Whenever I am running, or walking briskly in some cases, my shin gets exhausted before anything else. This has been the case for years. So, my tibialis anterior seems to be the main bottleneck for me to overcome to improve my running performance.
Is this common or is it the result of bad technique? Most of all, how can I get around it?
The most likely reason is you pull up your foot when you run. This seems pretty common. Holding your foot up while running can exhaust your shins. It can also perpetuate heel striking which removes some of the shock absorption that your feet naturally provide. This in turn causes your shins to be even more tired. Tired shins may lead to shin splints if the problem goes too long.
The best way I found to get around it is to simply learn how to run without lifting your foot. You lift your leg at the knee. You just let your foot hang out without moving it. Then when you put your knee down. The ball of your foot and toes will strike the ground.
It's hard to walk like that, but you can run like that. It may feel weird at first because you'll have to consciously be aware you're doing it. It may feel like you're on the verge of twisting your ankle. Though there is no real chance of that happening. However, the exception would be if you're running up or down steep hills. The added incline changes the angle of impact so there is added potential of landing in a bad position.
