Running Again

Ernie · May 27, 2017, 12:00:00 AM

I'm sharing my story because I know that there are others who are experimenting with what it is possible to accomplish physically with resurfaced hips. I have been a life long runner, although the only official race I ran was the Marine Corp Marathon in 1987 at age 30, time 3:14. I was running 7-9 miles on mountain trails when I first felt the hip pain in 2005. I just "ran through it." I finally went to a doctor in November 2010 and the X-rays showed that both of my hips were bone on bone, though only the right one was hurting me, a lot.

I had my right hip resurfaced in April 2011 by Dr. Kress in Atlanta, but didn't return to running then for two reasons: (1) I got a big furry Great Pyrenees dog that didn't like / couldn't handle running more than a sprint; (2) my left hip was severely arthritic and I was trying to put off the cost of another resurfacing as long as I could. So instead of running I walked my dog 4-5 miles every morning and lifted weights and did 60 to 90 minutes on the elliptical at the gym. Eventually my second hip completely failed.

In May 2015 I had my second hip resurfaced by Dr Gross in South Carolina. I soon worked back up to walking my dog 4-6 miles every morning, and lifting weights at the gym three times a week.
[/size]After moving across the country to Northern California, I resumed running for two months in September and October of 2016, starting at 2 miles but eventually working up to 6 miles at 9 minutes per mile pace, way slower than I used to run. But then I stopped running over the winter for 4 months for many complex reasons; the daily rain was surely a contributing factor. But now I've resumed running regularly again. Today I ran 6.7 miles with no problem. After two months I finally feel like I'm running naturally again, rather than stumbling along through will power. My goal is to run a half-marathon by my 60th birthday in September. One of the things that has affected my training is doubt about whether my resurfaced hips will be damaged prematurely by returning to running. As I have wrestled with this I thought that if people with resurfaced hips who had returned to running had experienced device failure they would have come back to this site to warn others. Since no one has done this, I am assuming that running is not causing device failure.So I am going to continue to test my resurfaced hips by training for a half-marathon, since I get great joy from running through beautiful, hilly scenery. And I promise that I will post on this site if I have a problem. We are in this together!

Dayton96 · May 29, 2017, 02:24:45 PM

Ernie:

I'm 62 years old and getting ready to have my second hip resurface with Dr. Gross. I used to run 5 miles a day at an 8 minute pace, but had some medical issues the past 10 years and had to give up running for a while. I'm hoping I can return to running six months after my hip resurface in July. In the meantime, I will look forward to following your posts.

Quig · May 30, 2017, 12:15:46 AM

Once upon a time, I was a runner. In fact, that's what alerted me to my hip problems. I was running about 6 miles a day (a few times a week) and started having hip pain. After plenty of pain and too many clicks and pops I went to a couple hips doctors only to learn that I had terrible hips and would need replacements sooner than most.

I've had the replacements and am well on my way to recovery. I could not be happier with my result but have not returned to running. I commend you guys who are running well and often. Keep it up! Some day (maybe if all my bike tires are flat!) I'll start seriously running again but until then I'll look forward to your stories. Keep up the great work and I hope things continue to go well for you. 8)

Pat Walter · May 30, 2017, 07:25:22 AM

Ernie

Glad to hear you are feeling good about running again. Great to hear everything has returned to normal. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. I know others will be interested in your experience and how well everything has worked out for you.

I wish you the very best and stop by again, sometime in the future, and let us know how you are doing.

Pat

Sandspinner · May 30, 2017, 10:30:19 AM

Thanks for sharing Ernie. I am a former competitive runner who gave it up in 2008 after 40 years of running. To this day I still have the biggest itch to run but I just don't want to wear out my hips or increase my already high metal ions. Good luck with your training and enjoy every mile..

Ernie · May 30, 2017, 04:05:32 PM

Thanks for all the encouraging words. I'll post a future update as to how the running is going, whether the news is good or bad!

blinky · June 03, 2017, 07:34:31 AM

Good luck! I look forward to following your story.

I am about a year and a half out, bilat. I have run up to 10k, currently run every other day 3-4 miles with a "long" run of five miles on weekends. Not fast, but getting faster. (Very slow training pace, maybe 12mm, but can run 10mm too. Pace isn't so much governed by fitness as hip health, I think. Not so much out of breath as don't have the horse power yet.)

I haven't seen any stories in which hips fail due to running either. Dr Gross blessed my hips at one year out and told me to go out and live my life and affirmed that he didn't see a difference in failures between the active and the less active. Of course, the numbers are small. We are part of the great experiment to see what these hips can do.

Also working on building to a half distance over the summer. The biggest issue isn't so much the hips as the rest of life. Now that I am back in action, I am full back in action: working, traveling, exploring. Finding time to train is hard with all this good leisure going on!

CEK001 · June 09, 2017, 11:07:37 AM

I am 5 years out of a BHR on the right side. I have always been a runner, but it did take me 4 years to get back to running. My hip just wasn't strong enough and I had a lot of failed starts. But after years of PT work, I am back full swing....

I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and the GW Parkway 10 Miler races in DC this spring. I had hip flexor problems during the race, although I've had them since this whole hip thing started (I had two previous surgeries to try to fix FAI). But my annual cortisone shot cleared that up.

Anyway, I have just signed up for 4 half marathons and a 10 miler over the next year. Crazy, huh??? I was feeling that good!

Good luck with your half marathon!