I’ve been training for my marathon up in the French Alps for the past four weeks.
Plenty of elevation, movement, and long runs — and one recurring issue:
my right hamstring kept feeling tight.
Naturally, I stretched it. Foam rolled. Did all the standard mobility stuff.
It helped a little — but the tension never really went away.
Turns out: it wasn’t a flexibility issue.
It was a compensation issue.
My glutes weren’t doing enough, so the hamstring was picking up the slack.
Especially with the hills and uneven terrain, it was working overtime — and staying tight as a result.
What’s actually helping now isn’t more stretching.
It’s strength work:
- Glute bridges
- Band walks
- RDLs and sliders
Simple, focused movements that take the load off the hamstring by reinforcing the support system around it.
I’m glad I caught this before ramping up into speed work.
Sometimes what feels tight doesn’t need to be loosened —
It needs to be better supported.