The bad news that apparently my piriformis muscle is inflamed and pressing on my sciatic nerve. The good news is it hurts so badly I don’t even notice my hip flexor anymore. Nerve pain BURNS. It literally feels like someone is shoving a flaming sword into my left buttock. The piriformis reaches horizontally from your coccyx to your hip bone. So yes, after being told for years that I’m a pain in the ass, I now have a pain in my ass. Stretching really helps, as does pressure point release with a tennis ball. Tonight the hubster is giving me a deep tissue massage.
Unlike the hip flexor this is not a running injury. I think I set this off on the drive to and from New Hampshire. I’ve mentioned before that I have tiny little T-Rex arms. When I drive I have to pull the seat fairly close to reach the steering wheel, this leaves my left leg in an awkward position as I really can’t stretch it out. Normally this is no biggee as I rarely drive for more than 20-30 minutes at a time. On the NH trip I drove for a total of nine hours and was in the car for 23. I stretched, but didn’t know to stretch my piriformis (or even that I have a piriformis). Fortunately I don’t have to stop working out, only back off a bit. Obviously I won’t be starting my spinning class this week, and I’ll walk/run three days a week instead of five. This is a setback and I am bummed, but this weight loss gig is a marathon, not a sprint. I didn’t console myself with cheese straws and brownies, though I did have a tiny cocktail last night.
the one who writes 
PILATES!
Good answer Monnie! I knew I kept you around for something. They have lots of Pilates classes at the Y, so on my non-running days I can take a class. That will strengthen my core and help with the hip flexor issues.