Tuesday 3 August 2010

D-day

Perhaps I'm being just a tad melodramatic in comparing today's run with the Normandy landings but it doesn't feel too great a leap to me this morning!

This is a post about my groin. You have been warned.

To re-cap:

  • First started getting pain in lower abs late August last year. Ran through it and it got progressively worse while also being misdiagnosed by physio.
  • By late October I'd virtually had to stop running and was getting twinges through the day too.
  • Went to see a consultant early in March who diagnosed Sportsman's hernia and referred me to a sports physio he recommends.
  • Began series of core stability exercises while gently starting running again.
  • also began trying to engage core muscles while running.
  • After about 6 weeks there was no presence at all of pain before, during or after.
  • After about 12 weeks I slowly started to drop the daily core stability exercises.
  • Still no recurrence even with speed training and racing, and long runs up to 13 miles.
However...

...for a few weeks I've felt a hint of 'something' - difficult to pinpoint, not pain as such, short lived and possibly imaginary...

...then on Wednesday last week I could definitely feel it after the Castle Douglas race - a pain in the lower left abs towards the inguinal canal, that stayed for 3 days. Since then the pain has eased off but the left groin area feels loose or disjointed a bit.

Its a worry. A big one. Last year gave me 4 months off and left me feeling depressed and having the prospect of £2.5k's worth of operation to fund.

I'm really hoping this will just be a warning and that if I start the core exercises again, after a week's rest, and engage the core muscles during every run it'll disappear again and can be held in check permanently by these actions. The fear is that there's still an underlying weakness that will just get worse as pace or mileage increase. Last year a week or more of rest didn't make any difference at all.

Tonight is a 7/8 mile tempo run with the club and this morning a very gentle 2.5 mile jog with Bethan. I'm really hoping to get through both pain free and will know by Thursday morning - no pain by then means its nipped in the bud.

2 comments:

TOTKat said...

Lots of supporting core strength can really help, both with old injuries and avoiding new ones, as you've found so far. I think you may well be signed up to that core strength work for as long as you are a runner, but it may well stave off the need for anything invasive and expensive. I certainly hope, on your behalf, that it does! *fingers crossed*

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