I have been running for about 3 months now and am on a training program in the book "Marathon and Half Marathon: The Beginner's Guide". The problem is that I have developed pain in the inside of my right thigh from my groin to my knee. At first it was only painful after my runs and not during. Now, it bothers me all the time. I have tried taking 3 days off instead of just 1 and it just doesn't seem to be healing. As a matter of fact, after the rest, my next run was the worst ever and I had to cut it short because of the discomfort.
Pain inside the groin is usually from a groin pull (adductor strain).it usually occurs to runners who overtrain or dont strech. If it is a srrain try to take a week or two off and cross train instead on a bike if you dont find it painful and do lots of srteches. you can find lots of info on the runners world website (google it for proper address) Hope it clears upsoon.
Another problem is if you are constantly running on a surface with a camber (sideways slope). It can really effect your stride and cause you to use muscles differently than you would normally.
stretch, stretch stretch! A great resource is a professional named Aaron Mattes website is http://www.stretchingusa.com/. The text Specific Stretching for Everyone (the red book) includes only an Active Isolated section, and does not include assisted stretching techniques. As an exercise physiologist, endurance coach, and FL licensed massage therapist, I utilize these techniques, and many others, on a daily basis. I work in physical therapy clinics seeing specific patients, many of whom are endurance athletes of all skill levels. I also have a number of private-pay clients, and most of them rely predominantly on my stretching routines. Check out Aaron Mattes, get the book, and if you still have questions, please feel free to email me. Good luck, and use lots of ice (and ice bag 20 min 2-3x/day)!
Dave
activewell@gmail.com
Disclaimer (because we have to!):
I am not a physician nor do not pretend to diagnose any medical condition, acute or chronic. If you have any concerns regarding your condition, seek medical attention from a qualified, licensed doctor as soon as possible.
I had the same problem when I was training for my first marathon last year. My pain started from upper inner thigh, then went to groin area and hit the butt muscle at the end. I had to stop running for 1month. (still I could swim and bike) My cause of the problem was train too hard too soon. Also, according to my doctor, it caused by unbalanced muscles in leg and buttocks. Of course, your case may be different, so I strongly recomend to see a doctor before it gets worse.
Stretching helps, but Never Stretch When you Have Pain. Once the pain subside, I add strength training to build strength in my hamistrings and buttocks as well as my quads. Also, I started to use ice bath after a long run (before take shower). Ice pack helps but not as much as the ice bath. I add at least 4 bags of ice to the waist-high water (temp:55-60F), sit in there at least 10 minutes. A hot beverage of your choice and a sweater would help during the agony of 10 min. Ice bath works like a magic!
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