I finally went to the doctor today for my nagging hip pain while running. After examining me and what not, the doc says it's most likely something with the actual joint itself. I went and got x-rays and will hear back from the doc by monday if there is anything wrong with them. He also gave me some anti-inflammatory pills and told me not to run. I'm not just going to never ever run again! That's why I came to him in the first place so I could run pain free.....

He suggests non running exercises for a while and taking those pills. I'm really bummed right now and I dunno how I"m going to handle this....

ugh!

MBN -- you look amazing, i love your hair colour much better than my natural colour, I saw some pics on NY day, maybe it was just a bad hair day, but gosh I really hated them ... I enjoy so much not dyeing them though that I still may not go back to dying... I also saw, through those pics, that I really need to lose weight

MK -- it really does sound like you're overtrained, you'll make the right decision and whatever works for YOU, cause you're just a smart girl

Hello to all the newbies... Running is trully addictive...

I weight train on days I run too, I sometimes even do legs depending on how the days fall, I try to avoid it but sometimes it's just unavoidable ...

Like today I ran in the afternoon it was a little cool -7c/19f because it was a bit windy and damp, I hate damp weather, 3.5 miles... After my run I was ravenous, scarfed down an apple and a banana and water.... I was still extremely hungry at supper an hour later and started eating wheat crackers while making supper I hate doing that! But all in all the day was less than 1600 cals. I also went to the gym tonight ... It was a good day...

I may start training for a half marathon, I'll see, I need to do a half when it's really cool to cold, because unlike most of you I love cold weather running...

Fat Pants -- Just wanted to add that I am enjoying my Garmin 305!! Which program are you using to download your workouts?... I think my favourite one is the Map my run one... I haven't read good things about the CD that is included with the Garmin. I'm also trying Sport Track...

I finished week one today of C25k. I was looking for races to do near the time I'll finish with the program and the only one in my area that I was able to find is a 10k on Feb 27. That will be week 8 or 9 for me so I'd be basically done with the program. Do you think that would be pushing it much to try to do that race? I'd love to find a race to do but don't want to overwhelm myself either..

Oh, Eve! I'm so sorry to hear about the hip. So frustrating. I know that "fear" that you will never be able to run again... I felt that way when my knee problems took me out for a few weeks earlier this fall. It is so difficult to do other things when all you really want to do is run!

But it is good to listen to the doctor's advice. I kept running with my ITB injury and it just made it worse and worse until I couldn't even get through the first mile without having to walk because of the pain. Taking the time off to rehab my knee properly was the best decision and while it was frustrating to not run, it really was good in the long run. A temporary break from running ensures a better chance of returning to running in the future. I know we runners are stubborn and just want to run through the pain, but for long-term success, taking a break to let the hip heal properly is probably the right idea. Took me awhile to learn that lesson. I hope you have good news from the dr. on Monday!!

Ilene - 19f, ugh you are braver than me! I'm complaining about a high of 28 today LOL. I have been using the CD software that comes with the Garmin but I've only barely messed with it - haven't uploaded this week's training yet - but so far it seems good. I'll have to give MMR a look one of these days!

Eve: I'm sorry to hear your visit. Take care of yourself, fingers crossed this is just a minor bump.

I'm still working on my right leg tightness. The whole back is a mess. I'm spinning and walking the incline and I think I'm going to hit the pool. Fat do you use the foam roller for your hammies and calves? I'm getting a little desperate.

My Dh has played around a bit with garmin Software. yes, that would be MY Garmin software. Anywhoo we're still exploring , but have liked it so far. I need to contact garmin about buying a second chest strap though. wet strap= gross.

Hi Geranium, yes I've used the foam roller on my hammies and calves, especially my hammies when they are tight from lower leg strength training. IMO, the roller is the simplest yet most effective rehab tool out there. My hip flexor (top of hip where it connects to the pelvis) has been bothering me on some runs - not enough to quit but it'll hurt for the rest of the day after the run - and I've been using the foam roller on my quads from the top of my pelvis/hip joint all the way down to the top of my knee.

This article may help you identify the cause of the pain:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cm...articleid=1383

Good luck with the pain. LOL about your hubby using the Garmin... I think I might get the foot pod so I can use it indoors.. I'm joining a gym this weekend with an indoor track and I'm the type of person that will not pay attention to how many laps I'm running so I need a pedometer to tell me my distance.

Eve - sorry to hear about your hip. I've never dealt with an injury (knock on wood) but I second what FP said. Best to deal with it now the way your dr recommends instead of doing anything that might make it worse. I can relate to the fear - just yesterday I talked to two people who blew out their knees by running overtraining, and I couldn't imagine being told to stop running. Are there other things you enjoy doing? Remember this is only temporary...and the more weight you lose the easier this will be on your body.

zephyr - congrats on finishing week 1 of c25k! My advice is to do some google searching to find 5ks in your area to see if there is one that catches your eye...I have been running for months now and now regularly am doing 5k with no walk breaks, but am not going to race until April. You don't have to decide now...see how your next few weeks go.

MK - I'm going to see if there is a rowing machine at the gym. Thanks for the tips.

Took a break yesterday but plan to run and lift today. Thank God for the gym...it's in the teens today with crazy blustery winds!

Thanks, gals! I appreciate your replies. I will be listening to my doctor and taking few weeks off from running. I really hope this will be what my hip needs to get better! My biggest struggle will be just not exercising at all. I don't want to lose my hard earned stamina/endurance so I'm wondering what exercises I can do to help maintain instead of losing it all by wallowing in self pitty on the couch, lol. I'm going to keep doing Chalean Extreme, I just started the push phase yesterday and I'm loving it. I am thinking about getting me one of those foam rollers. Any time I do a hip flexor stretch, my 'injured' hip reallllly feels it. It feels...tight but if I try to extend the stretch a bit further it will start to hurt.

I think the most frustrating part for me is trusting the doctor. Trusting him to not just, tell me to quit running forever, but to actually help me find what the problem is so I can fix it and get back to running.

I'm taking a complete rest day today, but will be cleaning ma house. Maybe I'll put on some music and dance a bit too?

Eve - sorry to hear about your initial diagnosis, but as others have said, far better to get it taken care of now rather than push through the pain and possibly end up with a worse injury. I know you it can feel when you are told to stop doing something you enjoy and that you do well at. When I hurt my knee, my dr said I could still run but I had to ice every time, take Aleve, use the foam roller, stretch, etc. It was hard at first because it seemed like something that was so easy - put on shoes, run, done - now had a dozen steps! However, I find on the days that I do everything right - stretch, run, stretch, ice, Aleve, foam roller, stretch, stretch, and so on - I feel SO much better. And as my knee is a chronic condition, I'm now used to dealing with it in this manner. It doesn't help that I ride horses and that isn't good for your knees either. But I do all I can to maintain and minimize the pain, even though I wish I didn't have to!
Edited to add (after your post popped up above mine!) - can you swim? I would think a no-weight-bearing exercise like that would be beneficial. Maybe something to ask the doctor?

Zephyr - I would go for the February race. Make it your goal to finish the race, rather than run for time. I find on the races I aim to just run the whole thing, the time naturally comes with it. I am by no means a fast runner, but now that I know I can run a 5k, I'm working on getting my times down. I would say for the first couple of years running 5k's, I just aimed to finish the race and tried to run the whole thing - it's very motivating to have a race coming up!

Me - yeah, no running today. No reason other than I'm trying to get my house back together after having guests for a MONTH. I have to admit, as much as I've enjoyed having family here, I am ready to have my life back!

I recently just moved to a place where I found out the park a couple of blocks away has a track, but I just can't seem to bring myself. What time to do ladies usually run?

julesp, thank you for your story. It feels better to hear from others who struggle as well. I am definitely going to look into a swimming program/routine I can do while i'm recovering. I need something structured like that because I never know what to do and just get bored in the pool all by mahself. lol.
this wil be me the next few weeks:

Yay! I finally enrolled in my first 5K! On the 28th of March I am going to run my first 5K on a Motor GP circuit!
But.....there's a 45 minute time limit! I don't know if I'm going to make that. I can run for 30 minutes now, but that's not 5K yet!
The snow and ice isn't helping either. It's really bad over here right now and I can't run. Instead I have been walking. It's better than nothing. I'll probably go swimming on Monday night. It's not running, but it's something.
I'm slightly worried that skipping sessions I might not make the 5K!

Marjolein

marjolein, just to give you an idea: my running pace is very slow and when I did my very first 5k, I was only on about week 5 of c25k and I was able to do it in 40:11. So, I believe that you will have plenty of time to finish the program and you should have no problem finishing in the time limit! Just keep going and you will make it!

Hi all,

Just wanted to share my good news that I am down a pound this week. At 204, for a total of 32 pounds gone. Inching towards onederland!

Also, a public service announcement re treamill running: it's best to have a 1% or so incline when on the TM, since unlike outdoor running, there is no wind factor and you are not moving through space. So running on a TM totally flat is actually like running a tiny bit downhill which is harder on the joints - so I have learned this week from some athelete friends, and a google search confirmed it. I did yesterday's 3.1 miles on the TM and had it between .5 an 1 incline - more challening than running flat, but I'm ready for the challenge and definitely want to be as kind as I can to my joints! Not sure if you are all aware of this already, but wanted to pass it along.

Marjolein - congrats on committing to a race!

EveL and Marjolein - I'm planning on a weekly pool workout to do something no impact and work my full body...so we have swimmer solidarity here!

Newyorkgal - welcome! Sorry don't have any input re your question...

Have a great weekend all!