Michael Montgomery Ironman ...

I had heard about Floyd Landis and his hip and checked out the Birmingham Hip Resurface based on his website. I selected my Dr based on location and the Smith Nephew website. I selected Dr. Jay Mabry, chief of orthopedics at Baylor University Medical Center.

I decide to have my surgery on the exact 1 year anniversary of Ironman Arizona (April 6 2007), which seemed to me like an equal task to undertake. I had already signed up for Ironman Florida which was scheduled for November 2007 and made it a point to tell the entire surgical team pre-opt to ‘get this one right so I can be iron again’

My post-op was uncomfortable, I was out of bed the next day and it hurt like crazy. Though I was going to be sick it hurt so badly. I have dealt with pain in my past but this was just not the same. I stayed in the hospital for 4 days and was moving pretty slow when I opted to head home and was only able to make it with the assistance my girlfriend, what a god-send she was. Walker and then crutches were to be my prison for the next two months… I don’t think so.

4/6 was the surgery, 4/19 I got my staples out of the wound and was begging to bike and swim… starting slowly at first. I got a limited ok from my Doctor and I was on the stationary biking 3 days later, but only for 15 min and I was gyrating all over the seat trying to keep to my 90 degree no bend rule. Swimming was a trick also because I was not able to bear any weight on my leg and had to crutch to the pool side, I used towels on the ground to keep from slipping on the deck and required help getting out.

5/17 I was cleared to walk with no assistance putting weight on my repaired leg so naturally on 5/18 I did my first outside ride of 15 miles! How wonderful! I adjusted my road bike with the help of my local bike shop to as comfortable position, being as upright as possible. The next day I rallied the troops (my riding buddies) and they took pity on me, lots of drafting and a slow pace but 50 miles later I was wonderfully hurting.

8/5 Sprint Triathlon – Preparing with lots of walking got me to 8/5, which was my first opportunity to really try out the new hip at River Cities Triathlon in Shreveport. Again with clearance to swim, bike and run I garnered 1:45 100’s, 21.2 mph bike for 18 miles and the slowest 5k run ever of 36:40 but I was the happiest finisher in the event, not a walk but a run. I was racing again.

9/22 Half Ironman - Fast progress over the next few months with lots of run/walking and long bikes, 6 rides over 100 miles and I was ready for a Half Ironman – 1.2 mile swim - 46:32 56 mile bike - 2hours :50min (19.8 average)

13.1 mile run - 3:22 run (15 min mile) – not a bad–and the new hip feels great. http://onlineraceresults.com/pdf/6608.pdf - we are a go for Ironman FL

11/3 - Ironman Florida –2.4 swim 1:07– 112 mile bike 5:45 (19.5 average) 7:44 marathon (17:45 min miles) – no hip issues at all and I am a happy guy. Must have had over 1000 people, participants and spectators walk beside me and quiz me about my shirt and hip.

11/18 – 9:57 min miles on a 15K that’s a new hip PR – every day is faster than yesterday.

Below is my Pos-Op Training log for Ironman Florida – Good luck

IMFLA Sched Final.xls

Michael Montgomery