So I feared the worst when I went to see Lillian, the sports masseuse at Virgin Active in Streatham yesterday and she confirmed it within seconds of touching my legs. ‘You’re starting to get shin splints.’
It’s the two words most runners dread and, having suffered before, I knew the telltale signs were there all week: a slight burning soreness on the inside of my calves and aching shins, to the point where I’ve done most of the week’s runs at snail pace and, at times, even hobbled.
She went to work on them for 45 minutes, pummeling and rubbing away, stretching my legs one way and then the other… but I still went home slightly dejected. It’s a feeling that was compounded this morning when I woke up and could still feel the pain… Anyone who has read about Lillian before will know that she’s performed magic when I thought my streak might come to an end, but even her expert help had not done its job.
As I hobbled down London Road and back this morning, I made a decision on the Brighton Marathon. I have three weeks and four long runs to go according to my programme, but I am going to forsake tomorrow’s long run that was to be a 22 miler. I will then just do gentle three milers all week and monitor the progress. I’m hoping the ‘rest’ from the long run may help things calm down a little.
Miles today: 3
Target: 567
Miles to date: 744.07
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1 comment
Steve Swift says:
March 28, 2010 at 00:49 (UTC 1)
Sorry to here this. I’ve never had them so can only go on what I’ve read over on the RW boards which, if I remember rightly, had/has a thread called ‘Running with shin splints’.
Wise decision on giving yourself a rest from the long run. See how you are in three/four days (sorry for stating the obvious) but you may be ok in that it must be the additional long distances you’ve incorporated into your run which has caused it to flare up. Once it’s calmed down a bit you never know….