Stretch it out

My last few runs I've noticed a slight pain in my shins as I hit the pavement. I know that shin splints are common and can be a pretty serious issue for runners, so I wanted to do my research and prevent it from getting worse and potentially inhibiting my ability to successfully complete the half-marathon this year!

I found some good info about shin splints and also some stretches that I wanted to share. The most important tips I found were:

• Stretching out your shin is extremely important and many times overlooked. I found a great visual for a super helpful shin stretch at this link.
• Purchasing new running shoes every 350-500 miles
• Cross-training (swimming, biking, walking) instead of focusing on running all of the time so that I can give my shins a break once in a while!
• Running on different surfaces, not just pavement (which is the majority of what I run on). So running on asphalt (the middle of a quiet street, for instance), sand, trails or a running track.
• Adding strength training to my workouts (which I intended to incorporate more when I first started this training and now and going to dedicate more time to!)

Any other tips you'd like to share?