That's the way to do it. Stick at it and it will come eventually.

It alwayd did suck that the IAC was in such an extreme location, especially since I was at the dorms on the complete wrong side of campus. I thought employees had free access too, too bad that's not true any more (or I just completely misremember).

One thing I want to address is this:

This is something that kept me out of gyms for a very long time. And then when I did finally go it was because I hired a personal trainer and felt shielded by that. But what I learned over the next few years is that hardly anybody cares about the other people in the gym and certainly not the big gym rats. They just want to get in, get out, and not have people get in their way.

To the extent that they notice the unfit people coming to the gym it is to think "good for them, hope they stick with it." The only person I ever heard or saw mocked was this guy who would show up for aerobics wearing the skimpiest wrestling uniform I've ever seen.

So if you ever do have a gym available to you easily and you want to do use it, do try to overcome the feeling that people are watching you. I'm sure it happens but it is rare.

IAC is now the IMA and it's $200 membership for staff (or $60/on a quarterly basis, $5 single use). It's not gobs of money over the course of the year, but it's a lot for me to shell out now for a place that's inconvenient. Plus, if I forget to wash my workout duds no one cares except the cats, and they just give me the stinkface while they watch me plod along.

What's the most frustrating right now is that my shins won't even let me start out at the beginning of any program - I'd be thrilled just to get to the "starting line". I suppose the good news is that the rest of me is ready and eager to do more, it's just the shins that are being difficult, and they've never been the same since I injured them learning a dance routine in high school. (It involved cossack kicks while "playing" a faux violin. In 2 inch heels.)

Do they hurt even if you just take walks or is it only attempting to jog?

Attempting to jog, for the most part. Or if I try to walk really really fast for a long time.

Then I would say to focus on walking as much as will allow. I don't know how much you weigh, but losing weight can help with it so it may be necessary to focus on other methods of exercise first before you can really move on to the physical demands of running.

If it is feasible, a consultation with an orthopedist might be helpful for professional advice and confirmation that it is shin splints and not some other problem.

My Sports Medicine teacher in high school recommended toe taps for shin splints. The track team used to do them. They seem to work.