I almost forgot that December 9th had marked the fourth anniversary of my second and (hopefully) final hip scope, on my right side.

The recovery over all has been long and arduous, but certainly worth it. I am so much better today than I was those four-plus years ago. (My left hip was scoped first — five months before my right side, in July 2011.) I am leading a very active and healthy life running long distances, cycling, rowing, hiking and lifting. Of course, I continue to do the PT exercises that jump-started my recovery in the first place, and I now know when I need to back off.

This month also marks the first anniversary of the new (and, again,  hopefully) improved Catching a Third Wind. This website started out as a cathartic blog chronologizing my journey from my initial diagnosis of femoral acetabular impingement (a.k.a. too much friction in the hip joint) through my arthroscopic surgeries, physical therapies, setbacks and triumphs.

I decided to revamp the site more than a year ago and turn it into a clearinghouse of information for fellow sufferers — passing along my knowledge and years of research.

I hope that whoever peruses the site and reads the continuing blog finds the material useful. Your comments and feedback are more than welcome.

Happy Holidays!

This was a race I loved to do before two labrum tears (the first in my left hip joint, the second in my right) sadly sidelined me for a couple of years. Just before and shortly after my two hip scopes (both back in 2011) I had wondered if I’d ever run in any meaningful way ever again.

My recovery was a slow one. I stuck with shorter distances early on and then very gradually advanced my mileage. Three weeks ago I comfortably ran a half marathon. Neither of these longer-distance races was terribly fast, mind you. (The last time I ran the Swamp Devil several years ago my average pace was sub-eight-minute miles.) But today I am just thrilled to be participating in the sport I adore.

If you or someone you know is struggling with hip impingement or in the midst of recovery, there is hope for many of us on the horizon. It just may take awhile.

Now I’m wondering: Could a full marathon be in my future?

I’ll keep you posted.

I finished a half marathon today — the Halloween Half in Morrristown, N.J., where participants were encouraged to run in costume and water stops included plenty of candy for the taking.

This was the first half marathon race, not to mention longest run, since my two arthroscopic surgeries (one on each hip) to fix hip impingement and labrum tears nearly four years ago.

What took me so long, you might ask. I guess I was fearful of re-injuring myself, and so I took an ultra-conservative approach to my workouts and training. (I couldn’t bear the thought of another setback, or worse, more surgery.)

By “conservative,” I mean running no more than three times a week, and never two days in a row, and varying my workouts with a lot of cross-training, like spinning and rowing classes, weight-lifting at the gym and hiking. Additionally, at least twice a week I would do all those stretching and core-strengthening exercises that I had learned in physical therapy before and after my hip scopes.

I’ve been wanting to do another half marathon for some time (my last one was two days before my wedding, in June 2007). My training approach was — you guessed it — conservative as well, building up slowly each week until I was able to run 10 miles comfortably and at a fairly brisk pace. I did one 10-mile run each week from late summer through the fall, and then upped the mileage so that when I reached 12 miles, it, too, felt comfortable.

My time in this half marathon wasn’t very fast, really. But I wasn’t trying to be fast. My goals for this race were rather modest: I wanted to finish (with a smile), I didn’t want to be last, and I wanted to avoid being caught by zombies along the course.

And because I can, thanks to my long, successful recovery from hip impingement.

I celebrated this glorious day with a brisk 3.5-mile run in my local park before heading off to work this morning. It was perfect running weather in Northern New Jersey, where I reside: sunny skies, no wind and around 55 degrees. A marathoner’s dream!

Today marks the seventh annual National Running Day; it’s held on the first Wednesday of every June. If they can have a National Doughnut Day (on June 5th) or a Banana Split Day (on Aug. 25th, my birthday), why not draw attention to something that keeps millions of people fit and sane.

A coalition of running groups, including the New York Road Runners, the Boston Athletic Association, and the U.S.A. Track and Field created this event, which features a slew of activities organized around the country by running clubs. You can learn more by checking out the Running Day site.

I was heartbroken when I had to give up running for awhile after injuring myself while training for the New York City marathon in the summer of 2011 (it would’ve been my 10th marathon), and then undergoing two arthroscopic hip surgeries to repair torn labrums caused by hip impingement, followed by months of much-needed physical therapy.

I am thrilled that I have returned to the sport that I adore, though not to the same extent as before my hip injuries. Instead of running every day, I now run just three days a week. Instead of seven- or eight-minute miles, I’m doing 10.  But it works for me, and for that I am grateful.

Happy Running Day!

Here’s to warmer, sunnier, dryer spring days ahead!

What that really meant was cutting back on running and focusing more on cross training and core strengthening, while still staying aerobically fit.

Not an easy task for someone who essentially adopted the U.S. Postal Service creed for her daily running regimen. (Neither rain, no snow, nor heat … You get the point!)

But I have since added, rather successfully and happily, spinning and cycling, along with yoga, Pilates and more weight training to my workout repertoire, while still managing to run around three times a week. And most important, remain healthy and injury-free.

Recently I added another activity to the mix: indoor rowing. (That’s me in the picture, in the last row, wearing a gray T shirt and ponytail.)

Wait, aren’t rowers the dusty old machines you’d find tucked away in the cardio section of your gym, behind the treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipiticals and steppers?

For years I ignored them. Too boring, I always thought. But I decided to give them a try when the cycling studio near my home decided to add rowing instructions, alongside its spinning, Pilates and yoga classes.  The first class was free — and nowhere near any body of water.

I was surprised by the intensity of the workout, but quite pleased with the relatively low impact it had on my joints. Rowing, I would soon learn, is also a calorie-burning behemoth and a great way to work the core. The abdominal muscles are engaged throughout the entire rowing motion, in addition to the shoulders, back, arms, glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps — that is, provided you are rowing in the proper position.

The American College of Sports Medicine puts out an excellent brochure that provides some detailed instructions on the proper technique.

One more thing: If you recently had a hip scope or are still struggling with hip impingement or other hip issues, it’s probably best to contact your doctor or physical therapist before starting to row, or embarking on any new activity, for that matter.

Let me offer these three useful words: Moderation. Variety. Vigilance.

Since my arthroscopic surgeries to repair pincer impingements and labrum tears in 2011 – the first in July, the second in December – I’ve had to modify my daily workouts. No longer do I run every day, nor do I engage in two or three consecutive workouts per day.

I tried reverting to my old ways, but then a built-in reminder clicks in: that achy feeling in the groin region – usually on my left side, the worst of the two hips – that tells me it’s time to seriously back off. This modest to moderate discomfort might be the result of irritated scar tissue, or even age. But whatever the reasons, I’ve accepted the unkind reality that I cannot exercise the same way I did before.

Do I miss working out like a maniac? Of course. But I haven’t turned into a slug, either. I’ll now run three days a week (Here’s the moderation part), with one long run every six or seven days, and mix in some spinning, cycling, weight lifting or rowing for cross training (Here’s the variety). I’ve also made a point of adding in once or twice a week core-strengthening exercises (The vigilance), including some Pilates, yoga and the great exercises learned in physical therapy. I found I am far less likely to get injured if my core is strong. In fact, when I do overdo it and I’m feeling bad afterward, a day or two of PT will usually turn things around rather quickly. A few of these exercises can be found here.

Here’s a more detailed look at a typical workout week:

SUNDAY: Long run, typically 7 to 10 miles

MONDAY: Weight-lifting and stretching at the gym

TUESDAY: Spin class

WEDNESDAY: Shorter run, typically 3 to 5 miles

THURSDAY: PT and Pilates mat exercises, with some yoga moves

FRIDAY: Shorter run, 3 to 5 miles

SATURDAY: Spin or rowing class

Here’s to a healthy and injury-free next 12 months! And thanks for reading.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The blog remains, of course, but the site has evolved into a full-fledged informational website on hip impingement, with frequently asked questions, resources, even core exercises.

As my condition has improved greatly, I found that I had less and less to write about in the blog, but I still wanted to keep the site going and try to help others in the process.

Catching a Third Wind has provided a lot of useful information, I think, since its inception more than three years ago. But it was hardly comprehensive, and over the years I’ve received a number of queries for even more information. And so this new, modified site was created with that in mind. I like to think of it as a clearinghouse of information.

So please look around and let me know what you think, either in the comments section here or via the new Contact page. If there’s something missing that you’d like to see, let me know.

Thanks again for reading.