On ya bike!

Dutifully not running. Stretching and foam rolling. Exercise biking (30 minutes - 17.46km - 606 calories).

Note the sweat towel - no facecloth for me!
 No - I bring out the  big guns!

But it's not the same (insert whining sound here....)!!!

What would you rather look at? Sausage legs...

Can you see the drops of sweat on the bike?

 Or the ocean!

Yep. Me too. Never mind...won't be long!

Hip, hip hooray...not

It's official. I'm injured.

I went to the physio on Monday as the pain in my hip flexors was not really getting any better. And sure enough, I have torn hip flexor muscles. Recommendations? Stretching (every day - so a bit more to do there), exercise bike/swimming when pain dies down (which will be soon, apparently), visit to the podiatrist to make sure I'm wearing the right shoes/orthotics as I pronate (who knew?), no running for....six to eight weeks.

WTF??? That long? Sigh. It's an "overuse" injury, which I find quite hysterical, given my mileage barely makes it to 15km a week!

In a strange twist of fate, my free Runner's World free running socks and training diary were waiting for me in the letterbox when I got home from the physio - just to tease me.

I am undeterred!! I have 3 weeks until I go on holidays (cruise to New Zealand). OK, so I won't be running around the Promenade Deck like I imagined, but dang it - I'll be in the gym on the exercise bike. Will my foam roller fit in my bag? Two weeks of cruising (and biking and swimming), then only 1-3 weeks after that I should be able to run. If I actually do keep my fitness up, maybe I won't have to start all the way back at Week 1 of Couch to 5K!!

Anyway, the physio did some ultrasound treatment and massaged my butt so hard I have the bruises to prove it! I have been using the aforementioned foam roller everyday and doing the stretches from the Hip Flexor Solutions book.  Today I got on the exercise bike - 5 minutes warm-up, 20 minutes of UNSW's 8/12 second intervals, 5 minutes cool-down - a total of 30 minutes, 17.75km, 607 calories. Not bad and I'm just as sweaty and unimpressed looking as when I run:

oww...again

Just when things are looking up, my body lets me down. Again.

My right hip agony from a few months ago has migrated to my left hip. A bit of niggle at first. Able to run, particularly once I've warmed up, the pain virtually disappears into a little whisper. Until after the run, and then it ROARS!

Ice, heat, massage, nurofen. And no running tomorrow. I've done what every good person with an injury does - Googled it, stretched and strengthened and even done the appropriate sheets from the Anatomy Colouring Book to learn about muscles/tendons/ligaments in the hip/glute area. The pain is so bad, I'm contemplating giving my newly acquired health fund policy a good workout at the physio's.

I'm frustrated - I've done everything right. Good shoes. Been slowly increasing the distance. Trying to run with good form (landing on my midfoot, keeping tall, relaxing upper body and calves). And I'm not fast! It's so annoying. It's not like I'm smoking and eating crap. I'm trying (really, really trying) to look after myself, get healthy and fit and live a longer, more energised life. It pisses me off.

But obviously my 42 year old, overweight body has different ideas. I'm finding that running is so intense, that it finds any/all weaknesses you may have in your body. So (grumble, moan, sulk), I'm going to listen to my body. And maybe I'll be a better runner in the process. I can hope.

What's your worst injury and what did you do to overcome it?

Sidelined...

Grrr. Just getting into the swing of things and my stoopid body lets me down! 

Yesterday I felt every day of my 42 years old - my hip(s) were that sore. So, I (begrudgingly) need to listen to my body and not run this morning (and it's a beautiful morning - no wind, sunny, and I bet there would be dolphins!).

Very frustrating!

But, I know if I don't give it a bit of rest, I'll be sidelined for even longer. So I will stretch, ice and maybe do alternative activities for the next few days - stationary bike, swimming, walking (although even that hurts at the moment).

Anyone else had hip trouble?