Day 13: Still stuck on the one-miler

RUN: 1.0 miles

Today I returned to the one-mile route. So wish I could go further. I've also invested in some full-foot 2mm Noene shock-absorbing insoles (to try instead of the heel-only ones I've been using) because I think I land more on my toes, rather than my heel. Fingers crossed still!

I've also got some tubi-grip to help give some compression to my shin splints.

Click here for map and details of today's run

Day 12: Frustrated with a few steps too far?

RUN: 1.4 miles

Today my legs felt a little bit better so I dared to run a bit further. I did 1.4 miles by just extending The one-mile route I've been sticking to recently.
Well that was a big mistake! Now they've never felt worse! I'm dying to run further. I don't want to get really far behind with my miles, but I'll just have to stick to this short distance and cross my fingers they feel better soon.
Ice and elevation it is!

Click here for a map and other information on today's run

Day 11: How to get rid of shin splints?

RUN: 1.0 miles

So today's shin splints remedy is...

Epsom salts in the bath. I got these today from the chemist. It does say they're for constipation, but I put them in my bath water for a 10-minute soak to see if it helps my legs to heal (I have read up on it, it's not just random!)
These are the things I'm doing to try heal my shin splints...
- wearing decent trainers suitable for my over-pronating feet
- warming up and stretching well before I run
- now soaking in Epsom salts when I get back an massaging my shins
- putting ice packs on my shins for 20 mins at a time
- keeping my legs elevated when I can
- running just short distances for the time being
- keeping off hard surfaces when I can
- using my Noene heel insoles
- doing fifty foot-tap exercises every so often to strengthen my shins and calves.
Now if all that doesn't help, then I despair!

Today I just ran the same one-mile route as yesterday, with a tiny add-on section. I think I'll actually be glad when I am able to run further. Never thought I'd say that. The sooner I can make it more interesting, the better.

Click here for a map and details of today's run

Day 10: A little damage limitation with Noene insoles

RUN: 1.0 miles

Today I ran my first one-miler. I just went up through Tranmere Park estate and down Thorpe Lane.
Not sure how much point there is in getting ready, doing all the stretching and going out to run just one mile, but I had to do as little as possible to help stop these shin splints getting any worse.

Today I went to the Sportsshoes.com shop in Bradford (which is sadly shutting down on July 22nd, but will still have the online shop) to get some advice on my shin splints.
I explained my problem and we settled on some 4mm Noene Shock Technology heel pad insoles.
The information on the box says they absorb shocks and vibrations to protect your back, joints and tendons - which the man in the shop said was what I need to stop my "connective tissue coming away from the tibia bone". Yeesh!

Here they are:

I tried them out today, along with my velcro-type shin support, and my legs felt so much better than yesterday. Maybe it's all psychological, watch this space...

Click here to see today's route details

Day 9: A bad day at High Royds

RUN: 3.2 miles

Technical and physical glitches today. I set off to do about four miles, just locally, but my apps and my legs weren't having it.
I started out throught the High Royds estate, but by the time I'd turned the corner towards the main old hospital building (below), the GPS voice was telling me through my earphones that I'd done two miles and the map was all zig-zaggy. Two miles would be nice, but unfortunately not true!

So I reset it from there and ran round menston - half way down Cleasby Road, across Menston Park, along the sandy paths of High Royds, past the cricket pitch and back to where it all went wrong. Then I started it again to record the run home from there properly, so I could double it.
I meant to do a longer route than I did, but sense prevailed and the aching feeling in my shins made me cut it short.
I think I'll try to do the bare minimum for a few days from tomorrow to give my 'beginners'' legs chance to sort themselves out. I've been stretching well, icing my shins and taking ibuprofen after running, but rest is the only option really. So a one-mile 'rest' it is.

Click here for the circular route
Click here for the straight run home (which I doubled as the opposite way didn't record properly)

Day 8: A circuit of St Ives, Bingley

RUN: 2.4 miles

Today I drove over to Harden to the St Ives Estate. I've walken the route around the golf course and down past Lady Blantyre's Rock and Coppice Pond, many times, but never ran it before.
It is the hilliest and hardest route I've done so far, but it was fun, actually, and it's a nice place to run. The weather wasn't all that cracking, though. A bit wet and miserable.
Here's a pic of Lady Blantyre's Rock I took as I passed - it's where Lady Blantyre, the mother-in-law of one-time owner of the estate William Busfeild Ferrand, used to sit to read her book in the 1800s, and there's a wooden sculpture of her nearby.

Click here to see the details of my route

Day 7: Rocking round the block

RUN: 1.8 miles

Just another short local run tonight to see how far 'round the block' is for me. It's 1.87 miles.
Out along Bradford Road, down Park road towards Guiseley then back along (appropriately enough) Back Lane.
I went on my own, too, so a good chance to get some tunes on my iPod to keep me going. I didn't stop once, by the way.
So at the end of my first week, I've done 16.7 miles and I'm feeling good. My shins are slightly sore, but I've been trying to take it easy on them - running on softer surfaces, and flatter where possible, and putting ice/ running cold water on them afterwards.
I'll gradually pick up my miles in the weeks to come until I reach my target of 20 miles per week.

Click here to see the map and stats for today's run