[realtall]

I guess that's what you get when you post a question about running on a cycling forum. You get a bunch of cyclists telling you that you should be doing what they do(cycle).

To be fair, though, I think highly of cycling and its benefits, mainly the lack of injuries(my favorite part about it).


I have found running to be very rewarding as it has helped me, along with diet(of course), lose 53 pounds. As far as avoiding shin splints go, if you are a beginner start low(mileage) and slow. Start with a mile, maybe two and do that for a couple of weeks. From then on increase your mileage every week or every other week but, either way, no more than 10% at a time. You WILL get into trouble if you violate this rule. And for pete's sake make sure you have decent shoes. Go to a running specialty store as those jokers at the mall generaly don't know what they're talking about and probably don't have what you need anyways. A running store can get you set up right. Make sure that your running shoes are a size larger than your wearing shoes as your feet swell somewhat as you run. That was a painful lesson that I learned.

Shin Splints: these are tough to get over sometimes. The best thing that you can do to speed the healing process is crosstrain(swimming is really good, also cycling) and apply cold(ice pack is best. You can also try a product like 'Mineral Ice') to the affected are for a 10-20 minutes every day. There is no substitute giving it time to heal, though.

I hope that this helps.