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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

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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.

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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)

I’m looking forward to this race, it’s in my hometown where I grew up and lived until I was 23. This will be my first international race, from the US where we’ve lived the last 32 years, and it’s a great opportunity to visit family at the same time. We going to spend 2 days in Dublin over Easter before heading to Manchester. Training has been going well, I’ve ran back to back half’s this weekend over the bridge near me. Post your race and lets see how many of us are at the same race.… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Well this has been a quiet year for me with much of it with an injury or two. It started off with my attempt to win a Last Man Standing race in which I finished third, I was disappointed with my result I had had trained hard for it and prepared well but things didn’t work out come race day. Next up for me was Big Sur in April the day before my 62^nd birthday. I hadn’t been able to train hard for it as my replacement hip area had been bothering me. So much so I eventually went back to my surgeon from 11 years ago and had him x-ray it and my other hip as that sometimes feels like it catches. The good news was that my replacement hip was still looking perfect after 11 years of running and over 15,000 miles of running on it. My right good hip had some wear and narrowing but nothing to require a replacement anytime soon. However I did have 2 large bone spurs of it which is probably what causes the catching and pain at some times.

With only two 12 miles runs in early March and my longest run of 14 miles 2 weeks before race day I was well underprepared and my hip still bothering me. I had 2 choices, I could probably finish the race running easy at a 10 minute pace or I could go for it and try to run a 3:30 marathon at an 8 minute pace. I decided on the latter and knew there was every chance of it blowing up, but I had to go for it. The first mile we eased into the race with an 8:20 pace before we hit the first climb and then we picked up the pace and ran the next 9 miles between a 7:30 to 8 minute pace. The weather was cold at the start of the race and you are bused to the start line to wait for over 90 minutes. I started with a long sleeve shirt on top of my race … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I had THR of my right hip three years ago, anterior surgery. I was told no running, but finally my surgeon admitted he runs with some of his patients. But he told me to limit my running to three or four miles a few times a week. I am a 70 year old female and have been running on and off, since I was 12. I did my first marathon at 60, second one at 66. I have run two half marathons since my hip replacement, slowly increasing mileage and gaining confidence that I do not need to limit my running distance. I have fallen twice while running in the last few months. The first time, I kind of felt something catch on my right foot and down I went. Got up and ran home, kind of banged up, but not too bad. I kept running, but had anxiety about falling again. I literally just had been thinking I do not need to worry about falling anymore and a few days ago, down I went again. I cried all the way home this time. Both times I looked to see if there was something that caught my foot, but there was nothing visible. I run on the sidewalks and roadways and am pretty slow and shuffling. I have never been a fast runner, but love long, endurance runs. Now I am really afraid that something has gone wrong, or I am just getting too old to run. Which I never thought would happen. I lost my father a few months ago, and that has been affecting me quite a bit. But when I run lately, I have been very focused on foot placement due to the first fall. Just freaked out that something is going wrong that will prevent me from continuing to run. (And it is my surgery side foot that is catching somehow.) Any insight or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. I have not run since the fall early this week. 🙁… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi all – Happy Xmas!

The last couple of posts have prompted me to report my progress over the last year. I do 5k parkruns most Saturdays and was struggling to reliably get under 25 minutes, especially as I had 3 separate weeks in the Lake District doing recce work for the Joss Naylor challenge (48 miles, 17,000 feet ascent). These weeks were intense and took a lot of recovery but were good for getting me some downhill speed over technical terrain (never could run uphill). Managed to piece together the second, more difficult, half of the route in under 12 hours so it looks like I well have a chance next summer. Spent the summer road running and trying to build speed by incorporating intervals – local park has a 660 metre path around it, almost flat, so started doing Tuesday’s session running full or half laps with 1 or 2 minute rests. Started feeling like a proper runner!  parkrun times came down to 23:39 at 2 different courses, replacing my 6 year old PB at one of them, and I now expect sub-25 mins every time.

October last year my wife ran the local half-marathon in the most miserable conditions of rain and cold, and wanted to do it again so I entered as well – 11 years since the race that stopped me doing halves because I struggled so badly. Conditions were much better this year, near perfect, and I managed 1:52:53 to take the V70 prize – but the last 5k were really hard and the finish was uphill. On the strength of this performance I entered my bete-noir Turkey Trot half and managed to get 1:52:33 in conditions of freezing fog (but little wind) which was 5 minutes faster than the same day 11 years before – and got me another V70 prize. Again, I was exhausted at the uphill finish but no harm was done.

In summary, my 8 y.o. Birmingham hip and my 5.5 y.o. Zimmer ceramic THR are now allowing me to perform at a Masters level equivalent to my natural hip … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Merry Christmas. There, I wrote it out loud.

We rarely get snow in Victoria, but we are getting it today, tonight, and tomorrow. Be gone by Christmas I think. I have a pair of Yukon Charlies’ snowshoes. Be out galavanting in those bad boys.

I did a hard Guerilla Fartlek sesh on Thursday…..hoping to race January to April (on dry pavement).

No designs on anything longer than 12K. But, I would like to get to 50 miles per week. Keep getting stuck at 30-40, damnit. Or as we say in Canada, 80K and stuck at 50-60K.

Prolly need to slow down the daily training to recover….

Whatever. Have a great holiday season and may the wind always blow up your kilt.… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

48 hrs prior to my left thr I ran a local festive but competitive 5 k in 20:38.  It was a good race though the inevitability of my thr loomed and I was in pain post-race.

well fast forward 2 years to the same weekend with the various ups and downs of my journey and I ran the same race and course in 20:29!!!  The greater mission of being healthy and not in pain was accomplished and the possibility of being and getting faster still lives 👍

my thoughts and hopes for others is they your thr journey is a success!!!  Onward and upward for me!!! God willing!

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Of course, I was adding a bit of knee lift and extra push-off to strengthen the foot, lower leg, and ankle area and for the lifting muscles…..ala Lydiard hill phase (day one)…..… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I wanted to thank all of you and I wanted to thank this site for being a real inspiration to me over the years. I thought I should update everyone on my progress. I will be 69 in December and I had a THR of my right hip on July 1, 2020. I started some slow run/walk/run segments 2-3 months after. I recovered really well and I actually did a half marathon averaging 10:15 per mile in April, 2021. My left knee began to hurt during July, 2021 and it got progressively worse. It turned out that I had a partially torn left medial meniscus, and I had arthroscopic surgery to remove the tear just over 1 year ago. My recovery from there has been tremendous. I was able to steadily build mileage using the run/walk/run method and I began to do some speedwork late last year. I ran my first 5K during January of this year and have done a total of 12 races this year. Included in those were two 10 milers, two half marathons (9:50 pace and 9:35 pace) and the Chicago marathon last weekend. I am a Clydesdale runner at 6 ft 1 and about 190 lb (the Chicago area runners association has 3 Clydesdale divisions and I am in the A division which starts at 185 lb) and I have locked up first place in Clydesdale A this year.  Mine is a real comeback story and I can only hope that I will feel this well 10, 20 and 30 years from now! I plan to continue some form of running for all of my remaining years! Take care everyone, be inspired because big improvements are possible after your hip replacement!… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

I’m now in my ninth week post Left  THR – MEKO procedure – posterior – Stryker Ceramic Femoral Head and X Link Polymer Polyethylene Cup – both non cemented. All done at Nuffield Health Trust Glasgow (self pay). I’ve probably learnt more about myself and my body in the last 12 months than I did in the previous 66 years. It’s becoming obvious now that my recovery started the day I was told I needed a THR and went on to get the best possible advice. After my diagnosis was confirmed by X-ray I was placed on the NHS waiting list in Scotland – circa 3 years! My Physio gave me two choices – 1. I could drastically cut my activity (and stop running) with light Physio which might enable me to last until the NHS Op. 2. I could maintain a high level of activity (but not running) with more targeted Physio and opt for Private Surgery much sooner. At that time I knew very little about the whole process so I embarked on an education / research  spree. I opted for the NHS route to begin with but the more people I spoke to that had gone through this and the more research I did, I realised that my decision would affect the rest of my life. If I carried on with the NHS route, there was no choice of procedure or materials and I could be faced with significant muscle wastage as my activity capability declined pre Op. Although daunted by the cost I changed my decision after 6 months. I initially chose Spire in Edinburgh and was told to expect a cost of around £13k. At my initial consultancy I was told that there had been a big increase in costs during Covid, so to expect £18k with a waiting time of 6 weeks. I booked surgery. After a couple of weeks I decided to do more research and looked into the Nuffield Health Trust in Glasgow. Their advertised THR costs £12.3k for the MEKO Procedure. I booked a Consultation which subsequently gave me so much … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

All,

I have been a competitive middle distance runner since high school and have been competing as a Masters athlete for many years (I’m 68). Although I’ve run my share of marathons and road races, competing on the track is my preference. I had a THR of my left hip in May 2022 and am now back to hiking, cycling, and some running (pls don’t tell my surgeon 😉). I am curious if anyone has been successful getting back into spikes and on the track post surgery. I race 800m, 1500m, mile, 3k’s, and XC.
Another question… over the years, I have probably run tens of thousands of quarters (i.e., lots of left hand turns.) Perhaps it is coincidental, but it was my left hip that “wore out”. Have there been any reports that investigated hip wear out and track athletes?
Any other milers out there?
Thanks

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