First - congrats on the running. I hardly ever break a 10 minute mile and when I do I'm ecstatic. Your pain sounds like it could be ITB related or maybe hip flexors (though I think they are more toward the front). With exercises, just remember that everything is connected, so you might be getting pain one place from a problem in another. That being said:
http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/video-hip-strengthening-exercise-for-runners
Here is a link to a runners world video series with some tests and exercises for hips. Also pick up a foam roller and be sure you are stretching and rolling.

When I have sore/tight hips, I like to do pigeon pose (yoga).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVlX5HNKamw

My hips are not flexible enough to get my front leg perpendicular to my body if I do it on the ground so I also like to do it on a set of stairs, putting the front leg across a step and standing several steps below while I stretch it out. It gives me a bit of a different stretch.

GBrady43068 wrote: »

It's not anything terrible currently but I've started noticing soreness lately. I realize your hips/knees take abuse when running so I'm wondering:

1) Anything I can do to try and strengthen whatever muscles those might be? (They aren't glutes, pain/soreness is right at top of the pelvis on the sides...)

2) I want to keep running...but...I don't want to end up doing any sort of injury that will sideline me for awhile. Where is the line between "just a little sore from running" and "Hey you! Cut it out! signed, Your No-Longer-in-the-20s-and-30s Body"?

For background, I've only been running about 2 years, still building toward a half marathon, 45 years old...longest run thus far is a quarter marathon. I do note that I've been seeing this more as my pace has been pushing faster (I've finally broken a 10 minute mile...yeah!) so perhaps I just need to get in more long/slower runs?

I had a lot of oddball aches the first year I started running, at age 55. I ran through them, and caused problems. Ended up going to physical therapy, which identified root issues that I would never have identified on my own. While PT didn't fix all my problems, the ones it did fix eliminated most of those random aches.

I highly recommend getting an evaluation by a physical therapist. Their specialty is how everything fits together and moves, and finding root causes that may not be obvious to the patient. For example, I went in for foot pain. The PT identified (among other issues) weak hip abductors, which gave me poor control over my foot strike. On my own, I would never have looked at my hip abductors for a foot problem! Correcting the various weakness issues the PT identified cleared up a bunch of random aches in my legs that I hadn't even been worried about, as well as helping me develop better running form.

The thing is, I could have looked on the internet and found a lot of exercises and stretches to cure various running problems. But what I needed was professional help to identify what *MY* problems were, so I didn't waste my time curing issues I didn't have.

FWIW, the PT also recommended I get formal training for a half marathon instead of just trying to get there on my own. That was very good advice for me, as well. I train for halfs on my own now, but that first group training was crucial for me to learn the concepts and see first hand how experienced marathon runners apply those concepts.

Longer runs, and especially slower runs, are important for training for distance. The game changes between a 10K and a half marathon, and it changes again between a half and a full marathon. But before you get to those game changers, you want to be sure you're doing what you should about the aches that are worrying you now.

Great info in this feed! I'm having the exact same issue. Pigeon pose helps me, but doesn't quite hit the spot every time (pain seems to radiate back - almost sciatic). Idk why I didn't think to try out the foam roller. Thanks!