However, my shins/calves/inside lower legs were another story. This is an injury that I have been harboring/ignoring for a couple of months now. It started at the end of October, when I ran a very cold 5K. The course had a TON of uphills, and I ran the whole thing. As soon as I finished, I noticed a burning, sharp pain on the insides of my calves/shins, on the lower half. Not like shin splints though. I ignored it and chalked it up to having just finished. Here's where the pain is for your reference (also, please ignore my piggy toes, I am trying to go without polish on them for a month and they look so NAKED!):
Throughout November and December, I would run a mile or two sporadically, and the pain would be pretty intense. I was hoping it was just because I was doing too much without easing into it. I was also hoping that doing the C25K program, which gradually introduces running in order to prevent injury and burnout, would be the solution. So far it most definitely has not helped, and the pain seems to be worsening. It's quite noticeable when I start, gets better in the middle of the run, and gets very sharp at the end. Like, hobbling around kind of sharp. I stretch before, after, and sometimes during. I have found one thing that helps, although it's intensely painful at first. I get out my aluminum rolling pin and roll all over them for about 20 minutes after I get home. It makes it so I can walk, almost immediately. I want to try not doing it to see if the pain would subside on its own after 20 minutes, but it ends up feeling so good that I can't stop. Here's my rolling pin action:
Any ideas on what it might be or how I could help myself? (I guess I should note that all signs and symptoms are pointing to stress fractures, but treatment for that would require a straight break from running and I don't want to do that!)
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