About a month ago I started having pain in my left hip when I would run. I started out thinking maybe I just hurt my back but when the pain didn’t abate and actually became much worse, I knew something more was happening. I saw a sports medicine doctor who told me that I had IT band tendonitis. I had read about IT problems and how common they are in runners, but I didn’t seem to have the hallmark symptom of pain shooting down the outside of my thigh to my knee. I started physical therapy, and have been in PT for three weeks and have seen marked improvement. I started out walking with a limp and having pain just touching my hip much less doing anything physical, but now I am getting my butt kicked by my PT for a good hour. I warm up with a half mile run on the treadmill then do various exercises, many of them using a resistance band. The first time my therapist foam rolled my hip, she told me it was going to hurt and that I would want to kick her. She was right. How can someone so small and cute cause so much pain???? But now I really welcome and enjoy the foam rolling. Last weekend, I ran two miles and told my therapist that my pain while running was around a 3, maybe 4. Today I ran two miles and my pain was at 1 and even 0 at times.

My therapist gave me exercises to do at home, which I have been doing because I was (and still am) serious about getting better. My therapist has also asked my doctor to order me three more weeks of PT, which I am really grateful for.

I have been very fearful for the past three weeks having my physical activity so severely limited. I have been really afraid of losing all the progress I’ve made. I’ve been afraid that I would lose my motivation and slip back into my sloth-like behavior. I’ve been scared that my weigh loss success would fizzle away because of my diminished activity. So far, my fears have been mostly unfounded. My weight loss has slowed but not stagnated. I’ve lost a little motivation, but my husband, who is my number one cheerleader, has been so encouraging, and with every success I have with running pain-free, I feel my motivation returning and I’m optimistic that I haven’t lost as much of my progress as I thought I did.

I have also learned the importance of incorporating strength/resistance training to my exercise regimen. I know that I have been getting better because I have been strengthening that IT band and everything else.

It sure is amazing what I have learned about myself along this running journey!