leg pain at OCS?

[MidWestEwo]

Without a doubt, OCS will force me to run more frequently, and farther than I usually do. The amount of running I do now, which is around 9 miles per week is tearing apart my legs, and the only thing that allows me to keep running is lots and lots of Ibuprofen. The question is, how often will we be allowed to take ibuprofen for leg pain associated with running? Can we take some in the morning before PT? After PT? I don't want to end up in Holding because I am hobbling through the first mile of a run, or I show signs that I am injured.

 

[loadtoad]

Without a doubt, OCS will force me to run more frequently, and farther than I usually do. The amount of running I do now, which is around 9 miles per week is tearing apart my legs, and the only thing that allows me to keep running is lots and lots of Ibuprofen. The question is, how often will we be allowed to take ibuprofen for leg pain associated with running? Can we take some in the morning before PT? After PT? I don't want to end up in Holding because I am hobbling through the first mile of a run, or I show signs that I am injured.

My ITB Band was giving me hell in OCS. To keep it in check I had to do a lot of stretching every morning before wakeup. Medical gave me lots of Motrin (Ibuprofen) and had me taking three 800mg pills a day. The problem is if you take it before morning PT on an empty stomach you can f-yourself up. You will not be able to bring your own drugs to OCS and will have to get it prescribed once you are in training.

 

[Insomneo]

Its not really the running that gets you, but rather the amount of time you'll be standing. During Indoc week I doubt that you will be able to take any sort of ibuprofen unless you have some sort of waiver. After Indoc week you will be able to get a med pack which has some Motrin in it along with other things. I'd recommend getting some really good running shoes with some insoles. Also, it would be wise to get an extra pair of insoles for your black shoes that you will get issued. The difference is night and day with them in.

However, do not become dependent on the drug once you are authorized to take it. At a certain point it could do more harm than good, possibly getting you sent to the hospital and out of the Navy all together.

 

[MidWestEwo]

Its not really the running that gets you, but rather the amount of time you'll be standing. During Indoc week I doubt that you will be able to take any sort of ibuprofen unless you have some sort of waiver. After Indoc week you will be able to get a med pack which has some Motrin in it along with other things. I'd recommend getting some really good running shoes with some insoles. Also, it would be wise to get an extra pair of insoles for your black shoes that you will get issued. The difference is night and day with them in.

However, do not become dependent on the drug once you are authorized to take it. At a certain point it could do more harm than good, possibly getting you sent to the hospital and out of the Navy all together.

Using Motrin will send you to the hospital/out of the navy?

 

[McBuff]

The running up there really isn't so bad. I had pretty bad shin splints before OCS so I just took the last month pretty easy. Once in Newport, I didn't have any problems. The only "distance" running you'll do during indoc week is the PFA. During week two you'll be able to get all the motrin you need with few questions asked.

If you're in as much pain as you're describing, you could be close to injury. I'd rather rest up, stay uninjured and run an 11:59 than risk getting hurt.

 

[McBuff]

Using Motrin will send you to the hospital/out of the navy?

I think he means that if you mask the pain with motrin and keep going, you could do some damage.

 

[KBayDog]

Using Motrin will send you to the hospital/out of the navy?

Not using Motrin. A dependence on ibuprofin (or anything else, for that matter) can have health consequences that can jack you up for life and prematurely end your career.

How long do you have before OCS? If you've got the time, take some time off from running. In the meantime, go to a dedicated running store (i.e., not a store at the mall where the staff dresses like referees) and get outfitted with quality shoes. Get with a running coach and trainer and develop a solid training plan for OCS. The money you will have to shell out in the short term for expert advice and quality gear will pay huge dividends at OCS - and your first paycheck will more than cover the investment you make now.

 

[MidWestEwo]

Not using Motrin. A dependence on ibuprofin (or anything else, for that matter) can have health consequences that can jack you up for life and prematurely end your career.

How long do you have before OCS? If you've got the time, take some time off from running. In the meantime, go to a dedicated running store (i.e., not a store at the mall where the staff dresses like referees) and get outfitted with quality shoes. Get with a running coach and trainer and develop a solid training plan for OCS. The money you will have to shell out in the short term for expert advice and quality gear will pay huge dividends at OCS - and your first paycheck will more than cover the investment you make now.

Yeah I have visited a running store twice now in the past month. I was having issues with shin splints that I wanted to correct before OCS. I was talked into buying some Asics 2140's that were heavy stability control. I ran for about 2 weeks feeling pretty good, and my shin splints were totally gone. It came into the third week and my legs hurt so bad that I couldn't even run. The outsides of my legs were now so torn up, and are still torn up, to the point where I still can't even run. In fact, the past 2 nights I have been woken up in bed because of it, and have had to take a 200mg ibuprofen to get back to sleep... I returned the Asics and got another stability shoe that has less stability than the 2100s hoping it will put me in a happy medium. I wish I had been in a sport that required me to learn these lessons about running earlier...

How intense is Indoc week as far as running? I can crank out 60 plus pushups for about 4 sets, my cardiovascular fitness is great, and my overall fitness is no problem to get me through training. I am just really worried about my running condition.

 

[niktam]

can relate

I am 6'1 and 230lbs.

I get no shin splints, but i get excruciating pain in my calfs. I have found that the peice of styrofoam that pillhacker mentioned is a saving grace.

I also never run a set time or distance, I run till I'm done running, sometimes this ends up being 6 miles sometimes 1-2, totally random.

That said I run a prt in a little over 10min.


I have swam my last 5 prts' didn't start running till recently in preparation for ocs, but if you put in the work your body will adapt, its one heck of a machine and its evolved for years, and can once again

 

[JSnake]

It came into the third week and my legs hurt so bad that I couldn't even run. The outsides of my legs were now so torn up, and are still torn up, to the point where I still can't even run. In fact, the past 2 nights I have been woken up in bed because of it, and have had to take a 200mg ibuprofen to get back to sleep...

It sounds like you may already have a stress fracture. If you run on shin splints for too long without finding the cause of it (and correcting it), you will get a stress fracture eventually. If your legs are hurting to the point where it's waking you up at night, then you may have stress fractures. Go to a doctor and have it checked out.

 

[MidWestEwo]

Will leg stress fractures hurt my standing when I go to MEPS, or my chances of a final select?

 

[CUPike11]

I would go to a doctor before MEPS. MEPS doctors are not there to be your friends or give you a diagnosis. They basically try to find anyway possible to DQ you.

Also you'll have to duck-walk at MEPS and if you can't duck walk, you will fail your entire physical. (That is what the doctors told us verbatim during my MEPS visit)

So yeah, if its waking you up in the middle of the night, I would get it checked out BEFORE giving up 5-10 hours of your life at MEPS to do underwear olympics and duckwalk.

Just my .02

MEPS is the spawn of Satan himself.

 

[Picaroon]

Will leg stress fractures hurt my standing when I go to MEPS, or my chances of a final select?

Yeah don't tell the guy at MEPS you think you have stress fractures. Get a private doctor to check you out. Go to MEPS healthy. You will have to duck walk, walk around a bit, do some bending and stretching, walk on your knees, etc. Don't go if you're going to be showing pain or difficulty moving when doing these things because you could be DQ'd.

 

[JSnake]

Will leg stress fractures hurt my standing when I go to MEPS, or my chances of a final select?

Stress fractures heal, as long as you take care of it right. Ice your leg every night, 20 minutes per leg, and go see a doc. The docs at MEPS will not know you have stress fractures unless you tell them or start screaming out in pain.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

The question is, how often will we be allowed to take ibuprofen for leg pain associated with running?

I took an 800 mg Ibuprofen every morning before I ran. I had shin splint issues while training getting ready for OCS. Didn't have any issues while in OCS.