Get cracking into those stiff tissues like Kaitlin suggested, but you know you have to address the cause of the problem as well – the very running mechanical problems that you identified. That’s a hell of a tall order, since you have a history as a track athlete, but you’ve got to plug the leak if you’re ever going to bail out the ship.

If you haven’t already, you should probably greatly decrease your running or stop altogether until you’re pain free when doing it. After that, dealing with the shin splints is probably your first priority, since that’s the pain issue leading to your compensatory movement behaviour, if your deduction is correct. Once the shin splints are under control, THEN loosen up your feet. As the pain subsides, begin reintegrating running into your training with a HUGE focus on technique work (to the exclusion of caring about training volume).

And you’ll probably want to replace your running shoes before you get back into the game, if they’ve got any mileage on them. The shape you’ve worn them into will reflect and reinforce your current mechanics, and you want to start as fresh as possible when the time comes.

In the meantime, while dealing with your pain and mobility issues, you can get a head start on rebuilding your running by participating in whatever relevant strength and conditioning work you can without pain. This is the perfect opportunity to look for mechanical issues in your squat, lunge, and hip hinging (deadlifty) movements, and thereafter the single leg versions of those movements where they exist. Use these tools to build the foundation for your running mechanics.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!