Blown Away and Broken Down

I want to say that this week has been great, but that would be a lie. It has gone by so quickly but hectic - another snow storm leaving school cancelled for a day, projects due despite the snow, meetings before and after school, relying on one vehicle between my husband and I, and worse -a sharp pain from my left shin shot up through my leg after running three miles. In fact, while at school teaching, just pacing from one end of the classroom and back was unbearable. Therefore, I have not ran this week. But, unfortunately, it has left me miserable and wondering what went wrong.

However, while at Kroger's today, looking through the magazine section, I noticed the Runner's World magazine and decided take a look. As I flipped through the pages of the March issue, I came across an article how to avoid common running injuries: The Big 7 Body Breakdowns. I was so elated - just what I needed! I read about shinsplints, thinking maybe that is what I am experiencing. I admit, I was confused while I read because I have been running for awhile and it mentioned that shinsplints occur when runners take time off and come back to it too quickly. They can also occur when wearing the wrong shoes or a pair of shoes with too many miles. In Sept. 2010, I got another pair of running shoes (Mizuno Wave Alchemy 9) from the Columbus Running Company. Do they have too many miles on them? Are they not effective anymore? Are my high arches making this worse?

Well, I will not ask too many questions, but will take the advice suggested in hopes to recover and avoid this particular injury again:

• Wear an appropriate shoe.
• Tape the shin with Kinesio Tex tape to alleviate pain and speed healing.
• Wear an air cast ankle brace.
• Instead of running, bike, pool run, or swim.
• Increase mileage slowly.

If you find yourself with any problems, be sure to check the article out. It was helpful for me.