ITBS and Weak Hips

The outside of my right thigh is STILL bothering me.  STILL sore.  I roll it and it feels a little better, but then it comes back the next day.  I just want it to be better so I can start running again, now that I have a 10K race in my future.  There are days when I want to saw my leg off and throw it away.  Desperate, I limped over to Run Like A Mother: The Book's Facebook page and vented my frustrations.

Within minutes I got many comments from moms who feel my pain, offering many suggestions on how to iron out my IT band.  One mom in particular, offered this advice, "There is some evidence that weak hips contribute to itbs. Maybe you can feel like you are working towards your race if you do hip strengthening exercises while you wait. http://www.runninginjuryclinic.com/media/Hip_Strengthening_Exercises.pdf."  If I could give her a big hug if I could.  I plunged into researching ITBS and weak hips and many sources concur - weak hips lead to ITBS.  I'm going to try these exercises out religiously if I can help it.

Thank you, RLAM community!  You saved me again!

Run Like A Mother: The Book

A friend loaned me her book copy of Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving--and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity last year.  I enjoyed it so much I HAD to have my own copy.  Between potty training my 3 year old, nursing my ITBS, and my daily busy-ness as a stay-at-home mom, I finished the book feeling empowered, informed, and proud to be a mother runner.

The book is FUN-NY - highly entertaining, sharing lots of moms' hilarious anecdotes about balancing motherhood and running.  The authors, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell, offer honest, realistic advice on training techniques, selecting the right running shoes, running gear, and more.  They know and understand moms who want to run, love to run, and moms (like me) who NEED to run.  I highly recommend this book to all moms, especially if you don't think you can squeeze running into your busy schedule.  The book leaves you inspired to lace up your shoes and go out for a run.