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Running on the Beach (hard sand and or dirt trail)?

C420sailor

Former Rhino Bro
pilot
Just found out the only dirt trail I could find is riddled with roots. The only options I have right now is asphalt or the beach.

Do you have a vehicle or bicycle? I've driven 10-15 miles to get to a rubber track or a good set of trails. What about a grass field? Every high school has one. Make it happen.
 

Recovering LSO

Suck Less
pilot
Contributor
Just found out the only dirt trail I could find is riddled with roots. The only options I have right now is asphalt or the beach.

riddled with roots isn't necessarily a bad thing - eventually. You may not want to put in any milage on that trail while you're getting over an injury, however running on uneven surfaces is a great way to build strength in many of the smaller muscles/ligaments/tendons that support the bigger ones doing "heavier lifting". If its so rooty that you don't think you can ever run on it without turning an ankle - well, yeah, pass on it, but I've found the more I've run on technical rocky, rooty single track type trails the stronger my lower legs have become.

Use GreenTrails or use the power of google to look for more off road opportunities. Even if you live in downtown LA there are trails that are a short drive away. Golf courses are good places to run if they don't have rules prohibiting it. Also, running laps around the perimeter of a football field will work.
 

JEP

New Member
I don’t want to bulk up. Do you think 135lb barbell squats would be ok along with leg presses on the press machine? I was trying to follow the OCS website data and just use body weight only. I haven’t lifted weights in forever now and I was an avid weight lifter. The tibia still seems to be getting inflamed a lot even if I am running on the grass field, beach or trail. Right when I found a good dirt trail it still gets inflamed to the point of crazy after a 2 mile run on both legs. How common are orthotics? Not that I think I need them, but just curious. I also don’t know the exact exercise to really focus on strengthening the tibialis anterior for running. Although the ones I found look really silly. Thanks guys.
 

Sandlapper

HH60M Pilot
Get a pair of quality compression socks, wear them around the house when you feel discomfort and run with them as well.
 

C420sailor

Former Rhino Bro
pilot
I don’t want to bulk up. Do you think 135lb barbell squats would be ok along with leg presses on the press machine? I was trying to follow the OCS website data and just use body weight only. I haven’t lifted weights in forever now and I was an avid weight lifter. The tibia still seems to be getting inflamed a lot even if I am running on the grass field, beach or trail. Right when I found a good dirt trail it still gets inflamed to the point of crazy after a 2 mile run on both legs. How common are orthotics? Not that I think I need them, but just curious. I also don’t know the exact exercise to really focus on strengthening the tibialis anterior for running. Although the ones I found look really silly. Thanks guys.

First of all, you need to clarify something for us. You first mentioned the pain was on the "inside" of your tibia, then you mentioned something about your tibialis anterior. Do you have pain forward (anterior) or aft (posterior) of your tibia?

Squat with whatever weight you want, as long as you're doing a FULL squat with the correct form. Those bullshit half squats you did on the football team in high school don't count. Don't worry about bulking. You won't bulk up unless you have a sufficient (and usually large) calorie surplus. In other words, you need to eat big to get big. I'd shoot for somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 reps/set for what you're trying to accomplish. Don't sacrifice form. I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of 'Starting Strength' by Mark Rippetoe if you really want to learn how to do exercises like the squad, deadlift, etc. properly.

This is all assuming you have pain aft of your tibia, like I did:

I did a lot of research into the muscles of the lower leg, and to be honest, that's one confusing area of the body. I'm no doctor, but I remember reading that the tibialis anterior played a role in holding the arch of the foot up. It made sense to me that a flexible, collapsing arch combined with a weak tibialis anterior (and the associated tendons) could cause the pain that I was experiencing. My solution was to rest the area sufficiently, support that arch, and strengthen the lower leg. I can't emphasize the importance of allowing enough rest time before you start training again. Waiting until it's no longer painful to walk is not sufficient---not even close.

I relied on squats and weighted calf extensions to strengthen things up. Make sure you start light, especially with those calf extensions. Don't overdo it.
 

JEP

New Member
Shin.jpg

Yes sir I seem to be having the posterior shin splints or the inside of my legs if the picture does not show up. It seems to be getting better and then right when I make some gains it swoops in and inflames. Right leg is worse than the left leg at times. In all I have found a good dirt trail finally that has been helping and the beach can be good stuff sometimes for me. I will start going back into some of my lifting routines (nothing heavy) and squats and leg presses now. I just worry about stuff and did not want to make anything worse with the lifting than it already is. Just in case there is a stress crack or something, which I doubt and if there is it will heal with all that soft running I am doing. I guess I will just wait till the PFT to run on the hard pavement again and keep running along on the dirt and sand and start the strengthening phase of the calf and lower legs along with the running.

First of all, you need to clarify something for us. You first mentioned the pain was on the "inside" of your tibia, then you mentioned something about your tibialis anterior. Do you have pain forward (anterior) or aft (posterior) of your tibia?

Squat with whatever weight you want, as long as you're doing a FULL squat with the correct form. Those bullshit half squats you did on the football team in high school don't count. Don't worry about bulking. You won't bulk up unless you have a sufficient (and usually large) calorie surplus. In other words, you need to eat big to get big. I'd shoot for somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 reps/set for what you're trying to accomplish. Don't sacrifice form. I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of 'Starting Strength' by Mark Rippetoe if you really want to learn how to do exercises like the squad, deadlift, etc. properly.

This is all assuming you have pain aft of your tibia, like I did:

I did a lot of research into the muscles of the lower leg, and to be honest, that's one confusing area of the body. I'm no doctor, but I remember reading that the tibialis anterior played a role in holding the arch of the foot up. It made sense to me that a flexible, collapsing arch combined with a weak tibialis anterior (and the associated tendons) could cause the pain that I was experiencing. My solution was to rest the area sufficiently, support that arch, and strengthen the lower leg. I can't emphasize the importance of allowing enough rest time before you start training again. Waiting until it's no longer painful to walk is not sufficient---not even close.

I relied on squats and weighted calf extensions to strengthen things up. Make sure you start light, especially with those calf extensions. Don't overdo it.
 

PhrogLoop

Adulting is hard
pilot
In all I have found a good dirt trail finally that has been helping and the beach can be good stuff sometimes for me.
It could be that you're finding success there because the uneven surfaces are challenging (therefore building) more/different muscles in your feet/legs/back/core than typical vanity muclebuilding weight routines. C240 is right, take it easy and don't short yourself on rest.
 
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cameron172

Member
pilot
When you run on nature trails, do you feel the soleus muscles being worked? For a pavement/track runner, I did a fair amount of natural surface running with roots and uneven surfaces the other day and my soleus muscles on the outer side of the leg down by the ankles are sore. Makes sense they'd be used more to keep the ankles from rolling, but I was just curious.
 

JEP

New Member
When you run on nature trails, do you feel the soleus muscles being worked? For a pavement/track runner, I did a fair amount of natural surface running with roots and uneven surfaces the other day and my soleus muscles on the outer side of the leg down by the ankles are sore. Makes sense they'd be used more to keep the ankles from rolling, but I was just curious.

No I did not feel that but I still do feel some posterior shin splint pain. The shin splint pain seems to actually get better after my slow longer runs and walks. How about this one too, I also have the slapping of the foot effect as well after a .75 mile to the point I have to stop sometimes. I always thought I didn’t eat enough complex carbs and protein to feed the muscles and they were always giving out early, or is this compartment syndrome? Because I have no tingling or dead feet feeling but it is hard to move the tibialis anterior and lift the foot at times due to the muscles filled with so much blood during and after the runs for up to 20 minutes. I am a mid foot striker so I did not think it was my form.
 

cameron172

Member
pilot
Upgraded to these today:

I've heard great things...and I had a gift card. Going for a run at the park later today and will let you know how they work out.
 
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