Glutes. Pretty important. Especially for a runner. They are the largest muscle group in the human body and need to be taken seriously. This came to the forefront in my running life over a year ago, and I'm still playing catch up. I have so many glute stretches and strengthening exercises in my sporadic cross training routine that I could write a book about it.
The main problem is that I work in an office. I'm on my arse most of the day, which is the worst thing in the world for the glutes. They become lazy and don't 'fire' correctly when running. This results in other muscle groups overcompensating which ultimately results in overuse injuries and tightness, meaning more stretching. In particular the adductors on my right side become very tight as well as my lower back. This doesn't stop me running but it does mean I have constant reminders that I need to increase my bum size.
So, I am doing squats, bridges, lunges, rolling on a tennis ball on a daily basis when time permits. Active stretching before a run to wake up the glutes and my new found love for Pilates!
I have also discovered that I have a tight Piriformis and stiff hip capsules. Again, from the office work. It's easier said than done, but getting off your chair in a busy job every 15-20 minutes is sometimes impossible. The battle continues....
On a positive note I ran in the Masters North East cross country championships at the beginning of February. I did better than expected in finishing 4th overall and 2nd V40. I also ran a park run at Newcastle last week and achieved a parkrun PB of 16:13. Not far off my 5k PB. There are some good signs there, the key is to consistent training.
I'm organising the Brough Law fell race next weekend so I won't be racing until the Thrunton Thriller 10k the week after. Then of course the Good Friday relays.
Good result in the xc - keep it going and keep those glutes working!
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