A new kind of athlete

Well, here I am, about 9 months after hip surgery, and things seem to be finally improving. When it does flare up, it's only for a day or so, and not nearly as bad as before. Definitely moving forward, but I'm still not really riding my bike.

There's a reason for that. I secretly promised myself that I wouldn't start training for any specific sport until I can do normal recreational activities without any issues. This includes running. Now that my body is back in alignment and I seem to be functioning in a normal movement pattern, running seems like it would be ok. In fact, it seems like it would be better than cycling because I am upright when I run, so it doesn't stress my back and cause any referred posterior hip pain.

The other reason is that I just haven't really felt like riding my bike. I've been riding a little bit here and there without much issue, but I certainly don't have any desire to start serious training anytime soon. After being injured for over a year, I just want to enjoy exercising for awhile. The problem is that every time I get on my bike, I instantly think about all the training I could do. Bad. Bad. Bad. I also have a pretty daunting quarter ahead of me, during which training will be difficult.

Anyway, today I was feeling daring, so I did 5x[9 min walk, 1 min run] and it actually felt pretty darn good. I have a theory that running is going to help me more than cycling, but for now it's just a theory. Part of my hip issue all along, in addition to the anterior labral tear, was an issue with the posterior capsule. My hip wasn't sitting right in the capsule, which inhibits my glutes and screws up the way I move. Often at PT and massage, they push my leg into my hip joint to help it sit better in the joint. Running happens to be a similar motion, where with each heel strike, the impact pushes my leg into the joint. I was able to do my walk/run workout without any anterior or posterior pain. We'll see if it flares up tomorrow, just in time for a 10 hour plane ride, but I don't think it will be that bad.

It's been awhile since I've been able to exercise without really thinking about my hip. There are many things that I miss about training and racing, which include:

-Fresh air

-Riding my bike really, really hard

-Running really, really hard

-Competing in triathlons when I'm only somewhat prepared

-The solo creep (long solo workouts)

-Trail running

-Breath control so it doesn't look like I'm going really, really hard

-Lifting weights and feeling strong

-That comfortable tired feeling after a long workout

So for the next few months, I'm going to focus on these things. No watts. No speed. No regimented plan. A watch only as a rehab tool. Just breathing.