Run Like Monkey

So after about a week and a half of my first physical therapy routine, I felt no real improvement in my glute strain.  In fact, I grew concerned that the PT was actually continuing to aggravate it, so I stopped.  Last week, instead of PT, I tried out yoga for the first time ever.  I loved it!  This was a “fitness” version that involved strength postures in addition to more gentle stretching postures.  I was naively amazed at how much strength it required.  I can definitely see the balance and core benefits, and this will be part of my new training regimen.

Back at PT last Monday I talked with the therapist about my break.  He basically said the soreness will go up and down as it heals, so that’s not a reason to quit.  I probably attacked the routine a bit aggressively, doing it twice a day.  He gave me some new activities and also added in a resistance band that I wear around my legs just above the knee.  The new routine is:

• Bridging exercise with resistance – 20 to 30 reps (not clenching my glutes quite as hard as I initially was)
• Clam spreads (my term)with resistance – 20-30 reps – lying on your side with knees bent to form 60 degree angle, hips aligned vertical, open and close knees while keeping heels together.
• Quadruped ER/Abduction/Extension with resistance – 20-30 reps.  On all fours, you lift a leg out and to the side, slightly extending at the knee – kind of like a dog peeing.
• Double Limb Support, Static with resistance – 20-30 reps.  Arms horizontally out in front, you lower to a squat keeping knees above feet so your glutes take the load, hold 5-10 seconds.
• Prone extension – 20-30 reps.  Leaning slightly over table, lift a leg and bend at knee, lift bent leg to the rear maintaining knee bend.
• Single leg foot lifts – 20-30 reps.  Stand on one foot, rise slowly onto toes, then slowly lower. (Serious calf burner)

After a couple days, this actually feels pretty good.  Maybe it was my break, maybe its just the additional time.  But I’m getting more encouraged that I’ll be back on the trails soon.  Next week I run on the treadmill for gait analysis.

It’s been 4 weeks now since I stopped running to try to cure what was later diagnosed as a gluteus medius strain.  (She’s the professional and I really liked that doc, but it still feels like something deeper to me – more like piriformis region.)  After the doc and one PT visit, I have been doing the following PT exercises 1-2 times daily:

• Front heel taps – 30 reps
• Side heel taps – 30 reps
• Bridging exercise – up to 10 (not quite there)
• Clam spreads (my term) – 10 reps – lying on your side with knees bent to form 60 degree angle, hips aligned vertical, open and close knees while keeping heels together.
• Face down straight leg lifts – 10 reps
• Hip flexor stretches – 30 seconds each side, 2 reps

This has seemed like a good routine and I have dutifully performed it, but I’m frustrated that my glute strain does not seem to be improving.  I started to reach a new conclusion a couple days ago – could some of the above exercises be continuing to aggravate it?  My money is on the bridging exercises or the clam.  It’s really frustrating to feel minimal improvement after this long of a break.

So for now, I’m scaling back home PT.  I’m deciding that my glutes need a serious break from anything.  I’m not going really back to the other core and upper body activities I’ve been doing – pushups, chin ups, the water tube.  I joined the fitness center at work and will be looking into yoga classes.  My lower body activity will probably be limited to standing on the bosu.

Meanwhile, I think I need to re-adjust my running expectations to start again at the beginning of the year, which is kind of depressing.  But it is what it is.  I have a couple 8 month plans drafted for the Superior Sawtooth 100, but those both started with 25-40 mile weeks at the beginning of January.  I will have to revise those plans as well, as I know that I have already lost a lot of conditioning.  Bummer, but probably the right thing to do.