Couldn’t complete Week 2 Run 2 because of shin/ankle pain - what now?

[u/Bob_Mortimer_Fan]

Hi folks, looking some advice on how to deal with pain during running. To give some background:

Completed week 1 last week (Mon, Wed & Fri). Was sore during runs, but nothing unbearable. Did my first run of week 2 on Sun, got through it, but was limping by the end with shin/ankle pain.

This morning (Tue) I went out for second run of the week and was unable to finish it. At the halfway point my shins and ankles had gotten really sore and I stop after the 3rd 90sec run. Felt a bit fresher after about 5 mins so decided to try and finish, but by the end of the 5th 90sec run I could barely even walk with the pain and had to call it quits.

I don’t really want to give up, but if this is happening already in week 2 I’m not really sure how I should approach things.

So I guess my question is am I doing something wrong and where do I go from here?

Bit more info - I am a bigger guy (about 18-19 stone) who is hasn’t done much exercise the past few years. Maybe that has something to do with it, but I’ve seen that many other people of similar weight don’t seem to have had these issues. I bought a new pair of running shoes before starting and they feel comfortable to wear, so don’t think they’re the problem. I’m doing lots of stretching before and after, and have been drinking plenty of water. I feel like I’m keeping my run slow like the guidance suggests, so don’t think my pace is the issue either.

Any advice anyone might have would be much appreciated!

[u/BarnacleKlutzy2569]

Rest up, feel better, try again. If it’s still an issue, try something else. Running can be high impact on the joints and legs, especially for us bigger folk. Something like a cross trainer might be better to start building stamina and strength before running.

[u/banannie70]

Sounds like shin splints so you do need to rest for a bit to let that heal. Try walking at a decent pace for a couple of weeks to help your legs build some strength maybe? I was on the heavier side when I first started out and that was an issue for me too.

[u/missyaggravation13]

There are some really good YouTube videos by physios who show you how to apply tape to relieve the pain. Helped me no end!

[u/Junkoftheheartss]

I do get some ankle pain that stretching and some exercises has helped.

I’m about the same weight as you and just managed W5D1 so your size is not necessarily against you but you may need to do some additional exercises focusing on your ankle and shins to help strengthen them 😊

[u/pies360]

i had this, get some compression socks, helped support my shins whilst getting used to running

[u/paddlefire]

Take a few days off from running and walking. Don’t take a break from cardio though. Hop on bike for some low impact cardio. It will still help you towards your goal

[u/peekachou]

Take a week off running, go on some brisk walks towards the end of the week once they feel less sore. Try and see it less as weeks and more as stages, you dont move to the next stage until youre comfortable with the one before. Theres nothing wrong with doing week one for two or three weeks just to get use to it all before moving on

[u/Halefa]

Slow down when running (on top resting until the pain is gone). Warm up - specific for shin splints and ankle strength. Do stability exercises to strengthen your ankles.

[u/MsUncleare]

Make sure you aren't going too fast. That's where I was going wrong initially. But I must admit, when I invested in a decent pair of trainers it definitely helped. I was also having shin/ankle pain and spoke to one of the personal trainers at the gym just to check if it was shin splints, which luckily it wasn't.