TRAINING ERROR THE FIX

The classic: too much too soon, which is very common in new runners but also in a greedy veteran. Most of us have been guilty of this at some point. The 10 per cent rule: do not increase weekly mileage (or a long run for that matter) by more then 10 per cent per week. And when you have done too much too soon you’re going to need to rest.

Rest is key but it can be active rest (cross train with pool running or spinning). The idea is to offload the legs. After taking a few days of rest it is important to ease back into running. Don’t be afraid of rest. You don’t lose your fitness by taking a few days off, I promise. Graded running (running interspersed with walking) has been known to work well for shin splints. But along with rest, you want to solve the underlying issues as to not have it recur in the future.

In addition to what is listed above here are some self-care exercises: • Lacrosse ball rolling your calves and shins • Be sure to keep the calves loose with stretching as well