Running

so if it was me i'd try to rank the discomfort on a scale of 1-10.

1 being fine, 10 being excruciating pain, 4 being the ache you get after a long run.

if it was less that 6 i'd ice them and stretch them as best as possible, rest for a couple of days, and continue to run, any more then i'd take at least a week off and then start slowly with maybe 2-3k and see how they feel afterwards.

shin splints are essentially tendonitis, whereby the tendons which insert into your shins have become inflamed and swollen with an increase in running speed/intensity/duration, if you rest them then the swelling will go down, stretching will prevent the tendons rubbing and getting inflamed in future. continuing to run too soon will just continue to inflame them, possibly making them worse.

hope that helps, one of the drawbacks of starting to run is that you will probably experience this and ITB soreness, but take it easy, and you'll get through it.

something to think about now you've hit 5k is to make sure you are wearing specific running shoes which you use just for running, and slightly longer term, these things last for about 400 miles before the padding is less effective and will lead to more injuries as you become reliant on the cushioning at its most effective.

wow, long post, sorry.

This. I am pro icing and trying to train through it. As long as you're not crippled it's ok right?

And the real runner's injuries are stress fractures or plantar fasciitis!