It happened once. And it happened again. With the coincidence of it being the same time of the year. On Tuesday 24 April last year, two weeks before a half marathon, I woke up early as usual for a 15km run and barely had gotten going before a niggle in my front left shin stopped me in my tracks. At the time, it felt like it was serious but a few days later it had gone not to feature again for the rest of the year.
Tuesday 9 April this year, one week before a half marathon, I woke up early for a 15km run and... barely 1km in I felt a tight sensation at the front of my left shin. This time it didn't stop me in my tracks. I changed my gait but the sensation remained. 4km in, I doubled back and finished a pretty nice race-week workout albeit with a tender, sore front left shin and only 8km run. I initially regretted continuing when the next day, Wednesday, I could still feel it through the day but foolhardily feeling a slight turn, I ran that evening for a mile to test. It was still there but not significant. I did the Shoe Science 5km the same night and it didn't feature. I ran 3km home and though I could sense it there it didn't cause me problems.
The best thing was a race walker at the Shoe Science run identified the problem: anterior tibialis. She suggested a particular way of massaging it and suggested the possible instigating factor. Secondly, perhaps as a product of experience, I knew that most niggles, provided they are niggles and not muscle tears or fractures, benefit activity and often running is often a treatment not to be avoided. I ran again this morning (i.e. Thursday morning), a pleasing 10km, it was still tender but not to the point of pain and much less apparent than the previous evening.
Friday will be a rest day; Saturday will have an easy run with a brief patch of race pace; and then Sunday the Waterfront Half will be on!
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