My Hips Don't Lie

A year ago, I didn't listen to my body -- and the outcome stunk. I was benched from running for over two months, and I had to rely on crutches to get around for weeks.

I swore then that I would treat myself better. By no means have I acted perfectly. But today, in a demonstration of maturity, I went to the doctor over growing discomfort in my heel. I'm really glad I did. To find out why, you'll have to keep on reading. 


The Source of My Pain
After three months of agonizing pain in my left hip, I made an appointment with a sports medicine specialist at the University of Illinois for Feb. 18, 2010. I honestly didn't believe my hip pain had anything to do with running, because it only hurt during prolonged sitting or getting up from sitting. But, since I was a runner, I opted for a sports medicine specialist over a general physician.

On Feb. 14, I went out for a planned 14-mile run with a friend. I had experienced minor discomfort in my foot in the days leading up to the run, but thought nothing of it, or, at least, not enough to hold me back from a training run for the Flying Pig Marathon. Several miles in, my foot started hurting to the point that I didn't want to put any pressure on my heel. I made it to mile 12 before throwing in the towel. By the time I got home, I could hardly walk.

Four days later, I limped into the doctor's office. Long story short, the doctor diagnosed me with IT Band syndrome in my left hip and a bad stress fracture of the right heel. I spent nearly two months in a walking boot and on crutches. I was allowed to bike in my sock, which I did religiously. I also switched to lighter, neutral shoes. And, I started seeing a physical therapist so I wouldn't lose mobility in my foot/ankle and so I could strengthen my left hip.

By May, I was able to start running. In June, I began an 18-week training program for the Chicago Marathon. I continued seeing my physical therapist until July. I still experienced pain in my hip -- so intense at times that I desired strong pain killers (but never requested or used them, of course) -- but I saw no point in continuing to pay $50 per visit for a problem that wasn't disappearing. My therapist was disappointed, but I was pissed.

I subsequently ran the Chicago Marathon, and, six weeks later, the Philadelphia Marathon, where I achieved a PR of 4 hours, 7 minutes.

In December, I reduced mileage by about 50 percent. I received protests from my husband and friends to take the month off, but I just couldn't.


Back to Square One, Almost
A few weeks ago, I started to feel slight discomfort in my right heel again. It wasn't awful pain, but it was enough that it threw up a red flag that something might be wrong. About eight days ago, I confessed to my husband, Ben, that it was time to see the doctor again. He saw dollar signs; I saw potential for re-injury.

A part of me wondered whether I was overreacting. Yesterday I mentioned to friends and my sister that maybe I didn't need to see a doctor. It was too late to back out, in my mind, so I decided to go.

So, today, I saw a new sports medicine specialist. He examined my feet and put me on the treadmill to watch me run. Based on my symptoms and my running form, he determined that I'm in the danger zone for another stress fracture. My left hip is still abnormally weak, too, and it seems to be the source of my problems.

I will nip this foot and hip problem in the bud. Here's how:
1. I'm switching my shoe make and model, again. Thanks to my friend Fabian, I was able to buy the new Kinvaras, a super-light, neutral shoe, at an incredible discount. They're supposed to take me off my heel, and they're due to arrive in a few weeks!
2. I will invest in gait analysis and a running coach, so I can learn better form. The way I'm currently running threatens re-injury. It may only take one session, so says the doc.
3. Meanwhile, I will run minimally and slowly, with 5 miles being a "long" run. I will also work extra hard at strengthening my left hip. If anyone reading this has suggestions about how to do that, I'm all ears.
4. Finally, if my hip pain persists, I may have to consider further testing. When I received my IT Band Syndrome diagnosis last year, no imaging was done on the hip. It's possible the real reason for the pain is a muscle tear.


Waving the White Flag
Eleven days ago, I was looking ahead and forming running goals for 2011. I'm already re-evaluating.

Based on the doctor's advice, I will sit out the F^3 Half-Marathon on Jan. 29. I feel badly, since I convinced a lot of friends, including my husband, to brave the cold and run it. I'll be out there cheering...unless it's really cold :)

I'm also going to take the back seat to the Flying Pig Marathon for the second time. The doctor doesn't think 16 weeks is enough to rehab the hip/foot and properly train for the marathon. This hits me in the gut, but I agree with him. In fact, I was already surrendering to that idea last Wednesday. I told a very small group of my close friends that I wouldn't run the full, and they all backed me. I won't ask for another deferral. Instead, I'll apply to switch to the half marathon. A lot of my friends from across the country are running the full, and I'd like to be there with them, even if it's just for 13.1 miles. Maybe I can achieve a major PR (personal record). Someday, I will run The Pig.