For me, post-graduate week was the hardest.... - Couch to 5K

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For me, post-graduate week was the hardest....

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I graduated 10 days ago and set out with the plan of getting into a routine of two runs in the week, one gentle, one with intervals, and a longer run at the weekend.

So I ran the gentle run on a Friday and then added 10% - taking me up to 33 mins - last Sunday morning. By Monday evening I had all sorts of new aches and pains from my right shoulder to my right ankle, including a sore patch deep in my right cheek (the one I sit on ;) I did a whole set of stretches but was no better on Tuesday so I swapped my mid-week runs for a long walk and a swim. It was okay when I was moving but worse again when I was sitting. I did some googling so that at least I could name the 'cheek' muscle that hurt - the one I sit on.....is called the piriformis.

Eureka - apparently sometimes this tightens up and pinches the sciatic nerve. It was that that was complaining all the way along its path. It was so easy to sort - 30 mins after doing a set of stretches specifically for the piriformis I had no discomfort. I decided to leave it for 48 hours (and meanwhile keep up the stretching) and then run, I'm just back from a great run in the April sunshine.

In future if I get any aches, numbness or pins and needles in my leg I am going to suspect the piriformis. I need to keep stretching and work on my core strength.

One of the solutions to this problem is to sit cross-legged on the floor rather than in a chair, so I have been doing that. Funnily enough my dad, and when she was alive, his mother were known for sitting on the floor and both sometimes had sciatica so I think they'd arrived at this point themselves.

I'm so relieved I'm running again - I really missed it! And swimming is fine as a change sometimes but it is so boring compared to running through the local scenery.

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3 Replies

Thanks for sharing your information and I'm glad you're able to go running again.

PatButcher profile image
PatButcherGraduate

Ooh bum ache! lovely :( Hopefully you won't get it again and if you do you know what to do now :)

Katsmeat profile image
KatsmeatGraduate

I have the exact same issue today, all down my right side. Am going off to search for your stretches now - hope they work as well for me. Thanks for sharing!

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