Category: Uncategorized

10 days after my Manchester Marathon PR of 3:06:41 in England I was in Miami visiting my office where I worked for 7 years before becoming a remote employee after Covid. It was the Miami Corporate Challenge 5K Race, an event that has about 20,000 runners. I hadn’t ran a 5K for 4 years and with having my lower arm and hand in a cast from my trip at the marathon I wasn’t sure how well I’d be able to run. I positioned myself near the front as I secured the top seed spot from my company which I was happy about as I didn’t want to fall during the race with so many runners. However with there being so many people there wasn’t an opportunity to warm up before the race so it was going to be a cold start, if you can say that the temperature in the high 80’s and high humidity.

Eventually after a small delay the gun went off and everyone charged forward. I couldn’t believe it when about 400 yards down we had a hairpin turn paralleling where we had just come from and everyone merged in. I was thinking great, this is going to be a cluster **** and I could easily do down in a crowd. Luckily I managed to get around without incident and had a straight road ahead of me. It felt fast, my first mile was 6:20, only abut 30 seconds faster than my marathon pace for the first 17 miles but this was much harder. The weather was a factor, probably not fully recovered from the marathon, and possible the steak I had at lunch about 6 hours before the race at 6:30pm.

I knew I would have to dig deep to keep going, I was breathing heavy, it was tough and I wanted to slow down but wouldn’t give in. I just kept telling myself it’s a 5K and you expect to feel like this so deal with it and keep going. Every step was hard, it wasn’t going to be easy, but I just pushed as … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

So I’ll take you on my journey… summed up in the Post’s title.

4 months after my left THR (2 yrs., 7 months ago – age 49) I was shuffling/running again and in about 1.5 years… I reached my pre-THR replacement fitness at 5K.  And then a plateau… and because of the THR and wanting to be conservative, I’ve been very cautious and “smart” I suppose about trying to improve.  So while I intent to be be smart, I’m going to push my limits once more to try and improve at this distance.

It’s a simple formula… Eight (8) 5K’s over the next 5 months.  It started yesterday, 21:17 on a mostly flat course in “great” weather for central FL in May (63 degrees and relatively low humidity).  I’ll report in monthly with the trials, tribulations, and actions that produce better results (God willing!)… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi All, I’m 2 years into my new hip. Gradually getting back into running. I’ve added a good bit of resistance training including lower body. My thinking is that if my leg muscles are strong it would help lower impact to the new hip – in addition to just being stronger for runs

With this in mind I have a pretty specific question- does anyone have experience with doing full squats with weights to 90 degrees – . I’ve been doing them 2x a week, but am now wondering if I’m overdoing it and maybe should use a less aggressive exercise like a machine.

any thoughts? Thanks -David… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Last year wasn’t a great running year for me, having been injured for most of the year and missing several races. So when my sister posted something about this race I decided to register as we hadn’t been back to England for 4 years. I started getting shock wave treatments for my Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy but after 6 sessions it hadn’t really done anything and now it was too late to have the operation and recover in time for the race in April. So early December I decided it was time to train for it, not knowing if I would rupture my Achilles in trying or what else could go wrong. My first few runs hurt and I would have to take a couple of days off as my heel was objecting but I kept at it and eventually it started cooperating. I bought a pair of Sauchony Endorphin Pro 2’s on sale as they have no heel counter and the back was soft to minimize rubbing on my heel and it appeared to be working. They’re more of a racing shoe rather than training but I had no option. In fact I loved them so much that after my second run I bought another pair and the week after another pair.

So now I was able to run I started to hit the bridges again for my training, the Belleair Bridge is a 75 feet climb and 0.75 miles from side to side, which I would eventually run over almost 200 times in the next 3 months leading up to the race. I took Monday and Friday’s off and ran back to back long runs Saturday and Sunday building up the distance a little until I hit about 50 miles a week and every 4^th week a scaled back. I didn’t run on the beach due to the angle as I didn’t want to aggravate my hip at all and also didn’t enter any races as I didn’t want to risk injury as I focused on my A race for the year. In addition I would try to … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

It seems that my hypermobility has bitten me in the…uhh… knee. I do tend to overextend my knees anyway, and I have had to concentrate hard on feeling like my knees are bent when running, because then they will be in correct alignment. Well, as my mileage has increased with my marathon training, I find that I do tend to lose form towards the end on tired legs. Throw in a pothhole during the last mile and an even more dramatic hyperextension, and here I am with a popliteal strain.

Stuck indoors. No running. No more marathon in June. Feeling pretty deflated right now, especially since my training had been going so well.

I guess I should look on the bright side. At least this injury gives me the perfect opportunity to focus on my strength and conditioning this month. How do you guys cope with this sort of thing? I feel like a caged animal right now.

Bob… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi!

I just had my right hip replaced on April 3rd (due to hip dysplasia) at age 41. I had my left hip replaced in November 2022 due to hip dysplasia as well. I didn’t have an irritated psoas the first time around, but i have been struggling with psoas tightness and pain after the recent, second THR. Anyone else struggle with an inflamed psoas/groin pain? If so, how long did it take for the pain to go away? The pain was super bad during the first week of recovery, but now it’s more of a dull ache.… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

It’s taken me three years now post bilateral THR to actually recommit seriously to getting some jogging miles in. I was really regular 5k a day most days with walking, (pre and post surgery) but whenever I tried to break into a jog it was just demoralizing: jarring, dead feeling, like on stilts: no elastic return.

Today I just finished the 8th week of the beginner Furman Institute program which I have used with  Slow Jogging (Tanaka) technique and a little cycling too.  7 years ago on arthritis destroyed hips, I did the 10k Bolder Boulder run / walk at about 13 min a mile (jog /walk) but my best single jog mile now (with some effort) is 17 min however I can walk a sub 15 fairly easily. No pain, which I am daily grateful for,  just no spring or ability to confidently stride out. Anybody else had or dealt with similar issues?… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I’m in my mid forties and was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis early last week just a couple of days after getting a Parkrun PB.
I had knee and groin pain (right leg only) after playing a couple of soccer games in September/October 2022 and the physio sessions that I got after seemed to work as I went back running again in early January 2023 and my times had been coming down each week since (I haven’t played any soccer since).

I was still getting some knee pain whilst bending down to say pick up something from the ground but I had no pain when I was running.
I have private insurance so I decided to get Knee X-Ray and MRI scans for peace of mind but they said I should get the same done for my Hips as well.

Anyway the Knee scans came back clear but the Hip MRI showed the Femoral Head is in the early stage of collapse and that it is too late for Core Decompression so I will need my right hip replaced. The Hip MRI scan has also shown that the left Hip is also affected but less extensively and that they can try Core Decompression
on it to increase blood flow to the area.

I believe the waiting list (private) where I am located for surgery is 2-3 months and I am waiting for them to get back to me on this.
What hip are they likely to sort out first? the left hip before it gets too late? and how long is it recommended between doing the 2 different types of surgery?
I guess all I can do for now is just do a combination of cross training in the gym and walking in order to remain fit and active until surgery.
I’m glad to have found this forum because to know that it is possible to come back running after a hip replacement gives me great hope and motivation.
I was also hospitalised for over a week with Covid in October 2021 and was back running again in February 2022 so … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi everyone,

I would love to hear if anyone has/had dysplasia going into THR.  I was diagnosed with pretty bad dysplasia (way too shallow acetabulum) and that’s why the cartilage wore away in the joint.  Bone on bone now, and told I need a THR.  Early in the process and haven’t seen the surgeon yet, but I’d love to hear experiences.  Mainly I want to know if they had to reform the pelvis/acetabulum in addition to the THR.  I know everyone’s situation is different but I would love to hear of peoples experiences….

ps I am a 62 year old woman who has run for 40 years, including 25 marathons.  Not running terrifies me, and I know my dysplasia complicates everything….

alanekd… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi,

Running became my favorite activity in my early forties. I broke the neck of my femur at age 49 while roller skating at a skate park. Unfortunately, I wasn’t doing anything spectacular except going down a ramp when the accident happened, although it was a steep and fast cement ramp with a sharp transition at the bottom. A trauma surgeon repaired the fracture with FNS, but I developed AVN and am now 1.5 years post the fracture and 10 weeks post hip replacement. I am very hopeful to get back to running regularly and all of the other activities I love so much. My surgeon for the hip replacement has adamantly said NO NO NO to running and other high impact activities to maintain the life of the hip hardware. However, I have to live my best life. I started running again this week…only 2 slow and steady trail miles per day to see how I feel. I have also resumed going to the gym and have been focusing on regaining strength on the surgery side.

What hardware have others received that has allowed you to return to running? What are your pros/cons? Are you running against medical advice? What strength and/or mobility training are you doing? Do you still have any pain and where is the pain located? I ask about pain specifically because I am still having some pain/tenderness/numbness. The pain/tenderness is in some unexpected places and not always the same area(s).

All of the runners on this website give me hope. Thank you.… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I joined “HipRunner” about 3 months ago, right after my orthopedic surgeon allowed me to consider a return running after a 15-year lay-off given concerns related to my previous spinal cord injury/surgery, and problems which led to my right knee surgery, and bi-lateral total hip replacements.  Yesterday, after following a 16-week marathon and 9-week core exercise program I ran the Des Moines, IA, St. Paddy’s Marathon during an 18-mph headwind, with negative 8-degree windchill, and received a 2nd place medal in the 65 to 70-year age group for men (only 3 of us old men survived the weather to even finish the course).  I ran/shuffled pretty slow (12 min, 3 sec/mile pace), and figure if I can develop my quads a bit more (there is still not much there; think I need a lot more strength training and running than the 16-weeks I put in afforded) I could run much faster (and better weather might not hurt my times either).  Just figured I add this 1st follow-up.  Really happy to be running again after the 15-year lay-off, as they now have documented that my type of total hip replacements weather time, and in some patients, ill-effects of running pretty well.… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I’m slowly making progress with the running. The most pleasant surprise of all was the realisation that my latent stamina from all the ultra running is still there. So long as I am not in pain, I can still walk massive distances without batting an eye. The thing that still eludes me is strength.

So far I have been adopting a run-walk-run training strategy, with the goal of gradually increasing the running time. I have also just entered the Solway marathon on June 4th. It’s a nice, easy route with a generous 6 hour cutoff, so even if my walk-run becomes more of a walk-walk, I should still finish easily.

Will anybody else from here be there?

Bob… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I will also add I completed a 34 mile a trail race in just over six hours last Saturday and my 50th Parkrun this morning 👍… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Well, I am now two years and four months removed from my THR in my left hip and content with where I am at, mainly in that I am running and truly just enjoying running well and placing atop my age group in local races. I am almost 52 and the prospect of actually getting much faster seems to be fading. Living in Florida, the time to chase PR’s is really through our winter and frankly, my times are not much better this year than last. I would attribute this to really not improving the quality of my training… My running economy has never gone back to my pre-osteoarthritic days. I have also been careful to really not increase my running volume and incorporating more crosstraining, though I am contemplating building it over the next year to see if it helps me improve. In the last month or so I also have a more arthritic type of pain in my right hip so the inevitability of my other hip getting replaced maybe creeping up on me. now this being said, I am very thankful and truly running pretty well; life, aging, and realities are simply that… finding contentment… That is the key 👍… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Well after wrapping up our vacation in California after the Big Sur marathon it was time to get back to training for the Grand Teton half marathon just 4 weeks away. This was also another race I had been wanting to run for some time, I was registered for it 3 years earlier but had to cancel it but was looking forward to it and vacationing in the Grand Teton area. I noticed some pain in my left heel at the back of the Achilles and under my heel but it would ease after a couple of miles. I managed to get a couple of 7 miles runs in each week leading up to race week but my heel was getting stiffer, as I got up out of bed it was sore to put weight on it and get any flexibility with it. Now I had a noticeable lump on my Achilles which would take a mile walking before it loosened up. Was it a side effect from the Big Sur race, the rolling hills and camber, or something unrelated. Whatever it was once again I wasn’t able to train how I wanted for a race and wasn’t confident on how I would do.

The Tetons are around 6,500 feet elevation and from my race at Bryce Canyon the year before I knew the altitude would have some affect so for this vacation we went on vacation the week leading into the race rather than after the race. I don’t like doing this as on vacation I want to eat and drink well and also do lots of hiking, not ideal planning for the race. Furthermore as we were driving towards Jackson Hole across the mountains it was snowing, I knew it would be cold but didn’t expect it to be that cold at the beginning of June. I didn’t run the first couple of days but went for a run on the third day. Within the first half mile my heart rate was high and I was puffing, the altitude working to full effect. I was only planning on … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi All

I had the misfortune of suffering a hip fracture nearly 18 months ago. I was on high doses of steroids at the time (autoimmune condition) and was worried about the state of my bones. Well, all it took to break my hip was a little stumble on the stairs. After that it was all a blur. The surgeon who performed my hip replacement confirmed the diagnosis of osteoporosis and I was in hospital for months learning how to walk all over again. There was a lot of muscle damage and maybe some nerve damage too, which slowed the healing process significantly.

It has taken a lot of hard work, first to stop using crutches, and then to work on my gait so that I no longer walk with a limp. I am proud to say that I am finally walking normally. I also managed to wean off of the oral steroids and my bone density has improved significantly since then. I still need to be careful though. Really don’t want to undo all this good progress.

Back in the day, before my immune system went nuts, I used to run ultras. My personal favourite was ultra distance trail running. My guess is, those days are long gone now, but I would still like to get back to doing the things I enjoy… within reason of course. My confidence is shot to bits, so I am hoping my fellow hipsters on here will help keep it real.

I am also an avid fan of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, hence my username.

Mighty Bob… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hello all

I had bilateral hip replacement 3 years ago. 6 months apart. I started back running slowly one year after my first hip and now I’m running more frequently. I’m stil, in the mill as it’s too cold and icy here to do much running outdoors.
I’ve noticed though that my left leg and foot rotates medially during the stance phase when running.  I’m wondering if anyone else has had or has this similar problem and what you’ve done to correct  for it? My left peroneal muscle is also taking the brunt of this as it bets tight and painful after a longer run.

Thank you

Maria

 … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi all,

I am Bernard, a Lecturer from the University of Essex, UK. I am planning for a research grant on the topic of “high-impact activities after knee and hip replacement surgeries”. I hope to connect with people who have successfully returned to high-impact sport for this work. This will help me plan for the project, to identify, real-world problems from people with lived experience, to solve. I plan to also involve one person as a lay co-applicant, if expenses paid for, to be on the steering committee. If you are interested and reside in the UK, I hope you can contact me. My email is bl19622@essex.ac.uk

Regards,

Bernard Liew, PhD, BSc (Physiotherapy)

Lecturer (Biomechanics),

School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences,

University of Essex

https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/liewb27501/bernard-liew… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

As I prepare for my second THR I found this series on YouTube by a couple of Orthopedic Surgeons. I found it very interesting and thought it might also be interesting for those considering hip surgery.

 … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Continuing to offer hope to those “hipsters” out there!

I am just over two years post THR in my left and my training continues to go well as does my ability to run well. Today I completed the LAST 30K – a gravel road and “Easier trail” run that traverses  the northern shore of Lake Apopka in central Florida. Very little pain other than the expected discomfort in the quads and hip girdle from the exertion… 18.6 miles in 2 hours 33 minutes; an 8:13 pace that I stayed consistent with for the most part. It felt great and brought me much fulfillment… first in my 50–54 age group and eighth place overall

To all of you out there wondering “can I run with quality again?”  BELIEVE!!!… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)