Ready to give up thoughts of doing my first Tri

What kind of swim stroke do you use? Breast Stoke?  Also, is the pain even there when cycling?  Have you checked to see if you have any significant difference in leg length?  Orthotics/inserts

Wow, thanks for all the replies, I will admit, that I am not as sore as I was back in January, but the pain is still there, mostly in TFL and glute med, especially if I sit for a long time, I know that the hip gets tight and possibly shorter if you sit all day at a desk, which I do, I try to stand and stretch throughout the day.

I will try to answer some of the questions:

1.  Chiro and PT both know I have been training, PT has done a couple of sprints in the past.  From the PT I got the "glutes not firing", worked on running form, bought new running shoes.

2.  Swim stroke is all free style, making sure  I kick to from the hips, none of the S/B/R hurt while doing it, the next day though, I am sore

3.  As far as diet goes, I drank the cool aid on Paleo a year ago and with the execption of Friday Family Pizza night and a few beers, I dont eat processed grains or food, mostly nuts, eggs, meat, fruit and Vegs, 3/4 - 1 gallon of water a day, drives my wife crazy.  The only other diet issues are I drink about 3 diet Sierra Mists a day and I eat salted peanutes in the shell every night as a little snack. 

4.  My core workout looks like this sets sets each all in a circuit- glute/ham developer, plank for a minute with feet on ab ball with additional weight on the small of my back, then hanging straight leg raises and bent knee when I can no longer do straight, then pike ups, and a twisting exercise like side to side with med ball or land mines.

I go back to the ortho on 1 May, so I guess we will see, my guess is he will tell me to go back to PT in which I will tell him that I am a PTs dream patient, I have done everything to the T if not more they I was told to do.

I, too, wouldn't give up just yet. Thanks for the detailed info already provided. Couple more questions about the following:

he said I have hip bursitis and that I needed to strengthen my hips, lots of leg raised, and I did, pain went away. Fast forward to January 2012, pain in both hips but mostly still in the right hip, only thing new to my normal exercise obsessed world was swimming.

So when your ortho diagnosed hip bursitis, you continued to do everything you were doing BUT ALSO added leg raises. Correct?

Then you continued on, but not adding any new exercises or more training volume or intensity or taking the leg raises away ... at what point (weeks) in "Fast Forward" did pain BEGIN to happen? Or did it just come on suddenly again in both hips, more in the right?

After my inital visit to the ortho Dec 2010, I did side leg raises for about 2 months and the pain went away, so I pretty much stopped doing them after that, but continued squatting and doing lunges as part of my normal strength exercise workout. Ran 2-3 times a week all summer, no problems, decided to start training for tris in Nov, switched running shoes from VVFs to Nike Free 3.0s, started swimming mostly just drills and learning form and then it got worse over a two week period in mid January. No real increase in running MPW or distance in the pool.  I know my glutes are generally tight, but hamstrings and hips are pretty flexible. 

Even bought Ben Greenfields "Run without pain" did it for 6 weeks, no real improvement

your body wasn't made for this hobby.

 You have to make your body do it.

2 years ago I had two doctors tell me that I'd never run again unless I got surgery on my hips.  I BQed in January. 

Get that bike of your dreams.  do the side leg lifts and cross training.  change your stride to 180bpm and get your feet under you.  keep at it.  find a way to overcome every injury.  you CAN do this if you want to.  Oh- get rid of the speed work and run easy.  speed is brutal on the body. 

This is good for hip flexor strength, but can also aggravate hip bursitis.  I'd try mixing up the sets you are doing.  Normal freestyle for a couple sets.  Then a few with a pull buoy instead.  Alternate back and forth that way to allow your hip some rest breaks.

I'd also cut out any kickboard work until you're feeling better.

I'm not a doctor but I've had that problem before.

Spudone,

Thats funny you said no kickboard, I discussed my issue with a USAT coach I met a couple of weeks ago, he told me to do more kickboard sets. By no means am I saying either of you are right or wrong, please dont take it that way.

My opinion only: it depends on where your injury is -- a physical therapist could probably guide you.  A bursitis is an inflammation.  If you don't let it calm down first, then you can continue to aggravate it.  I'm not saying to permanently cut out those sets, but just be careful to listen to your body.

Did you have any diagnostic imaging done or was the DX of bursitis simply made based on symptoms alone?

Maybe it is time for an MRI?

To rule out something like a torn labrum or femoral acetabular impingement or such?

I have struggled with chronic knee pain for 2 1/2 years that leaves me unable to do many things, including even basic stuff like climbing stairs,let alone  running. I know how frustrating chronic long term pain is.    

Best of luck to you.........I hope you get it resolved in a timely fashion.