Hip Surgery Was My Only Option

by Antonio Vega on October 17, 2011

It's been a rough month for me. The hip pain which has plagued me all year never fully went away and just when I started to get back into it and increase my mileage, it returned with unwavering vengeance. I was determined to get back into racing shape, but the same hip and groin pain I've been dealing with finally forced me to consult with doctors.  After visiting with a couple of specialists and reviewing an MRI, the final conclusion was the root cause of all my problems was a torn labrum in my hip.

Unfortunately, a torn labrum does not heal easily or quickly and and my best option was surgery. In early October,  I underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn labrum.

The recovery time for this type of surgery varies, but hopefully I'll have luck on my side and recover quickly. But for right now,  I am walking around on crutches. Staying in shape? All I can do is work the arm bike at my gym, while doing the New York Times Cross Word puzzle.

It's been hard, but but I am trying to remain optimistic. Everyone asks me about whether I'll be at the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston in January, but I'm hesitant to answer because I most likely won’t be in the best shape. Still, I'm still hoping I can run.

Needless to say, this has been the most challenging year of my running career. Even so,  I am no less determined to achieving my goals. As I spend the next couple of months peddling away on the hand cycle, I know that all this hard work will not be in vain.

Once I recover from this hip injury and get back on the roads,  I know I can still have have a long and successful running career.