New to running - Ache on outside of hip after about 20 minutes of running

I would also recommend running on uneven surfaces if you can, such as soft grass or even gnarly trails - this will help your body flex more and stretch out those tight hip flexors. It's like when you transition from running on a treadmill to running outside - the change in surface can make you discover muscles you didn't know you had.

You say you're wearing good/fitted shoes, but that's always something to double check when you have pain.

Depending on how "new" you are to running, 20+ minutes of running may be too much. Have you done something like the C25k plan? Even if you swim/bike a ton, running uses different muscles and puts your body through more pounding. It could be you've ramped up too fast...that's a pretty common way to find yourself in pain.

I recommend taking some time off until your hip stops hurting. Your pain sounds like how mine started last year, it would happen mid-way through my runs and I'd stop and stretch and continue and it'd feel ok. After weeks of just adding stretching but still continuing to run...I wound up sidelined for 3 months with fairly painful bursitis in my hip. Bursitis can be caused by overuse, weak glutes/core, and/or tight glutes/hips. If you look up hip bursitis, you'll find some helpful stretches and exercises to strengthen those injuries. Luckily its not a permanent thing and post-rehab I'm 100% pain free.

Oh, and if you don't already have one, get a foam roller! Roll your ITBand, quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

ValeriePlz wrote: »

Yes, definitely stretch more. A lot of runners stretch in a front-back direction, but you need to also stretch side to side to get the muscles on the inside of your legs and outside of your hips.

Also, if you cycle a lot, your hip flexors may be tighter than average. I read about this in a triathlon book recently. I was having the same problem, so I started stretching more after my runs than I usually would - and using foam rollers - and the pain has gone away.

Lastly, you should have someone watch you run (maybe in the store where you bought your running shoes?) to see if there is anything odd about your gait. Aside from the fact that many of us have one leg that is slightly longer than the other, you also may be pronating or supenating, causing strain on that hip.

This, and you might also find some exercises to strengthen your hip flexors, in addition to stretching. I have some intermittent hip achiness, too, and some exercises I found googling have been really helpful. I can pop back in later with links.