shin splints, distance running

You get extreme pain in your shins and you should go put ice on them.

A real shin splints is tiny fractures in your shin bone due to stress to the bone.
To get a diagnosis you'll need to see a physio. He will sort things out and give you different kind of treatment. Fx. you could get ultrasound and massage to help the muscles around to rest and get advise to what kind of sports gel you could buy as pain killers. I am not sure if there exists any kind of gel which can help to repair the area, even though many commercials shows these kinds of gels every day.

the rule of thumb says that if the pain subsides as you you start working out you are probably talking about some kind of an inflamation in the muscle or tendon and if the pain only gets stronger and stronger as you use your legs its probably shin splints.
regardless you should see a sport specialist that would give you a definitive diagosis.
a strongly advise you not to go on with your normal training program because you might only make things worse and the pain would increase.
try resting for a few days and then slowly go back to a more gradual and moderate training program.

It is caused when you pound your foot of the ground when running so if you remember doing that then its obvious but if you cant i wouldnt take chances, talk to your doctor or even your coach

It looks like you have plenty of advice on diagnosing shin splints, here is something that help manage and reduce the pain. Get a styrofoam cup, fill it with water and put it in the freezer. Once frozen, peel off the top half inch of cup, rub the ice on the shin for 15-20 minutes. the combination of ice and massage will help reduce the inflammation. The cup will also make it easier to hold, so you don't freeze your hand.

I began running 25 years ago. After about 8 months of training I completed my first (of 32 and 3 ultras) marathon in 3:23. I thought that was easy enough, now I had to develop some speed. At the time, I was ignorant to proper training. I began to do very regular (much to often) sprinting. I soon had very painful shins - painful/tender to touch. I can't recall how long a break/rest was necessary but, when my shins were comfortable again I began regular training of shin muscles.

Then, my preferred method was to sit on the floor with my legs extended in front. I'd wrap a bicycle tire inner tube around the leg of a couch as a point of securement. Put toes of one foot at a time "into" the inner tube. Your distance from the couch leg determines the tension of the tube. Build up sets of bringing your toes toward you, pulling the tubing, strengthening your shins.

Now, I prefer this method. With your back toward a wall, stand about a foot lengths distance from that wall. Then lean back against the wall and repeatedly, with you weight on your heals, brings your toes and feet upward. When you first start this program try to bear 1 per second for 30 seconds and try to work up to a few such sets. I do "pulses" of these - quick up/downs, about 100 per 30 seconds, 3 times, about twice per week.

I have not suffered shin splints since my first year of running and am much faster now.