34 year old - trying to start jogging/running and shins are in pain!

[Anonymous]

I keep getting painful shins after every attempt! Should I just give up? At this rate I will just injure myself.

[Anonymous]

That is pretty normal. You need to start super slow. Try Couch to 5k!

[Anonymous]

Stop right now. Too many hills. You need to take it slower.

[Anonymous]

Shin splints come from not running in the correct form. Make sure you are striking with your heel first with a full roll to your toes. You can go to a running store and have them check your gait....or just ask an experienced runner. Or find some YouTube videos!

Good luck...been running for 35+ years with no injuries so it is doable.

[Anonymous]

Are you on a treadmill or outside?

Good new running shoes ?

Adjust your gait so your footstrike isn't too much toe or too much heel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shin splints come from not running in the correct form. Make sure you are striking with your heel first with a full roll to your toes. You can go to a running store and have them check your gait....or just ask an experienced runner. Or find some YouTube videos!

Good luck...been running for 35+ years with no injuries so it is doable.

OP here. I was told I need to strike with the balls of my feet to the ground so I have been doing that and I'm in immense pain.

[Anonymous]

Give them a rest and try again. This is a very common pain for new runners. If you have access to a treadmill, they are much kinder on knees and shins while you are building stamina and strength. Running on concrete is especially hard on the legs; you may notice some runners sticking to asphalt roads instead of sidewalks for this reason; they aren’t quite as unforgiving.

Shin pain happened to me when I was first starting out, running mostly on sidewalks, and not resting enough between runs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shin splints come from not running in the correct form. Make sure you are striking with your heel first with a full roll to your toes. You can go to a running store and have them check your gait....or just ask an experienced runner. Or find some YouTube videos!

Good luck...been running for 35+ years with no injuries so it is doable.

OP here. I was told I need to strike with the balls of my feet to the ground so I have been doing that and I'm in immense pain.

I think that stride is too sophisticated for a beginner.

Back off on mileage and speed. Also, do lots of calf stretches and ankle/foot strengthening. Ice. I second the recommendation of Couch to 5K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is pretty normal. You need to start super slow. Try Couch to 5k!

I agree to start super slow, but I don’t think couch to 5k is that slow. It starts easy but there’s a fairly quick ramp up if you are a true beginner. I tried and failed twice but finally found success (at 50 yo) with None To Run.

[jsmith123]

OP you should go to a good running shoe store and have someone watch you run and suggest the right kind of shoes. You might benefit from some cushiony insoles also.

For jogging, you shouldn't be landing on the balls of your feet. That makes no sense.

Also, consider finding a dirt trail near you, or just run on grass if you can. Pounding pavement & sidewalks can be hard on your body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shin splints come from not running in the correct form. Make sure you are striking with your heel first with a full roll to your toes. You can go to a running store and have them check your gait....or just ask an experienced runner. Or find some YouTube videos!

Good luck...been running for 35+ years with no injuries so it is doable.

OP here. I was told I need to strike with the balls of my feet to the ground so I have been doing that and I'm in immense pain.

This is just muscles getting used to what you're doing. I started running in my 20s and had the same experience. Accept that you're starting from a low baseline, but if you start small and build up to it, it'll get better.

The only other thing I'd say to watch out for is if your shoes have appropriate arch support for the shape of your foot (high, low, medium arch, etc.) If you're running striking on the balls of your feet this should be less of an issue though. Forefoot striking means there's a LOT of under-used muscles that need to catch up to the force you're applying, though, so take your time.

[Anonymous]

Make sure your shoes aren't laced too tightly or too loosely also, so your foot is supported but also has full range of motion.

Do you have high arches? My shins always start hurting when the arch support in my shoes starts to flatten out and loses the cushioning.

[Anonymous]

jsmith123 wrote:OP you should go to a good running shoe store and have someone watch you run and suggest the right kind of shoes. You might benefit from some cushiony insoles also.

For jogging, you shouldn't be landing on the balls of your feet. That makes no sense.

Also, consider finding a dirt trail near you, or just run on grass if you can. Pounding pavement & sidewalks can be hard on your body.

OP here. I went to Pacers and had an evaluation. Left the store with comfortable Cloudrunner shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shin splints come from not running in the correct form. Make sure you are striking with your heel first with a full roll to your toes. You can go to a running store and have them check your gait....or just ask an experienced runner. Or find some YouTube videos!

Good luck...been running for 35+ years with no injuries so it is doable.

OP here. I was told I need to strike with the balls of my feet to the ground so I have been doing that and I'm in immense pain.

No tip toe running. It should be an even rollout across your whole foot so that no one point absorbs all the force.

[Anonymous]

Get properly fitted. Go to Pacers in Old Town and they will tell you what sneakers to buy that won't cause shin splints (then buy them cheaper online the next time).