From rmg3 Fri May  9 19:38:23 1997

In article <337357F3.7D74@mentorg.com> you write:
>I have been side-lined with what I guess is a severe case of shin splints.
>(I haven't ran in over 3 1/2 weeks)
>This problem is only in my left inner calf.
>My questions is, how to make sure it doesn't reoccur? I've
>always felt I'm stretching adequately, plus I ice up afterwards frequently.
>I'm careful to follow the 10% rule with increasing distance, it seemed to 
>flare up when I add speed work.  And, secondly,  is there anything I 
>can do to speed up recovery?
>This problem only occurs in the left calf. Never a problem with the right leg.

  All kinds of comments regarding what causes shin splints will no
doubt arrive.  The theory I've heard, which seems to work for me, 
is that the shin splints are caused by a muscle imbalance between the
muscles in the front of your leg and the muscles in back.  Further,
the muscles in front (the location of pain being a poor diagnostic of
which muscles are having the problem) can be particularly aggravated by
heel striking with the front muscles tense.  Conversely, coming too hard 
off your toes can aggravate the back muscles.  (My problems are almost 
always the muscles in front.)

  What I would do if I had your symptoms is: 1) Rest a while (which you
have)  2) When I start running, don't do speed work for an extended
period (speed aggravates my legs more too -- the muscle imbalance
theory supports this.  It is in speed work that you're going to 
use the muscles to their strength limit).  3) In starting running,
favor flat terrain (Downhills used to kill my shins) 4) Through
all, try to be sure that you exercise both legs equally.  Run
reverse laps, focus attention on good form with the left leg, 
anything to get and keep the two legs to be comparable strength.

  One thought regarding form is to focus attention on the left leg and 
think of driving off it by forcing the leg down and back with your thigh 
muscles, rather than springing up and forward with your calf muscles.  
I don't know if that makes sense, but it is something I do when my calves 
start to complain and it helps.

  For speed of recovery, I don't know of anything except time.  If
it is the muscle imbalance situation, it is the weaker muscles that
are irritated, so I wouldn't expect there to be any exercise to strengthen
them prior to the irritation going down.  Aspirin helps me a bit
with the pain, but I avoid the drug.  With it, I'd be tempted to
go out too soon and really injure the leg thoroughly.

  To maintain the aerobic side in the mean time, swimming should
be good (no kicking off the side of the pool though).

Good luck
-- 
Robert Grumbine rmg3@access.digex.net
Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much 
evidence and ease; this great facility makes them less appreciated than they 
would be had they been presented in a more abstruse manner." Two New Sciences