the simanek guide to injuries

since there were a couple of comments on my last post about shin splints i figured i'd share what i've learned over the past few years about them.

as zack said, "they suck" so your best bet is to never get them. how do you do that? well, there are a couple of answers to that one:

There are two excercises that i know of that will help prevent them. They are designed to strengthen the muscle in front of your shin bone so that it acts as a brace/shock absorber when the bone compresses during footstrike. For the first excercise, get a bag with straps (an old purse works well) and put 5-10 lbs. of weight in it. now, sit on a countertop so your feet are off the floor and loop the straps of the bag over the toes of one of your feet. now, raise your toes up and lift the bag. repeat this motion until the front of your shin burns. switch to the other foot. do three sets of these two or three times a week.

The second excercise is similar in concept except your sitting on a weight bench. place a 25 lb. weight plate flat on the floor. lift up one side and wedge the toes of one foot under it. keeping your heel on the floor, raise your toes up. same thing here. repeat until you can't do any more then switch feet. do three sets two times per week.

A third option you have is to take up cycling. Buy a bike with clip-in pedals. Proper pedaling form dictates that the bottom of your foot stays parallel to the road. When you're pulling up on the pedal (as you should be doing) you're working that same muscle if you keep your foot in the proper position. This is my personal favorite since you get the added benefit of a good cardio workout.

Now, the bad news is that when most people find out what shin splints are, they usually already have them. About the only thing you can do is cut back your mileage, or if you're obstinate like me, quit increasing it. start doing more runs on softer ground. rubber track, grass, gravel, asphalt, concrete is the order of increasing hardness. now after a run, ice your shins for 40 minutes (5 minutes on, 5 minutes off) and take a couple of ibuprofen tablets. do this for a month after EVERY run whether they hurt or not.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, physical therapist, or coach. this is just stuff that has worked for me.