dodgy legs!

[EgoIndigeoNemo]

hi, have posted a few times before about shin splints, still have them but not as bad, but now within the past couple of weeks something new has come up! i postponed my last PRMC from February and my next one is April the 24th, anyway i thought all was going well in regards to my running but now when i run its like my legs and feet are aching so bad that its hard to focus on anything else! so its wierd because i was able to run over 8 miles about 3 weeks ago and my legs are now all cramped up after about a mile and a half?? i have not upped my millage and i am also not training any less than i was and im also eating the same so nothing has changed in that respect. the only things i can think of are that my orthotic insoles are on the way out, or my trainers are crap. i have been seeing the physio but they don't know, my calf muscles are not too tight and such like! so i have no idea what has happened! its starting to worry me now as my PRMC is in the near future and I'm defiantly not postponing again. my cardio seems ok and i think my upper body strength is ok too so just my legs are worrying me now! sigh!

anyway sorry to ramble on! have just got back from a "run" now, one that would have been super easy before but lately feels like its a marathon! was just hoping someone could help? or maybe someone has had a similar sort of thing?

any help much appreciated!

cheers!

[Pvt Doughnut]

Hi chap, are you doing your laces up too tight? I have found this to cause me some real trouble if I do it. I find that my feet ache quite badly.
Other than that I would have said tight muscles but you say not, so im not sure. What is your stretching routine like at the moment? It never hurts to stretch off even if you think your muscles arent tight.

How far off is your PRMC? Maybe a few days off would do you some good, just go for a swim each day and strech alot then try it again.

Dunno if thats any help or not, but I hope it sorts itself out mate.

[EgoIndigeoNemo]

cheers for the reply,
I have noticed that when i do my laces too tight that makes my feet hurt too but this feels more like my legs but also the feet too (exactly like when my laces are too tight but they aren't) when i get back from the run my muscles hurt to stretch and then i ice my shin splints, take ibuprofen and then the hurt goes slightly but i can still feel it! When i wake up the next morning my shins realy hurt again for a couple of hours but i take ibuprofen again. im thinking this could all be down to the same cause (the shins and the leg ache) but why its all started up again for apparently no reason i have no idea! before i run i take the dog for a walk, do a bit of skipping and running on the spot knees up etc.. for a warm up then stretch my legs out for about a minuet each stretch (physio told me to stretch for that long) so i guess that should be enough warming up? when i first started going to physio my calfs were too tight but apparently they are not any more, but if they were it would explain allot i guess! I'm just hoping its not chronic compartment syndrome as thats the only thing i could find on the net when i searched my symptoms! going to fest them for a few days now though!
anyways thanks for the help! (PRMC is 24th april by the way)
cheers.

[Beowulf]

EIM,

Hello mate, I would not pop ibuprofen willy nilly to mask the problem that you have. This is not recommended and not a good idea to train through the pain, you will end up doing yourself more harm than good.

The forces are looking for fit individuals not broken young men that were daft enough to run through severe pain. I am not an expert but have recovered from quite nasty stress fractures previously and I would suggest, taking an orthopaedic holiday for your legs. You have over three weeks until your course, why don’t you take a week off from the running work on other areas? The rest can do you nothing but good.

If you are as worried as I believe you are then you do have the option of putting the PRMC back again until you have managed to see a qualified sports injury physician who will know what the score is. You may have to have various scans, treatment etc and it is expensive but these are your pins that we are talking about.

I hope it works out for you and try not too worry too much, it may be as straight forward as a bit of rest required. Keep us informed.

All the best

Wulf

[JumpFreak]

...do a bit of skipping and running on the spot knees up etc... This could play a large factor in you ... bit. Mike

[EgoIndigeoNemo]

cheers for the advice,
I'm going to rest them until Tuesday and carry on if they feel better, then if not i will rest them longer! hopefully all they need is rest! also I'm getting a cast of my feet to get proper insoles made instead of the plastic ones i have at the moment! i will just be doing non impact training for a while i guess!
thanks again

[AJtothemax]

cheers for the advice,
I'm going to rest them until Tuesday and carry on if they feel better, then if not i will rest them longer! hopefully all they need is rest! also I'm getting a cast of my feet to get proper insoles made instead of the plastic ones i have at the moment! i will just be doing non impact training for a while i guess!
thanks again

Ice them, ice them, ice them!

Ice does wonders mate - its the way forward

Seriously.

Dont take pain killers to supress the pain as you train, i did that and made what i had worse which eventually resulted in me having an operation to correct it - DO NOT DO IT. Keep seeing a physio and keep your GP updated as you may need a referral to the hospital. If you want to keep your CV at a reasonable level, go swimming and keep off the running ok. This will help keep your legs strong and keep your CV up.

Ice your legs.

Keep a close eye on your symptoms, if something happens and hurts them even more, make note of it and remember how it happened and for how long it hurt etc. This sort of information could help a GP or a specialist diagnose and treat you better. It did with me as they tried alot of things.

Insoles (as you have mentioned), will help too but i wouldnt rely on them totally. All they are doing is supporting the arch in your foot and cushioning the impact of your running - it probably wont cure you of a condition you have. Dont take that literally as im no qualified physio or a medical practitioner, im just reiterating things i have learnt from experience to you.

Once again - ice.

I hope i have been of some help and i hope you get better soon.

All the best.