TRAININGZONE

The plan BEAT IN FOUR WEEKS TREAT YOUR INJURIES WITHIN ONE MONTH BY FOLLOWING THIS STEP-BY-STEP REHABILITATION AND TRAINING PLAN

• Reduced muscular endurance Meet the around the shin expert • Excessive range and speed of foot Emma Deakin pronation (rolling in of the foot on impact with the road) Emma Deakin works for the English • Training errors/changes Institute of Sport (EIS) as lead • Incorrect footwear physiotherapist with the Podium and • Poor muscle function around the Development British Triathlon squads hip and knee, causing overloading of the shin SHIN SPLINTS or Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) is quite a As shin pain is normally associated common problem among athletes, with impact – particularly running on especially endurance athletes. hard surfaces – your swimming and MTSS is often described as a diffuse, cycling training should be pain-free dull ache along the border of the and therefore you’re fine to continue shin, normally worse after running as normal. If you do find even these or weight-bearing activity. Shin sessions painful, you can easily reduce pain is often difficult to treat as the load by removing the push off the there are so many factors that wall when swimming and staying in contribute to the pain, making the saddle during your rides. every individual’s diagnosis and This four-week rehabilitation plan treatment plan different. focuses on your return to running and, If you are experiencing ongoing at each stage of the plan, you should shin pain, the most important thing to be pain-free before progressing the Are these plans for you? do is to consult a physiotherapist to load. There are six rehab exercises rule out more serious problems, like described in the four-week plan – This plan is right for you if you: or compartment don’t be tempted to skip any of them. Don’t have a goal race in the next six weeks syndrome. Your physiotherapist can Feel free to swap the days around to Are in regular training then identify why you have pain. The suit your timetable, listen to your body Want to focus on your rehabilitation most common risk factors are: and progress at your own pace. Phil Nicodemi How it works

Ben Foxall, Get your guide ready to go

Illustrations Corbis; Getty Images Illustrations Cut out the guide following Fold the guide in quarters Now carry it with you for the dotted outline using the fold guides reference while training Photos Photos

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Your Shin Pain Exercises

FOLD 2 FOLD exercise 2 ARCH RAISING/LOWERING

Stand on a step with your big YOUR toe and arch resting at the 4-WEEK edge. Control your foot as you PLAN slowly let the arch of your foot drop down. Work the tibialis posterior (one of the smaller muscles at the back of the exercise 1 calf) by pulling the arch of the foot back up into position. The TOE RAISES strengthening of this muscle is important to help control of Stand against a wall with your back pronation of the foot while and legs straight. Pull your toes and running, which is one of the forefoot up to work the muscle in the most common causes of shin front of the shin. This might be splints as well as numerous uncomfortable at first, particularly other running problems. if you’ve been suffering shin splints for a while, but persevere and the pain will eventually lessen.

FOLD 1

exercise 3 exercise 4 CALF STRETCH BENT-LEG CALF RAISES

Stand with one leg in Stand on a step holding on front of the other, with to a wall for support. both feet pointed Maintain a slight bend in the forwards. Keep the knee. Rise up onto your tip- back leg straight, toes, hold for a few seconds, with the heel pressed then slowly lower back into the floor. Repeat down again. Try to use the with the back knee full range of the muscle and bent. Hold until you keep the foot in a neutral feel the stretch alignment. This exercise will release off primarily work the soleus, slightly. Repeat on the postural muscle of the the other leg. calf, which is important for endurance running and control around the ankle when running.

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exercise 5 exercise 6 FOLD 2 FOLD STRAIGHT-LEG FOAM ROLLER CALF RAISES CALF MASSAGE

This is very similar to the Loosening the muscles in calf raise exercise on the your calf can help take the previous page, but this time off your shins. you need to keep your leg To do this, sit with a foam straight throughout. Stand roller under your calf, on a step, holding on to a stacking one foot on top of wall for support. Rise up the other so that you can onto your tip-toes, hold this massage one leg at a time. position for a few seconds Lean back and support your then slowly lower back bodyweight with your hands down again. Try to use the and roll the length of the full range of the muscle by calf backwards and keeping the movement forwards over the foam controlled and keeping your roller. Alter the angle of your foot in a neutral alignment leg to target the outside and throughout the exercise. inside of the muscle.

RECOUP STRENGTH AND GET SET FOR WINTER TRAINING ON FIVE HOURS A WEEK

FOLD 1 WEEK 01 WEEK 02 WEEK 03 WEEK 04 Normal swim and bike training throughout Stretching and foam roller daily Shin muscle strengthening to fatigue on Running every other day, daily stretching the next four weeks aqua-jogging days and shin muscle strengthening to fatigue

Rest from weight-bearing activity. Aqua-jogging session 20x60sec efforts Treadmill run 3x2mins with 60secs rest Grass running 15mins Local ice and mild analgesics with 30secs rest (20mins total) Mon Mon

Walking drills Toe/heel walks, butt kicks, Review with podiatrist for suitable high knees, ankling (find video demonstrations Aqua-jogging session 4x5mins efforts with

ue ue Walking / running drills supportive or shock-absorbing insoles on YouTube.com if you’re not sure how to do 60secs rest

T these drills correctly) T

Bent- and straight-leg calf stretch Shin muscle strengthening as in week one, Treadmill run 5mins run, 60secs rest, 3mins Grass running 20mins Foam roller soft tissue release to the calf to fatigue run, 60secs rest, 2mins run Wed Wed

Lower limb alignment exercises Squats, single-leg squats. Glute strengthening: clams Aqua-jogging session 10x2mins efforts with Aqua-jogging session 4x5mins efforts with Strength and conditioning Lower limb (lying on side with legs bent, raising top leg), 30secs rest (20mins total) 60secs rest alignment and glutes bridging (lying on back with legs bent and

Thur raising hips from floor, squeezing glutes) Thur

Shin muscle strengthening Straight-leg Shin muscle strengthening as in week one, calf raises, bent-leg calf raises, toe raises, arch 10mins 20mins, with increasing tempo to fatigue Grass running Road running raising/lowering, 2x10 Fri Fri

Aqua-jogging session 15x45secs efforts Aqua-jogging session 4x5mins efforts with Treadmill run 5x60secs jog with 60secs rest Rest day with 15secs rest (15mins) 60secs rest Rest day Sat Sat

Shin muscle strengthening Straight-leg Road running 30mins, with 2mins tempo calf raises, bent-leg calf raises, toe raises, arch Rest day Rest day every 10mins raising/lowering, 2x15 Rest day Sun Sun

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