Any runners here? Need advice.

catinthedark · #1 10-16-2005, 10:02 PM

Sorry for the long backgrounder, but here goes:

I've been running for years, but have just recently come back from a stress fracture in my hip (due to running). I started running again (very short distances at first, lots of days of rest in between) in June, and am back up to 6km (4 miles) about four times a week. I feel great when I'm running, breathe steadily and easily, and have been slowly adding to my mileage. I'm not by any means dead tired when I get back, nor are my legs tired - but about an hour later - look out! I have muscle fatigue/pain in my legs for the rest of the day (oh, and possibly a touch of bursitis now in the other hip - dammit!). I warm up and stretch afterwards. I just bought new shoes, so that's not the problem. Anyone have tips?

Thanks!

amber · #2 10-16-2005, 10:04 PM

just my usual tip. Yoga.
good luck, running is hard on your body.

Red · #3 10-16-2005, 10:09 PM

I wish I could help, but I only run if somebody is chasing me with a pointy stick.
Have you tried physio?

catinthedark · #4 10-16-2005, 10:22 PM

Yoga - excellent advice, Amber. I do some yoga exercises now for my hips, and I'll be taking a Yoga for Runners course starting soon.

Physio... was in physio after the stress fracture 3 days a week for 5 months. For now, I've had just about enough of it!

greatdarkwing · #5 10-16-2005, 11:40 PM

I was running and more, when back in March I literally cut my left calf muscle in half by walking through glass. Since then, it has been a slow recovery, and I will never be able to run like I used to. Sometimes I'll run and I'll be fine, but other days I'll run and my leg wll hurt to high hell. My best advice is to go to a doctor and see what he recommends. Mine is something I have to live with forever...maybe the back pain might be a forever kinda thing too. Professional advice might be the best for you right now...keep us informed

Richard B · #6 10-17-2005, 01:04 AM

Always heel toe. When you run make sure you roll from heel to toe. I never have a problem running. But I will tell you 9 out of 10 runners run incorrectly. I see a lot of palm/toe of the foot area absorbing the load/impact. Not good. You MUST make sure to go heel to toe. I have been running for a few years and I have zero problems. I'm in my 30's too. It's all about form. Which is for every single type of excercise. Form is what makes it all happen and keeps you from injury.

David · #7 10-17-2005, 01:45 PM

All good advice: yoga, proper shoes, proper form, etc.

Also, be sure to STRETCH thoroughly before you run. Sounds as if you're getting either some arthritic pain afterward or some muscle burn. Take Tylenol.

**mylittledemon** · #8 10-17-2005, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catinthedark

Sorry for the long backgrounder, but here goes:

I've been running for years, but have just recently come back from a stress fracture in my hip (due to running). I started running again (very short distances at first, lots of days of rest in between) in June, and am back up to 6km (4 miles) about four times a week. I feel great when I'm running, breathe steadily and easily, and have been slowly adding to my mileage. I'm not by any means dead tired when I get back, nor are my legs tired - but about an hour later - look out! I have muscle fatigue/pain in my legs for the rest of the day (oh, and possibly a touch of bursitis now in the other hip - dammit!). I warm up and stretch afterwards. I just bought new shoes, so that's not the problem. Anyone have tips?

Thanks!

you may wanna move to a less stressing excercise. Maybe an excercise bike? Or listen to Richard B. That sounds like some "sound" advice.

SuzeQuze · #9 10-17-2005, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

you may wanna move to a less stressing excercise. Maybe an excercise bike? Or listen to Richard B. That sounds like some "sound" advice.

If you do this maybe try the elliptical trainer, I love that thing and you can really get your heart rate up. I know runners don't like to slow down cuz they miss the high. Personally I hate running and have tried a few times to start but it really hurts my shins/calves and I have a back issue too. I just don't like it. My roommate runs and she could never do cardio in the gym because she just hates it. I'm the opposite. I guess just keep asking and trying different things until you find something that helps! Maybe even taking some ibuprofen after your run would do the trick.

MacMan · #10 10-17-2005, 03:18 PM

I've ran a number of half and full marathons, so I've done a lot of running and have had my share of injuries. The only real serious problem I ever had, & I've had I believe stress fractures in my feet, but I pretty much had to run through them to stay on course in the training. But the one thing that completely stopped me in my tracks was the Ilio Tibia Band. It runs from your outter knee up to your hip. It was pretty serious and caused a lot of problems and wouldn't act up until after I ran at first, then it start during the running and would completely stop me. I figured out what the cause was, corrected it and haven't had a problem since that one period of time. I haven't trained that intensley in a couple of years... But what I did before seeing a doctor, was I scoured the running sites looking at running injuries and the symptoms described that matched mine.

Good luck, it's not fun being injured when you are a runner.

catinthedark · #11 10-17-2005, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacMan

Good luck, it's not fun being injured when you are a runner.

That's for sure. I do totally love running, so the option of switching soprts just isn't on for me right now. It's funny about the whole form thing - I had a big debate with someone who was saying that proper form is ball of the foot to the heel. He was saying that before shoes were invented, that's how people ran, because going heel to toe broke their heels. And the only reason now that shoes have so much cushioning in the heel is because the technology of shoes has messed up the natural rhythm of our bodies. Hmm. I have no idea. I know I run heel to toe. Neither my physio therapist nor my sports med specialist ever told me to change my form.

I do stretch (before and after) and warmup. In fact, the reason I was so taken aback by the muscle pain was that I didn't change anything about my running routine. I've been doing this for years - so the sudden increase in muscle fatigue seemed odd.

Yoga - yes. That's underway. I'm going to see how it feels tomorrow - it is entirely possible that I am running tired, and simply demanding too much of my muscles. The other thing I forgot is that I was on an anti-inflammatory until this week for my hip (an NSAID); it could be that the drug was masking my muscle pain. Hmmmm....

Anyway - thanks much for all your input - maybe we can keep this running discussion going! I love running!

Stephanie · #12 10-18-2005, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catinthedark

I just bought new shoes, so that's not the problem.

I see you keep your shoes updated, and that is not your particular problem, but I just wanted to chime in and say that shoes are very important. After too many miles, even though hubby's shoes still looked fine, he had terrible tendonitis in his foot and had to stop for a while. He is doing much better now, but still not running nearly as much.