Sprinting

[Arrojo]

Hi, I am 52 years old and likely looking at hip resurfacing within the next year.  Right now I am living on the cortisone shot.

I am, er, was, a masters sprinter (100/200 meter dash), competetive locally as well as being nationally ranked.  Yes, I did distance running as well, since that's what normal adult runners are supposed to do and I know that hip resurfacing can help normal runners get back to marathons and road races and such.

But has anyone ever been able to sprint after this?  I guess soccer comes close, but I mean real competetion with starting blocks, etc.  Is this a pipedream? 

I guess two issues come to mind - 1) is it possible to actually regain the speed lost from surgery and 2) can the hip endure the rigors of sprinting?  The overall pounding (no piling up of mileage required) is less, but the brief impact is extreme.

Thanks in advance.

[Lopsided]

A well placed resurfacing and complete recovery with physiotherapy, is more likely to get you back to sprinting than all that cortisone that is limiting your options.

[Jeremy76761]

I asked Dr. DeSmet and the Director at the McMinn center a very similar question. The only information I got back from both was that there is no evidence that impact of any kind reduces the odds of revision down the road. Other people on this site have told me that they have done sprinting with it; one person referred to 100s, 200s, and box jumps. Seems the long-term effects of the kind of training you want to do are not known for sure but there does not seem to be public evidence that it will shorten the lifespan of the resurfacing device and fit.

Personally, I have it in mind to resume my running career after hip resurfacing which will include a degree of sprinting en-route to competition in 1500s.

[Lopsided]

... public evidence ...

Do what?

[Jeremy76761]

Evidence available to the public of which I am aware -- as opposed to data or statistics that may be held in confidence by medical or government professionals.

[Lopsided]

there does not seem to be public evidence that it will shorten the lifespan of the resurfacing device and fit.

Like what then?

[Jeremy76761]

Well, I haven't been able to find much statistical information generally, and no raw data from any surgeon site yet. Nothing specific to the training of a sprinter. I don't think the registries are that specific, or are they?  Lopsided, do you know any such information?

[Lopsided]

So when are you going to get done Jeremy? I thought you were in half a mind to get a total.

[hipnhop]

I am four months out and tried to sprint yesterday (on a treadmill). I held a 9.0 (that's sprinting for me) for 60 seconds.  Felt so much better than slow running - felt lighter and less impact. Stopped because I am slowly trying to build up.  No soreness or pain in operated hip. Knee in un-operated hip started to hurt like hell.

I plan to start running again in six months. Just testing the waters and they feel good.

[Arrojo]

Thanks, everyone.  This is good info.  Box jumps and other plyometrics are the foundation of sprint training.  Not to mention good, hard track workouts.  You have given me hope.

lopsided, I fully intend to do the HR, but am still in the post-diagnosis shock phase.  Can't sprint at all with the shot, but I am not ready for surgery (job, etc) yet.  I am hopeful the shot(s) will get me through ski season and sometime in 2012 I will be a true surface hippy and in 2013 will hopefully start competing again.   

[hernanu]

Do it at your pace, Arrojo - just keep track of it to make sure you stay a good candidate.

[muzza]

My surgeon says "walk, don't run". But expert opinions differ so much that it seems no one has hard evidence and they just don't know.

[Tin Soldier]

I posted a few things about sprinting, not on a track, but in soccer and in a dream I had.  I'm with you Arrojo, I really wonder about this.  For me it's a little hard to believe that the hips and muscles and all will be at a place someday that will allow me to sprint like I used to.  I haven't sprinted in about 2 years and with no. 2 coming up, I think it will be about 3 years total before I am close to sprinting like I did, so I don't know.  I hope to be able to sprint again at the level that I used to, but I just really wonder.  Keep in mind, there are lots of success stories where folks say they are pretty much the same as they were pre-HR and pre-OA.   

[Dayton96]

Interesting topic.  I prefer distance running and had not really thought about sprinting.  I hope the sprinters on this site will keep us posted as to what they are able to accomplish. I know for distance running you have to adjust your warm up routine in order to get that new hip lubricated before putting too much stress on it. 

Mac 

[Jeremy76761]

Hi Arrojo, here's an example from a quick search. Not your level but still it bodes well. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdXnU6QRsBg

[futbalfan]

Hey I am the same age and in the same boat.  I would love for my doctor to have said that I could go back to the track and do everything that I had done before but that is not the advice I was given.  At the same time he said that a lot of his patients are back doing what they had done before without any complications.  The way I see it is that if they said you are free to sprint and you do that and something happens then they would be liable.  However from reading everything available I personally see no evidence of any concerns to returning to the sport you love, in the right time of course.  This evidence though is all personal stories and I have not read too much about someone running and then having their joint pop out or their leg break etc.

I am on the table in 3 weeks from today and I will be aiming to get back on the track this time next year.  If that is not the case then at least I will not be limping, I will sleep without pain waking me up every hour, I will be able to move my leg sideways more than and inch and I hope to be able to cut my own toe nails....LOL  Everything on top of that is a bonus.  Oh yeah I also feel that my hip is causing other parts of my body to be affected as well and I am away out of  line and rhythm so I hope this balances that out as well.  Good luck and you will know when the time is right.

[jjmclain]

Good Luck futbalfan! You are so right...the hip can cause other things to hurt from being out of balance. Once I had my surgery, I had no more back or neck pain. Keep us posted on your surgery.

[Eitan]

Re:  Sprinting.  I definitely think it is do-able.  I am not Usain Bolt.  However, at 2 months post op I started trying to jog as well as sprint.  My first attempts were pitiful, and what should I have expected as I was still limping when I walked?  I tried racing my 7 year old daughter 60 meters and she killed me.  I kept trying.  Now she won't race me, nor will my 9 year old son.  I can beat them easily.  In the years before surgery I used to run up the hill near my house as part of cross training for ju jitsu.  It's about a 300-400 meter run up hill, and I could do 4 of them at about 2:03 each with 7-8 min rest in between.  My fastest time, as far as I can remember was about 1:53.  Anyway, a month ago I tried and could not make it up the hill even once.  Nothing to do with the hip; I simply did not have the gas in the tank.  I kept trying.  Yesterday I did one run in 2:11 and a second one in 2:07.  All this to say that if you had it prior to surgery, probably (with a lot of hard work) you'll get it back after surgery.  I am now even diving off a diving board with quite a bit of spring, (which I used to do prior to surgery).  Again, my first attempts (about 6 weeks ago) were pitiful; I felt like jello bouncing on a spoon.  But, I kept trying, and now I honestly see no difference from my pre-surgery state.  Bottom line:  It's probably a matter of what you were able to do in the months/years prior to surgery (ie if you haven't sprinted in 15 years is it reasonable to expect to be able to sprint after surgery??) combined with your own motivation, patience, and hard work.  I would be very interested to hear your progress after you have had your surgery.  Please keep us posted.

[Arrojo]

Surgery is scheduled with Dr. Su in NYC for April 9.   I guess I will be the first to attempt competetive sprinting after HR.  Likely I expect it will be at least a year after that before I can begin sprint training.  Still, I am excited to try.

[hernanu]

Sounds good, Arrojo. Glad you got forward with it, Dr. Su is very good. Keep in touch and let us know how it goes, I'm looking to get back to soccer as one of my things, so would be very interested in how you do.