I’ve been at a standstill with my hip issue. (I don’t know what to call it since it doesn’t seem like a labral tear, even though that is the only thing I’ve been diagnosed as having.)
It hurts nearly every time I run outside. The loose snow always aggravates it, but even on days where the sidewalks and roads have been plowed, it still doesn’t feel great. The “pain” is very minimal–a ‘1’ on a scale of pain level. Really it is more of an awareness it is there and working a little harder than the other side. The treadmill and indoor running have never bothered it, which makes me want the snow to go away even more! And fortunately speed has not bothered it either, so I’ve been having some successful tempo workouts on the treadmill with no problems.
I have made a lot of progress since this last summer and fall, but I wish it was 100% better. I have tried running really flat routes, different shoes, and inserts, but none of those things seem to matter. I’ve been doing my glute exercises and exercises from the physical therapist but those don’t necessarily seem to be helping either. Hopefully just a little more time and patience will heal it completely.
I’ve been running right around 40 miles for the past month with one long run and one tempo workout each week. I’ve been doing the tempo workout on the treadmill because the snow-covered roads are not conducive to running fast. As much as I dislike the treadmill, the tempo workout goes by fairly fast because I am constantly changing up the speed. Here’s a look at my workouts from this past week.
Monday
5 miles | easy run | 9:37 average pace
30 minutes of weights at the gym
Easy run with a friend. Slow-going but that’s always the case in the winter. My hip was achy by the end of this run, but the achy-ness went away as soon as I was done running. I went to the gym after the run to do some weight lifting before I had to be back home.
Tuesday
40 minutes rock climbing
Off – I ran 5 days in a row, so it was time to take a day off. I did go rock climbing (bouldering) for 40 minutes in the morning, so I did get some good upper body strength work in again.
Wednesday
9 miles | tempo workout
5 x 5 minutes @ 6:35 pace
4 x 45 seconds @ 5:50, 5:45, 5:40, 5:30 pace –> progressively faster
This was such a good workout for me! I felt so good and stronger than I did last week, when I did a similar workout at 6:40 pace. This came a lot easier, and I wasn’t dying quite as much at the end. I still have a lot of work to do, but this definitely boosted my confidence.
Thursday
7 miles | easy run | 9:04 average pace
45 minutes of weights at the gym
This was an easy run with a friend. My hip was okay during the first half, but it started hurting during the second half of the run. We ran a really flat route because I’m pretty sure hills aggravate my hip even more.
Friday
6 miles | easy stroller run | 9:19 average pace
I ran with the stroller. Cullen still enjoys riding in the stroller, which makes me so happy. I did entice him with a run to the airport, and there were a lot of things to keep him distracted along the way: 2 moose, airplanes, school buses, snow plows, and an airplane landing on skis. I had to stop a lot, but I’m okay with that because it doesn’t happen during every run.
Saturday
Off – I was debating about doing my long run this morning, but it didn’t work out logistically, so I pushed it back to Sunday.
Sunday
11 miles | long run | 9:12 average pace
My hip was achy during the last 4 miles of this run. I took it easy, ran slow, and did my best not to be hyper-aware of the hip discomfort and alter my gait as well. It was 6 degrees during this run. Boo! I want summer back!
Total miles: 38 miles
Since working at the running store, I’ve been introduced to a lot of high-end things–socks included. Prior to this, I think I ran in C9 Target brand running socks, Adidas socks from Costco, and some Nikes. I didn’t necessarily hate them, but now that I’ve been introduced to even better socks, it is hard to go back to the cheap, 3-pack socks. I’ve shared my love for Feetures socks before (which I still really like), but I do love Stance running socks even more.
The quality is awesome, I love the left and right foot specific fit, they haven’t stretched out or faded like other brands, and you can’t beat the fun patterns and designs. I love the crew height in the winter to keep my ankles warm, the no-show tab socks for training runs, and the ‘lite’ no-show socks for race day.
I also absolutely love these Bliss Super Invisible socks. They have several ‘super invisible’ socks, which are perfect for booties or when you don’t want your socks to be seen. They DO NOT slip off my heel, and the colors and patterns are so much fun.
Cullen and I have a low-key day planned with a trip to the dog park, blog work during nap time, and some Greek bison burgers for dinner. And that will probably be our day because it is crazy how much time those things will take when you are also caring for and watching a toddler.
The right pair of this great socks will not only improve your run but will also give you the support you need to run faster.