HAMSTRUNG

Did you know that the "hamstring" is actually made up
of multiple muscles?

Alright, I've had some time this last week to think about my gimpy old self. You know how when one part of your body is hurting often times a totally unrelated part is to blame? I think that is the case here. While my knees are the main source of discomfort recently, they are not the issue (according to my theory). What is causing my issue is a tight/injured right hamstring. That injury is causing me to subliminally change my gait and the way I'm running to protect it, thus putting undue stress on my knees and all the little tendons around them.

I think this theory has some merit. The area first started bothering me two and a half years ago when I seemed to have initially pulled it. It healed up for the most part and I was able to forget about it for a long time, but I think it never really came back 100%. I ran pretty decently for a long time without issues. However, anytime I would get really tired, the first place I'd feel anything was my right hamstring. It seemed to be the weakest link. Hey, anybody remember that really terrible game show The Weakest Link? You are the weakest link, goodbye! Ha.

My recent issues seem to have started up about a year ago, when I had that terrible run with Coach Jim. Now, I don't remember specifically if it was my right hamstring, I don't think it bothering me much, but maybe it played a part. I never took a break really after the Portland Marathon that previous fall and eventually I felt more and more run down. Maybe my legs were tired, especially my right hammy (but I couldn't tell specifically because everywhere felt worn) and thus when I ran I was overcompensating or whatever. Anyways, I have never seemed to fully come back from that point.

Hey right hammy! Listen to this uptight British lady.

I took some time off and got back to it. Last year I was able to keep running and racing but I could tell my legs just weren't the same. I babied them a little bit and was able to get through a a decent slate of races. Exactly zero were PRs (except the beer mile... totally counting the beer mile). Anyways, I was surviving and still posting decent times. However, again, during this whole time... if you asked me what's the one muscle I didn't quite trust... right hammy. It's the muscle that would poop out first on long runs and would threaten to pull during speed work. It never actually flared out bad though.

What seemed to do it in was the double marathon this fall. I got through Portland alright and almost at my previous speed (only six minutes off). So things were going pretty well. However, as you probably know, Detroit two weeks later what not so great. While I had a fun time overall, at mile fourteen my right hamstring revolted. I said it was my glute, but looking back it was probably my hamstring. Considering the hamstring runs from the butt to the knee, there is a lot of places that could hurt and be that hamstring. Regardless of what it is, it was that "problem area" that was a slight irritation for two years at that point. I made it through the race, but that muscle was pissed.

After Detroit I took two weeks off, and the run a couple weeks before the Hot Buttered Half Marathon. And again the right hamstring/glute/whatever flares up. I keep it at bay during the race by slowing down a bit, but it is an issue. I take a month off after the race. When I come back my hamstring is not necessarily bothering me but my hamstrings and knees tend to get really sore if I "overdo it" (and overdoing it is what used to be considered a normal week). Fast forward to two weeks ago, when I go skiing. It's fun, but leaves my right hamstring a bit sore. Nothing terrible. I try to run on it a week after skiing and the result is not good.

I wish my thighs/ass looked that good in spandex. :(

Here I am a week later and my legs feel rested but I know not all is well. The same shit is going to keep happening. So while I hope to pace Katie through the 10k this weekend, I'm going to have to mix something up. For now, we are going to go with the theory that the right hamstring weakness is the root of most all the problems I've been having. It was injured at one point and never quite got well again. So part plan is to specifically stretch the area to increase flexibility. It is so tight it is ridiculous and frankly embarrassing if anyone were to watch. So in addition to increasing flexibility, I am going to do exercises to target it and build some strength. Move it in many more ways than running does. If there is scar tissue or something, really do a bunch of shit to try and break that up. And then finally, maybe I will ice it after runs, at least after long runs and speedwork.

So that's the plan. Will it work? Who knows! But even right now I can feel my right hammy burning a little bit. Probably because I've been stretching it like a mother fucker the last couple of days. I am going to try running tonight and afterward I will stretch and ice it. I'll start doing some research on some workouts I can do to help build it back up. After the race this weekend I'll concentrate on getting it back up and running again and hopefully this will solve a lot of the issues I've been having.