Quick update. I am up to 3.5 hours on the fells now and targeting Jura in May! Hip itself no problem, just the fitness is proving a bit elusive!
Quick update. I am up to 3.5 hours on the fells now and targeting Jura in May! Hip itself no problem, just the fitness is proving a bit elusive!
Wow! Amazing, well done to you. Very inspirational :-)Originally Posted by Richard Unwin
Yes, well done Richard 👍🏼
Update. Replacement hip still going fine after 5 years of fell running. Still capable of 5-6 hours on typical Lake District terrain and run 2-3 times a week on fells with remaining days on road. Distances from 3 mile aggressive burn-out to 25 miles steady endurance. Only difference the hip replacement has made is no longer indulge in manic descents. Partially due to not rolling/bouncing so well (68 now) and a 'back of the mind gremlin' telling me to preserve the joint.
That's great news Richard, and very inspiring/encouraging to others who may be approaching a similar situation. 5 years shows it wasn't a crazy decision, and 5-6 hours is impressive.
Seriously impressed.
When I had my operation I was fortunate to be referred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham (whom I would strongly recommend should you need this type of surgery, as they really knew what they were doing).
Whilst they were able to fix my congenital pelvis dysplasia, they could only do so with metalwork which meant my hip had to be re-surfaced. I was told, by an experienced consultant, that this would last 20 years but could only be replaced, (in what I believe they call a revision), once. The revision, I was told, would last 10 years and then I would be in a wheelchair. I'd just had my 54th birthday at the time.
Back then I only knew two people who had returned to running after hip surgery, (both total replacements), and both of them had worn out their replacements within 3 years and were back on the operating table. Being someone with a rather direct approach, during my hospital visits I asked three experienced consultants, (each on their own), if they were in my position would they run again. All three said "No", without the slightest hesitation or deliberation.
My mate Paul, has had a hip replaced and is running as fast as he used to before. He beat me by 10 minutes in a 10 mile trail race yesterday, and had done a parkrun before it.
For some time I've been inspired by stories on this thread as my surgery date approached. I had both hips replaced last week. Similar materials - ceramic and titanium - although my surgeon advised getting custom implants; they are more expensive but should give a better outcome for future activities and I needed a CT scan to get the measurements for the precision manufacturing. It will be some time before I'm running, let alone walking again, but I'll give it my best.
Good luck with your recovery Mark. Presumably your surgeon knew about your intentions to run again prior to surgery - what were his thoughts?
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