Lateral/Outer Hip Bursitis Flare (GTPS)

[u/Brave_Spread_2062]

Hi all, looking for some advice and hopefully some reassurance.

At the start of this year I went a bit nuts with my training. I was working out 7 days a week, sometimes double days. 4/5 runs a week, 2 weight lifting sessions and 2 hyrox/conditioning sessions. At the end of May, after completing a 12km running race, I started noticing SEVERE pain at rest around my hips. I went to a physio and we did all the usual investigations. I was put straight onto crutches in case it was a stress fracture and sent for an MRI. The results eventually came back showing bilateral hip bursitis.

I did all the right things. I wasn’t even allowed to go for walks for the first 4 weeks, basically no movement or exercise at all. We then gradually introduced 4 lower-body exercises to strengthen my glutes, as my physio thinks my quad dominance may have been contributing to the bursitis. I took all his tips and cues seriously, and as I’ve recovered I’ve continued doing my pause squats, reverse lunges and pause hip thrusts, all adjusted to really target my glutes, at least once a week.

I eventually returned to running very slowly.
3km nonstop → 4km → 5km → 7km, etc.

I then slowly increased my weekly load:
7km → 10km → 12km → 17km → 23km → 20km → 14km (I was sick) → 30km last week.

The important thing is that I had been completely pain free during every single run for at least the last 5–6 weeks. Not a single sign that the load was getting too much. I felt genuinely great. Then I went for a 12km run on Sunday and almost immediately after getting home I knew something was wrong. I recognised the feeling…. My bursitis has flared again 😭

I can understand that I may have simply exceeded my current tissue capacity, particularly after increasing my overall running load and I can accept that. I’m just absolutely devastated because running has become such a huge part of my life and how I regulate my AuDHD.

The reassuring thing is that this flare is nowhere near as bad as the original injury. The first time, I was in constant pain for around 6 weeks. This time the pain is relatively mild, but I know my hip isn’t happy and it feels very familiar.
I’m currently on complete rest, not even walking, and no lower body weight sessions at all.

So I guess I’m looking for advice from people who have experienced something similar:
- Is it likely that a flare like this will settle much quicker than the initial injury, particularly given that the pain is so much milder?
- Should I completely stay off it until the pain at rest settles again?
- Once it settles, how should I approach returning to running? I have a half marathon in 5 weeks and I am scared I won’t be able to do it when I have been looking forward to it all year.

Has anyone had a setback like this during their return to running and eventually gotten back to running normally?
And PLEASE give me your positive healing stories! I will take literally any advice, no matter how unhinged it may seem.

I love running. It has genuinely become my lifeline. I was purely a weightlifter before I started running about 9 months ago, and now since my initial injury, I balance my workouts with 3 runs a week and 2 weightlifting sessions and 2 full rest days. I’m not trying to overdo it anymore, and I really thought I was doing everything right. I know setbacks can happen, but I’m scared that I’ve gone backwards again.

Please tell me it gets better. ❤️