Marathon You Can Do It

Shin splints is a pain over the front of your lower leg, that part stretching from the knee to the foot.When you run you feel pain and when you touch the area on either side of your shin bone, it may feel sore and tender.

This injury was made famous by Lance Armstrong during his first marathon. At the end of 2006 New York Marathon he reported he had ran the distance wish shin splints. The amazing thing was that he still managed a sub 3 hours finish. Not bad in your first marathon!

Causes of Shin splints injury

Experts call it overuse injury, that is too much running. That is why Doctors recommend taking a rest from running as the first step in solving the problem.

Step One In Treating Shin SPlints Injury

Stop running and take a rest.

Step two in treating shin splints injury

Ice the area twice a day.

Step three in treating Shin splints injury

Use an anti-inflamatory spray. If the pain is too much you may take pain killers.

Step four in treating shin splints

Finally, when you get back running use a good running shoe.

Normal pain disapear after a short while but if you don’t see improvement consult with your physician.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Running, running injury, Running shoes, Treatment

Sometimes injuries are not obvious. You can suffer some common running injuries while running and not  be aware.  Its only when you go out for your next run that you discover that your calf, knee or ankle is not well.

It happened to me after my first marathon. Six months after the marathon I returned to running and the first thing I realized was my knee was in pain. For those six months of rest I never felt a sign that I was suffering from runners knee. Many runners after running a marathon return home and get on with life, its only when they get back running that they discover a knee, calf or ankle is not well.

Why you Might not feel the pain.

Runners can carry an injury and not be aware of the injury because most injuries are felt when we apply effort. When you are walking you wont feel anything is amiss but when you try an activity that requires an effort like going up or down a staircase you will feel pain.

Detecting Hidden Injury

If you have ever suffered a pain and visited a doctor, the first thing a doctor does is to press the place you show him. Pressing is the only way a doctor can confirm whether its the correct place.

As for runners, If you bother to stretch or massage your legs after a run you might be able to detect a hidden injury. If you massage your calf’s or stretch your ankles and feel unbearable pain, it is a sign the joint or muscles has taken too much beating and needs treatment. That is why I always make sure I stretch and massage after my runs.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Massaging, Running, running injury, Stretching, Treatment