Hip Talk Forum About Hip Resurfacing

Hi

I'm coming up to my 8 month review after my second BHR.   I'm hoping my surgeon will say I can start running again.    I'd like to be able to run 10-15 miles a week with the aim of running a maximum of 10km (gently) in a race.   I certainly won't be going anywhere near a marathon or Ironman - but hats off to those who do.

I've maintained a very good base of fitness, including Concept 2 2000m at 7.40 and 20 miles exercise bike at 40 minutes.   I'm also up to walking 6 miles briskly in 1hr 45mins.    However, I realise that these are all no/low impact activities and are using different muscles than running.

Has anyone here got any tales to tell about post BHR-op running?    Did you have any specific preventative or curative physio once you started running again?

Ed

I've just had my 8 month review.   Both hips are fine and my surgeon gave me the OK to start running again. I intend to do about 3 days a week with a total weekly mileage of 10-15 miles.   I'd like to be able (eventually  ;D) to negotiate a 10km race.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Me again.

I did a few runs before my surgeon appointment to help me see how it felt so I'd have information I could discuss with the surgeon at the 8 month appointment.   I "ran" on the treadmill and outdoors on the flat.    I've done another 3 runs in the last week.

After 7 years without running I felt very unco-ordinated and ungainly.   The main effects were tight muscles to the side and back of the hips.   No pain on the actual joints.    A jog up a slight incline really tightened one of my calves - it recovered with a bit of arnica gel.     

Onwards.......

Back again....

The good news.  I got up to 5000m on the treadmill with no ill effects.   With that behind me, I entered a local 2.5 mile run.  It was a great feeling to pin on a number and line up at the back of the field.    I got round in just under 20 minutes and was pleased.

The bad news.  The next two weeks I was working in a house with restricted head room.  I had to walk round with bent knees, sometimes carrying things.   Gradually I started getting pains in my right hip - very worrying.   I though about it and realised it was what I'd been doing in the house - the bent knees had strained muscles - and nothing to do with running.    I tracked it down to above the hip joint - somewhere in the gluteus - piriformis region.    A couple of days ago I started working through some specific stretching exercises for that area and it feels much better.

Yesterday I got back on the treadmill and warmed up to a 1000m in around 5m40s (I forgot to stop my watch!).  No ill effects.

I used a book called "The Anatomy of Stretching" by Brad Walker - clear diagrams and explanations, with one exercise per page.   Well worth a look.

Looking forward to an easy run outdoors again.

Another couple of weeks have gone by.    I’ve obviously noticed there’s been no replies to what I’ve been posting on this thread but the number of hits so far (over 400) says someone must be reading it.  As I feel it is the sort of stuff I would have like to have read before starting my running again I’ll continue in the hope it might be useful for someone in a similar position.

A couple of background notes.  When I stopped running in 2001 at the age of 47 I was still running 10 miles in 61 minutes.   I had to stop as the pain in my hip a few days later was too intense.  For a year or so I tried small 2 or 3 miles runs but it was no good.  So I stopped.   As well as running I’ve been an athletics coach (track, road, cross country) since 1991.

The last couple of weeks have been tough as I’ve worked to get back into running after the muscle strain (non-running cause) and loosen the muscles as the same time.  With two 10 minute stretching sessions a day I’m happy to say it has worked.

Under this I’ve put exactly what I’ve done over the last 10 days.  Distances are measured in metres (miles in brackets) from www.mapmyrun.com  (I like to know exactly how far I’ve been.)  Every day usually starts with a half mile walk for my paper and finishes with a similar stroll after my dinner.

Log:
21st    Road run 2310m (1.44mi) 10m45s.   Day 5060m (3.15mi)

22nd  Off road hill walk in mountain boots.  2960m (1.84m)   day 6840m (4.25mi)   

23rd  Treadmill 3000m (1.86mi)  15m40s           Day 8390m (5.22mi)

24th  Coastpath hills.  Boots   3250m (2.07mi)     Day   4990m  (3.10mi)

25th   am Stroll on beach  2080m (1.29mi)
         Pm Stroll 3250m (2.07mi)                       Day  6030m  (3.75mi)

26th   Road run  4130m (2.56mi)  21m26s      Day   6390m  (3.97mi)

27th  Road walk in boots.  Brisk   6560m (4.08mi) 1hr 11 mins.    Day 8160m (5.07mi)

28th  Gym   Treadmill 2 x 1000m fast walk
                  2500m concept 2 row (9.41.6)
                  5 mins cross trainer
                  20 mins exercise bike 9.76mi                     Day 3470m  (2.16mi)

29th          Treadmill  5000m (25m32s).  Last 3000m  14m40s   Day  8540m (5.31mi)

30th       Plan today is for a very easy day with a stroll around the shops.

As I write this it is the morning of the 30th.    My legs feel loose after yesterday.  I find running on a treadmill helps me work on a relaxed style and I’m in total control of the pace.  (Yesterday’s 5000m had 500m walk/jog warm up. Then the 5000m started at 10.5kph pace.  The last 1500m was at 12.5kph pace. And was followed by 500m ease down to a walk.  Then a sauna and a quick dip in a swimming pool.

Happy New Year to all surface hippies everywhere.

Ed   

Ed,

I am one of those reading your posts.  Similar story of running marathons up to age 48 in 2003.  I am 6 weeks post-op and during my one mile walk yesterday was remembering my last marathon in Delaware, USA.  Prior to surgery, I could not even handle walking without paying the price. The pain overtook me as well. 

Thank you for your continued updates.  I am longing for one day to be able to enjoy the pure pleasure of a simple jog with my cross country team in their warm-ups.  Then biking home without pain. Your notes are encouraging.

Dwight V

Hi Ed,

Congratulations! I've also been following your posts. I'm in the same boat as you. I am 6 mo post op and slowly getting back into running after a four year hiatus. I've found that running is much more difficult for me than intense cycling. Does your running gait feel odd? Are you doing any strength training?

keep up the great work!


spencer

Hi Spencer and Dwight

Good to hear from both of you.  My best wishes for your future jogs and runs.

For Spencer.  The first few jogs/runs my running gait felt very unnatural - I felt like a huge unco-ordinated carthorse.  Happily it is feeling easier and more natural now.  The worst bit is the breathing despite having kept my aerobic capacity going with rowing.

I've done light weights on my arms, sit-ups (crunchies) and a couple of leg strength exercises: single and both leg sitting down leg pushes and exercises opening the legs with weights inside the thighs then outside the thighs.

Ed

13 Jan 09

Just got back from a 40 minute walk in my boots along a hilly coast path.  A very pleasant 6 degrees C.   I must admit to thinking “if that’s as good as it gets it would have all been worth it”.

Back to the running…..

1 Jan.  Started the year with a 1.44 mile run in bitter cold.  10 mins 56s
4 Jan.  Mile treadmill 7m19s
6 Jan   3000m treadmill 15m41s.  Left calf tight about 5 inches from floor.   Overdid the speed?  Ice, arnica gel and 1 x ibuprofen calmed it down.
9 Jan   treadmill 4 miles continuous  35m31s.    Furthest yet.
12 Jan.  Outside.  Ran 1.9 miles out in an easy 17m17s.  Stopped and stretched.  Ran 1.78 miles back in 14m12s.   Hard work as was distance and “speed”.

I’m happy now that I’ve built up to 4 miles in one go.   I’m going to try to add a few easy miles around the main runs before going any further.

As for the hips.  The 2008 one is going well.  The 2004 one gets a bit stiff after about 3 miles, but when I started it felt stiff after about a mile so it seems to be improving.    I suppose it has had more time to stiffen up since the operation in 2004.

Bye for now.

Ed

I meant to finish on a particular point in my last post and forgot to do it.

The bit of running I've done so far has really reinforced the need for patience in looking for improvements - something I've noticed on other threads and in my own general experience of BHRs.

Hey Ed,

Way to go! I hear you on building up easy. I'm coaching preseason track at my daughter's high school and running with them is definitely humbling. Yesterday we did 5x(10x walking lunge, 30sec wall sit, 5x 200m run, 2x stadium steps, 1x100m run, 50 toe raises). I was just jogging easily on the runs since I can't run fast yet. It's all about enjoying the movement and not over doing it.


take care,

spencer

Hi Spencer

Hope your coaching goes well.  I'll be up at the track tonight with my middle distance group.  It will probably be chilly here in England, maybe with wind and rain.  Brrrr !

I haven't been doing any drills or short speed work yet.  I've been concentrating on building a little base of distance and getting quicker over distances longer than a mile (though I have been improving my 500m time on the treadmill).  Your post has prompted me to hink about getting in the occasional session simialr to the one you described to work on different areas.   

I'm still doing 2 ten minute stretching sessions a day and concept 2 rowing, stationary bike and walks up to 6 miles a day over the course of the week.    I try to have a rest day on a Thursday - today!

Ed

Ed,

Thanks. I can't take the cold weather anymore. It'll be 73F here in Tucson today. I still can't push me speed at all but running stadiums definitely puts a bit of intensity to my effort. As for the kids, well they are flying. They are a lot of fun. We run and condition on M,W,F and weight room on T,TH.

If you want a good rowing/conditioning workout try this: 3x (10squats-no weight,750m row,       
                                                                              8 front squats-light wt,500m row
                                                                              6goblet squats 30lb db, 250 m row)
                       goblet squats- hold a dumbell in front of you like you're holding a goblet
take care,

spencer

It is only a week since my last post but I couldn't resist posting this.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a new pair of off-road trail shoes.    I've been breaking them in on short walks but today I thought it was time to try them out on muddy trails.

I started at a car park and ran down to a grassy coastal headland.   Despite a wet top surface, the shoes didn't slip.  Down a little path and across a short pebble beach and into the woods.    A steep climb up about 30 muddy steps got me onto the coast path.    Genuine gooey mud and a gently undulating path through the trees but with the sea about 50 metres to one side and a golf course on the other it was fun.    Keeping my stride short and easy I ran on until I came to a recognisable spot I could measure and turned back the same way.   Time out 17 mins 47 secs.  Time back 17 mins 36s.   Distance total 3 miles.  (I wasn't quicker on the way back - there was an overall height gain on the way out).

It was easily the most fun I've had running since well before my first BHR in 2004.    I caught myself grinning a few times as I was running along.   The new trail shoes gripped well - now all I've got to do is clean them and my running socks.

Happy Days!

Ed

Hey Ed,

Gotta love the mud run! I ran with the kids today at track and felt great. My best so far, I ran a 3:15 800m and a 4 min 1k. Not to shabby for 7 months post op. Totaled about 2.5 mi for the whole workout. Aiming to keep the volume low while getting back up to speed.

Dirk is coming over tomorrow with a friend of his and we're going to ride Mt Lemmon. It should be epic. There's excellent pie at the top!



take care,

spencer

Hi Spencer

Wow ! a 4 min 1km - that's faster than anything I can do at the moment.    Congratulations !   Were you in spikes or trainers?     

I'm coming to the end of a two week cycle tomorrow so I'll post what I've been up to after my Sunday training.

Hope you enjoy your bike ride.

Best wishes

Ed

Quote from: sroberts on January 30, 2009, 08:04:47 PM


Dirk is coming over tomorrow with a friend of his and we're going to ride Mt Lemmon. It should be epic. There's excellent pie at the top!



take care,

spencer

I am very envious.  While Houston will warm up to 70 degrees today, we have no mountains to ride  :(

Have great ride and keep it in the small rings!

Steve

Hey Ed,

No spikes just trainers. I still don't feel like I can push it or open it up with a lot of speed. It reminded me of a cruise interval. My goal is to keep the runs short and interval based. I'm definitely a little stiff today (not in the hip though). I'm also staying off pavement for now.
Trails and track only.

Steve,

Come on over to Tucson anytime! We're putting on a triathlon camp March 20-27th and we always get a lot of cyclists. There's also a triathlon festival March 6-8 here. Have a great weekend!

take care,

spencer

Its been an interesting couple of weeks as both the distance and “speed” has improved.

A brief summary

January
Wed 21   treadmill 5 miles 42.21.6.    I was a bit weary at the end of that !

Fri 23   I hadn’t done anything fast for a while so I warmed up and had a go at a measured road mile.    I had targeted the mile in 7.15 but as I was going through my check points I realized I was ahead of them and pushed on.  I crossed the line in 6.59.0. Very pleased.

Sun 25   easy 2000m on the treadmill

Week’s miles run  12.96 miles

Mon 26   Went over to a measured 3km course I ran some years ago.  I hoped to run it in under 14 mins 30 secs.  Again, I had my target splits and got ahead of them.   With a final push I finished in 13.51.5 â€" and then jogged over a mile recovery.  Slept well !

Wed 28   Did my longest run on the roads â€" 4.18 miles.    34.26.    Hard work but nice being out there.

Fri   30   Easy 4000m on the treadmill (after 2500m row and 10 miles exercise bike)

February
Sun 1      Went to the gym.   Plan was to warm up for 1km on the tread and then go straight into a run at 12kph and see how easy everything felt.    I did that and increased the speed by 0.1 each km and by 0.2 on the 5th km to cover 5000m in 24.35.0 â€" a post-op pb (PR in USA speak) by 46s.   I then went straight into a 1km warm down for a total run of 7000m. It was more than I planned but it felt good, probably as 5km is now less than my longest run and slower than my fastest run.

Week’s miles run 14.76 miles â€" a bit more than I originally planned but inside my weekly maximum target of 15 miles in a week.   I’ll ease off the mileage next week.  (honest !)

A few general points which you might find useful:

•    Does it hurt?     My left hip (BHR 2004) gets a bit stiff sometimes but doesn’t hurt as such.     As you might expect my hip muscles have been a bit tight this week as they’ve been doing a type of exercise they haven’t done for years and they’ve both had BHR surgery.   An evening ibuprofen most nights seems to sort them out.    A good soak in a hot bath on Saturady eased everything.

•   When I started running in November it didn’t feel natural â€" I felt very heavy and unco-ordinated.  It all feels a lot better now.   It is an advantage of running on a treadmill (or track) you can concentrate on how you are running without thinking too much about where you are running â€" though obviously you don’t want to shoot out the back of a treadmill !

•   Before my second BHR I used to think about enjoying a single ten minute mile jog.   Obviously I’ve gone way past that but I’m keeping a close eye on not getting too competitive with myself.   I’m going to work out some time targets for myself over the next few weeks and I’m going to stick with my original plan of running no further than 10km in one go.     I’ll post the targets at a later date.

A final point.  Its been a very cold winter over here.   Temperature at the moment is around 40 degrees but there’s a bitterly cold wind.     Once a week I coach a track session.   Typically I’ve been wearing a long-sleeved thermal top,  t-shirt, sweatshirt, down-filled jacket, goretex raincoat, woolly hat and gloves.   It gets quite cosy in there!  The athletes all have various layers on but keep warm with their running efforts.

Ed

Running with the weather

Mon 2 Feb   Put on my off-road shoes and ran on the fields at the back of my local leisure centre.  A very cold day so well wrapped up â€" a good job I was !   When I was at the furthest point from the leisure centre on my second large lap the skies opened and heavy snow came down.  That wasn’t too bad until a driving wind whipped it into a horizontal mass.  By the time I made it back to the leisure centre I looked like something from the frozen north.

Wed 4 Feb.    I decide to have a go at a 2.5 mile route I did in November â€" see if I could improve it.    When I got down to the seafront it was very windy and raining.  I thought “well I’m here. I might as well have a go.”   I started off OK and then turned back to run along the promenade â€" straight into the teeth of the wind.  It was hard work but I battled on.    I then turned round and ran back with the wind at my back.    I finished and was pleased to have improved my time by over a minute.    That’s the good news.

The bad news …. Both my hips were screaming at me that evening and well into the next day.   I was quite worried I’d done some damage.   The next morning I worked out what had happened.  Running into the wind I’d worked too hard and really pushed both my legs.  Running with the wind I’d probably been over-striding and over-extended the muscles around both hips.   Lesson learnt â€" don’t fight the weather.

Fri 6 Feb â€" felt ready to try a little run on the treadmill.  Did a comfortable 2000m

Sun 8 Feb â€" Decided to have a go at a swifter 3000m on the treadmill.  Warmed up for 1km then ran 14.17 for the 3000m before going straight into a 1km warm down.  That’s a PB/PR for my post-op 3km treadmill

Week’s miles run 10.41 miles

Mon 9 Feb   More weather.   It had been raining all day but eased off about 6pm.   I decided to just go out and enjoy a relaxed 2.5 mile run from my house, with no thought of how long it would take.   Had a great time â€" just ran, and completed it in an easy 23.23.   

Wed 11 Feb   Much better weather â€" warmer and dry.  Went down to the leisure centre to go for an easy 4 mile run.   When I got there they were doing a sponsored treadmill run for charity in the main entrance and I was asked to do some running for them.   I did an easy 5000m and then went out and ran another two miles down to the seafront and back.    My hips had been feeling tight all day.   The runs loosened them off.    Four hours later, as I type this, they are both feeling fine.

Fri 13 Feb.   Still got the better weather. Just two layers â€"thermal and T-shirt â€" and gloves.   Ran out easy for two miles.  Did a few stretches.  Ran back at close to max for 1.75 miles.  Did 13.12.6 â€" just under a minute faster than the last time I did it.    Had enough left to run nearly a mile as an easy warm down.  Enjoyed it.

Sun 15 Feb  Blasted 2000m on the rower and 20 mins on the exercise bike before an easy 2500m running on the treadmill.


Week’s miles run: 13.79m

This was the fifth consecutive week where I’ve done some form of running four days out of seven (Mon-Wed-Fri Sun).      I think I’ll have an easier week next week with just three days running.

Nice workouts!  How many months post op until you got to the point of feeling "normal"?  I'm around 6 weeks post op right now, and have stopped the treadmill due to some over-doing it 10 days prior.  I've been doing some bike work as well as some leg curls/extensions and leg press with moderately light weight.  The pain from walking on the treadmill was causing quite a limp, and I thought best to rest and regroup. 

Hi Todd
I kept a very detailed record of all my walks and other physical activities after my second BHR last March.    I took things on a very gradual development, thinking long term.  That hasn't stopped me over-doing it at times. Whenever I've done that I've backed off, rested, iced and ibuprofened.

To give you an idea of my progress here's a few entries from my log:

Day 49   2 mile walk.  Longest distance to date.
Day 62   6 miles on road bike.  First time.
Day 64   1st time in gym.   No treadmill.
Day 74   1st go on treadmill.  1000m in 9.46
Day 92   2.5 miles on treadmill
Day 96   1st go on concept 2 rower - just 500m
Day 104  3 mile walk.
Day 144  4 mile walk

Running started in November (8 months after op).

As is often said on this website, recovery is very individual.   This is just what I've done.
 
As for feeling "normal", it is difficult to say.   Part of the problem is that I am continuing to expand my fitness base so, like you described yourself, every now and then I push a little too far.  On the other hand, from about six months I know I can go out for a hilly six mile walk, wander round the local moors and, more recently, run.  All things that were out of the question before my op.   As an athletics coach, I keep reminding the athletes I coach that patience is a very important quality to develop.  I've had to remember that myself many times over the last year.

Very best wishes for your recovery, Todd.

Ed

Hi Ed

Thanks for taking time to post your progress and story.  I know it will help many people.

Good Luck!

Pat

Hi Pat

Thanks.  You are very welcome.   My aim is just to post the sort of information that would have been useful to me before I started running again.

I'd just like to add something that I keep forgetting to include - toes.   When I started running again I noticed that every now and then I'd get aching toes.  When you think about it it is quite logical.   In running you push off on your toes and they take a lot of the body's weight - no wonder they ache!    Just another part of the body to get involved in running.

Ed

1 Mar

Tue 17 Feb   Good weather.     Did my longest outdoor run of 4.2 miles.   Managed to get round in just under 8 minutes a mile.

Fri 20 Feb    Worked out an exact 5 mile run and worked out split times for 9 minute pace. Set off too quickly and by 2 miles was running at close to 8 minute-mile pace.  At mid way my left leg (old BHR) started aching, just as the hilly bit arrived.   Completed the run in 8.18 mile pace but it wasn’t comfortable.  Made a couple of mistakes â€" went off too fast and did my two longest outdoor runs next to each other.  Should have had an easy 2 mile run between them.    In the evening iced both hips and took an ibuprofen.

Sat 21 Feb.    Woke up with both hips feeling fine.  Think I’ve found another reason why my left hip got stiff on the run yesterday.   It was stiff before the run.  I’d been painting and decorating one of my bedrooms.    Crawling around the floor, cleaning and painting the skirting boards had squashed up both hips which had affected the running.   

Sun 22 Feb   Treadmill.  Warmed up with 1km in 5.44.  Then quick 3km in 14.14 with each km faster (4.55-4.45-4.34). Warmed down with 1km in 5.16 .  Total 5km in 25.14.  Legs fine when running.  A bit tight at end but looser than Friday.

Week’s mileage 12.85

Mon 23 Feb.    T-shirt and shorts weather.  Did just under 2.5 mile recovery run on soft grass in 20.46 (8.33 mins per mile).    Legs felt a lot better in the evening.

Tue 24 Feb  Rest day!   I need it.

Wed 25 Feb    Colder.    Back to thermal top and T-shirt.   Â¾  mile warm up.  Into 1.4 miles at max.  Did 7m03s.  That’s 32s faster than before.  Felt good.  Using an accurate measurement it worked out at 6.59.8 a mile â€" just a second faster than my current mile time.   Did just over a mile easy warm down then off for a sauna and a brief swim.    4 hours later (now) legs feel good.

Thu 26 Feb.  6 miles hilly walk on country lanes, fields and woods.

Fri 27 Feb .  Gym Concept 2 rower.  2000m  Bike 5 miles   Treadmill run 2 miles comfortable in 17m22s.  No stiffness in hips.    Enjoyed the session

Sat 28 Feb.  Another rest day

Sun 1 Mar    Really blasted 5000m on the treadmill in 24m20s, including the middle 1km in 4m18s.   5000m treadmill PR/PB by15s.   Felt OK while running but left leg stiffened up and ached afterwards.    Overdid it !

Week’s mileage  11.70

My conclusion in these last two weeks is that I’ve done too much.   I’ve extended the longest run in the first week and have done two quick sessions in the second week.   Quite a bit of aches.     I’m not going to run on Monday or Tuesday and then start back on Wednesday with a very easy two miles.

13 March

I was going to post this at the end of my current two week training log but thought it might be interesting to post it before I log what I’ve been doing.

After the run on 1st March I had a lot of aches that evening.  I had to take an ibuprofen when I got home and another when I went to bed.  I also had to ice both hips that evening.   I think it started with the 5 mile run on 20 Feb when I should have eased right back when things started to stiffen.  I kept going that day and kept pushing over the next two weeks.

On Monday 2nd March I sat down and gave things a lot of thought.   The running has been causing a lot of aches which I’d expected as I was using muscles I hadn’t used for years and which had been operated on.   I came up with four options for my running:

a.  Give up running completely.  Enjoy the walking, cycling and rowing.
b.   Run occasionally just to enjoy it.
c.   Run at the level I’ve reached now.
d.   Try to improve on my current speed and distance.

I gave all four options serious thought.   I decided, for the moment, I’d try somewhere between options b and c, which involve less mileage and less speed than I’ve been doing.  Settle into that and see what happens.

I also decided to do more strength works on my hip muscles.   I googled Goblet squats which Spencer mentioned in an early post on this thread.   I’ve always had a problem with balance on squats and these goblet squats certainly helped me with that.  (thanks, Spencer).   I’ve also added a few lunges with light dumb-bells.    Both exercises have added new twinges to my hips but have definitely improved my flexibility.  I’ve noticed I can pick things up from the floor much more easily since starting them.

Last night I was travelling back home from our local track with three masters runners I coach after a hard speed session which they did.  They are aged from early 40s to mid 50s.    Without any prompting from me, they started talking about how many aches they get from training six days a week.    One of them said that after they’ve stopped for a week to rest an injury or because of a cold they really enjoy the feeling of no having no aches and pains.  None of them have any joint problems they just train hard.   Perhaps I’ve forgotten how hard running is for everyone not just “hippies”?

Any comments on all this welcome.

Ed

15 March

Now for the runs over the last two weeks:

Wed 4 Mar     Treadmill.  Easy 2m in 16m22s.  Total 2.5m in 21m02s. No pain or stiffness in hips.

Fri 6 Mar.  Road.  Mile warm up.  Mile quick 7m10s.  1.4 mile warm down.

Sun 8 Mar .   Treadmill 3000m 15m27s.  500m wd.  Left leg a bit stiff but OK in evening.  .

Week’s mileage 8.11 miles

Wed 11 Mar  Road.  Half mile warm up straight into just over  2.5m in 21m7s and straight into 0.8 mile warm down.  Total distance 3.86m.  No leg or hip problems.  Did some leg weights in gym afterwards.   Legs fine in the evening

Fri 13 Mar   Went down to run a mile around the sea front.as a bit of “speed” work.  Did a mile warm up.    Had a target of 7.10 in mind before the run (pb 6.59).   Had my bit of paper with pb splits on as a guide.    After the first couple of splits I realised I was a couple of seconds ahead of my pb so decided to go for it.    Wheezed up the last straight to finish in 6.46.7 â€" 12.3s inside my old pb.  Quelle surprise!      The value of easy weeks and recovery?

Sun 15 Mar  Rowed 10 mins (2566m) then 2 mile comfortable on treadmill in 15.51 plus warm up and down.   Felt I could have run quicker and longer but kept to my plan of no faster than 12.5 kph and total distance 2.5 mile.  No pain or stiffness

Week’s mileage 9.36 miles

Good news:  No ibuprofen or ice since Monday 2 March.  Also down to one stretching exercise session a day â€" either plain stretches or yoga.   Each about 10 minutes.   Still doing lots of walking, exercise bike, first road bike ride this year, and concept 2 rowing.

Plan b/c seems to be working……  ;D

29 March

I’ve been doing a lot more Concept Two rowing and exercise bike and moved down to 3 days a week running.  It all feels a lot better though still some areas of tightness.

Mon   16   two laps on grass.  20 mins.

Wed   18   4.2 mile road run.. Felt fine first 2.5 miles then left leg tightened.  Ran 33m53s, just over 8 minute miling

Sun   22   Treadmill 3000m 14m17s.   Felt fine.  Three days no running seemed to work well.

Week’s mileage    10.15

Tue   24   Steady 3 mile road run in 25.23.  OK

Thu   26   Ran with running club at 7.30pm.  Did mile 8 mins rest mile.  Ran 7.28 and 7.20.   Before I started running again after the second BHR that would have seemed impossible.  I had a few minor tweaks as I speeded up on the second mile but the legs were fine later in the evening.   Did a half mile warm up and warm down.

Sun       29   Did 3500m treadmill.  Left leg a bit tight

Week’s miles 8.74

Mon 30   Looked at my daily record of walks, runs, bike and gym and realized I hadn’t had a day of rest since 28 February.     I’ve not been letting my legs recover.     Today I just went shopping and had a 15 minute stroll after dinner.  Legs feel better than they have for weeks (four weeks and 2 days to be precise!).   

Memo to self: have a rest day each week.    ;D

12 Apr

I went back to basics using a seven day pattern:

Hard day
Easy day
Hard day
Easy day
Hard day
Easy day
Rest

Hard in terms of running means either speed or distance

Wed 1 Apr   Easy 3.1 mile run.   25.23.  8m12s per mile pace.   No pain.

Fri 3 Apr      Comfortable 3000m treadmill run in 15m22s.  1000m warm up, 500m warm down.

Sun 5 Apr   Treadmill   Easy 1km warm up in 6m05s.  Stop for stretches
      2 mile 15m10s.  No pain.  Stop.
      Easy 1km warm down.  5m47s

Week’s mileage   9.71m

Tue 7 Apr   Two easy large laps on grass.  Half way through the second lap I stopped and ran as fast as I could across a football (soccer) pitch.  At each side rested for 30 seconds then ran back.  Did 8 widths.   Started at just over 13s and quickened up to just under 12s.  Measured it today with a roller wheel at 60 metres.  Felt good.

Thu 9 Apr   Mile road race with my running club at 7.30pm.   Quite nervy waiting for it.  Ran a post-op PR of 6.43.
With warm up and warm down total about 2.5 miles

Fri 10 Apr   Did an easy 2000m on the rowing machine.  Then did a very easy 1200m jog on the treadmill

Sun 12 Apr.    3 large grass laps.   Tried to pace myself in a controlled way.  Enjoyed it.  Ran 28.11 (7.55 per mile).    Jogged 1500m as a warm down to measure the width of the football pitch.

Week’s mileage    10.58m   

A very good couple of weeks.    No ibuprofen.  No ice.   No pain on runs.  No aches in the evening.     Why?   I eased back and made sure my easy days were easy.

Good job Ed. You can even add two easy days in between and make your hard days harder as you get more fit. How are the goblet squats coming along. Have you ever tried kettlebell swings?


best,

spencer

Hi Spencer

Yes, I already vary the hard easy to sometimes go hard easy easy hard.  Last week before my mile race I went rest easy easy and then hard on the mile race day - almost tapering.   Got a PR out of it.

I'm still working on the goblet squats and lunges.  The kettlebell swing looks interesting.   How many should you start with?

I found this video clip for the kettlebell swing.  Anything you'd like to add?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h1QcHTkwdI

Ed

Hello Ed,

I thought I would give my view on KB, I have been teaching KB for many years and using them as part of my weekly training. I see lots of people using them incorrectly and causing themselves injury and long term problems. For the bell to do its job properly it has to be in a ballistic fashion, it is as much cv as is a strengh tool. The demo you refer to is fairly good but I worry that the KB in the wrong hands is a really bad idea mate, and that is in no way any a reflection that you will not be able to capture the essence of the bell. I would recommend you try to seek a coach and if possible a recommendation. I am a massive advocate of the bell, within a short period you can see good gains and for contact sports people it is really great.

The bell is great but it is unforgiving in the sense that you have to commit to the drill and if all things are not right....you are going to find yourself in trouble, the swing is a great example of if you do not squat through your hamstrings and butt, things are going to go twang.

I wish you well mate.

Regards

Terry

Hi Ed,

The video looks good. You definitely want to focus on impeccable form. Any kettlebell trainers  near you to give you coaching? If not then start very light and learn the movement perfectly.
Remember it's a posterior chain movement. Your hips generate the swing, not your shoulders.

When you get the form down, hit me up for some workout ideas.

spencer

Hi Terry and Spencer

Thanks to both of you for the advice and suggestions.  A friend of mine does a lot of weights based exercises.  He's away on holiday at the moment.   I'll get some face to face advice from him when he gets back.

I got some expert advice on another aspect of my running from a very experienced athletics coach last night. 

I'd been bringing my right foot through in a round-about way when speeding up (not in a straight line.)   I did some running towards her and she straight away noticed that my right shoulder was lower than my left.   I must have developed a lean between my left BHR in 2004 and my right BHR in 2008.   She's given me exercises to work on with this.  It does show the value of someone actually being there to identify what might be wrong.

Thanks again.

Ed

I'm 10 months post op and started running again at 6 months.  I keep straining my calves.  The bike and elliptical training work I did prior to resuming running worked my thighs, glutes, etc. but didn't seem to prepare my calves for the rigors of running.  Tight calves and achilles tendons have always been something I'm predisposed towards, so none of this is related to my hip resurfacing.  I do the standard stretches, ice after running, etc. Any words of wisdom?

That's not my real reason for writing however. A couple of contributors to this thread have had much more success regaining speed.  I was never as fast as a couple of you, but I was running 37 minutes for 10k well into my forties.  I'm not even in the same zip code now. I'm tired of getting passed by moms pushing strollers and little gray-haired old ladies.  Male ego.  Suggestions on getting some speed back?

hey Terryi,

I like tabata intervals on the treadmill to increase speed.  Get in a thorough warm up, then when you are ready for your work set, set the treadmill at 12% grade and speed at around 6mph. Use the handrails and hop on, do 8x(20sec run/10 sec rest) when you rest, grab the rails and hop off, feet on the sides, keep the treadmill at 12% and 6mph the whole workout. Do this 1x/wk increasing speed each week. BE VERY CAREFUL doing this workout, it works. PM me if you need any more info. Also make sure you get a good cooldown.

take care,

spencer

Hi Terry

Calves.   Just a suggestion... have you tried shortening your stride length?    This can take pressure off the calves and achilles.

Speed.  Like you I was running 10km races in the 36-38 minute zone in my mid 40s.     Now I'm just coming to the end of my first six months of running.   My maximum distance so far is 9000m.   I could probably complete a 10km in under about 55 minutes but I'd want to be sure that I'm not doing any damage or running in pain in the last part.    I not going to worry about who's going past me - have they been where you and I have been with our hips?

At the end of November I pinned my first race number on for 8 years.  I took part in a 2.5 mile fun run and completed it in just under 20 minutes.    I really enjoyed being in there.  The only person I was competing with was myself.    I couldn't have walked that without pain before my second BHR.

As for speed.  I've gone along the speed endurance route - working on trying to improve my mile time (now 6.43), 3000m, 2 mile and 5000m.  They are all coming on.   In terms of shorter speed I tried some 60 metre fast strides a couple of weeks ago.  They went OK.  I hope to be doing some more short speed over the coming months.

Hope your running goes well.

Ed

26 Apr

I started this two weeks thinking about really easing back and not thinking about improving in distance or speed.  I’d been having minor niggles/aches in hip and leg muscles and thought it would be good to be totally ache-free.

And then.. … I asked for help in improving my running style.   The coach I asked immediately identified that my right shoulder was lower than my left.   The next day I got on the treadmill and, with a mirror right in front of it, I ran for 7000m at a relatively easy pace working all the time at keeping my shoulders level.   It was very hard work.  It felt like I had to push my left shoulder down.   But it worked.  I had no pain or aches.

Please read on.

15 Apr.        4 mile treadmill 33m20s â€" a couple of seconds slower than my PR.

17 Apr      5000m treadmill with fast 3000m in the middle.
      5000m 23.18 PR
      3000m 13.18 PR
      500m warm down.
      Key point â€" no aches or tightness in muscles.

19 Apr      2.5 mile treadmill easy 20.39

Week’s mileage  10.27 miles

21 Apr      Just under 5km road.   23.52

22 Apr      Easy 2000m on treadmill (two consecutive days running)

24 Apr      Treadmill.  Planned session 500m warm up â€" 8050m (5 miles) at
      11.8 to 12.1kph â€" 450m warm down.   9000m total â€" furthest I’ve done
      So far.  Ran the 5 miles in 40.27.0 â€" a PR by 1 min 54s.  9000m total
In 45.42.7 â€" a PR by just over 5 mins.   No pain or aches but I was wiped out.
      Got home, had a meal and then lay on the bed for 30 mins.   Just got back
from a 10 min stroll and both legs and hips are really loose â€" just the rest of me is tired !   

26 Apr    Gym.    3000m tread.  14.47 plus 5 mins each rowing, stepper, cross-trainer
      And recumbent bike.

Week’s mileage    12.54 miles

The best thing for me about these two weeks is not the PRs or the distance â€" it is the pain and ache free running â€" a direct result of seeking a bit of advice.

I think I’ll have an easy week next week……

Ed

Ps.   I spent this morning watching the London Marathon live on BBC TV.   It brought back happy memories of running it in 1986 and again in 1992 when I scraped under 3 hours.

bothdone,your posts are really helpful,in fact all of surface-hippy has been helpful.
i had my mid-head (left) done ,last october 16th and went through all the depressing stages includind losing my job whilst recuperating.
i never gave it any thought that i'd be able run again up until recently.i can now walk for 15 miles off road and cycle on and off road for as long as i want.

BUT  i've been getting that itch and want to run again,i know exactly whats meant by ungainly as the few hundred yards i've run felt unreal.anyway,anymore tips you could give me would be appreciated,and what sort of off-road shoes do you use.
i used to like saucony in my pre-injury days !!

Hi Larry

Good to hear you are finding this thread useful.   The idea was that it would be the sort of information I would have liked to have read before I started running.   I've been continuing it because I think it shows the highs and lows of the last few months.  Hopefully people can avoid some of my mistakes.

The main advice I'd give would be:
   *  take it easy.    You've got plenty of time to build distance and speed.
   *  have rest days and easy recovery sessions.
   *  try to get someone to check your style.   Uneven running can cause aches and pains.
   *  I've found stretching helpful.  I've added in new ones as I've gone along.   I tend to do mine in the morning.
   *  be prepared for ups and downs in your progress.

My off-road running shoes are ASICS trail attack WR.   I choose them because I know my size in ASICS and they were on special offer (not very scientific).  As it turns out they have been very good in the mud, on greasy grass and on stony areas.   A small problem, they are a very bright red.

My road shoes are ASICS GT 2130.   They suit me.  I use them on the grass when it is dry and the ground is a bit harder.

I hope you manage to get back into your running and enjoy it.  My final bit of advice - remember your previous running times but enjoy the sensation of whatever level you can run at now.   I know, for me, there have already been some really enjoyable runs since I started back.

Ed

bothdone

mmmmm. taking it easy,i suppoose like most runners i've been guilty of not taking it easy in the past.i'd already decided that 6 days a week was out of the question.
stretching was something i did very little of before,but since the hip injury i go through a whole gamut of exercises.
i managed to cycle right up to my op and i was thinking my other hip was on its way out too beacause i couldn't get that leg over the seat.now i can get them both over,which i'm pleased about.
i've noticed my operated leg turns in a bit while i've been trying to run,is this common.have you tried running on road or just off ??
             
                                             larry

Hi Larry

My left leg turns in a bit, but my right leg is straight.

I run on roads, off-road and on the treadmill.    It partly depends on the weather and what I want to do.   The treadmill is very useful for working on style as I can watch myself in the mirror.    It can get a  bit boring when I'm doing runs over 3000 metres.

Ed

hi ed

im going to wait for my surgeon to give me the thumbs up.
i'd always thought i was a neutral runner ,but (i think) following a motor bike accident things changed and when it was too late i noticed i was over-pronating.
othotics helped though!!,do you use motion-control or wear orthotics ??
                   
                                      thanks
                                      larry

Hi Larry

My road shoes are ASICS GT 2130.  They are described as suitable for moderate over-pronators.   They seem to suit me.

I've never used orthotics but I know several people who have found them useful.

Eddie

28 Apr      Set off from the leisure centre with the idea of running over 4 miles on the road.    It was cold and blustery and was trying to rain.   Along the sea front I decided to change the route and start running back through the harbour and over a headland so I could get back quickly if I needed to.    Carried on along a beach past the leisure centre and onto a coast path.  Up over a grassy hill and back down to the finish.  Did over 4.4 miles with no problems.    It was a very gentle pace (8.37 a mile) but there were a lot of steep bits.   An enjoyable run, with no time or distance targets.    The sort of run I could only imagine before my ops.     â€œsmiles”.

29 Apr      2 mile tread very easy 16.13

1 May      2 mile tread 14.58 PR

3 May      3km tread warm up before gym session

Week’s mileage   12.0 miles (in 3 days)

6 May      4 mile tread.   500m warm up to 11.8kph then 01.k increase per km, last 440 metres to 4 miles   at 12.4 kph.   Works out each 1km is 2 seconds faster than previous one.   I find it an easy way to build up speed as you don’t notice the 0.1kph difference but, like here, after 6000m you are running the last km 12s faster than the first one.      4m time was 31.59.9 â€" just inside 8 minutes per mile â€" a PR by 20s.    I felt good so warmed down to 8050 metres â€" 5 miles.  The best thing about this was not the PR but that I felt in control (not max) throughout.  A good run.

8 May      gym.  2 mile tread 16.44 as wram up.  Then 1000m-500m-250m row. 5 mins cross-trainer.  10 mins exercise bike

9 May       Went out for a 5 mile hilly walk around the local lanes, just wearing T-shirt, shorts and trainers.     Realised that this is what I enjoy most and that the running has been taking over and affecting the walking, rowing
and cycling.   Reached a decision which has been wandering around my mind for some time now â€" reduce the running to just occasional runs, with no emphasis on times.   Do runs like I did on 28 April, maybe just once or twice a week.

10 May   First day of my new attitude to running.. Went to a track and field meeting.  Took time out for a 32 minute jog around the local park area.  Enjoyed it.

Week’s mileage about 10.5 miles   

These six months have been a learning process for me.    I've realised that over the years I'd not been runnning I'd enjoyed other ways of keeping fit.    In the months since my second BHR I'd also realised how much I just enjoy the simple pleasure of walking.    All those years I'd been thinking how great it would be to run again.   Well it is, but without thinking about times or distances.    Its been well worth having a go but from now I'll be happy with occasional jogs and maybe the very occasional slow race.

From here I’ll just add posts when there is something I feel is significant.  For anyone thinking of running, I hope this has helped.

Best wishes to everyone.

Ed

Hi Ed,

I have followed all of your post's with interest and have found them informative, but i must admit the first couple of times I read your post's I thought why are you doing this, why put such impact on the new hip and risk possible complications because as we know running has huge impact on the joints. I am glad I have followed your journey because you have shown what is possible if that's what you want!! but also you are correct about other types of excercise that we can consider, I have been involved with boxing for a long time and I am back in the dojo but I will have to change the way I train and treat my new hip with a certain amount of respect. The new hip/hips will obviously take a certain amount of punishment but as we get older I think we need to train with our mind as well as our body.

I'm not sure if I will try running as part of my training, as you mention, all of the other activities we can do, I have never been into cycling but I go with my son a couple of times a week now and I really enjoy it, although I think I'm really going struggle with swimming....i just don't enjoy it, much to my wife's disapointment.

Good luck with your running mate.

Regards

Terry

Hi Terry

Thanks for the good wishes.

I've always known there is a risk with running, that's why I've been keeping it low in volume and intensity.   If I was serious about getting back anywhere near where I was I'd be doing 30 miles a week, six days a week.     Not for me.

As a runner, there is a great feeling to be running along, however slowly.  I presume it is something like the feeling you get in skiing, bike riding, horse riding and other activities.    As I've said before, I've had a go at it and am now happy just to do it occasionally.   (Please bear that it mind when you read my next post!  ;D)

Ed

12 June

Over the last few weeks I’ve been doing runs when I feel like, at a variety of paces.   One week 3 runs, another week no runs.  I’ve increased my miles on the bikes (exercise and road bike), got faster at concept 2 rowing and done some long hilly coastal walks.

There was one thing I still wanted to have a go at in running â€" a 10km on the treadmill.    (10km is just over 6.2 miles if you are not into the metric system).  So yesterday I decided to have a go.

I thought if I finished I could complete it somewhere between 52 minutes and 55 minutes.  First aim was to complete it.     The biggest problem was getting on to the treadmill and thinking I’m going to be doing this for over 50 minutes.     I had already run up to 9250m on a treadmill but those extra 750m were going to be interesting.

I set off for the first 2500m at 11.8kph and 11.9kph from there to 5000m.    Half way and still going!    The next 2500m was at 12.0kph and then into the final quarter at 12.kph (or 8 minutes per mile).   All the way through I was playing mind games:  “ 30 minutes to go”, “20 minutes to go”…   After 9000m I was counting off  100 metre marks â€" each one was just inside 30 seconds.

At last I got there:   50 minutes 33.7 seconds.    Legs and hips were fine â€" just tired.  I’d also sweated buckets and I looked like someone had thrown masses of water over me.  I had a couple of minutes rest and then did a very gentle 1000 metre jog in 6m34s.

A couple of hours later, after a meal, I went for a 10 minute walk.  No problems.   I was still tired but there were no aches or pains.    This morning (14 hours later) I’ve been out for a newspaper and all is still well.

I don’t think I’ll ever do 10km on a treadmill again, and certainly nothing further.   But it does mean that I can think about running gently round a 10km race, particularly an off-road one.    I’ve no thoughts of running further outdoors.   

The 10km was one of those ambitions which I had before my ops.    It is a good feeling to have done it.

Ed

well done ed,good time too.i get the feeling though,that your goal posts are moving ;)
                                            larry(envious) ;D

Ed,

I am running on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a 6 mph pace at a 2 % incline, every other day.  My heart rate averages 155 and at age 55, this is a intense aerobic workout, as I sweat a lot.  I run to get an aerobic workout.  I also do the eliptical and spinning.  I like running on the treadmill better than the other two.  I like running outdoors better than the treadmill, but I haven't done this yet because there isn't any soft surfaces around.  Hiking up moderate to steep mountain trails will be a substitute for running outdoors.  You can really feel your body weight when you hike moderate to steep inclines.  I'd like to lose about 20 pounds by Summer's end.  I currently weigh 195 pounds, I'm 5 ft 11 inches tall with a medium to large frame.  I haven't weighed 175 pounds since I played racketball 3-4 times a week about 13 years ago.  I quit playing racketball because of my deteriorating left hip.

Hi Larry

don't worry I'm not going to let myself get sucked into doing more.  The 10km was just an ambition I wanted to realise.

Hi Steve

We've got a couple of similarities.  I'm also 55 and 5'11" but I'm only about 173lbs (had to convert from 12st5lbs).   I float about between 171 and 175 depending on eating and activity levels.

It's strange that today my hips feel looser than they have done for months.   Perhaps it was the reasonably steady pace over the relatively long period of time.   Maybe also running on the treadmill was really that much softer on the joints.   I've calculated my 10km run at about 7.4mph.   I was at a 1% incline.   On the roads or trails I tend to run a bit slower.

Hope you enjoy your training.

Ed

Hi Ed,

Today, I upped my pace to 6.7 mph or a 9 minute mile for 25 minutes on the treadmill at a 2 % incline.  I warmed up for 5 minutes at a fast walk at 4.8 mph.  After 15 minutes, I stopped and did 4 different leg strengthening or stretching exercises.  I also did five shoulder strengthening exercises for each shoulder.  I had a rotator cuff strain a year ago in my right shoulder, but I've regained my function with these exercises.  I resumed running on the treadmill for another 15 minutes.  My left hip aches a bit when I rise from the chair after sitting for a while.  So I know I pushed the limit a bit.  It feels great to run at this pace as that's where I left off about seven years ago.

Hi Steve

Congratulations on your latest run on the treadmill, sounds good.   

Running at a steady pace for the whole run gets me into a relaxed groove and does seem to loosen the muscles around my hips.    I also like adding another tenth to the speed (I use kilometres here) every so often.  I find that I don't notice the small increase but it does get me going that bit faster.   Over the last month or so I've definitely enjoyed running at a reduced pace but a faster run every so often (at a shorter distance) does work me out and make me appreciate the slower speed.

As a final thought, I find ten minutes of ice packs (wrapped in a thin cloth) on both hips in the evenings after my runs helps loosen/keep loose those muscles around the top sides of the hips.    I've seen lots of reports of international level athletes using ice baths after training.    If it works for them.....

Ed

26 July 2009

Hi Folks

It has been a while since I posted on this thread so I thought I’d do an update.

Over the last seven weeks I’ve carried on running, sometimes just once in a week, others two or three times.  I’ve done quite a bit of running on the treadmill but have been making an effort to run more on the roads recently.   My weekly mileages have been:

Week ending
14 June   11.57 miles
21 June   12.01
28 June   11.52
5 July      4.00
12 July   10.35
19 July    9.98
26 July    8.51

I’ve improve my times over a variety of distances.  On Friday 24 July I had a go at a measured 3000 metres on a 2.5 lap course round local roads.  In January I ran it in 13.54.5.  On Friday I surprised myself by doing it in 13.27.5  (that’s 7.12.8 per mile).

I’ve continued with the concept two rowing, cross trainer, exercise bike and road bike.   Most Saturdays I’ve done a 4 to 6 mile fast hilly walk in boots.

My hips and legs feel looser than I can remember.   In particular I’ve got rid of that dull ache that runs from the outside of your hip to your knee, which I think came from a tight ilio-tibial band.    I’d include a mix of the following reasons for my legs/hips feeling good.

•    A definite rest day once a week
•   Making sure there are enough sessions at reasonable levels of effort and not too many really tough workouts.   And plenty of easy recovery sessions
•   Working on stretching the ilio-tibial band â€" I found one that works for me.
•   Going back to doing weights exercises for the legs and hips, including goblet squats (thanks, Spencer) and lunges holding 5kg weights in my hands
•   Icing my hips for 10 minutes at night when I think they need them. (I put an ice pack around the side of my hips.  If you find the boney protrusion and have the ice pack one third to the front and two thirds to the rear centred over the bone, that seems to work for me).
•   Not having firm plans for running sessions.  I work on a rough plan but change it to suit how I feel.  I also do runs which I can shorten or lengthen depending on how I feel.

Anyway, I’d say at the moment I’m enjoying the running without any long term plans â€" which is probably the best way for me to do it.

Hope you are all well.

Ed

21 Sep 09

Hi again

It has been an interesting couple of months for me.   

In early August I bought myself a heart rate monitor (HRM) so I could be a bit more scientific in what I’m doing.  My resting heart rate (HR)  is about 48-50 beats per minute.  (I’ve managed to keep it low by strenuous work on the rower and exercise bike before both my ops.)    By using the HRM on walks, gym, runs and bike I found that working to near maximum my average heart rate (av) for the session would be around 145 and my maximum (max) in the zone 156-160.   It seems to be helping me control my pace better.

In the middle of August I decided to take a complete break from running to let my body have a rest and settle down.   I went 16 days without a run. (No problem!).  When I started running again I decided to concentrate on running at a comfortable pace, around 8.15 to 8.30 per mile, and try to get up to 5 miles on the roads without any pain during the run.     Its worked!    As part of this tactic, I tried to keep the heart rate below maximum, running in the 130-145 zone, with occasional bursts upwards when I hit a hill.

I also decided to work more on my muscle strength on my legs, adding weights onto exercises I’ve been doing in the gym.     In particular I’ve been doing squats and lunges with a total of about 15kg on a bar-bell.  Its not a lot but it is more than I started with and I intend to build up slowly.

I think its been successful particularly when you look at the last three weeks (below).  The running, while slower, has been really relaxing, generally pain-free (you are going to get aches when you run at 56 years old, even without two BHRs)  and good fun.  Without pushing hard I’ve also got a bit faster.

31 Aug   rest day
1 Sep   road run 6km 31.43 (8.30 mile pace).   HR av 139  Max 147
2 Sep    gym   tread 3km 15.48     row 2km     bike 5 miles.   
3 Sep   road bike 6km
4 Sep   tread 3km 14.00 (pace 7.30 mile) HR av 146  Max 161  km warm up/down.
5 Sep   Boots walk 58 minutes
6 Sep   row 10 mins     tread 4km 20.31 (pace 8.23 mile) HR av 144 Max 156   weights
Week’s runs mileage 13.43 miles

7 Sep   rest day
8 Sep   Road run with hills 7.1km  37.46 (8.33 mile pace) 
9 Sep   tread easy 3km 15.42 (8.25 mile pace) HR av128 Max 137    weights .    Ex bike 10 miles
10 Sep   Hike on Dartmoor.  1 hour 45 minutes.  Boots
11 Sep   Row 1500m   tread 3km 14.51 (7.58 mile pace) 1km warm up/down.   Weights.   Ex bike 5 mins
12 Sep   Road walk in boots 1 hour 45 minutes
13 Sep   Grass run 7.6km 38.10 (8.07 mile pace).  Felt good. HR av 140  Max 148
Week’s runs mileage 14.55 miles

14 Sep   Rest day
15 Sep   5 mile road run.  40.56.   (8.10.5 mile pace).  HR av 140  Max 148
16 Sep   4km 20.44 (8.20 mile pace)    1km row.    Weights.    10 mile exercise bike.
17 Sep   3 walks â€" one at 80 mins.
18 Sep   row 500m x 5.    Tread 4200 22.04 (8.26.9 mile pace)  HR av 137  Max 144   Ex bike 5 mins
19 Sep   Very hilly coast path walk. Boots 80 mins.
20 Sep   Just under 4 mile road run.  31.01 (7.57 mile pace).  HR av 141  Max 148
Week’s runs mileage 14.93 miles

A few comments:
•   I seemed to have settled into a groove of HR av 140 and max 148 on the last 4 outside runs.   
•   The 5 mile road run on 15 Sep is the furthest post op I’ve run.   I was tired at the end and aching â€" but the sort of aching anyone would get from exercising near their limits.
•   The road run on the 20th was interesting for me.   It was much faster than I planned but the heart rate was in my controlled zone (140/148).   I could have carried on further but stopped and then did an easy half mile recovery.

As I’ve written above, I’m enjoying the running a lot more than when I started.  I’m at about my weekly mileage limit at the moment.   I’m close to my single run ultimate aim.   I’d still like to run in one 10km road race before I ease back into the occasional jog for old-times sake.

Best wishes.

Ed

ed
i'm glad to see that the running itch is still there and that you are scratching it.i'd never thought of using a hrm for hiking,but have used it for running and cycling.
i've been walking on the southwest coast of scotland and managed to get everything aching apart from my hip.
                                                    keep going ed
                                                         larry

Runners,
Did you notice a big difference when running on treadmill vs. running outdoors?  When I run on the treadmill I feel fine the next day. But, when I run outdoors I am noticeably more sore the next day. Both ways feel fine (actually great) while doing the running- its just the next day I worry about. I ask my PT about it and she said its what would be expected...breaking new muscles in.  Does anyone have any experience with this??
Thanks!

Hi

Yes.  I find running on the treadmill much easier and causes fewer aches.  Possible reasons:

    *  You set the pace on the treadmill and, if you want, it is constant.
    *  Same with the gradient/incline
    *  There are no corners or bends on the treadmill
    *  You can relax more on the treadmill as you are not watching for cars, bikes, dogs, pedestrians.
    *  You can think about your posture and, if there is one, watch yourself in a mirror.  For me this is very useful as
        I tend to lean to my right (the 2nd of my BHRs) when running.

Having said that, running outside is why I run.    I don't run for fitness.  I run because I like running, preferably outdoors.

;D

Ed

Hi Ed and thanks for all your updates. I'm also from the Uk 47 yrs old and i'm going to have my hip resurfaced in 4 weeks time. I have been a runner for 10 years and was just starting to get my times down when i found out about the arthritis 4 years ago. I managed to keep running and did the 3 peaks race last year and this years london marathon in April. The hip has deteriorated rapidly since then and was amazed that the consultant has got me in for surgery so quickly. Like you i just love running especially in the hills and it is interesting to read your progress and i look forward to the time when i am back up amongst them.

Hi Crofty

Good to hear from you.    Very best wishes to you with your resurfacing.

I'm glad to hear you are enjoying reading these posts.   As I've written before my main purpose is to provide some information on what it feels like to get back into a limited level of running.

I'm still concentrating on running 3 or 4 times a week, with a weekly mileage of between 12 and 15 miles.   I'm still working on running very comfortable 4 miles runs, with the occasional faster ones.    

My highlight over the last month was running in a local five mile road race.  I was quite nervous before hand as 5 miles is the most I've run in one go in training.  The race was local and most of the marshalls and a lot of the runners knew me.  I didn't want to get into pain and struggle home.  

I tried to hold myself back at the start and told myself that if I felt OK at 3 miles I'd try to push on a bit.   I had a target of 40 minutes (8 minutes a mile) which was faster than I had run in training.   By 3 miles I was ahead of target and finished well in 38 minutes and 23 seconds.   Looking at the results I was just inside the top 50%.  Even better, I felt fine, which was easily my most important target.

At the moment my legs feel looser than I can remember for years.  I think I've hit the right level of training for me.  I have no plans to do any more than I'm doing at the moment.

Once again, Crofty, very best wishes for your future.

Ed

glad to see your running is going well , ed
larry

Thanks Ed, what timespan was there between having your first and second hip operations? Did you manage to run after your first op or did the pain of the second hip kick in soon after? My pain has got bad lately, i have a physical job so i can't wait to get it sorted.

Hi again Crofty

I had my left done in May 2004 and my right in Mar 2008 - so 3 years 10 months.  When I had the first one done I was told I'd probably need the other done in about two years.

I did some running after the first one, getting up to a 14m10s 3000m track run in October 2004.  After that I decided that I'd like to preserve my unoperated hip as long as possible and just did the occasional treadmill run up to about 2000 metres - not at all quick.  I stopped doing any running in March 2007 but carried on cycling and rowing.  After that walking became more difficult and painful.

My lack of running on the unoperated hip seems to have lengthened the time before I needed the operation.    My first hip was worse when operated on.  For the second operation I needed it (I could only manage about a half mile walk at that stage) but it wasn't as far gone as the first one.

I hope you have a successful op.

Ed

For Larry

Are you intending to do any running yourself?

ed
there's nothing i'd like more than to start running again.
unfortunately,the last x-ray i had showed osteophytes on my other hip.
i'm not getting the same symptoms as i had with my left hip but i have been limping a bit and i get those familiar feelings after i've been sat awhile and try to walk after standing up.
you'll know the ones...........takes a few steps to get going.

                           good luck for your,and every one elses running
                                               larry

sorry to hear about your other hip Larry, take it easy.
Ed , i have a chance to go to see a show 16 days after my operation, in your opinion do you think i would be able to sit and watch it comfortably by then?

Hi Crofty.   
I would very much doubt you'd be able to watch a show that soon.   Perhaps post your question in the recovery section of this website and get other people's opinions.
Ed

1 December

A little update for you.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been running 2 or 3 times a week.    Nothing planned, just deciding on the day what I’m going to do.    Sometimes adding or subtracting distance while I’m actually doing it, depending on how I feel. 

The atrocious wet and windy weather we’ve been having in Britain hasn’t helped with running outdoors so I’ve been doing a bit more on the treadmill.    I do notice the difference after runs on the treadmill â€" everything is much looser.  I think it is the regular pace, regular gradient (set at 1.0) and no twists or turns.     Still like to run outdoors when I get the chance.

Weekly mileage has only been in the zone of between 6.5 and 11.5 miles a week.  That will do for me.  It is keeping me in touch with running without getting too caught up in it.   My running fitness is still OK as two treadmill runs last week suggest:

Friday 27 Nov    2 miles 14.55

Sunday 29 Nov   5 miles 40.45 including easy start and finish.

If you’d told me I’d be running those sorts of times when I started running after my two BHRs I’d have been very happy about them.    I am happy about them and about how relaxed my legs and hips are.

I’m hoping the weather stays kind (but cold !) toady so that I can put my boots on and go for a stroll along the coastpath.

Best wishes to everyone.

Ed

Great stuff bothdone, i can see that competitive element kicking into your running already!
Well i've been in and had the op, exactly one week ago today. Everything went very well and i'm feeling pretty good. Went for a 3/4 mile walk this morning with no problems. Sleeping on my back is the worst thing for me and also it is a bit uncomfortable sitting on the loo but is getting easier. I have a slight pain in the groin area but is not too bad.

Hi Crofty

Welcome to the other side!   Hopefully everything gets better from here.

Did you get a raised loo seat from the NHS?   I did.  It made a lot of difference and was returned to them after about six weeks.

Ed

Hi Crofty

Congratulations on the new hip.

Try putting a pile of pillows under your knees when laying in bed on your back.  It helps a lot.  Also ask when you can put a pillow between your knees and lay on your unoperated side.  I was able to do that about 5 days post op.  It helped a lot.  Also sitting in a recliner chair helps. I did most of my sleeping in my Lazyboy.

Take it easy.  Good Luck with your recovery.

Pat

It does feel like coming out the other side doesn't it! I have a raised seat but the bruising makes it very uncomfortable to just sit on it, saying that, it has been a lot better today.
Thanks Pat, some good ideas there. I will try the towels under the knees tonight and maybe the pillows at the weekend.

Happy New Year everyone, I am 8 months post op and had told myself I was done with running as I am concerned about my left hip possibly needing surgery sometime in the future. But last week I decided to go for a quick run with my dog along the beautiful trail in Westchester New York. It felt great to running again and without any pain. I have run my entire life and really missed the early morning runs and my number one stress release mechanism. Well I ran again on day 2 and 3 and now am looking at a stunning day to kick off the New Year, 40 degrees with snow on the ground. I am going to keep it up this year, I decided I cannot let my body dictate what I do in my life. I am in good shape, do occasional Bickram Yoga to try and increase flexibility, and don't intend on over doing the running, just want to feel the 3 miles a day 4 times a week feeling again.

Anyone else out there having success running again? What a great year this is going to be........

In case helpful, here is my experience. I used to be a triathlete with a swimming background, but effectively stopped running in the late 90s when I was diagnosed with OA - advancing on LHS but eventually to become worse on the RHS.  I remained very active keeping up swimming and cycling.  I finally got the LH done in 2006 because the pain was becoming disabling and the resurf option (which I always wanted) had become well established. I had a good rehab and decided I would celebrate one year on from the op with an Olympic distance tri.  I jogged gently a few times a week for the 3 months before the event, but swam and cycled a lot more. One of the challenges was that my leg length had changed slightly and my left hip had lost a lot of strength due to my protecting it from pain. The real key to my rehab was diligent and varied PT, with a wide variety of exercise (from week 2 I was walking my son to school - I probably looked odd doing sideway steps and walking backwards as part of the PT - and went on from there). I also got new orthotics to help adapt to my slightly adjusted gait.  I would strongly recommend this.
The tri went well (2hrs 30mins which is OK for a 50ish) but my run was very gentle (50+ mins 10k). I don't plan to run regularly because I am managing OA on my RHS, but I have returned to swimming competition (I am as competitive as I ever was, much stronger off the starting block and in the turns) and I cycle.
I plan to do another Olympic distance tri to celebrate recovery from the RHS when that comes around.
Good luck evryone.

Hi Halfdone

I had a similar approach between my BHRs.    I did a little bit of running after six months but decided that I wanted to conserve my unoperated hip as long as possible and stopped running.   With that approach I delayed the second op by almost two years.   Now, with two BHRs, I can run a few times a week and enjoy the sensation of being out there running without over-doing it.

Best wishes to everyone for 2010.

Ed

ps . I like the Halfdone name.   What will you call yourself after the second op?
Ed.  Bothdone.

Hi bothdone
I like your name too.  Glad to hear all is going well for you.
I'm thinking of "doneover" immediately after surgery and then "alldone" (maybe hopeful?) when things settle down.  What do you think? ;D
Happy New Year!

PS The possibilities are many:
doneanddusted?
doneupnicely?
allsaidanddone?
but never:
dunroamin'

Here's some more alternatives for you

leftandrightdone
donebothsides
doneboth
doubledone (shades of Harry Potter?)

I think doubledone is my favourite of those.

;D

Ed

done and dusted has a nice ring to it.here's hoping

Happy New Year fellow hippies!  Just an update...I am 7+ months post op and feeling great. I started back gingerly jogging at 14 weeks. Dr, Mont had seen me at 10 weeks and said I could return to running at 14 weeks (and not before) if I was able to do my hip exercises easily with 8 pound weights. I started back slowly doing a walk/run. Every time I extended my mileage I ended up sore and kind of limping for a day or two. At first, I panicked and was CONVINCED I had done something to my hip. Soon enough (and after discussions with physician friends and my PT) I realized this was all part of the road to recovery.  At six months post op I ran a half marathon (slowly-2 hours). It felt wonderful and completely pain free!!!!  I won't return to marathons, but felt great to run the half and feel fine.  Just want all the hippies returning to any level of running to know that it did "hurt" each and every time I pushed my mileage...but then not again until I pushed it further or tried something new again. My leg muscles just didn't know what hit them. I hadn't run in 5 years, so what did I expect?
Good luck hittin' the roads!

Hi Bierhead

Congrats on your running.   It sounds like you are really enjoying it.

I'm still tootling along at about 6 to 10 miles a week with some quickish stuff in there but mostly just easy runs at about 8.20-8.30 mile pace.

Now that the weather is better (and hoping it stays that way) I'm looking forward to more runs outdoors and not on the treadmill.  I went down to the coast today to walk an area I want to run round.  I'll have to dig out my off road shoes to cope with the grass.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Ed

Quote from: Bierhead on January 06, 2010, 05:16:12 AM
Happy New Year fellow hippies!  Just an update...I am 7+ months post op and feeling great. I started back gingerly jogging at 14 weeks. Dr, Mont had seen me at 10 weeks and said I could return to running at 14 weeks (and not before) if I was able to do my hip exercises easily with 8 pound weights. I started back slowly doing a walk/run. Every time I extended my mileage I ended up sore and kind of limping for a day or two. At first, I panicked and was CONVINCED I had done something to my hip. Soon enough (and after discussions with physician friends and my PT) I realized this was all part of the road to recovery.  At six months post op I ran a half marathon (slowly-2 hours). It felt wonderful and completely pain free!!!!  I won't return to marathons, but felt great to run the half and feel fine.  Just want all the hippies returning to any level of running to know that it did "hurt" each and every time I pushed my mileage...but then not again until I pushed it further or tried something new again. My leg muscles just didn't know what hit them. I hadn't run in 5 years, so what did I expect?
Good luck hittin' the roads!

well done on the 2 hour slow ?!!? half marathon.there are thousands and thousands of  athletes finishing in slower times than that.if i could do it in 2 hours i would be over moon.
again,well done
larry

I did something today I've been thinking about for many months.    There's a walk I've been around many times which is about 4 and a half miles, with most of it being on small country lanes.   It is a route I've wanted to run round for a long time.  The problem is that it has several monster hills up and down.    

Today the weather was a couple of degrees warmer, the sun was shining and I thought "have a go".

Taking it steady, I was soon out along the lanes with great views across the fields.  There were cows in the fields, with the occasional pheasant sprinting for somewhere to hide.   I jogged past thatched cottages and even enjoyed the farmyard smells which wafted around (!).    I managed to get up and down the hills with no pain and no walking.    Time wasn't important.   I was just enjoying the moment and the freedom of running which my BHRs have given back to me.

Quote from: bothdone on February 14, 2010, 04:02:10 PM
I did something today I've been thinking about for many months.    There's a walk I've been around many times which is about 4 and a half miles, with most of it being on small country lanes.   It is a route I've wanted to run round for a long time.  The problem is that it has several monster hills up and down.    

Today the weather was a couple of degrees warmer, the sun was shining and I thought "have a go".

Taking it steady, I was soon out along the lanes with great views across the fields.  There were cows in the fields, with the occasional pheasant sprinting for somewhere to hide.   I jogged past thatched cottages and even enjoyed the farmyard smells which wafted around (!).    I managed to get up and down the hills with no pain and no walking.    Time wasn't important.   I was just enjoying the moment and the freedom of running which my BHRs have given back to me.

that sounds like fun to me and exactly the sort of run with the right background
that i'd love.

keep it up ed
larry

That sounds like a great run bothdone, whereabouts are you from?
I'm at 12 weeks now and at long last my leg is starting to feel a bit more back to normal. I'm doing loads of long walks in the welsh hills and even had a very slow trot for about 100m today! I have booked myself into a trail race in october in the lake district, even if i have to walk a lot of it!

Hi,
   This is my first post....even though I've been reading this forum for awhile now. I just turned 50 last May, and had my right hip resurfaced in October. I've been a runner since my teens...on and off. Ran through the pain as long as I could. Slowed down, and lessened the milage, then had to stop. Resorted to the elliptical for the last six months or so before the surgery, just to keep from getting too out of shape.
   The operation went well and I'm very happy so far.  Unfortunately, I put on a bit of weight from inactivity for the three months following the resurfacing.  Started back with the elliptical and spinning as of a month and a half ago.  Slowly getting my wind back and shedding a few pounds. I wasn't planning on trying to run (jog) until about six months out, but....I couldn't resist, and have done a few easy runs on the treadmill. Did 4 miles a couple days ago. Nice and easy (8.5 minute/mile pace). Hip feels fine...it's the rest of me that's trying to adjust mostly.  FINALLY, here's my question...... am I starting up too early? Could I be hurting my hip by not letting it heal more first?  My doctor says I can do whatever I want now, subject to how it feels.

   By the way... just want to let y'all know....this forum was a tremendous inspiration to me in deciding to have this surgery, and continues to keep my spirits up when I think about returning to the running lifestyle.  Whether anyone responds to me or not.....this is a GREAT forum.  THANKS!

Hi Crofty

I'm down in Devon with coast paths and country lanes close to where I live.  Hope the trail run goes well.

Hi Buzz

I left running until after 6 months.   My advice would be not to run before the six months is up.   As you've just turned 50 you've got plenty of time to do your running later.   Time getting recovered and ready to run is definitely well spent.   It took me quite a few months to get up to 4 miles.  It is rare for me to do much more than that in one go even now, neraly two years after my second BHR.

You are right about the effects of running all over the body.  It really shakes everything up.  I found trying to get my breathing right the hardest aspect.

Best wishes to you both.

Ed

Hi buzzycrumhunger1000

Do you have a real name?  Maybe Buz?

Welcome to Hip Talk and glad you found your way here.

Personally, I would be a bit cautious before jumping into running activities.  Most surgeons have you wait untill 6 months before doing most activities.  Many want you to wait until one year for running.  Since you are doing so well and summer is not far away, maybe you should be a little more conservative in your recovery.  You body takes 6 months to heal to be active, but a full year to completely heal.  Walking on the treadmill is used by some, but I would just be a bit careful.  If any of the activities start to cause pain, I would be very cautious.

You have gone thru major surgery and everyhting is going well.  Why push it at this point, you have it made.  You will have a great summer.

Everyone wants to push the envelop of recovery.  There is little you can do to MAKE your body heal, you just need to let it do so at it's own rate. 

Enjoy the more gentle activities and stay in touch.  Better to be safe than sorry.  You have a great new hip, give it a little time.

Pat

Pat and Ed,
 
   Thanks guys for the words of wisdom. I had a feeling that would be your advice. As you know, it's tough to not want to use the new and improved part(s) as quickly as possible.  You're right, can't wait for spring and summer to run outside. (I'm in snowy Buffalo, NY.) I guess I'll take it back a notch for now.
I see the doc again in April. I'll see what he has to say then about pushing it a little more.

     Thanks again. I'll keep you posted. (Maybe shoot for a Half in October?)

     Sorry about the name thing. I realized I forgot it moments after I sent the last post.

                         Ken
   

Hi Folks

I thought I'd add an update as its a few months since I've added anything on this thread.

I'm still running.  Usually two or three days a week, averaging about 9 or 10 miles each week, though a few lower mileage weeks when I tweak muscles, one way or another.  Speed varies from slow jogs around 9 minute miling, to faster runs under 8 minute miling.

This week just ended was a heavier week for me. I ran on four days, with a total of just under 14 miles in the week.  Today i warmed up then ran 5000m on the treadmill in 24.23 (that's 3.1 miles at 7.50 @ mile pace).

I'm happy doing the level I'm doing.  Some days it is hard work, but ask any runner and that will be true for them.  Other days it feels great to be running along with no pain and just enjoyment.

For info, I'll be 57 later this year so any running is a bonus for an elderly bod like me. ;D.    My left hip will be 6 years old on the 25th of this month:the right hip was 2 in March.

All the best

Ed

Ed,
Thanks for the info, I haven't my op yet but the story is familiar, I last ran my regular weekly 10k circuit around Bournemouth on new year's day 2009, at the age of 46, the pain next day was enough to discourage me from doing it again. I had a similar experience walking down from a Welsh mountain last month, made it to the top but coming down was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. Running has always been an important part of my training and I'm determined to go back to it. My goal is to run the same mountain path in 12 month's time, which should be perfectly feasible if all goes well, based on what I have read of others' experience. I will let you know!
G.

Ed, just became a member read your post, thank you. I just posted my own story and hope you also read it.
-Stano

Hi Ed,
I've followed your posts pre- HR and throughout my recovery- found them informative, insightful and inspiring. I'm now 11 months  excellent all round but although considerably better than pre-op still working on hip flexion (suggestions from hip friends would be most welcome). Although my surgeon Prof Cobb said I was ok to start running after my 6 month check up-I thought I'd take the more conservative Mcminn approach of 1 year. I was previously a Ihr 18min half marathon runner. Gave up 4 years ago- became impossible-severe OA(caused by femur fracture 30 yrs previous)-LLD-dreadful gait/limp/pelvic mis alignment etc all of which also caused me to have 3 knee op's-cartilage tears. Just before calling it a day on the running I started taking a close friend out on some cross country over the Heath-in fact I've created a monster! He's now a sub 3 hr man-runs altra distance events too-his wife's a marathon widow.
Anyway, I had a pact with my buddy that I'd go out with him for my first run post HR  for my birthday on Saturday 18 December. This was the day of the huge snow fall over London-sure enough he phoned-so I had to go (despite having been totally inactive in past 3 weeks from virus and work pressures etc). It was powder snow- vg grip-beautiful  experience and to be able to run again! I ran about 2 miles(10 min mile pace) felt great, BUT since then had a very mild ache in lower back-any idea what it might be??
Happy New year To all
Toby

Hi Stano

I'll be adding a longer post later on.

Hi Toby.

Hope your running goes well.   1.18 half marathon was my pb as well... happy days.  From my running days and from my coaching experience, the two things which go quickest when you stop running and which you notice most when you start running again are breathing and lower back.   I think the lower back problems are just a result of holding your body upright and in one position as you run.    It usually goes once you get back into it.

Ed

31 Dec 2010

Its been a long time since I put an update on here.    Since my last update my running has not gone well.  I’ll select some dates to highlight what’s been happening:

May   
I ran 6 miles continuous at 8m30s pace.    That was the longest distance I’d done and the limit of what I wanted to do.  I had no pain during or after the run.

I started to get some aches in my left leg during runs â€" not on every run.

13 June   
I ran 4 miles at 8m10s pace, again with no pain during or after the run.

Aches continued to get a bit worse on some runs.

12 July
I tripped over a low step which I didn’t see.  I landed on my left hip.  First thought was to hope that I hadn’t damaged the hip.   I think I strained soft tissue around the hip. 

I reduced the distance of my runs to a maximum of 2.5 miles to see if the aches stopped and then in August down to 1.5 miles.   I did no runs at all for 7 days and then tried again.   Not every run ached.

1 October
I saw a local physio who diagnosed that my gluteal muscles were not firing.  She gave me a series of exercises designed to get them working.  After a few days I did some very small jogs on a treadmill.  No ache/pain at all.    Continued the exercises.

20 October
Ran 2km (1.3 miles).  Fine during the run but very aching afterwards.  Decided to take a 4 week total break from running while continuing the exercises

19 November
0.5 mile easy jog.  No ache

30 November
1.4 miles easy jog.  No aches

3 December
1km easy jog.  No ache during but left hip aching for weeks afterwards.   No runs since then.     Ache was worse when going up stairs (putting all weight onto left hip when it was on the higher stair)   Ache is a dull pain not a sharp pain.

Four things I’d like to mention:
1.   I can cycle, use a cross trainer and a concept 2 rowing machine at quite high intensity with no aches or pains.  I also walk briskly a few times a week.
2.   I’m 57 years old.    Some of my aches and pains are obviously age-related but I’m sure there is something wrong with my left leg when running. 
3.    I intend to try to get a full diagnosis of what is wrong in 2011 and then get treatment if it is treatable.   If I definitely can’t run pain-free again then I can accept that.  I have no intention of running with pain.
4.     I have no regrets at trying to get back into running.  I’ve enjoyed the running I’ve done post-BHR.    I’d suggest that anyone thinking of running post HR needs to give it some thought and make their own mind up.

I’d be interested in any suggestions on what might be wrong with my left leg.  It might just be that I strained something and didn’t give it time to recover.   (I’m working on that idea at the moment by not even trying to do small jogs)

On a more positive note….

Today (31 December) I did a brisk 4.9 miles walk in just under 90 minutes.  It was along country lanes and across fields, with lots of hills.  It was cold and breezy.  I had my MP3 music player on shuffle.   I really enjoyed the walk.   Four hours after I finished, I’m sitting here with no aches or pains (and not having used any anti-inflammatories or painkillers) 

Happy New Year.   8)

Ed

ps.   I hope you don't mind this amount of information.   I can see that there have been a lot of views of this thread and I think it would be incomplete without the above post.  It has also been a good exercise for me to get my thoughts in order before seeing a doctor again.

Happy new year Ed,
Thanks for the updates on your running  always interesting to see how you've approached things and thanks too for your experience re- my early start lower back issue.
Your left leg problem certainly seems impact related, as we know running puts a significant loading (well beyond walking) through the joints. But what 'instinctively' do you feel the problem could be? Who are you planning on seeing re- diagnosis?
bw
Toby
ps I'm out on a 20 mile bike ride with my buddy tomorrow (but he'll be running!)
My plan now is to let things heal, lose the half stone I've gained in recent weeks, adopt a more disciplined strengthening programme before running again and then build up slowly (whilst checking your initial posts/progress).

Hi Toby

I'm not sure what is wrong with my left leg.   I suspect it might be impact related but in what way I don't know.  My intention is to see my doctor, get some x-rays and hopefully meet with my surgeon.  I'll probably also try some different physios to get some other opinions.  If teh bottom line is that I have to stop running to prevent pain and preserve the hip then fine.     But first I'll explore what's going on.

Hi Gary

Thanks for your interesting link.  I've saved it as a favourite and printed it out so I can go through it slowly and maybe try some new things.

Ed

Quote from: gary2010 on January 02, 2011, 10:05:08 AM
Happy new year to all,
I havent started running yet - I'm at 16 weeks, but you might find this useful:
http://www.hipresurfacingsite.com/Patient-Articles/20090405422/Patients/Running-Cory-Foulk/menu-id-62.html
Dr Foulk's tips on running with a BHR, and he was doing about 85 miles a week last I heard! It seems it's all in the warm up.
Regards, G.

gary
thanks for that link.its probably the most informative annd useful article on surface hips and running or any sport that i've read.
especially on the piriformis, which before my hip problems, i'd never heard of.the other part which was very interesting to read was the part about doing leg extensions whilst sat down.i didn't know, either that the 2 parts of the resurfaced hip weren't symetrical.
amazing
a more informed larry

I'm not sure about the symmetry thing, I've been told that both components are spherical, but of course they are different sizes, so at rest there will be a point of contact and the gap widens out from this to the edge. So the 'lifting' effect still applies.

The diagram comes from the smith and nephew website, and it does look as if the cup is parabolic, but most likely they've just exaggerated the difference in radius to make it visible.

However, Cory being one of the most experienced distance runners on the planet, I would trust his empirical findings.
G

As I understand it... the bearings are spherical.  The radius of the sphere is just slightly different.  As the joint is in motion and fully lubricated, the 'gap' between them is uniform.

Those graphics are greatly exaggerated

Quote from: gary2010 on January 04, 2011, 09:50:24 AM
I'm not sure about the symmetry thing, I've been told that both components are spherical, but of course they are different sizes, so at rest there will be a point of contact and the gap widens out from this to the edge. So the 'lifting' effect still applies.

The diagram comes from the smith and nephew website, and it does look as if the cup is parabolic, but most likely they've just exaggerated the difference in radius to make it visible.

However, Cory being one of the most experienced distance runners on the planet, I would trust his empirical findings.
G

sorry gary, when i typed symmetrical what i  meant was that the two radii were different sizes.if only slightly

Gary,

Went out and gave it a try, 5 miles at a walk / run pace. There is no doubt that my feet normally go too  far out front so I tried to adjust as I went. It was not one of my better days but I will try again in a couple of days. I am sure it will not come over night.

thank you

stano

The second part of Cory Foulks warm up made a lot of sense, today I walked 10 minutes then jogged 1 minute, walked 1 minute for a total of 30 minutes. Now this was on a treadmill so it is new for me but I did put in 1 hour total with a solid 30 minute run at a 10 minute mile pace. I hope this is the start of something good, I am tired of limping back home, this might be from lack of warm up and too long of stride. Gary, thank you again.


Stano

Good luck on your recovery.  I hope you are able to resume running without any problems in the near future.  I am looking forward to running again this summer.  I am one month post op.  Five more till I can run again. 

I'm glad it's going well, I'm looking forward to trying it myself!
G

HDX2/parent of 2 things,
Since our recent email correspondence, and my mention of considering a tri-something's been at the back of my mind all week. Thought I'd go over your old postings and I was right. One year post op you did a 2 1/2 hr Tri, including a 'gentle-50 min 10k run! I know you're a strong swimmer but....!
So I've been doing the Maths..I'm depressed..
Keep up the recovery
Toby
ps fancy starting training with me- but next week, probably about my best chance of keeping up with you!

gary,
      hope all is well, I took 5 weeks off and now I am back running every other day.  To soon to tell but I am giving it another try with the cory faulk method to the tee.  4 miles per session , not to fast but steady, 40 minutes, 2 miles up 2 miles down. Take care.

      stano

I'm seeing the surgeon at his suggestion, on thursday regarding the prang I had a couple of weeks ago. It seems to be getting better by itself although slowly, I'm planning a short run at the weekend, all things being equal.
G

Friends, and particularly BD, HD, Gary and Spencer,
Last time I posted re-getting back to running, I did first run  (1.5 miles) post op-great but had slight discomfort in lower back, so thought I'd let it heal. Then few weeks later did couple of gentle runs (again 1.5 miles) and felt tear in calf. So
after a 3 week lay off to allow tear to heal, I was feeling pretty good. This Friday evening did 10 mile Hampstead Heath (X country) on mountain bike. Saturday's my usual swim day. So cos I feel it's time to get going( thinking TRI) I thought that yesterday, I'd do a two mile steady run-followed by 10 mile Heath XC bike ride and then my usual 2.3 mile swim. Run went well, bike ride good, Swim also good but because I usually mix breastroke/crawl I did feel calves around the 1km point. Anyway, finished the 3 events successfully without a problem and felt quite jubilant.  Last night. out celebrating-my daughter's been successful gaining places at Bristol and Liverpool Uni's to study vet science and I had an extra glass for my own little accomplishment and growing confidence re- the running.
But strangely, whilst out a couple of hours ago- broke into a bit of a sprint going to the shops and bang-calf went immediately! I'm so pissed off.
My hip's great -no problem from my mini TRI-but any idea why my calf is so weak/what I should do?
Thanks
Toby
ps still haven't got round to posting my one year post op stuff which I'll do shortly

Hi toby

First, congratulations to your daughter on her vet science acceptances! She must be thrilled. (And kudos to her parents for the undoubted support you have given her.  :))

Sorry to hear about your recurring calf injury frustrations.
Here are a few thoughts in no particular order.
Ironically, my OA was initially diagnosed when I had recurring calf problems doing tris in the late 90s.  The problems all stemmed from the hip affecting my gait, and so on.
When I got back to gentle running post my first hip, my wife sent me off to a gait specialist who analyzed my gait and specified custom orthotics for me.  I can't say that everything was trouble free, but I think they helped me get through enough easy jogging/running to allow me to do a tri 10k without injury.  This might be something worth looking into.
I have discovered from PT that I have tight, and weak, hamstrings.  I have not been told that this directly relates to calf injury susceptibility, but I wouldn't be surprised.  You might want to try orienting your PT and gym work to focus on building hamstring strength and flexibility.  It can't hurt.  I plan to do a lot of prep in this area before I try running again.
The whole X-training tri thing I think is also relevant.  Just running is different from mixing running and cycling.  I think you might want to ask around the tri crowd whether any of them have had calf problems and how they sorted them.  There may be some recommendations on how best to manage the training mix among the 3 sports.
As you build the running you may want to spend time on an elliptical trainer - this seems to me a good way to start rebuilding a running action without impact that might set off your calf.
Maybe in combo with hamstring work, calf raises and other calf strengthening will also help.  I'm sure your PT can help with all of this.
Finally, scar tissue around calf tears may be part of the recurring problem, so perhaps some (painful) manipulative therapy and ultrasound is a good idea to help forestall this.

Elsewhere on the board there are some runners who have moved on to "pose" technique.  This is way outside my expertise, but you might want to look into that and maybe ask around as to whether this could be a good way to go.  You should definitely check in with spencer (sroberts) on this problem.


I hope some of that is useful or at least food for thought.

Keep well.  Good luck getting sorted.

HD

PS I am eager to see other responses to learn how best to deal with this myself!

HD,
Thank you so much. You've provided an excellent range of helpful avenues to investigate and address. You're so right about the prep/gym work- I have neglected this-teacing has been very consuming (build up to exam period) and I just want to be out in the open once home. Hamstring  tightness/calf tear points also ring true for me-so I've got to change my approach and seek treatment.
Much appeciated
Toby

Toby,

Another thought...have you considered your bike position, i.e., seat height, etc., making sure that is not affecting your calf while cycling and then affecting you on your run. I know people who have had calf and achilles issues from having their seat at the wrong height. After surgery and as we age, we may need to adjust our positions. Just a thought.

June

Hi Toby,
I've not experienced a calf tear myself but I get ferocious morning cramps in mine sometimes. I've always felt it necessary to train the calves with weighted raises, both seated and standing. It's essential to stretch the calves often, this should also be done seated and standing; as I'm sure you know, there are 2 muscle groups in the calf, and you wouldn't want to get them out of balance. I also work the tibialis anterior, with ankle curls which I find helps with the stretching.
G.

June,
Thanks for reply-I'll certainly consider the seat position. However, the strange thing is that since surgery the biking has never presented a problem with the calves, neither has the swimming-it's only been since I've returned to the running. Yet this weekend I felt great after 2 bike rides, a run and swim but my calf muscle tore when I did a sudden fast burst over about 5 metres whilst on way to shops -not whilst training!
But back to cycling/seat height do you think it should be adjusted lower or higher to limit the impact on the calves?
Thanks Again
Toby

Gary,
Thanks for the reply. I knew from your previous posts that your sporting/acdemic background, and understanding of the skeletal muscular system that you would be able to offer valuable guidance. I'm afraid I've always been one to just get out and do it rather than too much time in the gym etc so no, I wasn't aware of the 2 muscle groups in the calves and the need to achieve balance. But I'm sure going to be doing some research and act on this.  Also, the benefits of frequent stretching and use of weights is advice I'll take on board too. I recognise from your post and HD's that conditioning, strengthening and stretching are clearly going to be essential in order for a successful return to running and injury avoidance. I've been concentrating post op on hip mobility and just getting out on the bike, into the pool and only really use the gym for upper body toning. Clearly, running is different and after such a long lay off, with newly aligned hips and several more years on the clock, I've just got to do the gym work on the legs too.
Much Appreciated
Toby
ps why do you think you're getting the cramps?
I don't recall hearing for a while-How's your running going?

Hi Toby, I've been running for a few weeks now 25-30 minutes on mixed inclines at the public golf course, I promised I'd leave off the road work for a while longer. Mostly it's fine, I got my back stuck after one outing but a long walk the following day fixed it. Cramp has always been a problem for me and the calves do so much work, so if I'm too busy to stretch every day that's where I get it. I actually put in calf raises (unweighted) as soon as I left hospital. Magnesium supplementation helps.

Quote from: toby on March 27, 2011, 02:07:29 PM
Friends, and particularly BD, HD, Gary and Spencer,
Last time I posted re-getting back to running, I did first run  (1.5 miles) post op-great but had slight discomfort in lower back, so thought I'd let it heal. Then few weeks later did couple of gentle runs (again 1.5 miles) and felt tear in calf. So
after a 3 week lay off to allow tear to heal, I was feeling pretty good. This Friday evening did 10 mile Hampstead Heath (X country) on mountain bike. Saturday's my usual swim day. So cos I feel it's time to get going( thinking TRI) I thought that yesterday, I'd do a two mile steady run-followed by 10 mile Heath XC bike ride and then my usual 2.3 mile swim. Run went well, bike ride good, Swim also good but because I usually mix breastroke/crawl I did feel calves around the 1km point. Anyway, finished the 3 events successfully without a problem and felt quite jubilant.  Last night. out celebrating-my daughter's been successful gaining places at Bristol and Liverpool Uni's to study vet science and I had an extra glass for my own little accomplishment and growing confidence re- the running.
But strangely, whilst out a couple of hours ago- broke into a bit of a sprint going to the shops and bang-calf went immediately! I'm so pissed off.
My hip's great -no problem from my mini TRI-but any idea why my calf is so weak/what I should do?
Thanks
Toby
ps still haven't got round to posting my one year post op stuff which I'll do shortly

i had another go at running a few weeks ago after an absence of a couple of years.same thing...... i picked my feet up to go faster and felt my calf go.i'm sticking to mountain biking i think but that itch to run again wont go away

Larry,
I've had computer problems and poorly elderly mum just had surgery-so catching up on posts.
Hence, quick reply-I've been building slowly with Chi Running-check it out and don't pick up feet to go faster-Lean!
Toby