Hey guys, I have read about 10 pages of this thread and I really appreciate all the information on here. It's hard for me to take it all in because it seems not everyone's problems are exactly the same, so if someone could lend some advice/information to me on my specific issue, that would be great.
It started in February 2010 I believe at the end of a 5 mile tempo run. It was closer to race pace than tempo pace, however. I BELIEVE it was my left leg and always has been. Anyhow about 3.5-4 miles in from my left knee down started to lose control very quickly. I was forced to slow down and couldn't really move my left leg and I couldn't even push off to be honest. I got in and didn't really have any issues during the season.
The second time was that summer and I think it was around 6 miles into a 9 mile tempo/race. The leg shut down for awhile but I slowed dramatically and I regained most of the function back.
Then December 2011 my left leg again (knee down) shut down during a tempo on a cinder track. I was only getting back into shape so it was probably only 6min pace and I was maybe 4.5 miles into a 5 mile tempo but I finished. My leg was flopping all around and I just had to finish because I needed to work out. Anyhow I got back to my high school and my trainer said my hips were out of alignment, and she fixed them. From there on out that training season through this spring I didn't really have to many long sustained efforts so I never had an issue. Ran in the 9:30 area for 3200 as a Junior.
Then yesterday I was doing a 4.8 mile hard run (95-98% effort) and it came on very very hard near the end. I went out in about 5:14 and came through 2.4 in 12:58... ended up 26:11 but from about the 4 mile mark my leg started to shut down. Oddly enough my pace hardly suffered but even the last 30 meters I almost walked in because I had nearly no control over my left leg. I finished and felt my skin, and the feeling I got was similar to the feeling you might get when you ice for too long and touching something to your skin doesn't cause you to feel much. So my skin had lost sensitivity. I really, really had no control and about 150m out I had to go over a curb and I very nearly clipped it and face planted because my leg was so out of whack.
Now it has happened probably 2 more times than I have listed here but I can't remember exactly. I'm 17 and heading into my cross country season... just finished an 80 mile week today. Today was the only time when I felt side effects of this thing in my leg the day after it happened. It was an easy day but when I was on pavement or pushing the pace I could tell that my leg was very tired and getting to that point.
I can get my hips realigned again soon because I know a Physical Therapist. Does anybody here think that's the problem? From November 2011 to May 2012 I did core 3x a week and one of the exercises was called the 'fire-hydrant' because it imitated a dog peeing on the hydrant. You go on all fours and lift up your leg like you're gonna pee on a hydrant... 30 times for each leg. And during that time I never had any issues but I never had long sustained efforts either. I can think of many times since the start of this where I have had very hard efforts (8 at 5:40, other long tempos, countless 5K's and 3200s)when this hasn't happened (granted it usually takes at least 4 miles to start).
I doubt this is cause for concern but any advice would be appreciated. I am mostly concerned that it will be an issue when I go to college and am racing 8K/10K.
To be a little more specific about the issue... I can feel it coming on and within a few hundred meters my left leg from knee down has nearly no control and my right leg pretty much does all the work... the left calf pretty much flops around like a dead fish.
Extra info-
120lbs
5'7"
17yrs
70 miles a week
9:30-9:35 3200
any response would be greatly appreciated