Worried
Worried that my days of long runs are long over. Yesterday I did another 3.5, and I felt fine. "Fine", of course being relative. My hip still hurts. It's been 6 weeks since the marathon in Vermont, where the pain flared up badly, 5 weeks after I first got injured. So we're at almost 3 months since I first got the injury. Had I done the Bronx Half today (sniff, sniff) I know that I probably would have permanently injured myself.
I still don't know anyone who's had this problem, so all I can go by is research from web sites, and the consensus isn't good:
From About.com: "Treatment of hip bursitis is often effective, but the condition has a problem of coming back and sometimes becoming a persistent problem." Many other sources back this up, that by pushing through this condition, the bursitis will become chronic. The question is: By not taking the time off to recuperate from the initial injury, did I do long-term damage to myself when I attempted to run 26.2 miles a month later?
I'm also trying to decide where to concentrate my other training efforts. First, I recognise that part of this problem is cause by a muscle imbalance. At least one website recommends working on weight-training to improve gluteal strength. But I also recognise that poor stretching is also to blame, and yoga or pilates would be another great means to improvement on that front. Finally, as I was expressing in an earlier post, I've kind of always wanted to learn to swim, and many people have extolled the virtues of swimming as the perfect running cross-training activity. So which do I put my efforts toward? I don't have time for all three, on top of running, that's for sure. In the meantime, do I stop running altogether for a few months so that I can recuperate fully? I'd hate to just keep running 3.5 miles a day and 20 miles a week if it's just keeping the healing process at bay.
Obviously these are questions best answered by my physiotherapist and orthopedist. The thing that irritates me is that I haven't asked and that they haven't told me already.
I still don't know anyone who's had this problem, so all I can go by is research from web sites, and the consensus isn't good:
From About.com: "Treatment of hip bursitis is often effective, but the condition has a problem of coming back and sometimes becoming a persistent problem." Many other sources back this up, that by pushing through this condition, the bursitis will become chronic. The question is: By not taking the time off to recuperate from the initial injury, did I do long-term damage to myself when I attempted to run 26.2 miles a month later?
I'm also trying to decide where to concentrate my other training efforts. First, I recognise that part of this problem is cause by a muscle imbalance. At least one website recommends working on weight-training to improve gluteal strength. But I also recognise that poor stretching is also to blame, and yoga or pilates would be another great means to improvement on that front. Finally, as I was expressing in an earlier post, I've kind of always wanted to learn to swim, and many people have extolled the virtues of swimming as the perfect running cross-training activity. So which do I put my efforts toward? I don't have time for all three, on top of running, that's for sure. In the meantime, do I stop running altogether for a few months so that I can recuperate fully? I'd hate to just keep running 3.5 miles a day and 20 miles a week if it's just keeping the healing process at bay.
Obviously these are questions best answered by my physiotherapist and orthopedist. The thing that irritates me is that I haven't asked and that they haven't told me already.
posted by Skylight at 2:59 PM
2 Comments:
I know better than to offer advice about things I know nothing about, my friend. How about commiserating over Office Space and three-buck Chuck instead?
I think you're right about having that conversation with your doctor and physical therapist. Hope you can do that sooner rather than later.
why don't you post something on the forums-i know others who have had various injuries have done the same...it's nothing to be ashamed about, and you never know if a teammate of ours may have had the same injury and could possibly help. just a thought.
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