Starting The Rebuilding Process

Hello Runners.

So...quick long catch up, haven't posted here in quite a while.

Injures:

• In October I started getting proper (running expert PT) treatment for:
• Iliopsoas tendon tear (attachment to thigh bone)
• Psoas strain (2" - 3" below belt)
• "Sports hernia" (which is actually pretty tough to define) 
• All on the left side.
• Treatments
• PRP and prolotherapy injections on the tendon
• Prolotherapy injection on psoas and hernia areas
• On-going rehab
• Crap load of daily stretching
• PT evaluation showed that I'm super stiff and inflexible
• Butt load of hip and core work every other day.
• Turns out I've haven't been the best at keeping good form for my strength work
• Doing it correctly now - I was actually really weak.
• I'm getting a lot stronger, have more flexibility, and feeling better - but definitely "not out of the woods".
• This week I've been able to run every other day.
• My "runs" have been intervals of  "2' easy with :30 walk breaks".
• Slowly increasing the repeats - today I got up to 12, which is about 3 miles of running.
• Warning for all you kids out there:
• I should have seen this coming.
• I ignored smaller aches and pains earlier in 2017
• I adjusted (somewhat) my running gait to avoid "where it hurts"
• If I would have taken the warning signs seriously, I probably could have avoided most of the injuries.

Running Form Evaluation (Video Analysis):

•  My running form was NOT good.
• I "assumed" that since my racing times are decent I must be doing something right.
• I "imagined" my form is good and that I'm doing my strength work correctly.
• I over-stride
• I lean forward from the waist
• I don't/can't use my glutes when I run (because I lean forward at the waist, they can't engage)
• I hold my arms high and swing them "across" my body.
•  So - as I've started back to running I'm focusing on:
• Engaging my core and keeping my hips "forward" - straight line from ankles to head.
• I now know what this feels like, thanks to continued evaluation from PT.
• Arms low and swing from hips.
• Chest out / shoulders back / head over my shoulders
• Land foot more "under" my body.
• Extend my my leg back at "push off" using my glutes.
• This is only possible now that I've increased my hip flexibility

• My main focus going forward is to keep good running form.
• It's actually not very hard to do now, since I'm only doing easy runs while I heal.
• I'm sure it will be harder to do when my runs get longer and/or faster.

While hurt I've gone thru some depression and listlessness - just don't feel myself having to sit around.

Feel like I've finally made a turn for the better.  Cautious optimism.

Onward....