Nov 10, 1998

Right now I'm a little down in the dumps because this past summer I had a stress fracture in my hip. I came back slowly and now after a couple months of running have an iliotibial band injury that won't go away. My mood reflects the gloomy Iowa weather but I did go out and support the finishers of our local 10-mile race yesterday. Have to stay true to the sport in other ways. (Marty Goetz, Clinton, Iowa)

REPLY: No doubt the two injuries are connected. The hip somehow changed your form and triggered the ITB problem.

The big question to answer: What set off the first injury? Once you solve this puzzle, you're likely to avoid a repeat.

Meanwhile, lower your sights. Take the attitude that any running is better than none. Learn to appreciate short, slow runs.

I've never experienced a sore ITB. But runners with all types of knee injuries tell me they respond well to intermittent (as opposed to steady) running. As you recover, consider taking frequent one-minute walk breaks.

For instance, run a minute and walk a minute at first. Stop if the knee bothers you. If it doesn't, continue with these "intervals" for a half-hour. Once you can do this 30 minutes of 1:1, try 2:1, then 3:1 and so on. Only when you can run the half-hour without needing any breaks should you go longer.

###