All Clear!

Had a visit to the doctor today to check out my hip. Dr. Penny was right - bursitis in the hip was the diagnosis. The bursa is a little sack of fluid between the bony protrusion of your hip and your IT band. Mine is ANGRY!!!!! But not bad enough, and hasn't been around long enough, for a steroid injection. Any one ever had one of those?

The doc said the cause of the bursitis is a mechanics issue. My right arch "collapsing" during the foot strike. I have high arches, but I guess a bit of a pronation issue on this side. He told me to get an insole for more arch support. He also said that you can't really strengthen your arches (it's been studied). But he said the problem sort of comes and goes, so I may not need the insole in the future.

The collapsing of my right arch is creating a bigger"Q-angle" on the right side of my body than on my left side. A Q-angle is the angle of your femur, running from the edge of your hip to your patella. The bigger Q-angle on my right side is causing all the extra soreness in my right glute and hip. So the theory goes...

By OpenStax College [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Bottom line - I can go back to running immediately!

I stopped by the running store after the appointment and got a custom insert for $80. It is supposed to last 1,500 miles. And while I was there . . .

I found a strap for stretching. A mini foam roller for travel. And in the clearance room, gloves and a Nike Run neon yellow T-shirt for $15. Remember two years ago after the Olympics and every one was wearing Nike in neon yellow? Now, dozens of these shirts are collecting dust on the clearance racks!

two little runners
Kristen