68 days post-op: 23:45-trail 5K

WedgeC

What is possible is specific to your situation and determination! I had THR on Monday, December 21.  If all went well, my original goal was to be able to do a 5K in early May, based on being able to start running march 1.  Well, as of roughly 4 weeks ago I felt good enough to begin some light downhill shuffling and uphill power hiking…. all has gone well including being diligent with rehab exercises and stretching. About 10 days ago my eyes saw the possibility of a local trail 5K and my goal was simply to finish pain free. This morning I went out at a light to moderate pace and simply just kept my mind on any pain in my hip, my overall exertion, and obviously my footsteps on the trail!  Before I knew it, I was 20 minutes in and simply just kept cruising! When I discovered this blog, it was clearly evident that there was no defined path to returning to running post hip replacement; learn from others but the path is clearly individual… thank you for all of the input as I will continue to provide mine, and today it was great and exhilarating to finish my slowest 5K in 30 years – but simply to do it and know that my path to improve it is wide open 👍

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    • February 27, 2021 at 6:42 am #19404
      WedgeC
      Participant

      What is possible is specific to your situation and determination! I had THR on Monday, December 21.  If all went well, my original goal was to be able
      [See the full post at: 68 days post-op: 23:45-trail 5K]

    • March 1, 2021 at 1:54 am #19406
      shosking
      Participant

      Congratulations! I’d be thrilled with a 23’45” 5k on the road, nevermind trail, nevermind after THR.

      How did the hip and body feel in the days after? My THR was a month after yours, so my questions are not merely out of idle curiosity ;).

    • March 1, 2021 at 5:34 am #19408
      WedgeC
      Participant

      Thank you and no worries… We are all “experiments of one” (George Sheehan) and most interesting in our own “one“ 😉
      I am 48 hours after the race and not sore in my replaced hip, but significantly sore in my other middle quadricep… A “good“ sore and sore to the touch… I am certain this has everything to do with my body compensating – Adjusting to my new hip and new gait.
      I have had extremely little, if any, pain as it relates to my new “hardware” and connections… (Though I have had soreness early on near the incision area). I posted about six weeks ago asking the question “how do you know if you are damaging your hardware?“ And also “how do you know if the new hardware and your bones are “meshing – or not?” It seems like there isn’t certainty here so I am letting pain be my guide…
      I approached the 5K last Saturday with the spirit of fun and enjoyment, and “I will run comfortably hard and below a threshold of pain”… literally to enjoy it with no attention on pacing and only monitoring my exertion; awareness that at the first sign of THR-area pain, I would stop and walk off the course… well, all felt great with about a half mile to go so I kept going and was able to stride out a bit to The finish. I am determined to only run in this fashion, specifically following THR.. and to borrow the words of another great running coach and philosopher, Tom Osler, “running is to be enjoyed; pain, discomfort, and fatigue are my bodies signals that it is being overtaxed… I will slow down, rest, or quit if necessary… I will only walk and run in good form… poor show is mis-used energy“.
      So I will build from here.. my distance and speed; always in good form and pain-free!

    • March 1, 2021 at 6:21 pm #19409
      Hip Brother Tom
      Keymaster

      Congrats on a great (and respectable) first run! So glad you are seeing success. Just remember, keep listening to the hip. When it tells you to rest, give it a rest. You are going to have many, many, MANY more years of happy running!
      Hip Brother Tom

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