“Shin splints are commonly caused by the repetitive impact of running causing irritation of the shin bone (tibia),”he explains.“People experience this when they have gone from minimal impact activities to adding more and more load,and finding that their body is not able to adapt quickly enough to the change. Again,this is why some people are better off starting the Couch to 5K plan by just walking. Others could take the plan at a slower pace by repeating some weeks before moving on to the next one.”
Doing too much too soon is something British Athletics coach Sharon Rasmussen has also seen when using the plan for beginners at her club,the Harwell Harriers in Oxfordshire.