9 Month Update

[Paprika]

My left hip was resurfaced by Dr. Pritchett on April 17, 2017, so I'm just past the 9-month mark.  I'm very happy with the results of the procedure.  Being a runner, it was challenging to abstain from running until I reached the 6-month mark.  After I started back into running, I quickly progressed to being able to run several miles nonstop, but began to experience left leg shin/knee pain.  So, I took a step back and adhered to a walk-run protocol under which I walked for 10-12 minutes, ran 1 mile, walked for 2 minutes, ran another mile....  In addition, my physical therapist started me on a series of leg strengthening exercises.  This helped me strengthen my left leg muscles to the point where I could run a 5K (3.1 miles) without stopping and without lingering pain.  I now run training 5Ks 2 to 3 times a week.  I''m hoping to run an actual 5K race in February.


From 4 weeks onward, I have been on the exercycle 4-5 times a week, starting with 10-15 minutes and now at 30-40 minutes.  While my hip sometime felt a bit stiff upon awakening during months 1-6, the exercycle always seemed to "prime the pump" and relax any stiffness.  If I'm sitting in a car for an hour or more, some of the stiffness may return, causing me to have to focus on not limping when walking from the car to my destination.  But, this is really one of the very few reminders that I have a resurfaced left hip.  In many other respects, my left hip is strong and supple.  Range of motion is still improving.  While I can lift my left leg to put on a sock or remove a shoe, I usually need to help it along with my arm.


In summary, I'm really happy that I embarked upon this journey and I'm optimistic as to what I will be able to achieve in the future - such as running a 10K or even a half marathon.  Thank you, surface hippies, for your continuing support!

[surratt]

What does your doctor recommend from six weeks onward as fas as increasing your range of motion and strength?  What were you doing as far as exercises after the 6 week mark to build strength and flexibility?


Congrats on 9 months!  I wish im only 5 weeks out from a bilateral!

[blinky]

Go Paprika!


Is your speed coming back? I have to work on that. It is slowly returning on its own, but I mean s-l-o-w-l-y. If yours is coming back I want to hear what you are doing.

[Pat Walter]

Sounds like you are doing great.  So much to look forward to.  Thanks for giving us an update.

I wish you the very best.

Pat

[Paprika]

Surratt, Once I reached the 6-week mark, Dr. Pritchett lifted the 90-degree restriction and said that I could do anything that felt OK physically except running and bungie cord jumping.  I found that after adhering to the restriction, my body did not readily go beyond it after the 6-week mark.  It was my physical therapist, whom I had been seeing twice a week, who helped me with gradually increasing my range of motion.  During our sessions, he would manipulate/stretch me in a way that I could never stretch myself.  I would feel pain (sometimes intense) during those sessions but it would go away within a couple of hours.  Now that I am running again, we do 1/4 stretching and 3/4 left leg strengthening exercises, which I repeat on the days that I don't have a session with him.  A physical therapist who has dealt with hip resurfacing patients can be immensely helpful with recovery.

[Paprika]

Blinky, Yes - "speed" is relative term when dealing with returning to running after hip resurfacing.  Today, I ran a training 5K at 27:02, which is a 8:43 pace.  My  training 5K on Tuesday was at 28:05 and Thursday was at 27:40, so today was a significant improvement.  In 2016, I was running 5K races at between 23:00 and 23:30 - so about a 7:25 to 7:35 pace.  For a 60 y.o., I was a fast chick.


My PT says that my left leg is only about 80% as strong as the right one.  When I initially returned to running, the left leg was even weaker.  This was causing my left knee to cave in a bit, resulting in knee and shin pain. Now, my PT has me "burning" my left glute muscles in every session and the knee doesn't seem to cave in when I run.  In the old days, I ran with my quads, now I am trying to engage my glute muscles and run with my glutes.  This seems to have shortened my stride a little but perhaps is also slowing me down.  My goal is to lengthen the stride while running with the glutes.


I am also rethinking my footwear.  I ran in Nike Vomero's (a very cushiony shoe with a 10mm drop from heel to toe) for years - those years when I developed my quad running style.  Recently, I read an old post by TriHard Alan in which he lauded low drop minimalist shoes.  Today, I ran my training 5K in Nike Free RN 2017 shoes, which have a minimal, highly flexible sole and only an 8mm drop.  They felt great and seemed to eliminate even the mild post-run soreness that I had on Tuesday and Thursday.  They say that low drop minimalist shoes encourage a lighter forward weighted running gait whereas the really cushiony shoes encourage heel striking (which is most jarring to the hip).  I'll let you know how I feel about the Free RNs after a couple of months of usage.


'Hope this helps.  Best of luck to you in your running!

[blinky]

Dang, you were fast. I hope you are again. (You are still pretty fast for 60 yo.You would be winning your age group in small local races here.)


Sounds like I need to block off time to work on my lazy right glute and that lagging right hip rotator. I, too, still notice differences in strength between my two sides. The weak side knee caves in when it gets tired. I focused on them a year ago but then I got lazy. It is getting better on its own, but to get faster faster I will have to target my weaknesses.


I hadn't thought about my shoes. I'll experiment with those.

[petemeads]

Hi Paprika - fast chick indeed - 23mins equates to a Master's grading over 83%!
I am a couple of weeks behind you with my latest hip (ceramic THR on May 2nd) but I started running at 6 weeks and have raced most Saturdays since then. PB on the new hip is 24:08, set in November, but since then I have definitely slowed and I have a pain in my quads area which is making me limp a bit. Maybe I started running too soon, but probably I tried to increase distance and pace too quickly when I started to feel good.
Also I go rock climbing/bouldering indoors and the loading with twisting this leg may have done some damage. Either way, I am focussing on indoor biking for fitness at the moment and walking to check leg action. Supposed to be doing a 14 mile hill race, through mud, in ten days time but that looks unlikely just now.
I agree about the minimal shoes, I run in Saucony A6 racing flats with a short stride but fast cadence, this seems to have been better than my usual heel striking and my Garmin says my "bounciness" is in the lowest 5% of runners, which must surely minimise shock loading on the hips.
My 3-year-old BHR is giving me no trouble at all, of course...
Good luck with your return to competition!


Pete

[Paprika]

Petemeads,  Hats off to you, speedy!  For me, getting back my speed appears to be a matter of regaining full strength in my left leg.  Also, for the first time in my running career, I am running primarily with my glutes instead of my quads and I think getting used to this change has temporarily slowed my cadence.  The good news is that I'm running without pain and pretty much every other day.  Good luck and thanks so much for your input!

[karlos.bell]

  It took me 1 year about before I started running. I can now sprint down the drive. BUT.............. My hips are still getting stronger and stronger. The range of motion is getting better and better. It takes along time and the more you work at it the more it gets  better and better.

[Tri Hard Alan]

Really pleased to hear Paprika that you found the information I posted useful. And echo what the others have said, very speedy indeed!


In terms of getting your speed back, its a long process. My last fast 5k was 18.19 before the hip started giving me problems. Op was Oct 2015, first 5k 6 months later was 22.30. In December I got it down to 19.44. In some ways its frustrating and not sure I will ever get down to low 18's again but focusing on small improvements. What I do find is if I take a break for any reason then I slip further back then before but this of course could be age too (turned 50 last year).


Keeping up the S&C is also vital. I drifted of a bit over xmas and since returning to work, tried my first half marathon recently and despite training runs up to 18k going well the hp protested from the beginning and was quite sore for a couple of days after. I was also protecting a stiff calf which probably didnt help. Managed 1.39 but will be back for a sub 1.30 attempt later in the year when the Triathlon season finish's. It was a bit of a lesson that the recovery is not linear and focus is needed.


Keep up the good work everybody!

[karlos.bell]

  Al I would like to buy you shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!