Category: Tom’s Weekly Reports

When I first got my hip replacement, there was never any doubt or fear that I may never get back to running.  I had pain in my hip that was limiting me from being active, and that pain had to go.  I had a built in sense of optimism that protected me from thinking about all of the negatives that might follow.  The optimism has paid off.  I have had more success racing post THR than I ever had prior.  I credit this partly to my running with the SDP boys, but I also have to give credit to staying optimistic.  My optimism has insulated me from thinking too much about all of the potential things that could have gone wrong after the hip replacement.  Instead, I have set goals and I have strived to achieve them.

So now I have sore knees.  My right knee especially has been giving me trouble.  Ever since I hurt it at a basketball tournament (Hoopfest) in late June, it has not been the same.  I went to see my ortho and he gave me news that I was NOT expecting.  My right hip has arthritis and due to its lack of flexibility I am putting more pressure on the knee.  OK, I knew I had arthritis in that hip too, but it doesn’t hurt, so I never paid attention to it.  Little did I realize that while it is not hurting, the hip is losing flexibility.   So I was given a prescription for some PT.  I am hopeful that I will be able to get some exercises that I can faithfully do on a daily basis that will give me more flexibility so I don’t destroy my knees.

It is no secret that I like to run.  My wife Colleen saw me hobbling around one day. I looked at her and said something like “I was born with bad knees”, she laughed at me and said “That’s like a coal miner saying he was born with bad lungs”.  It is true.  It kills me not to run, but sometimes the running … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Well this is it.  My final post before I take part in the Hood to Coast relay this weekend.  I run with a group of guys called the “Dirty Half Dozen”.  Great guys.  They have been running together since High School.  I got onto the squad when I ran XC in college with one of them.  Here’s an article about them...they are just good dudes.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone through these thoughts before a big race:  “Wow…my back aches”, “Sheesh, my knees really hurt….they’ve never hurt like this before”, “I think I have a cold – perfect, just before Hood to Coast”, “Man I am tired”, “Man it is hot”,  “Leg 2 of Hood to Coast?  The first leg is COMPLETELY downhill.  Are you nuts? How will you get through the 2nd and 3rd legs with a leg like that?”.  🙂  It always happens like this to me before a big race.  And each time I remind myself “Argue for your weaknesses, and they are yours”.  So instead I flip it.  “Hey, my hip feels great!”, “I don’t have a cold, its just my silly summer time allergies”, “You’re tired because you did a major system upgrade at work”, “It won’t be hot on the mountain – you’ll run faster”, “Leg 2 is great!  I’ll be the 2nd one completely finished….more beer for me while the rest of the team is still running”, “It’s all good”.  We Hip Runner’s have to stay positive.  We have to live on optimism.  If we don’t the waiting will kill us.  (Read Julie’s post below….she needs to wait a little longer before she can run).  The waiting can sap the energy out of you.  The best way to get through it is to “flip it”.  Find some good in the bad, keep your head up and stay positive.  Hood to Coast!  Here I come!

Wow.  Has the summer gone by super fast or what?  So fast in fact that I have an overflow of new runners to introduce…..

Steve D – I am just wondering if there is

I was sitting down with a friend on Sunday appreciating the fact that I had accomplished quite a bit in the previous 48 hours.

On Saturday, my city (Spokane) hosted its first summer track and field games since the mid 70’s.  The games are a scaled down version of a track meet with the marquee event being the 1 mile run.  Elite athletes were brought in to try to become the first runners in Spokane to ever go under 4 minutes for the mile.  There was a prize purse.  The winner would get $500.  Additionally if the winner broke 4 minutes, they would get an additional $3000.  Wow.

To kick off the day, there was a summer games 8k in the morning.  I ran this race and my race number got me into the summer games on Saturday evening for free.  I ran the 5 mile course in a respectable time of 30:45.  The course was flat.  The air was humid as it had been very hot and it rained for just a few minutes prior to the race.  I felt like I was sucking wind the whole time, and I was very happy to see the finish line.

On Friday, I was sitting down with some friends and telling them that I drew leg 2 of the Hood to Coast Relay.  This race is a 12 man race from Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast.  It’s beautiful.  Each runner on the team runs three legs in the relay.  My first leg (still on Mt. Hood) would be straight down the mountain.  It goes without saying that I had some concern about my hip and my first leg down the mountain.  So I told my buddies that  I would be going to a local ski hill (Mt. Spokane) on Sunday to work on my downhill running.  Mike, one of my SDP teammates volunteered, “Well you should just run the Chewelah Peak Half Marathon on Sunday instead”.  I thought about it for a half a second – because I’m a stupid runner with a fake hip – and said “I’m … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

This weekend is my next 1/2 marathon test.  Today I will be heading out to Montana to run the Missoula 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.  I’ll be running with the team I train with.  There are 2 individuals on my team (The Spokane Distance Project), who are in my age group and will most likely kick my rear end.  But I am hoping for a podium sweep by the SDP.  That will be a tough task as there are a few Montana locals who will provide a challenge to that goal.  This event has been voted one of the top marathon events in the country.  I am looking forward to it.  We will be using tonight and Saturday to ‘acclimate’ ourselves to the Montana culture.   Hoping for the best and feeling optimistic.  Race report (good or bad) will come next week….… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

In the weeks leading up to the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon, I felt like I was running through water.  My body was aching and everything was sore.  I even skipped my workout with the SDP boys on Tuesday night because I just did not feel good.  It seemed like I was falling apart.  My right calf was very tight.  My hip-side knee was super sore (like ‘arthritic sore’ ouch) and my hip side glute was causing me to adjust my stride in order to run.  Perfect!  Just in time for my first half-marathon test of the year.   I had a 1:25 goal that I set for myself for this year (I set that 1:25 goal in THIS post).  I was really worried.  Luckily for me, I was able to schedule a massage with a massage therapist who knows how to treat runners.   After that 1 hour session last Wednesday,  a good portion of the pain melted away.  I strongly encourage all of you hip runners to find a good massage therapist if you are going to continue to run competitively. They can do wonders for your training.  If it was not for my massage therapist, I know for a fact that I would not have had a race like I had on Saturday.

Seattle weather in the summer is pretty spectacular.  When I woke up on Saturday morning at 5:00 am, the sun was shining through the window and there was a slight breeze playing with the curtains.  The temp outside was about 65 degrees….perfect.  After taking a quick shower and eating a quarter of a bagel, I headed down to the starting line which wasn’t even a mile from where I was staying.  I felt good.  There were 20+ starting corrals to line up in, mine was the first.  I had put down on my registration that I planned to run 1:25 for this half marathon, and that was fast enough to warrant me starting in the first corral.  So there I was.  The elite runners were right in front of me and (for any of … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

It is a well known fact that while I do enjoy running……I REALLY enjoy playing basketball.  In June, there are two 3 on 3  basketball tournaments that I always look forward to being a part of.  The first event is called “Steltfest”.  It is hosted by Rick Steltenpohl, one of the original organizers of Spokane’s Hoopfest Tournament (the nation’s largest 3 on 3 basketball tournament).  Steltfest consists of a bunch of former athletes in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s who are organized into 3 person teams.  This was the 10th year of the Steltfest tournament.  The theme this year was “Pro basketball players under six feet tall”.  Our team name was Spud Web.  My two teammates, KC and Jim, had skills.  KC was just an all around athlete.  He could easily hit the 3, and had no problem muscling up in the post down low.  Jim was wiry.  While he is just 6 feet, he plays and finishes like a 7 footer.  He had a great feel for the inside and was always around the board for rebounds.  I am not a terrible shooter, and I don’t mind posting up, but it was my ability to get to loose balls (I can thank running for that) that was my best asset for this team.  With the 3 of us combined, we ended up winning the tournament.    This was a nice confidence builder for the hoopfest tournament which will take place on the weekend of June 28th and 29th.

But before that can happen….I will be running the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon in Seattle on June 21st.  This will be my first attempt at breaking the 1:25 mark that I set as my goal at the start of the year.  Last year, I had one half marathon on the schedule and I ended up running a 1:27, this year….I am ready.  And if I don’t make it, I have another marathon coming up in July.  The sub 1:25 will happen.

We have some new members joining our growing group….please welcome them warmly when they post their first post…..

Kathy

Today was one of those days.  I could feel all of my aches and pains.  My knee on my hip side has given me problems on and off since before the hip was replaced.  I am sure that it is related to all of those years running on a bad hip.  So today for my Sunday Long Run, I chose to go-it-alone, and forego my normal long run with some of the SDP boys.  That group is fast, and today, I just wanted to take my time….and take my time I did.  But the problem with that plan was that it hurt MORE to run slow than it did to run faster.  At my weekly workouts with the SDP Boys,  they complain that I take the warm up pace out a bit to fast.   I tell them “The faster you run, the sooner you’re done”.  It is so true. The slower you run, the more pounding your body has to take.  Needless to say, with the warm weather (It’s only 80 degrees, but that is warmer than it has been around these parts) and the slow pace, my body took a pounding and I was hurting more than I usually do when I run with the fellas.  Despite all of the aches and pains, I couldn’t help but feel optimistic.  The sun was shining and I put in some good miles this weekend; eight miles  yesterday with the dog, and then 13.4 more today.   My base is good for the next 2 half marathons coming up(Seattle Rock and Roll Half on June 21st, and Missoula Half on July 14).  (Sub 1:25…Here-I-Come!)

Ten days after introducing a bunch of new “Hip” Runners, I need to introduce a bunch more…..Be Looking for their posts soon.

Anthony S – Thanks for this site. First replacement was done incorrectly.  Dislocated at any time. Nice. New Doctor and hospital, this one feels years better already. Ready to train, but need patience…

Andy G – Be delighted to add my progress. I am a runner with an average of 1300 miles run per year

Bloomsday week is always a great week for me.  As a volunteer for Bloomsday, I stay very busy during the week.  The days leading up to the race were unusually warm.  It brought back flashbacks from last year when I crested doomsday hill and had to take off my shirt because I was just too hot.  (I never do that in the middle of a race).  Luckily, the temps in the high 70’s didn’t last. The temperature on Bloomsday morning was in the mid to high 50’s with a slight breeze.  Perfect.

I was thankful for last week’s mishap with the untied shoe during my 5k race. Prior to heading out to the starting line, I made sure my shoes were double knotted.  When I got to the corral where my group was starting, I had 2 minutes until race time.  I still had to work my way towards the front of the group and the corral was surprisingly full.  In the past, I had room to work around people and make my way towards the front of the pack, but people were packed in, and it was going to take some strategic maneuvering to get somewhere near the front.  The race is chip timed, so you wouldn’t think it would matter where you were in the corral, the race doesn’t start until your chip crosses the starting line.  But this corral was for both Corporate Cup runners and 2nd Seeded runners.  The 2nd Seeded runners are runners who qualify to have a special starting place due to their fast race times.  The Corporate Cup Runners are runner’s of many different abilities who are sponsored by their companies and get a special starting spot.  They have a right to be there, but it is always best to try to be closer to the front to avoid having to dodge these runner’s at the start.  When I entered the corral, I figured my best chance to get to the front would be to bolt towards the opposite side of the entrance and then work my way to the front.  It worked.  … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

If the Susan G. Komen 5K race did anything for me this last weekend, it reminded me to make sure my shoes are double knotted before I start my race.  When I stepped up to the starting line at 9am on Sunday morning, my thoughts were on the cooler temps and the impending rain.  Standing in my SDP racing singlet and running shorts, I knew that it was only a matter of time before my exposed limbs would be subjected to the downpour.  It wouldn’t be a problem once the race started, because I tend to heat up pretty quickly when I start racing.   In fact, I usually keep a clean towel handy at the end of the race because when I finish, my body turns into a virtual faucet of sweat.

With my mind worrying about the cool weather, I forgot completely about making sure my shoes were tied tight and double knotted.   As I sat there waiting, I passed the time talking with fellow SDP Teammates, Rob, Christopher and Jevan.   Rob is a very fast runner.  He gets way out in front.  Christopher, Jevan and I are about the same speed, and we often battle against each other in races.  When the gun went off, I was relieved to get moving.  Rob took off like a bolt while Christopher, Jevan and I settled into a nice 5:45-5:50 mile pace.  That is when it happened.  About a half mile into the run, I could feel my right shoe coming loose.  Initially, I told myself, “It’s only a 5k run, just hang on”.  But as the shoe became more and more loose, I imagined just how ridiculously funny I would look if my shoe went flying off mid stride.  Weighing my options, I felt it was more prudent to stop quickly and tie my shoe.  Christopher and Jevan continued on and by the time I had my shoe tied up again, I was a good  fifteen seconds behind them.  My adrenaline was pumping because I felt like I was reeling them back in fairly quickly.  It wasn’t long before I … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

For all of you new Hip Runners wondering what the scar will look like, rest assured, it fades and is hardly noticeable.   At the request of MRS, I added a 27 Month picture to my “healing wound” pic.

Race for the cure 5k is coming up next weekend.  Finally feeling healthy.  The cold is mostly gone.  Last year I ran this race in under 18 minutes.  HOPING to do the same this year……we’ll see….

We have 1 new “Hip” Runner to add to the group this week.  Her name is Gloria.  She thinks her other hip is going and she would like feedback from others who have had both hips replaced.  I will be setting her account up soon…..

Gloria – Before my THR I was never a huge runner, but I did run some. The older I got it became a huge part of controlling my weight. So for 2 years leading up to my THR I put on around 25 lbs. For the past 3 1/2 years I have used an Elliptical, Walking, Spinning & Biking to get my weight down. However, I really wanted to add some running. So I was searching the net on night & found this website. I ordered the book on running with a hip replacement, bought a pair of Nike Pegasus’s & started training for a 5K!

Well- it has been a real slow process & I ditched the Couch to 5K training program. Now I am just doing a run 1 minute/walk 1 minute for 45 minutes 5 x a week. The problem is not with my new hip- it’s with the other hip. I have gotten the worse piriformis syndrome on that side & it’s stopped me from progressing. I decided to go see my Ortho Dr. about it. He thinks I need the other side replaced too. I really don’t want to do that though. Has anyone had both hips replaced & managed to run again? Would love any insight!

 … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

My Progress Report
One of my races that I like to run every year is the Ephrata Canal Caper in my childhood home town, Ephrata, Washington.   I use this 10k race as a gauge to see how my preparation is going for the Bloomsday run (a huge 12k race that is run right here in Spokane, WA).  I always get a little bit stressed in the days leading up to race day, regardless of which race it is.  This year, with grade school track getting underway at the same time and some self-imposed work pressures looming over my head, the stress got to me.  On the morning of the race, I woke up with a terrible sore throat.  It was the beginning of a severe head/chest cold that I have still been unable to shake.  My time in the Canal Caper was a bit disappointing, but there was much more wind than there has been in the past and I just didn’t have any strength to move into the next gear.  I ended up running a 39:22 (Last year was 37 minutes and fifty-something).  But the running continues and the hip feels good.  In fact, this last weekend, I ran a 15 miler with some of the SDP Boys and averaged sub-7’s for the final 5 miles.

I am enjoying watching this site grow and seeing hip runners share encouragement and information.  It truly is blossoming into a great resource for runners who are dealing with hip replacements.  The optimism and encouragement from all of you is addictive.  Love it!

Hoops
With March Madness just having wrapped up, I thought it would be fun to share a picture with you.  My second (maybe my first) sporting love is basketball.  For the past 24 years, Spokane has hosted Hoopfest, a big 3 on 3 basketball event that closes down the streets of Spokane in late June very year.   I have played every year, including the year of my hip replacement, my teammates were very understanding.  This year marks the 25th year.  As of this year, there are only 58 people who … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Today was the St. Paddy’s 5 Miler here in Spokane,  Washington.  The weather was perfect.  Breezy and a little overcast, but the sun was peaking in and out of the clouds.  I was worried with my injury to my calf in the late fall  that my training might not be there for this race.   On Thursday I ran a mile interval workout during my noon hour and was able to put in solid 5:37 mile (it was mostly downhill).  So when I stepped up to the line I felt pretty sure I could break 31.  My SDP buddies know that I like to put the pedal to the medal when I take off.  There is no “coaching” me around this one.  I like to go out fast and hang on.  My idol is Steve Prefontaine.  I would rather put it all out there and finish with slower miles than try to run a conservative race, and STILL finish with slower miles.  I call it “banking time”.  Get the fast miles in early than you have a little room for your pace to play with in the later miles.  Besides, it was only a 5 mile race.  It’s not like I was running a marathon.   I came through my first mile in 5:41. That gave me some room for the sub 31:00 finish that I was hoping for.  But then my next mile came in at 6:02.  I started thinking…hey…I “could” run 6 minute miles.    The 3rd mile was 5:58.  OK!  That is what I’m shooting for.  I finished the last 2 miles in roughly 6:07’s.  It was good enough for a 29:55 finish time.  (Last year I ran this race in 29:54).  If anything I am consistent.  Considering the downtime I had because of my calf injury, I must say, I was ecstatic.  Even if I did finish 4th in the 45-49 age group (I swear I think all of the fast 45-49ers live in Spokane. 🙂

Stay hopeful!  Stay Optimistic.  Be patient.  Listen to your Body.  Good things will happen. 🙂

… (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

If you have been reading this blog long enough, you will know that I am a pretty optimistic guy.  When I first knew that I was heading for a hip replacement, there was no sense of doom and gloom.  Instead, the questions were “How long is recovery?” and “How soon can I get back to running?”.   Even before I received the official news that I was heading for a hip replacement, I knew in my mind, that I would run again.  Oh sure, I tried something different initially….mountain biking.  In 1996 when I first went in to get my hip checked out, there was little mention of a hip replacement.  I was told I had some arthritis in my hip, and that I should quit running.  I gave up running and tried to race mountain bikes competitively.  25+ pounds later, I realized, running was my health drug of choice.  As soon as I started back up, the lbs melted off.

So the question I started asking myself was “Which do you want to last longer?  Your hip? Or your life?”  Once I had simplified the whole hip/running question down to that …. It was all very elementary.  🙂

I believe that optimism was the key in getting me through some of those darker days after hip replacement.  Just knowing that eventually things would get better was all I needed to keep on keeping on.   Believe me when I say, you will need optimism to get through the first year of recovery.  Your hip will still be healing.  It will argue with you if you push it too hard and you will need to listen.  During those times when it aches a little more than you thought it might, you NEED to stay optimistic.  Give the hip some rest, and it will reward you and come back stronger.

This may sound too simplistic, but you can either approach it as Eeyore “Dang this hip hurts because I ran!  There is no way I can do that again!”, or you can look at it like Whinnie the Pooh “Oops pushed to hard … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

More and more people are finding the “Hip” Runners and wanting to join. We have 5 New Hip runner’s to add to the list.  I am pleased to welcome the following new Hip Runners:

Steve C – I had both hips replaced back in 08 and like many of the other post I was a avid runner myself. I loved running it was my heart and soul.  Since then things have not been the same I miss it so much. I told someone I would do all over again. I really want to start back it has been six years since my last replacement. What do you all think?

Maree – I have started up running again only over the last couple of months after getting fitter from joining a Bootcamp class. I love, love, love running, was just terrified of what it was going to do to my hip. When I had the surgery nearly 4 years ago now, of course the doctor said “no running”. But I couldn’t live with that, so I have been trying to research for years what would happen if I decided to take up running, and now I have just stumbled upon your website. Would love to part of what you guys do, even though I am many miles away!

Jen T  – After a full year of running through hip pain I finally went to an Orthopedic Surgeon. X-ray shows severe loss of joint space and bone spurs. Been a long distance runner for 27 years and the diagnosis hit me really hard. Although a triathlete, running is my first love. But when I saw your site it gave me hope that maybe I can run after I get it replaced!!

Margaret – I’m scheduled for THP replacement next week and reading different posts has really helped me feel better about the whole thing. I’m an ultra runner but came up limping last spring while training for a 100 miler. X rays show bone spurs and flattening in the joint. My surgeon said I would have much better function by summer if

In my 2013 Recap, I restated my goal of running under 1 hour and 25 minutes for a half marathon this year.   I am pretty close to ready to do it.  I ran a 14 miler with the SDP boys over this last weekend and my last mile was at 6:38 pace.  I would need an average of 6:30 pace to meet my goal time, but we weren’t racing either.  My first test was planned for this weekend – The Snake River Half Marathon.  I even committed as early as this morning to a post race lunch in Pullman with many of the runners who would be attending the race.  Then the unexpected happened.  I received my son’s basketball tournament schedule in an email.  All season long he has played games on Sundays.  I didn’t anticipate any conflicts as this race was going to be a Saturday day trip.  My gut ached when I read that his tournament takes place all day on Saturday with the championship game on Sunday.  But in terms of deciding which is more important,   it is a definite slam dunk….I am hitting my boy Tommy’s games.  No question.  He is only a 7th grader once. 🙂  I still have 2 more 1/2 marathons lined up for sure this year: 1) The Seattle Rock and Roll half marathon in June, and 2) The Missoula Half marathon in July.  I will be ready.

A long time friend of mine contacted me this last week.  Stan, or “Stan the Man” as I call him, is one of the toughest runners I know.  We have participated in the Hood to Coast relay on the same team several times.   He always willingly accepted the toughest legs of the relay without complaint.  Even so,  he would run faster than anyone on the team…..or darn near.  He is the kind of guy who believes in just “rubbing dirt in it”, when it hurts.  Never a complainer.  He knows how to reach down and dig deep when he needs to.  I am sure he has a high level of tolerance for pain.  … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Lets face it.  We have hip replacements so we have to be a bit more careful running in the snow.  Not a problem.  Some people go out and buy ice traction devices like “Yaktrax” to slip over their shoes so that they will have better footing on icy surfaces.  I went an alternative route.  I talked to several of my SDP running buddies about a method that they use that works.

Many of you probably have done this already…but for $2.00 you can convert your running shoes into studded tires.  All you need to do is go to the hardware store and purchase 40-50 sheet metal screws (short ones).  Then, drill/screw each of them into the base of your running shoes (you may want to use older shoes that are near the end of their running life).  The final product is something that works:

The Pacific Northwest was finally hit with the weather that the majority of the country has been getting.  This was ill timed as I had a 5k race to run this last weekend.  Luckily my new studded tires worked like a charm and the race went off without a hitch.

I haven’t welcomed new Hip Runners lately.  We have a bunch.  Welcome to the club gang!

Dan B -I’m 9 weeks out from having two new hips, after being a life long runner. Like most of you, I thought I would never run again. Your site has been a great inspiration.  My surgeon told me I could try to run after 6 months, so I am cross training like it is my job, waiting for time and the Maine winter to pass. Reading what others have experienced has been quite helpful.

Charles – I would like information on training to run a 400 m race after hip replacement

Tony S – In perusing the site up to this point, I’m drawing a ton of inspiration from you all! Thank you for being out there. Actually, “here,” I suppose Sharing your feelings, emotions, and experiences on the long, tough, road is awesome and motivational. Probably