Days 14 & 15

Day 14: Hooray for rest days!

Day 15: Today I got new running shoes.

The workout: 3 -4 easy miles

Advice (not mine, just some I've been given):
For shoes - running shoes should be 1 1/2 - 2 sizes too big for your feet (you should be able to have a thumb space between your big toe and the end of the shoe). Shoelaces shouldn't be tight or snug. Your shoes should allow you to run as if you were running bare foot.

For shin splints - This is when your muscle pulls away from the shin bone. Things you should do - stretch, tap your foot up and down to strengthen surrounding muscles, while sitting/laying put your leg up and use your foot to write the alphabet, have someone rub out your calf muscle or use a rolling pin. When running be sure your laces are loose and have proper running shoes. Run on uneven surfaces, the best being grass.

For running - Your shoulders should be back, your arms should be bent at about the end of your bra, your hands should be relaxed with your fingers slightly curled with your thumbs lightly resting on the topside of your pointer finger. When you run your arms should move in a straight line, back and forth, they shouldn't cross in front of you at all. Your elbows should be at your side, not far away from your body. You should imagine that you have an elastic band hooked to your elbows. By doing all this your chest should be forward. Your legs will follow what your arms do. Don't try to move your self forward by stretching your stride in front of you. When you run your legs should come down in a straight line as much as possible.

How I felt: Terrible. My right leg has a shin splint and my left leg is starting to get one. I barely made 3 miles. I got a brace for my shin splint and ran with it. I thought it wasn't doing anything, but awhile after the run my muscle wasn't as hard as it was before. I also ran on grass for some of it, but I hated it because it was night and I couldn't really see all that well and it takes twice as long for me to run on the grass. I didn't like running with my shoe laces loose. That will take some getting use to. I was also hoping that my right foot wouldn't fall asleep with my laces loose and new shoes, but with about a half mile to go it did, worse than it has before. After the run we walked a few laps barefoot in the grass at the school by our house.