Reader Lori emailed me awhile ago about thutt injuries and although I’ve posted this before, I think it’s worth re-posting because pretty much every runner gets injured at one time or another.
So here are my injury tips, how I healed from my piriformis and a hamstring tear and how I have yet to re-injure myself even after 6 marathons in 6 months:
(For new readers: I was training for my first marathon back in April 2009 and running about 70 miles a week but not doing any stretching, icing or core work. I got hurt the DAY BEFORE my first marathon and was diagnosed with piriformis and a hamstring tear.)
I went to a couple sessions of physical therapy and finally got it through my head that I wasn’t invincible and I couldn’t run a marathon without even stretching (which I did in training 3x) I took 4 months off for it to heal which sucked but I learned my lesson.
Now I’m uber careful about taking care of my body. This is what I do:
1. Stretch. morning and night. specifically hamstring, hip flexors, stretches for piriformis, you can google and find tons of sites with stretches for any specific body part.
2. Ice after almost every single run. I bought a couple of cheap ice packets from Walmart and I sit on them for 10 mins to ice my hips. If my knees ache at all, I throw packs on them too.
3. Core work. I haven’t done too much lately, but the PT made it very clear that a strong core really helps your running and prevents injuries especially in the hips.
4. New shoes with inserts. I went and did the treadmill/computer thing where they analyzed my stride, gait, all that. I bought inserts which helped to even out where I was striking my foot which is supposed to stabilize your hips. Buy shoes for your specific needs.
5. Take days off. If anythings sore, I don’t run. I’ll cross train. I doubt if I’ll get near the 70 mile weeks again but I’m also racing a lot faster than I ever have. I’d rather be able to run less miles than be injured and not run at all.
6. The Stick. My brother gave me one for Christmas, and I use it on the outside of my legs where your IT band runs and on my hip. i just rub it hard over those areas and it almosts starts to hurt a little but its like a deep tissue massage.
In my unprofessional opinion, #1-3 are the most important.
Any opinions, tips, stories??
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
can you give a good example of a good core workout? I’ve bee ntrying to figure out exactly what to do for my running needs. your blog is the best!
Yep. I don’t take care of my body. I screwed up my IT Band during the Pittsburgh Marathon in May–missed qualifying for Boston by 35 seconds and haven’t run since. Guess I should stretch next time, huh?
Thanks so much for the post. It’s a great reminder and awesome tips. I really need to work harder at stretching on a regular basis. I’ve had shin splint on and off since high school… Killer. I know these tips (if followed) will help.
I love your blog by the way
My vote for the running picture… definitely a dude.
I think not doing too much too soon is the biggest way to prevent injury. Respect your body. Start at your current fitness level, build up with long slow runs and be sure to give yourself rest days.That’s when your body recovers and builds back up.
Sufficient SLEEP. this is when the body repairs itself. Get plenty of sleep!
Hey I just found your blog. I have a piriformis/hip issue. I just went to the chiropractor for it. She basically told me my hips are mis-aligned. Is your piriformis issue better? It is such a pain… in the butt!
Great post. Thank you for reminding us all.
It’s amazing how different a run can feel & turn out if you dont stretch properly. I have been lazy with my stretching in the past but I have been trying to make it more of a habit to stretch pre & post run. Thank you for the reminders on other ways to stay healthy while running.
I miss you!!!!! Thank you for checking in when you can xoxo
I have been dealing with this injury since the beginning of Fall and didn’t find out until about 2 months ago that it was my priformis and not my hamstring. I pretty much did 1-6 by trial and error and figuring out what makes it feel better. As a yogi and runner, it’s been so frustrating!
Its nice to see that I’m not the only one!