walkers walk… but runners fly

Weekly Rundown- The Curse of the Glutes?

Oh, hello!  Welcome to the Weekly Rundown, hosted as always by that dynamic duo, Kim and Deborah. There was a bit of drama this week, but why would it be any different from any other week?  Let’s get right into it!

Sunday

I did Day #4 of Caroline Girvan’s Iron Series, which was a full body strength workout.  This is where The Incident occurred.  During the first round of lunges I felt an ominous pulling sensation in my left glute, just to the side of my sacrum.  ARRRRRG!  Can I do ANYTHING without hurting myself?  And I’ve only done lunges about a gazillion times (I used to do Matty’s “Lunge-a-Palooza” class!) I tried switching to bodyweight lunges, but even that was too much… that left side was f*cked.  I did finish the workout, (leaving out all lunges) but I was not happy.

Had I been struck down by The Curse of the Glutes (a term Kim coined to describe a mysterious wave of glute/hip problems people are having this fall)???  As the day wore on, I realized the one thing I couldn’t do was step up on my left leg.  We don’t have stairs in our house, other than one step down into the garage.  When things like this happen, I suddenly become aware that I go in and out of the garage about 9000 times a day (the washing machine is out there, as well as the recycling bins and the cats’ litter boxes, and we have a garage freezer.) Luckily it’s only one step, so I quickly learned to only step up on the right leg.  SIGH!

Monday

The big question… CAN I RUN???  Although that left side was still achy and I still couldn’t go up that step, walking didn’t seem to make it worse so I headed out, hopefully, for a run.

I can run! I can run!!!

PHEW!  I really wasn’t sure until I took those first few running steps.  Sometimes walking doesn’t hurt, but there’s something about that moment where you have to balance on one leg and stabilize your hip muscles that can be hard on the SI joint… but it was fine.  I ran 3 happy, happy miles.

Tuesday

Back to Caroline Girvan!  Luckily for me, Day #5 was biceps, triceps and abs.  Good, hard workout.

Wednesday

No school today because of Yom Kippur, so I got to do my longer run early in the morning.  AND, it was only 71 degrees!   I know that’s not exactly chilly, but it’s quite a bit cooler than what I’ve been used to.  I ran 7 miles and it was… easy?  Definitely easy compared to the last couple 7 milers I did in the heat, that really wiped me out.

The heat never used to bother me, but it seems the older I get, the less I can tolerate it.  Kind of a problem since I live in Florida!  But for now I’ll just appreciate our little cool down, and look forward to even cooler weather in a few weeks.

Side note- when I woke up this morning my arms were SO SORE from the previous day’s workout.  I have to laugh at myself- let’s see, I lift heavy things on purpose until I’m horribly sore.  Something is always hurting- do normal people live like this?

Thursday

Day #6 of Caroline Girvan was a “quad” workout, but when I previewed it, I realized it was very lunge heavy, including multiple sets of Bulgarian lunges (where your back foot is elevated.) I was still very, very nervous about that left glute/ SI joint, so instead of doing this workout I did one of her abs classes.  Then after work I decided to pop out for a quick 3 mile run.  Yes, it was hotter (82 degrees) but there were a lot of clouds and this run felt pretty good!

Friday

Okay… I’m going to try the Day #6 class.  I did a long warmup, and then did the first round of lunges with only body weight… and it was okay!  A little achy when I first started, but I could tell it was going to be fine.  I did go lighter with the weights, but the class was still hard.  I’m not used to Bulgarian lunges.

Saturday

4 mile run!  I got out nice and early, as the sun was rising.  My favorite time of day to run.

It doesn’t take long to get bright and sunny!

Sunday

On tap…. sleeping in till 8:00 and then rolling out of bed in time to watch the Chicago Marathon!  The waffles are already made- all I have to do is warm them in the toaster.  I can’t wait to watch the marathon, and I’m so excited for everyone running it!

Later in the day I’ll do Day #7 of Caroline Girvan- it’s another upper body workout and luckily my arms have finally recovered from the last one.

So, in spite of the rocky start, I had a really good week of running.  There was lots of foam rolling, and I used the hypervolt every day at work.  For a couple nights I also forced myself to sleep only on my back- I don’t really like that, but I think it helped that left hip a lot.  Now I’m feeling like things are pretty much back to normal.

How was your week?  Have you been a victim of The Curse of the Glutes?

Are you watching the Chicago Marathon?

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39 Responses

  1. No working out. Glutes are a ok.

    I will track the marathon but am volunteering at our local one

    My week was pretty good. The weather was awesome. Sorry about the heat. I will have FOMO in January.

  2. I’m so sorry that the glute curse has hit you too! I’m hoping that all the heavy lifting SJ makes me do has immunized me against it!

    I usually like to spectate the marathon but I’m up in Wisconsin this weekend. I’m sad to miss it this year since I know so many people who are running it!

    1. I would say heavy lifting is the closest thing to a glute injury immunization that there is. So you’re probably safe.
      Watching the marathon is always fun, but as usual I had issues with NBC’s coverage. Oh well!

    1. The funny thing is, I was just doing regular lunges when I hurt myself. There’s literally no good explanation for what happened. GRR!

  3. Hopefully you have figured out how to fend off the curse!

    I am with you on the sore arms. A bit of DOMS is reassuring that I did a good workout, but when it really interferes with normal activity it is rough!

  4. The Curse has not been nice to many of us recently. I think (knocking on wood, LOUDLY and with force) that my curse is slowly diminishing. I LOVE the DOMS in my arms, but definitely not in the lower-body. Lunges are so much harder than squats for me, and that’s with my improved balance (in recent years).

    1. Yes, it sounds like your glutes curse is starting to lift. I have to say I don’t love the DOMS in my upper body, because of my job. I use my arms a lot and it’s unpleasant when they’re super sore!

  5. Glad that you are ending the week on a positive note when it comes to running!

    I am not watching the Chicago Marathon but I am tracking a few friends that are running.

  6. ugh I hope you don’t have the curse of the glutes. I think I also tweaked mine originally w dead lifts. I love it when my upper body is sore my lower body not so much. I have a hard time getting my abs to really feel it anymore. No normal people do not do this to themselves (according to my husband). Hope you feel good this week

    1. Thanks Deborah! Yes- my husband runs but he doesn’t do any strength training because he doesn’t like feeling sore. I think he’s going to pay for it later on, but I don’t say anything anymore. I’m not going to nag!

  7. Aw frick. I have vague memories of really jacking up one of my hips a few years ago and for a few days stairs were not my friend. Thankfully it didn’t mess with your running. It’s so weird that sometimes injuries will wreck running but everything else is fine and sometimes running is the only thing you can do but everything else is a mess.

    I finished Iron this morning!!! I’m planning to take a few days off because I’m a bit tired and I know that I need it, but I’m dying to start another program!

  8. I did a run in 50 degree weather and it was SO MUCH easier than when I was running during the summer. I can only imagine that the difference between 71 and 80s/90s is immense.

    I feel like there’s almost always some part of my body that’s sore because I’ve hurt it or I had a tough workout. Ha! I suppose that’s what we get for exercising! I guess most normal people don’t work out as often, so maybe it’s not something everyone feels, but if they’re not exercising, I bet they have lots of OTHER pain issues!

    1. Yes- I would say people who don’t exercise don’t have the pain we do right now, but somewhere down the line they’ll definitely pay for it.
      I’m longing for a run in 50 degree weather! We’ve got a while to go before that happens though.

  9. Wow, it sounds like your glutes took a turn for the better with all of the running you were able to do. That’s great news!

    I’m the opposite… I seem to be able to tolerate the heat better as I get older. Hmmm, wonder why?

    1. Well, I’m envious… but if I hadn’t been able to tolerate the heat well when I was younger I might not be living in Florida now. Yes, I would love to know what happened to make this change! Hormones?

  10. Curse of the Glutes for the last 2.5 years. Better and worse, but the damn ITB is chronic.

    Re: “Something is always hurting- do normal people live like this?”
    About to read Hurts So Good by Leigh Cowart. I’ll let you know

    1. Ugh, how annoying!!! Although I suppose I’ve been living with my foot issue for about that long. Now I’m so used to it I don’t even think about it- usually.

  11. I was in Chicago Thur/Fri so saw a lot of buzz about the marathon which made me nostalgic for 2013 when I was supposed to run it, but couldn’t as I got dx’d with RA that summer/fall and couldn’t walk w/out pain for a marathon was out of the question! But I had a great time spectating! I saw my friends at 2 different places and I had to bike to get to the 2nd place so it was quite a workout to watch them at a couple different points!

    Ugh, I hope your glute issue doesn’t last as long as the hamstring one! I used to have hip trouble that was related to weak glutes. So I have tried to focus more on building core strength. I haven’t had any issues since my surgery in 2016, but I’m mindful of the fact that I’m prone to hip issues so try to be careful about keeping my glutes strong. But I also haven’t run a ton since my surgery since I got pregnant the following year and then barely ran until spring of 2021! But I’ve had a healthy return to running and haven’t had issues so hope that remains the case. But you never know what might happen!

    I did a back/biceps workout this morning and I know I will be sore tomorrow. But I like feeling sore from strength training! Kind of makes me feel like I pushed my body, but in a good/productive way!

    1. Yes- although I complain about it, when I’m sore I really feel like I accomplished something.
      I think you hit on the key point- strong glutes=fewer injuries. I’m trying!!!

  12. Ooooh I hope that glute continues to behave. Sounds like you dodged a bullet! Glad running feels good still! Yes I watched the marathon and since Thing 1’s stint at Nike, I notice who sponsors all the athletes. It’s fascinating really!

  13. I feel like such an old woman most days – I am so achy in the morning! I’m also so sensitive to different beds; my daughter was sick the other day and I slept in her room with her (a queen bed, so lots of space) and thought I might never be able to walk again the next morning. I’m not sure if it’s because the kids jump on the bed a lot, but I swear I could feel every spring all night long and my back was in agony. Someone gave us an old massage pad that I used and then my husband rubbed my back for a while and it was all fine after that, but for 30 minutes or so I honestly could barely move!

    Glad the glute is feeling better already and kudos for pushing through (but also making some wise choices with sleep position etc).

    1. Oh yes- sleeping on a poor mattress or in a bad position can really mess you up- funny how this is never an issue for kids. I have THREE extra pillows on my bed to support various body parts while I’m sleeping (yes, I’ve become a very high maintenance sleeper!) Anyway glad you were able to resolve your issue and get moving again.

  14. I love back sleeping, but it’s hard because of my foot. I just turn that hip out.

    So I haven’t been having any glute/hip issues (that I know of), but I do walk down stairs with one leg. I’m terrified of taking a wrong step.

    We don’t get the Jewish holidays here. It’s not right.

    1. I think it really depends on your demographics- we have a large Jewish population here, so we get those holidays off.
      I wish I loved back sleeping! Maybe I can get used to it.

  15. I’m glad that the week ended well! The older we get it seems like something is always bothering us. That’s life — I guess? But there’s a difference between an ache & pain!

    Since I was driving to my mom last Sunday, no, no marathon watching. Not that I would have watched it anyway. 🙂

    I can tell you right now that my body does not appreciate heat. Garmin tells me so, LOL, my stress levels are WAY higher when it’s hot!

  16. Oh man, I’ve got achy glutes, hammies and quads going on this week! I can tell something is still a bit off and I run odd. Every day I keep telling myself that I’m going to do a strength workout with Caroline, and then my day is over and I didn’t do anything. I feel myself getting weaker. Sigh!! I really need to carve out time for that. I miss the workouts! Good for you for doing them!

    1. Do you think you’re still recovering from your marathon? It really wasn’t that long ago- maybe that’s why you feel off.

  17. You DID have a good week, despite the glute issues in the beginning. I feel like, sometimes all it takes is one wrong move for things to go awry! I am glad it didn’t have any lasting effect!

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