Pso-what???

Things are looking good so far! 

I've run 4 miles in the last week - it's not alot, but I'm pretty much starting over from zero. It's gone really well. I forgot how much running hurt at first... since it's been awhile I'm getting all those beginner runner aches and pains. But it doesn't feel like my lungs are on fire, so I guess some of my endurance remains. 

I think I've figured something out though.

I've been doing the stretches the doctor gave me for 3 weeks. They cover a wide group of muscles - hamstrings, glutes, hips, and some lower back mobility stuff. I've also been doing the IT band stretches I learned over the summer when they thought that was the problem. Throughout all this I've been paying attention to what gives me relief, where I feel the stretch more, and doing alot of research. Well I found some info on a certain hip flexor called the Psoas. Here's a great Runner's World article about it. And here's a fun little diagram

So basically it's this giant muscle that's connected to a bunch of other major muscle groups and runs from the stomach to the leg. That would explain the pain I've been having - in my lower back, my butt, my hip, my groin, and my upper thigh. It could explain the weird cramp that I get on the right side of my stomach when I run - that never happened to me until I started having back pain. 

I found a stretch for the Psoas. Kindly refer to this ole' chap.

I've only been doing it for about 3 days now, and my GOD what a difference. I'm starting to think this might be my problem right here. But I'm still stretching everything in my lower body just for good measure. And foam rolling, it seems to help out alot too. Now I really only have pain when I sleep and first thing in the morning, which would make sense - cold muscles and what not.

Hopefully this is the ticket to my recovery! It's been a pain in the ass trying to figure this thing out, that's for sure

I'm racing this sunday! (Up until a couple days ago I thought the race was on saturday! Glad I didn't make that mistake!) I'm doing the Merrell Down and Dirty! This race looks like a blast... and it could be exactly what I need to motivate me after months of inactivity. I can't wait for sunday! I need to get out and play... lol