Five Year Anniversary

[blinky]

With all the distractions this year, pandemic and elections, I almost forgot. This is my five year anniversary for getting two new hips courtesy of Dr. Gross. The short version is I feel great. The longer version is below.

I planned to run five half marathons and get back into long course triathlons this year. A year ago, I felt terrific. Swimming and running well, cycling okay, doing fitness classes with the young people. Then BAM Covid hit. I was able to run three of those halfs, then everything stopped. Our pool shut down for a few months. No gym, some online gym classes. No bike parts to be had. So...I did GVRAT (Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee) and a few other virtual runs. It got me out and kept me sane during the craziness of the past months. I swam on a tether in our tiny backyard pool until our big outdoor pool opened.

The big pool did reopen and so I have been swimming 4x a week. We have to sign up for a spot and the places are so dear we wouldn't dream of missing.I swam a virtual meet.  I think a few running events are taking place, but none near me, not yet, so I keep picking a few virtual races to motivate myself.

Glad I have pain free hips so I could go outside during these strange times. What would I have done if I couldn't walk or run over the last few months?!?! Being outside and in motion has been my main distraction.

[imgetinold]

Congrats, blinky!


I'm at roughly 8 1/2 years on my right hip (courtesy of Dr. Gross), and 8 days on my left hip (also courtesy of Dr. Gross).


You are quite the athlete.  Not that I was ever a triathlete, but I did enjoy running 3-5 miles a couple times per week.  I was never able to get back to running, sadly.  I would develop a deep ache in the operated hip about 3/4 of a mile in.  I was able to get back to everything else, though.  Oddly (or maybe not oddly), after I joined a boot-camp style gym, where we did all kinds of leg exercises I never did before, I WAS able to run about 2 1/2 miles before the ache set in.  So, maybe there's hope after all.


Did you have them done at one time?  I can't imagine the first month of that recovery.  It's hard enough to try to "sit" on the toilet with one hip in rehab......I can't imagine 2 at once!

Anyway, best of luck in your future races!


Andy

[blinky]

Yep, two at once.  One recovery, no regrets. I needed help for the first week, but started to be independent surprisingly quickly. Of course, plenty of comical mishaps, like dropping my cane and being stuck at the end of my driveway and having to call my son to come rescue me, but nothing serious.

Don't give up on running. I was feeling great this time last year, as noted above, then started feeling slower and weaker about six months ago. I decided it was because some of the pre-Covid stuff I was doing that strengthened my hips I had given up. Back in the gym the last six weeks, focusing on hip strength, and I feel better again. I don't want to have to keep the maintenance exercises up, I want to be free to run and swim like I was in my thirties, but I am afraid that is not an option anymore. Getting old is not for sissies.

[catfriend]

Ah, blinky! My near cohort mate! Has it been five years already? Glad you're doing well. I'll send you a pm.

[Pat Walter]

Blinky
Congratulations!. It is easy to forget about our hips. That's a good thing. I am glad all is going well for you.  I am sorry I missed your post.  Sometimes I don't watch as closely as I should. I have plenty of time to read with all this Covid stuff, but spend a lot of time playing my accordion and staying away from TV.  Between Covid and politics, it can become distracting.  LOL  Anyways, congratulations and I wish you many, many more anniversaries.
Pat

[PMac]

So that means it’s five years for me too! Glad to hear you are doing well, all I can say about mine is that I pretty much forget I’ve had it done most of the time!