Friday, March 12, 2010

A Question to All You Runners Out There!

So I have a question: And for everyone who knows me, you know that I LOVE to ask questions.

~For the past few months, I've been training for a Marathon. I've always wanted to run in one, but have never had the chance. I wanted to run in the Teton Dam Marathon this Summer. But because I'm not one of those amazing people that can manage to run and be super pregnant I took about a year break from running, and decided that maybe I'll play it safe and start with a half.

~Long story short, a couple of months ago while on a 4 mile run, I noticed a slight pain in my right hip. I ignored it and finished the run, because that is just what runners do. Over the course a few weeks I noticed the pain getting sharper and it was coming earlier and earlier in my runs. As of today I can only run a little over a mile and then the pain gets almost unbearable.

~It feels like my hip is slightly out of joint, but it only really hurts when I run (and it can get so bad that I can't stand any more). I can go on walks and do the usual cardio, aerobics, kick boxing and not feel a thing...so why running? I love running, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to put my Marathon Dream on hold yet again.
My assumption is that because I am still nursing and Aaron is only 7 months old, my joints must still be soft, weird because I could run just fine after Kaylie.

~So Dear Runner Buddies, have any of you ever had this kind of pain? Do you have any treatment ideas? I'd love to hear from you!

~Thanks~

5 comments:

Aleisha said...

I'm no runner, but I do have a theory you could consider if you run out of ideas....

When Alaina was born she twisted up my lower spine pretty bad and I had pretty bad pain in my legs for months before I figured out what it was and saw a chiropractor. This time around with Garrett everything was fine.

My theory is maybe you could be a little out of joint and just need an adjustment. Could be that things played out different the second time around. And sometimes it may take time to feel the effects of it. Who knows?

(This is my "I'm not a runner so I'll give ya whatever I've got" theory :) ) IF all else fails, it might be worth a thought.

Tiff said...

I can COMPLETELY relate. I don't know what my problem was caused by though. I don't love running, but it was a great way to get back in shape after I had Kylee. I starting running after my 6 week check up and for the first 3 months I had no problem. Then I started getting a sharp burning pain in my right hip during every run and afterward. It got even to a point where it would hurt to walk. After my 5 mile race I took a break from running and have only done walking. I have started running here and there, but have been too afraid to push myself too much; not wanting to experience that pain again. Especially when dog walking is your business.

Brittany Alyse said...

I think that it might just be your joints being loose from being pregnant. Thats such a bummer!! I started running while I was nursing Grant, and my joints were sore- like in my knees and ankles, but then when I stopped nursing him my knees and ankles got better! I dont know if that helps at all... But good luck!! Miss you!!

Jacob and Krista Flamm said...

Ok, I'm glad to hear that someone else has had the same problem, so I know I'm not alone...it just seems really weird.
Thanks for the tip Aleisha, I really had horrible back pain while pregnant with Aaron and really bad back labor too. I'll have to look into getting it re-adjusted.

Rachel said...

(Sorry, this is sorta long)

Krista, is the pain in the joint area (deep, where the head of the femur meets the hip), or is it along the outer crest of your hip bone (superficial, where you place your hands on your hips)?

When I was running in high school, I got really bad hip splints (like shin splints) and this pain was along the outer crest of my hips on both sides. I ran like a gimp because of it. I have never felt the deep pain though.

I don't know if joints take THAT long to readjust after pregnancy and birth, because I'm 5+ months postpartum and I feel like my joints are pretty much "back to normal", and I am running pain-free. If you're having joint probs, maybe you had some sort of injury related to the birth that never resolved. But if the pain didn't start until after weeks or months of running, it's probably not due to the birth. You may have injured it while running or doing some other kind of activity.

My advice: REST for a while, eat well (lots of potassium foods), see your doctor about it, and ease back into the activity slowly after the pain is gone. I learned from shin and hip splints that injuries take longer to heal when you don't give them TIME to heal. Good luck! I hope you get to run that marathon soon! I know you can do it, Krista!

One last thought, it could be the shoes you are wearing. When I got the right shoes for me, my shin splints never came back!

P.S. I miss running with you. I'd love to run that marathon with you, if we lived close to each other.