I’b been training for my first half-marathon. So far my longest run has been 6 1/2 miles, done in about an hour. This week, probably tomorrow, I’ll go for 7. I’ve been running for years, but usually stop around 4 miles for my long run. The last couple of weeks, 4 has been my short runs.
You’d also think I would know the value in stretching after my Taedwondo mishap, but my body needs to remind me from time to time. The last two weekends I’ve felt like I was getting shin splints, which I’ve never had in 8+ years of running. After doing a little research, I learned that one of the causes is your calves being too tight, and the muscle that pulls your foot up may be too weak to counter the tightness. Which is exactly what it felt like…muscle fatigue but not the sharp pain of a true shin splint.
So I stretched for a while before my last run, and was fine.
Now I just need to find the balance in eating. I think I’m eating too much. I have gained a little weight since starting to run. Need to cut that back a little I suppose.
My brother had a lot of problems with shin splints when he ran cross-country. I try to remember to stretch so that it won’t happen to me. I think that doing yoga and pilates has also helped, because some of those leg muscles are stronger.
(But I can’t run 6-7 miles.)
Kari
February 4th, 2009