8 month update

[MattJersey]

Hi all, season's greetings.


It is 11 months since I joined the site, which was invaluable pre op, and likewise even today at 8 months post op. Thanks to Pat and all the contributors, excellent work all!


It's just over 8 months since my op, and as posted previously things are great, very happy with progress, back playing golf better than ever (in winter too!) and following a new resolution I made myself in November I'm really starting to feel fit again ...


I realised, after reading some of the contributions on here for inspiration, that I was neglecting my rehab, focusing on my golf too much over my health compounded by a very busy business travel schedule from end of Oct to mid Dec. So about 5 weeks back I committed to getting my rowing (concept 2 erg) programme back in action. First week was tough to rebuild motivation - two years back I would be rowing 5-6 hours per week, 50-70km weeks regularly and I was wondering how I didn't get totally bored! But here I am 5 weeks later and much fitter and back "into it", 135km rowed. Last three days I've gone up a notch and done a 10km session, 8.8km interval set, and tonight 10km steady. Tired, and feel tired butt muscles but rest tomorrow and row again New Year's Day.


So, that is me. The rehab train is back on the tracks, and I aim by 30 June to set a new 2km pb - my boss has done a 7:20 and mine is 7:22.9, so motivation high for sub 7:20! Rehab and rowing are now my priority over golf, but happily enough I think it is helping the golf so a win win.


Sooooooo happy I had this procedure, it has really changed my outlook, what I can do, and what I think I can do, both physically and career-wise/confidence too.


Best wishes for continued success stories for all, in 2016 and beyond.

[Pat Walter]

Thanks for your update and kind words about the website.

Good Luck and keep us up to date.

Pat

[JHippy]

Fantastic, Matt. Glad to hear you are doing well.

[karlos.bell]

  Cool Mat.
It is great to hear success stories there is so much negative press about resurfacing at times. I hope I can do what you can even if it takes me out to 16 months to do the rowing thing...
Cheers K

[MattJersey]

Following up on my post a couple of months back, so now approaching 10 months. About a week after that I was sidelined with flu (man flu, the worst variety!) which stopped me working out for several weeks, whole of January pretty much - lots of people at work etc suffering it too, and they agree it has been a heavy bout this year!


So, it knocked my hopes somewhat. I was hoping for a sub 8min 2k on the erg by end Jan but that was dashed. However, whilst still not back up to full training level, I thought I would have a go yesterday and see if 8:10 or thereabouts was on ... really surprised I managed a 7:58 and highly delighted. HR 165 halfway, and up to 173 at the finish.


I am also certain that with my technique now "normal" with knees inside elbows rather than with my right knee flared pre-op, I am able to generate more power driving from my legs, so I'm once again hopeful of my goal below: sub 7:20 this year! Another "I'm so happy with the op" moment.


Best wishes to all.


Matt

Hi all, season's greetings.

...

I realised, after reading some of the contributions on here for inspiration, that I was neglecting my rehab, focusing on my golf too much over my health compounded by a very busy business travel schedule from end of Oct to mid Dec. So about 5 weeks back I committed to getting my rowing (concept 2 erg) programme back in action. First week was tough to rebuild motivation - two years back I would be rowing 5-6 hours per week, 50-70km weeks regularly and I was wondering how I didn't get totally bored! But here I am 5 weeks later and much fitter and back "into it", 135km rowed. Last three days I've gone up a notch and done a 10km session, 8.8km interval set, and tonight 10km steady. Tired, and feel tired butt muscles but rest tomorrow and row again New Year's Day.


So, that is me. The rehab train is back on the tracks, and I aim by 30 June to set a new 2km pb - my boss has done a 7:20 and mine is 7:22.9, so motivation high for sub 7:20! Rehab and rowing are now my priority over golf, but happily enough I think it is helping the golf so a win win.
...

[petemeads]

Hi Matt, glad to hear you are over the man-flu, managed to avoid it so far!
When I read your initial rowing target it meant nothing to me, then I joined a gym with Wattbikes and Concept2 rowers and had a go - then I was horrified just how much effort was required to do 2k in the times you mentioned.
Last week I managed 8:12.4 for 2km, was pleased to have knocked a couple of seconds off previous but still shocked how much further there was to go to even get below 8 mins. Now I see even you are pleased to get below 8 mins at the moment, I am delighted to be much closer to you than I thought I was!  Thanks for this post, I shall not feel quite so inadequate as I try to get sub-8 (7:20 is ridiculous, especially since my pulse is only supposed to go to 160!)
As regards Wattbike, Bernie (einreb) posted his figures a while back - he can maintain 300 watts for 20 mins, I can just about manage 1 minute...

Cheers, Pete

[MattJersey]

Cheers Pete, keep going on the rowing and you might well find a sudden breakthrough, I had ne where I managed just inside 8 then a few weeks later a 7:37. I reached a plateau after my 7:22.9 though, and didn't break 7:30 again after it despite what I thought was good training. I would just bottle it due to lactic probably by starting too quick every time, and find myself about 1200m in and saying inwardly "you'll never hold it, no point ...". What a sap.

There is a possibility of my joining a gym soon which might help me as I have no idea what a watt bike is, or what 300 watts feels like. I dare say it will burn some! And I look forward to finding out. Painful as the burning is, life is much better with it than without 

[jd]

(7:20 is ridiculous, especially since my pulse is only supposed to go to 160!)

Just a quick note on max heartrate. Ignore the following if you have a health condition where a doctor is telling you to stay under 160, as the doctor should absolutely be listened to:

My understanding is that the formulas for calculating this are based on population medians, but that there is *huge* person-to-person variation. It's not a safety issue at the high end unless you have a particular condition and medical advice to stay under a certain level. Max heart-rate isn't affected by fitness (although obviously heart-rate under a particular load, and resting heart-rate are). In my case, most formulas say my maximum heart-rate is ~185, yet it's actually about 210 or maybe just over that (based on repetitive sprint stress-tests). Bottom line, "max heart-rate" as usually defined is a median number, not a safety limit. Only way to know what yours is is to test it.

Based on that, you can draw some rough lines-in-the-sand %-wise depending on whether you want anaerobic or aerobic exercise. If you're doing a 2k row for best time I'd expect you to essentially hit your max heart-rate. You might not want to train there every time you train, but you'll need to if you want to get to 7:20!

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Just remember to ignore me and stick to 160 if a doctor has told you to!

Cheers,

JD

[petemeads]

Thanks JD, and I agree with you that the usual formulas apply to an average population. I have only just started using a HR monitor regularly (Scosche optical sensor on upper arm, usually struggle with chest straps once I get really sweaty) because I have only been using the gym equipment since Xmas.
160 is a bit higher than the easy 220 - 65 = 155 which is generally used but I have seen it on the static bike - and the bike manufacturers say expect to see 5 less than you would when running so 165 should be OK. Wore the device at the weekend for a hilly 5k and saw a peak of 172 which I think was spurious - but the average was 153, and it certainly felt like near-max effort a lot of the time.
Will be interested to see how it goes, obviously I might have been well over 160 in the last couple of months but I do not have any condition to cause me to worry about my heart, and no doctor has put any arbitrary limit on me (yet!)

Cheers, Pete

[Soldier5082]

I'm scheduled for a RBHR in 8 days and am a long term (nearly 30 years) fan and user of the Concept2.  I'm a 49 year old male but, until about 2-years ago, was still doing the half-marathon several times a week in the range of 1:18:30 - 120:00:00 and even knocking out a full marathon and 50k now and then.  For those of us who row only on land, I've always been pretty highly ranked and would like to think I could return to that. 

Anyway, I rowed for many years before I became an ultra-runner around 2001.  That became my passion and managed to make it to about 2014 before I had to give that up to what I assumed was just an overuse injury.  But time, rest and NSAIDS did not improve it - even after more than a year of laying off so I saw the Ortho and he shocked me with the news that my right hip was totally gone.   

With no running, I turned back to rowing and did that for another couple years and had some pretty solid times - especially for the 5k, 10k and half marathon - especially given the hip. I even did a full marathon in the 2:50 range.  But eventually, even that was impacted by my hip and declining mobility.   I took a long break and recently returned to doing a 5K several times a week just in the last few months and now have worked my way back to a 10K - partly to get my weight down prior to my surgery (I'm 6' and right at 200lbs).   In the return to rowing, my times were so slow and the effort so difficult - relatively speaking-  that I thought something was wrong with my heart and got checked out by a cardiologist.   Nothing there....apparently it's either just age or the hip that is slowing me.

Either way, my walking and mobility has gotten so bad that I'm having this surgery in just over a week and I came here looking for stories of others that might also row.  I'm glad to know its possible and maybe even encouraged.   I'll come back down the road and let you know if the surgery helps restore me to former glory or if those days are simply gone.  If nothing else, my children are now old enough to start middle school cross country and they do a lot of 5ks....I'm hoping this resurfacing at least allows me to have that even if my 100 mile days are gone.   

-Bob 

[karlos.bell]

  BOB you sound a machine. Go for it you will be fine. That's my experience........