From Jill Ezard…
If you’re one of the TLDR crew here’s the summary: Groin niggle, London marathon PB, agony, osteitis pubis, rehab, relapse, more rehab, 2 intimate injections, 3.5 years later and I ran a race again.
If you can be arsed, here’s the rest. I ran the Sue Ryder Run Bolton Abbey 10 mile event today. If you’ve not done these events they,re very friendly and relaxed with a real mix of people. Three different runs: 10k, 10 mile and half marathon. There was a good representation from the club in all events today. The 10 miler is a nice hilly (just shy of 500m elevation) tour of the Storiths side of the estate. We set off in an atmospheric thick mist and as a result the reward for getting up the first big climb was bugger all…other than the downhill obviously. We did eventually get a view at about mile 8 but I was too tired to look by then…sure it was lovely. Race was predominantly nice underfoot (short boggy section not my favourite) and the riot of tree colours on the run back from The Strid to the Cav was wonderful. Anyway, I made it over the line and I have never been so bloody elated.
Why, I hear you ask? It was only 10 miles, get over yourself Ezard. Well, let the following be a lesson for us all. Just over 3.5 years ago I was training for my second London marathon and had been running really well over different distances and terrains. I started getting groin pain after my long runs that wore off initially but when the pain turned to losing feeling in the whole of my pelvic region I figured I should see a physio. I stopped the training, got 6 weeks of physio and managed to do the marathon in a PB whilst jeffing most of it. Three days later when the adrenaline left my body so did my ability to walk in a straight line without shooting pains! I went to the GP who after about 7 minutes declared I had arthritis in my left hip, tapped me on the knee (I kid you not) and said “no more running, try swimming”. As a sufferer of heavy arse syndrome, swimming is just not an option. And I just knew she was wrong – I didn’t have a dodgy hip.
Next up, a Sports specialist who sent me for an MRI and diagnosed osteitis pubis, severe inflammation of the pelvic bones. Apparently common in elite athletes (thanks!) and middle aged women with poor muscle control (yeah, whatever). He also declared me to have a lovely pair of hips…in a “not arthritic” way, not a creepy way. No running for 3 months and rehab mostly consisting of standing on one leg in some way. Return to running plan, wonderful, back to 7 miles….and then. The pain returns and we start the process again – this time back to the GP, another MRI and all the same diagnosis, it’s returned.
This time the treatment is rehab and a steroid injection into the pubic symphysis (google it, and yes it is as painful and awkward as you might imagine) and to continue to keep running through the treatment. Didn’t work. Pain persists. Went to another specialist, same diagnosis but with the added joy of osteoarthritis in the pubic symphysis. Same recommendation, another go at the injection…this one works enough to get me weight training and rehabbing again. This was in December. No running again for 4 months this time and then the slowest build back up ever.
And so here we are today, first race since London 2023. I’ve had to change my whole ambition around running as, other than more injections, the only treatment for the condition is a major operation to insert a plate to hold my pelvis together…which I don’t fancy. So 10 miles today felt like a very big thing for me and I hope the tale of woe acts as a warning not to ignore niggles as they may just be hiding something more sinister. Thank you if you got this far!
