Hi,
Apologies on the long post but I would really appreciate some help (and some trolling if you like!)
Quick background.... Over the past 6 years I have gone from 20st inactive to 15st competent long distance cyclist. I had never run before last summer but as I managed to get my weight down to 15 st (im 6ft) I suddenly found it more enjoyable.
I decided on trying for a marathon in Jan 17 and ran around 15-25 miles a week in a base building programme along with my cycling until my 16 week marathon programme starting. I was aiming to average out at 35 miles per week over the 16 weeks and all was going well (I got up to 40 miles in a week with a long run of 16 miles) until about 3 weeks ago when I first noticed the dull ache on the outside of the hip. To start with it only happened at around the half marathon point and went after a day or twos rest. 10 days ago it started after 3 miles and I stopped before it got worse. I then could feel it constantly for a few days and only after a week off running did it seem to ease. I tried again a few days ago and again it was back after three miles and I have been able to feel it ever since.
Both my masseuse and I think I have bursitis on my right hip. I have googled it to death and it all fits. It came from nowhere (I didn't fall or anything) so I assume it is an over use injury. I am pretty good with conditioning work and with all my other niggles so far I have taken this as a signal and really targeted that area of the body with body weights and free weight work.
So for the past two weeks I have been constantly stretching my IT band, foam rolling, icing and doing at least two hours a day of hip and core strengthening moves. I have switched to the bike for my cardio and really dialed down my diet and managed to lose another 9 lbs... Im currently at 14 stone 4 and I think I can get under 14 stone before the marathon which will be nearly 1.5 stone lighter than I did most of my training programme at.
I wanted to run under 4 hours but as its my first marathon and I am doing it for nothing but my own curiosity this isn't something I am tied to. I plan to do more marathons in the future and I am running my home town event, which is flat and requires no logistical commitment so I can quite easily have a crack at it and DNF if needed.
So after that long build up my question is very simple. Should I...
1. Give myself another couple of weeks off running. Carry on with the strict diet (I am fully Keto), strength work and get several 100 mile bike rides into keep my cardio going. Then start gentle running two weeks out from the marathon and just do some short marathon pace runs to see if pain has gone.
2. Get out there now and run with the hip bursitis? The plus side being I keep my running consistency, the down side being I don't know how bad the pain will get and if it will mess up my form adjusting for it?
I am struggling with the idea of almost no running for 3 weeks at the most important part of my marathon programme, but I do have a decent base of miles and good cardio base. I am currently leaning towards just not running, and trying to diet hard, do plenty of fasted rides on the bike and really working hard on the strengthening.
Help!
and sorry for the long post.