This week has been great because I got back to running. As mentioned above, Mrs suggested we use the couch to 5km app on her phone. Stuff like 60 seconds run, 60 walk repeated.
It’s a winner as I can concentrate on holding form for a short distance, and then reset while walking.
Have done it every day this week, covering distances from 3km to 5km in half an hour. Seems to be getting easier every day
I’m now pretty confident of getting back to proper running, although expect I have taken a few years off the life of that hip
Those feet exercises that I posted in Training - what training on 15/1 are actually working for me
I’ve worn orthotics since about 1988 and have been fell running since 1987, and only during the last few weeks have I felt spring/bounce in my running - I didn’t know what this was having not had any muscle power under the arches et al! Great feeling.
My arches are not rising as yet (as suggested in Denise Parks’ article), but I guess that’s a longer way away than the 7 months it’s taken me to be able to lift my big toes whilst keeping the other toes flat on the floor… and to stop the toes buckling under any strain.
It’s funny that I think that we are all the same until I chat to friends, and it seems that unlike me, most people have normal (ie not flat as a pancake) functioning feet.
Just thought I’d share for any other flat-footed athletes on here
You can have flat feet and have no issues whatsoever. Flat feet is common amongst some ethnicities, regardless of footwear. I think it is one of those things where there is a perceived anatomical ideal but in reality it’s a continuum and despite a flat foot, very lordotic/kyphotic or ‘flat’ back, people move just fine.
About 7 years ago I went out on the MTB to play in the snow near to my then home village of Heptonstall (above Hebden Bridge). When I cycled over the brow of one of the bridalways over the hills I looked in the distance at the blocked road (snow) and saw one of the pubs with smoke coming out of the chimney… oooh, how exciting, just 1 pint then.
Cue meeting couple of friends who’d walked there and then 7 pints later attempting to cycle bck home in the snow. Came off but didn’t feel a thing (alcohol is a great anaesthetic!). Eventually got back home.
The next AM I travelled into work at Leeds and was in agony, left collarbone. Went to A&E and saw consultant who told me “oh it’ll be ok, it’s just shifted upward somewhat but not broken in any way. You’ll be ok, you’ll probably get arthritus in there when you’re older”
Anyway, all has been well until that attempted 10k swim on Sunday. No pain during, slight pain for a few days afterwards but ssssssshhhiit, the clavicle is really protruding upwards near to the shoulder, but oddly enough still held tight by skin. Hmmmmm, will I have this to look forward to now after every 10k swim, and wonder why it doesn’t tend to happen after a normal pool swim… slightly different technique perhaps?
All seems to have returned to normal now, 5 days on, but the last thing I want during a 10k swim is this popping out … and yet another excuse for swimming very slow
Ah sorry to hear that. Possible AC dislocation? My mate has grade 3 both sides and no op on either. It just sits a bit proud. I had grade 5 and it looked like this before the op Injury List- do any parts of you still work? - #137 by d.t - now it looks more like my mate’s grade 3. If it is an AC issue dislocation, perhaps you could add in some exercises to help?
I bet they all ache the same! Mine looks bad, but it wasn’t too painful. In the shoulder rehab group I went to there was a chap that had worked in post office sorting house for years and looked to be in a bad way.
Back for another appointment on this hamstring issue that has bothered me for a year off and on. Thinks it is the same old left hip that is causing the issue
Essentially it seems to have a reduced range of movement either because of muscle tightness around that area and lower back, other muscles overwork and eventually something does more work than it really is designed to and complains! Got some loosening off done and he said the hip seemed to be moving easier.
The latest injury site has been alright for over a week but I’m keeping off the running a bit longer so it has maximal time to recover and hopefully get round the 70.3 next weekend.
What he’s saying makes sense but not sure why it is always that hip, there is definitely reduced movement in the hip and it feels like a bit of impingement in some movements. I remember another physio 3 years ago saying something seemed to be nipping and it could be making me run a bit lopsided. Although he didn’t think there was anything fundamentally wrong with the joint.
Daft question, and I’m no biomechnical expert, but I guess that you’ve already checked out your gait, and foot/toe strength haven’t you - some issues start with the feet and work their way up to hips via knees.
Maybe, I did get it done some years ago and was going to see someone a few months ago until he had a bad skiing accident, but I think he’s hoping to return to work in a month or two.
I’m trying to find the notes of the physio I saw about 3 years ago but it was basically a scrap of paper he drew on! But essentially it sounded a bit like this, but not quite as extreme. I think it was either the cam or pincer had something aggravating the joint, he was doing some tests which are on there where he pushed the leg towards my chest and rotated it, it was quite painful.
I went back for some manipulations\treatment and it did settle down so wondering if I’ve aggravated it again. It does saying sitting down can aggravate it which probably explains why it eases when I’m off work and not sitting so long.
I’m going to ask if he can check it again. This could be causing my running gait on the left leg to be out?
Not sure if relevant to you/a hamstring issue. But to talk generally about FAI:
More than 50% of people will have imaging showing a cam/pincer “deformity” so reality is that’s normal anatomy, especially in people who’ve been active regardless of symptoms.
That’s different to FAI, which can have symptoms/be a condition associated with that anatomy. I struggled with it few years ago just before Cairns IM with pain running progressing to struggling to twist to get out of the car etc. Vast majority of people it should resolve/be improving with 3 months of good progressive strengthening around the hip. I’d pick ~4 exercises to be doable regularly, looking at some glute max extension work, some glute med/min rotational/abduction stuff, and something looking at adduction.
This can range from a start point of just isometric holds against a band/belt round the knees, to heavy hip thrusts plus rotational control work.
It’s also a movement control issue, rather than purely strength, eg FAI patients often have lower depth squat due to poor coordination rather than true decreased range
, they tend to squat with their chest flexing onto knees, and addressing their technique around the pelvis often helps with some single leg knee drives etc, standing tall.
Hard to give actual good advice for you without seeing you. But the biggest challenge is seeing someone genuinely good, who understands exercise prescription, and and not be relying on passive treatments (the frequent manipulations is interesting)
There are some demonstrations here, of progressive versions of the same intention, but it’s easy to get lost in the variants, which is where a good practitioner is worth their value
talking of hips, 9 weeks since my injury & it’s feeling pretty good now.
In the pool and on the bike I can do anything I want & it feels normal again.
Running still feels a bit weird and I am keeping stride length short & frequency high. Pre injury I was doing maybe 165 strides per minute, now it’s up at around 180.
I’m sticking with run: walk for now because it’s somehow keeping me mindful of good form & not hurting it too much. Have done up to 6km this way, although was a bit stiff after.
Thanks, I’ll look at that in case there’s better exercises.
I still can’t find the sheet of paper but I’m sure he said it was probably something minor that was nipping. It is possible it’s unrelated to the other issues but I know that motion in that hip has been less the right hip for as long as I can remember, and I’m possibly jumping to the wrong conclusion. But about 90% of my injuries are either just above or below it.
I looked back to when I got this bit assessed before and I don’t think I ran for about 10-12 weeks but that was partly as I rested before I got in to see him, and it was Q1/2021 so no races which meant less personal pressure to try and run. That said I did have other issues during the year and I also saw a chiropractor.
It’s nowhere near as bad but frustrating that there’s no confidence to try and push on again.
However, given the events I did in 2022 it clearly healed until I’ve done something daft again.
Looks like I’ve been part of the E Coli outbreak - had pretty bad diarrhoea for over 48hrs. I had a Coop cheese and ham sandwich last Wednesday - Coop products have been removed from shelves - and the infection only shows after a few days which ties in with the onset.
Going to get some Imodium and Diaoralyte today to see if that helps my recovery.
Immodium shouldn’t really be used for infectious diarrhoea unless absolutely needed for social reasons. It won’t help recovery, just means you keep the bugs inside you for longer.
Good point. Might just let it take its course then but it’s just wearing having to keep diving to the bog every hour or so. Also not eaten since Friday night
… and yet another excuse for swimming very slow 
