Running Form and Injuries- the more things change, the more they stay the same...
So at the suggestion of the JOSers I am moving this question over to the general training forum.
I know that my running form is WRONG. Not from a mid or heel, natural or stability, whatever is the latest running debate of the day. My right foot crosses the midline when my foot lands - I have this tendency to put kind of a swinging motion to bring my foot around. I had gait analysis and video during my most recent fitting of shoes yesterday and my husband assured me that is it MUCH better than a year ago, but it is still not normal or anything.
A little aside is that my hip hurt so badly by August 2013 I couldn't sleep through the night without waking in pain and I couldn't sit for more than 10 minutes. With Dr. diagnosing "glute med tendonitis" (referred to by Coach P as a "lazy butt" and Coach R as a "pain in your ass"- both correct) I went off running for 2 months, did my PT, and slowly re-introduced running with some help from Coach P and my PT guidance starting in October. Felt awesome until about 2 weeks ago, when the long runs started to ache about 30 minutes in. The long runs now are not that long, so I am worried about down the line.
So my question is...what do I do about this? Many of you come from a running background and I don't. I swam competitively and I know a drill for just about every stroke correction, but I am clueless when people say, "You know what you should do- try running with your feet behind you!" (true story) I have worked on shortening my stride, increasing my cadence, running more upright, and I thought I was getting it down. I could hire a coach, but I don't really need "gait analysis"- I know what's wrong- I need someone to show me how to correct it. Plus, it's an investment- not just the money, but time, research effort, what if he or she actually sucks, etc. The runner husband is admittedly not the best or most objective teacher, and he is time-strapped.
I am looking for what direction I need to pursue here. I am open to advice. Thanks in advance.
Comments
Although it sounds like you did a bunch of PT, you might also benefit from a physiotherapist's analysis of muscle imbalances and weaknesses beyond trying to treat your particular injury. Also if you don't have a really good PT focused on athletes then you might want to find another one...my experience with PT has been very mixed, with a lot of the PTs baseloading their business with people recovering from major surgery and/or very old people...those PTs are not always the best at working with athletes.
It sounds that despite gains in your hip strength and improved running form, you continue to lack the muscular endurance required to maintain your form during your longer runs. I am a physical therapist, runner and have gone through 2 hip surgeries myself so I can definitely relate to your struggles. I would recommend focusing on strengthening exercises that work on hip muscle endurance (either high reps or prolonged holds) Since you have already been through PT I am guessing they taught you some basic exercises to build up your gluteal strength such as clamshells, single leg squats, single leg glute bridges with a hold, side stepping with a resistance band. I would also continue to work on core stability with planks, side planks- you can even progress them into planks with leg lifts. I would build up your endurance with those exercises, then it may also be good to add in some running drills that emphasize the motion of driving your hip forward as you run. The march/skip drill here is a good example: http://www.active.com/running/articles/the-4-best-form-drills-to-improve-your-running-technique
If you're continuing to have pain with distance running, it may be worth the investment to return to physical therapy. I agree with Matt that not all clinics are the same, so I would try to find a clinic that specializes in sports performance. (Not just lists it as a bullet point in something that they "can do") If you have any other questions or want more info on drills/ exercises feel free to send me a message. Hope this helps!
I spend the last 2 yrs really focusing on core work and it "mostly" fixed my run form. This work is boring and slow and takes forever to see improvements, but once you strengthen your glutes and stabilize your core those other problems just start to fix themselves.
At a minimum you could start with the upcoming 5-20 challenge: http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/14449/Default.aspx
My go to core exercises use elastic bands: Clams, Bridges, Monster Walks (with large band).
I also do front planks with reaches and side planks with leg lift before every run.
My non-band go to exercises are: 1-legged squats, rear leg elevated split squats, stability ball hamstring curls, side lunges
Many of these are in the Wiki: Lower half, Plank you could start here: http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=2011+Maintenance+Workouts
But I would personally just focus on the things that work your glutes and hammies and core stabilization if I were you. And be patient as it will take many many months to see improvements. And remember that doing the exercises slow with perfect form is more important than just banging out a whole bunch of reps.
Thank you all for the feedback. I was doing a much more consistent job of core (december core challenge and prior) and completing my PT exercises prior to Jan 1. My immediate reaction to the pain was to start up again and make every day either the ham/glute exercises or core-specific (planks, etc,). The new shoes may help as mine were somewhat crushed/done and hopefully that will make a small difference. If not, I will seek out the services of a sports-specific PT and/or running coach as necessary.
For some, there is a short cut and a physiotherapist or run form analyst or coach or whoever are going to give some drills to help remedy a specifc part or parts of your run. And bingo, the problem is fixed. The approach I'm suggesting is intended to make you a **critical observer of your own run form** and tries to give you the knowledge of why certain parts of the stride are the way they are, and feel they way they should. This foundation, in turn, helps in two ways: 1) it grounds the drill in the skill, and 2) it tries to create a constant feedback loop about your form and always has you thinking about it, and always introducing little tweaks. Sad part: it means zoning out (or chatting with friends, or paying attention to whatoever is on the ipod) on easy lor long runs is no longer an option, because now, you're a critical observer of your own run form, and you're now paying a lot of attention to form. But in the long term, it's most definitely worth it, from both "enjoying the process" and "improve the outcomes" points of view.