I'm 3 months post op and have recently had a few dreams where I am running full out with no pain and my hip feels perfect. Then, in the dream, I remember I'm not suppose to be running yet. I'm going to have a whole new appreciation for running when the time comes.
Be patient and after some time you will be living the dream ;)
Ha ha this sounds very familiar ... Since just a few weeks after surgery, and for quite a while, I had dreams of running quite regularly! Sometimes in the dream I knew I shouldn't be running "yet", but other times no constraints applied ...
Unfortunately, since I've tried to come back to jogging (after 9 months, my own choice), I've pulled my calf a couple of times, so it's going to take a bit longer. I have to say, at the same time I started to ease into a bit of jogging I've been trying to modify my running style to a more forefoot pattern, which is likely the reason for the calf issues. So it will have to be a bit more gradual and slow.
I think there have been a few posts with people pulling muscles after getting back to more strenuous activities. My non-professional opinion is that the surgery changes (for the better) the mechanics of how you move, so you're using muscles in ways you've either never done before or haven't done for a while because you've been compensating for the hip pain.
Like we always say, be patient, start all activities slowly and gradually build up. I remember a cycle of overdoing it, resting a few days, and starting again. A year on I have probably only as many restrictions as someone my age can expect.
If you listen to your body, and follow the simple stress/rest formula, you'll be running before you know it. I jogged 3 mos post op and moved up from there. I know that totally broke protocol, but I took it really slow. I was back to triathlon competition 9 mos post op. My recovery is probably not typical. I didn't play racquetball for a full year though.