Emergency! Spring track is coming up!!! What should I do and should I get new running shoes?

Alright, I'm recovering from shin splints that I got last month. They feel better now but still a little sore. Should I still ice them every night??? I stopped icing them a couple days ago. My coach says that I should jumprope everyday to help strengthen up my shins/calves. Does this really work? I think I got shin splints from the shoes I was wearing (1 year-old, kinda raggedy tennnis shoes).


I'm a sprinter- I run the 400 and plan on doing the 100 and other sprinting events. WHAT KIND OF RUNNING SHOES SHOULD I GET (preferably ones that I could wear for running at practice AND for track meets -sprinting)???


One last question- should I do any strength training- I currently don't have gym class, I have health and Spring track practice doesn't start until next month? Therefore, I'm not exercising at all this month except for riding my bike to school.


HELP!!!

Emergency! Spring track is coming up!!! What should I do and should I get new running shoes?
I was in your shoes when I first started track a long time ago. I hope running becomes a lifelong activity for you. This is going to sound harsh but I'm just telling it like it is. You should get good running shoes. I know it will cost more, but you should go to a specialty running shop for your first pair of shoes, which will be around $90. You are a beginning runner and if you go to a good shop (not large commercial running chains, but a local running shop) you will get good service from people who know what they're doing and who are runners.





Then if you want to next time, you can order them online at runningwarehouse and google for online coupon discounts and the shoes will be of cheaper. Also, you will need to buy some track spikes and the running shop will help you with that as well. All sprinters and distance runners wear them in races. There are different spikes for different distances so make sure you get the right ones. Spikes help so much in reducing your times. If you get good ones, they'll last through high school (you'll have to replace the spikes).





$40 more isn't that much if it means the difference between getting injured or having an enjoyable season. So stay away from the Nikes from Wal Mart or Target. Even at Big 5 the shoes are of lesser quality and won't hold up as long as a good pair of shoes. Long-time runners can tell when their shoes are worn out if they don't seem to have the spring in they used to. If you want a good pair of shoes try Brooks or Asics.





Your shin splints are the result of poor conditioning. First, until your shin splints are gone you should run mostly on grass or bark (some type of soft surface). Second, even though you are a sprinter you should be running five to six days a week so you can survive the track season. Jumping rope is good but doing it alone will not cut it. It's better to spend that time running. Good exercises are calf raises and walking on your heels. To strengthen the muscles in your shin, try grabbing onto a fence or something and leaning back then raising your toes (this might be hard to picture). Yes, ice is a good thing for the pain but doesn't solve the problem of weak shin muscles. I used to do 10 minutes on 10 minutes off.





Also, shin splints aren't a crack in your bone like the above poster stated. They are weak shin muscles and inflamation. You can look it up on Wikipedia. You can get stress fractures in that area though and that's why it's important to buy proper shoes, eat properly, and to gradually increase your conditioning.





I hope you have a fun track season. There are a lot of good female Vietnamese American athletes like the pole vaulter Jackie Nguyen of UCLA. There was also a girl named Venus Nguyen who was a very fast 400m runner. Look her up. I think these two are part-white. Good luck. In the future you should have somebody show you how to do weight training. Cross Country or swimming are also very good for conditioning. If you play volleyball, soccer or basketball those are good too.





Here is something from my previous post that applies to your situation. For you jellybean you should just do mostly 35-45 minutes 5-6 days a week with strides at the end.





You should try for endurance with the objective being to be in good shape by the time practice starts so you can do the specific training that will make you faster.





The main thing is that you don't want to do nothing for more than three to four weeks because you'll be in very bad shape. Most college runners and sprinters take no more than a couple of weeks rest between seasons to recover and when they start up again they are still in decent shape because they train consistently. You should always be in decent shape.





You're going to have to run 5-6 days a week. Increase your mileage but do it by time because it's easier. Buy a nice Timex Ironman watch to keep track of how many minutes you run. On your easy days you should go for 35-45 minutes. You should have one long run of an hour to an hour thirty minutes. Increase your running slowly.





Also, you may not be able to handle running this much depending on your body type. Scale back if you feel anything is injured. If you feel unusually fatigued, take a week off. If feel recurring pain for many days in your knees or achilles don't run. You're going to want to do two speed workouts each week.





Workouts for speed in four types:


Fartlek runs: This is Swedish meaning speedplay inserted in the middle of your run. You can go by time eg. 4x2minutes. You increase the pace for two minutes then run at normal pace before doing another 2 minutes at faster pace. You can also go by distance eg. say to yourself I'm going to sprint to that telephone pole or that tree. A two speed fartlek has regular pace then faster pace. A three speed fartlek has regular, fast, fastest (sprint).





Track repeats (For you, don't do too much of these before the season. The other workouts would be better) : To keep it simple, good workouts for your 400m include 5x500m and 3x300m all easy and relaxed. You can do this in your fartlek runs too if you estimate the time it takes. If you go shorter distances with more rest, it helps your pure speed. You can also do fast but easy strides of 8x60m-100m at the end of your regular runs.





Tempo run: On a regular run you might do 10 minutes at easy pace then 20 minutes at race pace then 10 minutes easy again.





Hills: Do a session of long hill repeats every 2 weeks. Run to a place with long hills. Do a few repeats on hills that take will take you more than 1 minute. If you are in the mountains you can do trail running.





Here is a link to Alberto Juantorena's training just because I think it's interesting, not that you should follow it.





http://www.athleticscoaching.ca/UserFile...
Reply:First, you need good running shoes that are appropriate for you. If you can, go to a running shoe store with expert sales people (ex: Roadrunner Sports). They can tell you if you need a stability shoe or a neutral shoe etc... You should always run in a good running shoe and not a tennis shoe. Shin splints are specifically caused by an overly worn shoe or an inappropriate shoe and/or training too hard too quickly.





Also, running gives you very strong calves and you need to balance out these muscles by working on the opposite side of you leg-- the front. Try some exercises that work the front of your calf like raising your toes (pulling them toward you and putting your heel down) and contracting those front muscles. You can do ankle circles or write the entire alphabet with each foot by rotating your toes. This will help to balance front out with the back--- which is very important.





And stretch -- take Vit C and a multi.
Reply:Get running shoes and that will blow the budget. Spikes won't matter much unless you are competitive in the 400m. For the 100m perhaps you can borrow a teammates shoes in the same size. See if someone has outgrown spikes in your size as they could be in real good condition and cheap or free. If you can, talk to your coach about your training regimen.
Reply:I have been running for 8 years now and would recommend the following:





I would strengthen the core: calves, quads, hams, back and abdominal (the "six pack" muscles along with the obleks), chest and arms. But when strengthening these muscles, I would focus more on the muscle endurance not the muscle bulk. For more advice for this, I would consult with a personal trainer. For the running part, I would stay flexible as it helps/contributes to your balance (so do the muscles in your core) but also helps prevent some injuries like pulled muscles and shin splints. Also, I would try to make up a schedule where you can run for X amount of days and try to have a long run. I would start off slowly, running about 2-3 miles per run for the first week and increase my mileage per week. Make sure you have the following: a good diet, hydration, sleep, a good sense on how to take care of your body, and sleep.





I have been running for 8 years now. Though I am biased towards Nike as a brand, I would recommend you to go to a running-specific store, like Fleet Feet in Carrboro, NC. They can help you find the right shoe because people buy shoes that aren't necessarily right for their feet, but more comfortable or fashionable. But after you get the correct shoes or even if you haven't, I would go to any major athletics store and ask the sales associates because they are getting paid to know the products they are selling. Good luck!!!





http://www.fleetfeetsports.com/
Reply:-well ice is just for the pain it actually does nothing much for the shin splits


-jumprope is good for the shins and calves


-no wonder you have shin splits your runnung in tennis shoes, there is a reason there are running shoes , running shoes are built to reduce the shock everytime you foot hits the ground which is i believe 4times your weight(so if you weight 100 pounds then each time your leg hits the ground 400pounds of pressure is put on your legs that is why the right shoes will eliminate the shock eliminating shin splits)


-well if your doing 400m and the 100m get running spikes preferable mid-distance


-so actually you need running shoes (examples like newbalance or the nike air peagsus)and running spikes (for sprint events, trust me the shoes help )
Reply:yes, keep icing them and stretch your calves and massage them intensley, if you can get this thing called "the Stick" to massage them. the jump-roping is a good thing too. yes, get new shoes. I would recommend Asics as the best kind for training and they are pretty cheap, but you should think about getting spikes for your races. as for getting in shape, try to just go out running for like 30-45 minutes every other day or like 5-6 days a week whenever you feel good, this will vastly improve your fitness and rediness for track





shin splints are actually either a build up of calcium deposits in the bone or an internal cramp in the calf muscle, both of which would not be helped by drinking milk, take a magnesium suppliment which should help. A lateral crack in the bone is a stress fracture which is a very bad thing.



scooter