Can anyone with a bit of running experience help me out.

[Lilly-Pilly]

You need to heat the muscles before you run...deep heat, stretching and warm up. After you exercise you need to apply ice to the area, better yet actually massage with an ice block.
A proper remedial Massage will also help. While the shin splint pain in acute, take it a bit easier. As it improve, you can up your routine

[*Efjay*]

Dee, I walked with DH for the first 2ks, would that not have warmed up my muscles?