I am new to the forums here so I hope it is ok that I ask this.....

Please share some of the exercises.  I am new to running.  I just finished C25K week 1, day 2.  I did go have a stride/gait analysis at a local running shoe store.  I got Mizuno Wave Riders as they recommended.  My shins aren't so painful that I can't run, but I am noticing soreness/pain there.  I did make sure to stretch before and after the run.  I would like to stretch more of that targeted area.  I also did the ABCs in the air with each foot before and after the run.  Any other stretches you can recommend will be greatly appreciated!

Here's what's helped me:

1.  Look at "Legs up the Wall" pose on You Tube.  It gives a good stretch.

2.  Place a towel flat on the floor.  With your toes (barefoot) scrunch up the towel.

3.  Take a handful of marbles and place on floor.  With your toes, pick up the marbles, one at a time and drop them in cup.

4.  Take a hard foam exercise cylinder, while on your back and elbows, roll the cylinder up and down your calves.  It hurts but works great!

5.  Seated Shin Stretch-Sit on your knees with feet tucked under your butt.  Gently lift the knee on each leg.

6.  Standing Wall Push-Up-Face wall, One leg behind the other, one place a few inches from wall, place palms on wall and stretch.

I had a lot of success doing this routine nightly.  Hopefully it'll help.

Shrewsberry wrote:

 

This can be a hard adjustment for a "heel striker" but I found some advise online which was very helpful to help you find your form. Find a large patch of flat grass or indoor area (hallway, large meeting room, gymnasium) where you an run barefoot for a good stretch. You will see that you automatically run on the balls of your feet when you are barefoot. That is your natural stride. Once you do it barefoot you will remember how your stride feels and can recreate it in running shoes.

 

There was actually a terrific article in the New York Times recently about a Harvard study which has found that forefoot strike runners have many fewer injuries than heel-strikers. I will try to post it in the newbie forum.

 

?I keep seeing this kind of thing and studies have shown it isn't true.  Approximatel 80% of heelstrikers who try barefoot continue to heelstrike and about 50% of those never successfully convert to forefoot/midfoot strike.  (You will also find that grass is not recommended for beginning barefoot runners.)

The study you mention is interesting but I'm not sure that it is relevant for everyday runners, since it dealt with high mileage, high intensity collegiate runners.  The authors' advice at the end of the article is probably much more meaningful.

Len

patrickdives89 wrote:

 

Here's what's helped me:

1.  Look at "Legs up the Wall" pose on You Tube.  It gives a good stretch.

2.  Place a towel flat on the floor.  With your toes (barefoot) scrunch up the towel.

3.  Take a handful of marbles and place on floor.  With your toes, pick up the marbles, one at a time and drop them in cup.

4.  Take a hard foam exercise cylinder, while on your back and elbows, roll the cylinder up and down your calves.  It hurts but works great!

5.  Seated Shin Stretch-Sit on your knees with feet tucked under your butt.  Gently lift the knee on each leg.

6.  Standing Wall Push-Up-Face wall, One leg behind the other, one place a few inches from wall, place palms on wall and stretch.

 

I had a lot of success doing this routine nightly.  Hopefully it'll help.

These are wonderful tips!  Thank you so much.  I did a few of them Wednesday night after my run, and I noticed the stretch helped.  I am excited and plan to do these before today's run. 

As far as the cylinder you mention in #4, are you talking about one like this?  http://www.target.com/p/Gaiam-Restore-Foam-Roller-Green-18/-/A-13561631

patrickdives89 wrote:

 

That's exactly it!  There are also exercises on YouTube to use with it.  Using it is actually a bit painful but it's worth it for what it will do.  The PT also had me use this for the calves and it worked as well http://www.amazon.com/The-Stick-Original-Massage/dp/B000YDO1NA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1335531339&sr=8-4.  I'm really happy the stretches seem to help.  Shin splints can really hurt but once you get past them, it's like night and day.

Thank you so much.  I will try to pick one up this weekend.  I want to do all I can to help my body and improve my running.