Can minimalism help a beginning runner who is highly prone to shin splints?

doesn't everyone get shin splints when they start running? I definitely did. Just did the 3 I's until they went away. Ice, ibuprofen, ignore

wilfredo wrote:

doesn't everyone get shin splints when they start running? I definitely did. Just did the 3 I's until they went away. Ice, ibuprofen, ignore

Yes, but this is a pretty extreme case. It has been a few years of running attempts. Ice, massage, and other conservative treatments did not allow for a return to running. Only complete rest for 2-3 months would get the pain to go away.

With medial shin splints the issue is making sure the heel/strike point of the shoe is rounded or beveled and not blocked off like a traditional running shoe. This will decrease the pronation/eversion moment (momentum).

With anterior shin splints it helps to avoid a shoe with a thick heel. With medial shin splints it actually helps to have a positive heel pitch.

Since she is a beginner, conditioning is a factor. Perhaps incorporating some easy plyometrics like skipping as well as basic calf exercises will help. Also instead of continuous running, use a jog/stride approach. For my wife, who never ran before she met me, I had her stride/pickup for 50 meters then slow jog ("old man shuffle") 150 meters for a mile sandwiched by half mile warm up and cool down.

Also check her form. Alot of beginner runners lean forward too much, overstride. Make sure she "runs tall" and try shortening the stride. Notice a lot of senior runners have a short stride (old man shuffle), but that's part of their "secret" to staying active an injury free into their 80's.

As for minimalism vs traditional shoes, the truth is somewhere in the middle. My wife does well in New Balance 790 (minimalist trail shoe) with the use of Superfeet inserts.

I use to wear the Mizuno Waive Riders but every once in a while I kept getting problems in my lower legs by the metacarpal bone or flexor tendon area. The shoe was just not flexible and one day I said well let me try the Aasics Cumulus, and that was much comfy and fitted my feet I think better. So I didn't have any problems with Aasics on all my runs except when I did 800s or any fast interval. I would feel it at the same spot more like a soar. So I started using Aasics Speedstar for my tempo and workouts. Let me tell you the first day I wore that shoes I was dead as hell the next day. Thats when I realized that gosh my lower legs must have had many muscles asleep. So I gradually weaned myself to Speedstar to avoid injury and now I do all my runs and workouts and races in them. I am a believer that I train and race in the same shoes. So I guess all this blah blah am writing ends with a question. How far am I from really being a minimalist. I will never wear Vibrams period. I hate the look. I mean its cool but just not me. So whats the next closest shoes to the Speedstar that I could start using once or twice a week to start with. I don't know if Speedstar is considered a flat but for me it took me a while to get use to it. I don't have much red meat under my feet so I feel everything. Thanks alot.

wilfredo wrote:

doesn't everyone get shin splints when they start running? I definitely did. Just did the 3 I's until they went away. Ice, ibuprofen, ignore

lol same here. I've had shin splints a few times in my life and in college during a season once or twice. I just kept running, iced them down after every run, and ignored that shit... then they went away.

I feel bad for people (like in this thread) where it's not that simple. They're annoying as hell. I think they would make me quit running (or want to) if it was chronic.

Nothing else has worked wrote:

I have been trying for over two years to help a friend get into running, but each time she tries, she gets shin splints (medial). She has high, rigid arches and pronates a bit on the left (the side prone to shin splints). Each attempt at running has resulted in shin splints. She has tried all sorts of stretching, strengthening and massage. Nothing was worked. Every attempt to run ends in painful shin splints after getting close to being able to run a mile without stopping or a similar distance with walk breaks.

The local running store put her in some pretty hefty Asics (Nimbus, I think). I have been wondering whether minimalism may be the answer.

Anyone had success getting past medial shin splints by going minimal? Specifically as a beginner? Anyone get medial shin splints by going minimal?

Maybe you should allow her to train in her new shoes first, before giving up on them. I used to suffer from shin splints all the time. Painful to the point I could barely walk. Especially in flip flops or barefoot. It wasn't until I switched to a shoe with more support, that my shin splits went away.

El Mastero wrote:

txrunnergirl you had your first stress fracture because you gained weight.

Wow, let me guess... you are a hit with all the ladies with that kind of charm.

how come barely anyone has mentioned form???? I'm not saying that every single person that has shin splints has bad form, but that is pretty darn near true. If you are running with good form, aren't fat, and still have shin splints, I feel really bad for you and maybe you can find a different hobby you really enjoy.

also, I have to agree with the person that said soft surfaces don't really help. Reason being, when you run on hard surfaces you subconsciously run softer, and the opposite happens on soft surfaces.

as far as injury preventative form: it's pretty simple. Land on your forefoot/midfoot. Land under your center of mass, not in front. Take light, quick, small steps.

I've been thinking of getting the Speedstar, as well because my current shoes (Aasics Oberon) have about had it but I don't want a hefty shoe, just a light simple one. Anyway, how long has your Speedstars lasted you? I mean, since they are more of a road racing, light shoe, do they deteriorate quickly?

I've always used Asics, so I think they are generally good.

theone wrote:

how come barely anyone has mentioned form???? I'm not saying that every single person that has shin splints has bad form, but that is pretty darn near true. If you are running with good form, aren't fat, and still have shin splints, I feel really bad for you and maybe you can find a different hobby you really enjoy.

also, I have to agree with the person that said soft surfaces don't really help. Reason being, when you run on hard surfaces you subconsciously run softer, and the opposite happens on soft surfaces.

as far as injury preventative form: it's pretty simple. Land on your forefoot/midfoot. Land under your center of mass, not in front. Take light, quick, small steps.

Minimalism lets you run how you are supposed to, so your form improves. It wasn't much of a change for me since I already landed on my mid/forefoot, but with big-heeled shoes, it forced me to go forward more, which put more of the impact on my shins.

Hate to say it, but have custom orthotics been considered? Not all people are "born to run"and those over-the-counter orthotics she's currently using are doing jack

Over a few years of the injury/run/repeat cycle, I had 3 different custom orthotics made by 3 different doctors who told me I had 3 different problems. I still had the same pain. Nothing worked until I turned to minimalism.