putting the partay in pt

Well, no, there's no disco ball there. But I have been going to physical therapy twice a week for about a month now, to treat what I call the Janky Hip.  Which is not what Bill, my physical therapist, would call it.  He calls it hip flexor tightness, and my glut muscles' inability to do their work.  I definitely have a butt, however those muscles back there have been too long covered with blub--they've gotten really lazy.

Mostly what happens at these appointments is he gives me homework (strenghtening moves, stuff like squats and leg lifts and resistance band-y type stuff).  I can't tell if it's helping, but that might be my own fault. I'm about 60% on doing my exercises every day.

The other thing he does is "mobilize" my hip by strapping my leg around his middle and moving it around. It hurts and it feels a little goofy. Basically he uses what looks like a length of seat belt material around my bent let and then around his waist.  It basically looks like this:

Goofy, right?  And kinda weirdly intimate, except not.  I'm not really used to being touched by anyone other than Mr. Bump, so it's weird to me. But no more weird than having your physician poke and prod you. I usually feel a little stiff and sore afterwards, and it isn't like the angels sing or dolphins jump over rainbows on my next run after a PT session. 

Damn you, Janky Hip!

I have some misgivings. I have plenty of faith in my physical therapist, but my faith in myself and my ability to do the work that would "fix" me. I feel like I shouldn't be running, that the running is the reason that I'm all jacked up, and that it's going to keep jacking me up. I get a little depressed from the "Your feet are flat, and that's going to give you plantar fasciitis, shin splints, patellofemoral issues, IT band problems, hip flexor issues (my current complaint) and/or low back pain."  He's never said that I shouldn't or can't run, which I really appreciate, but I still get down after my PT appointments.  

It seems unfair. Someone should have warned me before I fell in love with running.  I'm at the point now where I don't want to quit, no matter what anyone says.  I've never been a quitter, of all the things I've been.  And I'm stubborn as all hell.  I'm not sure there's a solution, or at least not an easy fix.  I'm also (big surpise) not patient, which is part of the problem.  The Janky Hip didn't show up overnight, and it probably won't get better that way either. Sad face.

So I guess I'll do my exercises, and let Bill hug on my leg.  And try to figure out how to love cross-training, too.