Hi Rod,
Great questions; they force me to really pay attention to the characteristics of the pain, rather than viewing it as a general discomfort.
The pain has mostly centered deep deep in the glute (which I mistook for the back of the hip, but realizing that the two areas come together) It is a deep deep pent-up pressure feeling that reminds me of needing a massage. Outside of running, the only other time that I am aware of the pain is if I sit too long or stand in one place a really long time (washing dishes after a big meal) other than that, there is no amount of movement or stretching that can render the pain that running does. In the beginning of a run, only the deep glute hurts, but when I was "Over Riding"(inside joke) the pain would reach down to my lower leg, and that even felt more like an ache at first. If I pushed past the "ache" then it became a sharp cramp-like pain that would shoot down the leg. Also, it almost feels like something needs to "pop" to relieve the pressure in the hip (I can only explain it as the way it feels when you "crack" your back and the pressure suddenly feels relieved) It is an annoying "loaded" feeling deep inside.
I hope that this description helps.
(I am going to be a very informed individual when I chat with the doc!)
B
