2nd run this morning. I followed the same route I did Wednesday - it's probably 3 to 3.5 miles - but this time I ran nearly the whole way, and just walked in a few places. I felt fine - no soreness, stiffness, or swelling.
Cardio has really taken a beating in the last 10 months though, and it doesn't help that I'm running at 6200' elevation. What's odd is that it's a real struggle for the first five minutes or so, and then my breathing gets much easier. On my way back from this run I ran up a pretty steep, pretty lengthy hill, and my breathing was easier than when I ran down the same hill to start the run. Don't really understand that.
One thing that I feel is a handicap is my inability to train legs with heavy weights. My doctor has cleared me to do squats with up to 50 lbs, but that isn't enough weight to really fatigue them. I figure another 6 months at 50 lbs and then I'll start adding weight. That will help with the running.
I am doing a lot of other exercises for the legs including, biking, hiking, and pedal kayaking. In the last few weeks I've added a slide board and a Skier's Edge machine every other day, and that has to help with the strength.
Plans for now are to build up the run to maybe 5-6 miles, 3 times a week, over the next 2.5 months. I'll then switch over to cross-country skiing for cardio, snow gods willing, and start running again in the spring. While I don't have any concern about running that much on the new hip, I am paying attention to the old hip. The x-rays show considerable deterioration in the cartilage there but I don't have any pain, and just a very slight reduction in ROM to the side, not enough to bother me. In any event, simply the fact that my body is moving up and down when I run now, instead of lurching from side to side, has got to help everything on the non-bionic side. And if I have to get the other hip done at some point in the future at least I've been able to run again. No complaints.
Topic: 6 Months Post Op - First Run (Read 2455 times)
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