout the race that help the brain focus on positivity. Mantras include “I am strong,” “one more mile,” or “I belong.” Mantras are just one small change a runner can make to improve his or her confidence, as they condition the brain for greater self-belief.
Visualization
Visualization is a technique often touted by sports psychologists because of its proven effectiveness in helping a runner achieve his or her goals. In the weeks and months leading up to a race, runners should visualize themselves at various points on the course doing positive things, in as great of detail as possible. For instance, a marathoner might visualize him or herself standing at the starting line of the race, wearing the exact same clothes he or she plans to wear on race day. The visualization would include feeling strong and confident. In the beginning miles, the runner should visualize the feeling of strength and following the race plan set forth, while also feeling energized for the long road ahead. Contrary to popular belief, it is recommended to also visualize negative aspects of the race, such as feeling discomfort or struggling during the middle miles, but to then visualize bringing yourself away from the negativity and rising above it, stronger than before. Finally, visualize yourself crossing the finish line with the clock reading your goal time, and how good it will feel to finish. This strategy is so important, that many elites even schedule visualization into their daily training regime!
Speed Work for Marathoners
A common misconception among runners is that when training for a marathon, speed does not matter. On the contrary, developing fast twitch muscles in addition to working the aerobic system is very important for improved running and metabolic efficiencies, as well as improved running economy. Additionally, the more comfortable you become while running fast, the easier your marathon pace will feel. Listed below are four workouts that benefit marathoners.
Hill Repeats
Hill repeats are a great workout for any type of runner to build endurance, strength, speed and stamina. They also help replicate the way your legs will feel in the later stages of a race. An example workout includes doing a 2–3 mile warm up, then running 8–12 times hard up a 100–400 m hill. When you get to the top, walk or jog down easy, and repeat. After the hill workout run a 2–3 mile cool down.
Tempo Runs
Tempo runs should be the bread and butter of a marathoner’s speed work regimen. These workouts help the body become efficient while running at a sustained effort, and also reinforce pacing. In addition, running tempos at marathon goal pace helps the runner become familiar with the effort required during the race. Common tempo runs for marathoners include 8–12 miles at marathon pace, or 4–6 miles at half marathon pace.
Cruise Intervals
Improving your ability to run fast at shorter distances, such as 5k or 10k, is recommended since marathon pace is correlated to how much “true” speed a runner has, as evidenced by equivalent performance calculators. Cruise intervals incorporate both endurance and speed. For this workout, simply run your normal distance (e.g., 6–12 miles), but run hard during the last 200–400 m of every mile. During the remaining 1200–1400 m of each mile, run a normal pace without slowing down to recover from the hard portion.
Progression Runs
The world’s best marathon performances have been run with even or negative splits, where the second half of the marathon was the same pace or faster than the first half. An excellent way to train your body to feel comfortable racing in this way is progression runs, where each mile of the run is completed 10–15 seconds faster than the previous mile.
Running Alone vs. Running in a Group: Which Do You Prefer?
For many runners, the tendency to follow the same routine day in and day out is strong. We have the same routes, same workouts, same paces and same races that we like to run on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. We also have preferences for whether we run alone or with friends, and rarely reevaluate these decisions. However, there are advantages to adding variety to your routine and the benefits of running alone versus with others should be weighed, especially if you’re looking for gains in performance.
Running Alone
Many runners choose to run by themselves because they use running as an escape or simply wish to unplug from the world around them with as few distractions as possible. There are many advantages of this approach:
No Pressure
Some runners do not excel in a group environment because they have a difficult time focusing on themselves, instead of others. When alone, there is no one to compare yourself to; no one to push you too hard during practice and no one to distract you from your thoughts. These are especially important considerations when returning from injury, as running in a group can often cause a runner to push him or herself through pain and slow down the healing process.
No Distractions
Sometimes, running alone is simply what we crave. Everyone has days where we need time to get lost in our thoughts or be one with nature. When we feel like the world is resting on our shoulders, having a running partner talk idly about his or her day can be less than welcome.
More Flexibility
When running alone we only have to answer to ourselves. Want to watch another episode on Netflix before heading out the door? No problem! Have a job with an unpredictable schedule that makes running at routine times difficult? Running alone avoids the hassle of having to find a time that works for everyone.
Complete Customization
Nothing is more frustrating than getting into the middle of a run with a good pace, but feeling guilty about dropping your running partner. On the flip side, when you aren’t feeling great but your running partner keeps picking up the pace, it can be difficult to admit to needing to slow down. Running alone helps you avoid these situations.
Running in a Group
Now that the advantages of running solo have been discussed, what about the benefits of running in a group?
Safety
Running alone, especially at night or on trails, can be dangerous. A number of incidents can occur, such as getting hit by a car, being physically assaulted, getting attacked by an animal, or suffering an injury and becoming stranded. Running in a group not only minimizes the chance of these occurrences, but can prevent them altogether.
Networking
Runners are a unique bunch of people who can easily be misunderstood. Running in groups is a great way to build a social network and can lead to interesting business relationships, as well.
More Fun
Unless you truly dislike socializing with other people, running in a group is the best way to have fun while engaging in an activity that you enjoy. Goofy antics, deep conversations or simply having others to draft off of can make a 20 mile run go by fast.
Improvements in Performance
Ever wonder why many elite runners train in groups? The best results often come when we have others to push ourselves to be our best.
The Importance of Sleep for Runners
Recovery begins the moment your workout ends, and how you approach your recovery will dictate future performances. Even though sleep is just as important as practice and the workouts themselves, our “more is better” culture actively discourages many people from receiving adequate rest.
The benefits of allowing your body to adequately sleep are numerous and include quicker muscle recovery, a clearer mind, faster metabolism, reduced stress, reduced risk of injury and improved athletic performance. As a general rule of thumb, sports scientists recommend that runners sleep an additional 10 minutes each night per 10 miles of weekly running. For instance, for someone who runs 30 miles a week, he or she should sleep an additional 30 minutes a night, beyond the recommended 7–9 hours of sleep. Why is additional sleep important? Muscle repair and recovery happens during REM sleep, which only occurs for approximately 10 minutes of every 90 minute sleep cycle. Therefore, the more REM sleep that occurs, the better body will recover.
Just as there are no shortcuts when it comes to working hard to improve running performance, there are no shortcuts when it comes to a good night’s rest. The following are tips for developing and sticking to a sleep routine:
Treat Sleep with the Same Importance as You Treat Your Workouts
Just as you would never be late for practice or a meet-up, do not let yourself put off going to bed at night. Schedule sleep into your routine the same way you schedule long runs or track sessions.
Avoid Caffeine After 3 PM
Energy drinks, coffee and certain teas all provide a potent caffeine kick. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, it may be linked to your caffeine intake throughout the day. If you find that you struggle to stay awake in the afternoon, consider taking a 10–20 minute nap to re-energize, which will also have the added benefit of clearing your mind and improving creativity.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Although beer, wine and liquor may initially help you fall asleep, alcohol can disrupt normal sleep cycles, making these periods less restful and reducing their benefits for recovery.
Limit Screen Time
The backlit glow of our computers, tablets and cellphones trick our brains into thinking we should be awake. Avoid electronics for an hour before bed and instead, opt for stimulating your brain the old-fashioned way, such as with a book or crossword puzzle.
Treat Sleep with Additional Importance before Major Races
In the final few weeks before your goal race, make sleep the number one priority of your day. During taper, your body works extra hard to repair itself from the previous months of training abuse. If you are feeling extra tired, be sure to give your body the additional rest that it craves.
Practice Deep Breathing and Meditation
Relying on sleep aids such as melatonin, Nyquil, Tylenol PM or other over-the-counter sleep medications is not only risky, but decreases the quality of sleep you receive. Instead, learn ways to calm your body and lull it to sleep naturally, which will have additional benefits for your athletic performance.
Five Tips for a New Runner
This is a guest post by Heather Gardner, founder of Tribe Fitness.
With a new year comes opportunity for a fresh start and new fitness goals. For you, that might mean finally lacing up those sneakers and experiencing for yourself what all this run buzz is about. To help you kick off 2016 on the right foot, here are my five tips every new runner should consider.
Get Proper Shoes
Wearing the correct running shoes for your feet is key for both comfort and injury prevention. Visit a running specialty store and chat with a professional about your foot type, gait, and style of running. Running in old or worn out shoes will only lead to pain and injury. With a variety of price points, consider this expense an investment in your health!
Don’t Worry About Your Pace
As a beginning runner, consider your pace goal to maintain an easy or “conversational” pace for the duration of your run. You should be able to breathe easily and carry on a conversation with those you are running with. As a new runner you might also consider starting with a run/walk program, where you run for a certain amount of time, followed by a brief period of walking. This is a great way to get active while building your fitness level and endurance. If you are in the Toronto area check out the free My First Race mentoring program starting with Tribe Fitness on February 9th.
Learn Proper Form
While I often encourage new runners to move in a way that feels most natural to them, consider these points for a relaxed upper body.
- As your elbows pull back, keep your arms bent at 90 degrees with your hands at waist height, where they might brush your hips.
- Keep your spine tall with your head up, your back straight, and shoulders away from your ears and level.
Sign up for a Race
One of the easiest ways for me to get motivated is to spend money and commit to a race. As a new runner, be sure to set a realistic length goal and give yourself enough time for proper and safe training. Once your race is on your calendar or in your phone, you’ll have something to motivate you on a daily basis. Wondering where to start? I suggest The Race Roster Spring Run Off.
Join a Tribe
Company. Accountability. Speed. Fun. Toronto has an amazing number of run crews each adding something unique to our growing and evolving run scene. Check out the crew’s online presence – can you see yourself with them? Shop around giving each one a test run, and find a crew that works for you, where the runners have similar goals and the workouts fit into your busy schedule. Looking for a place to start? #JoinTheTribe