After races or a hard work-out, your body may be sore, and you may be tired. This is normal when one goes all out. For me, after a road race, my leg muscles are sore and they appreciate the post-race massage (yes, always get in line early for this option). At the end of my first 10k race while in Montreal, I definitely had those sore tight muscles which was normal for me. The massage helped some, as did Biofreeze, Tylenol, and much needed beverage(s). 🙂 But after a few days, I knew something was wrong and made an appointment with the sports medicine doctor.
Diagnosis
What has happened since made me appreciate that I listened to my body and got checked out rather quickly. At the same time of my leg muscles just not feeling right, I was dealing with a slight case of plantar fasciitis. After some tests, the sports medicine doctor informed me that I had Snapping Hip Syndrome (https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/snapping-hip-syndrome-causes-symptoms-treatments#1). Huh.
Why did this happen?
Although I stretch before running, the Montreal race was new for me. It was the longest running race I had done and there were some major hills, which I wasn’t used to. Training had been on flat courses. My stride may have been too long which put undue pressure on my hips. My hip may have been over compensating for the plantar fasciitis. On the other hand, my hip could have just been weakening over time. In the end, it doesn’t matter what caused the injury. What does matter is that I listened to my body, sought help, and am in the middle of a lot of physical therapy appointments.

What’s involved in PT?
Physical therapy includes massaging the tight/weak muscles, using a roller (which makes muscles jump all over the place), and leg lifts (that mom says no human should be able to do). When people say physical therapy will make it worse before it gets better, they aren’t lying. Therapy sessions are hard, can create tears, and will make one gasp and hold breaths. There is also a lot of ice for the hip and foot after sessions. Eventually, I will turn around and be able to do things without thinking about them.