Saturday

20.1 mile run early, last long run before I do the Albany Marathon. 9:14 avg pace, comfortable. If I could stay at 9:08 or so for Albany I'd be very, very happy :-)

Saturday very busy at Below The Knee with lots & lots of runners coming in, including many from military schools on Fort Benning who were complaining of shin splints. Shin splints can be very painful & they are definitely the last thing you want if you're trying to complete a military course like BOLC II or OCS, since the runs & distances are all mandatory and the typical treatments for shin splints (rest, lower your mileage, ice, etc) can't be used. You just basically have to suck it up, do the best you can, and try to get better so that you can complete the course without getting recycled or worse.

The web has some great information about shin splints. Here is where I'd start- these are the places I've gone to get information:

1. The Shin Splints Injury Forum in Runner's World online forums has lots of real world examples of ways to treat shin splints.
2. There's an excellent article in Sports Injury Bulletin that is full of stretches & exercises to help treat shin splints.
3. Finally, here's a guide to taping your shins.