I am 66 years old and have been running marathons/half marathons for 25 years...in Nov/18 I had a sudden onset of bilateral hip stiffness and was unable to get in and out of a car never mind run my half marathon scheduled for December/18. I am on tapering doses of prednisone and am now able to slowly walk 3 miles a day.............is it unrealistic of me to think I can recover to the extent that I will be able to resume running???
running and PMR???: I am 66 years old and have been... - PMRGCAuk
running and PMR???
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Bamboi
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I will repeat my other reply for completeness:
On your other comment you asked about getting back to running. You may find this man's story helpful:
healthunlocked.com/user/ski...
There are some ladies on the forums who have continued to play tennis!
Thank you so much PMRPro , you have been Brains again , and given the link to Skinny John and all of his post PMR achievements.
It really does inspire hope , especially for the PMR youthclub , that we can do all of the very active things we were before by getting to see posts like these.
Hugs , now we're are my running shoes ? 😋😁😂😂😂 ( If only!)
It’s quite a blow isn’t it? May I ask what dose you’re on and what it is that currently impedes you?
I initially started on 20 mg and have been tapering by 1 mg a week until I got to 9mg and then the internist has me reducing by 1 mg every 7 wks...so it seems to be a long process (for an impatient person such as myself...LOL)
It would be a great success story to read about on this forum in the future if you do get back to marathon running and I for one would love to read about it.
In terms of getting back to pre PMR abilities , I assume the level of fitness you will regain will have alot to do with how severe your original symptoms were, the length of time you have it , the length of time you are on steroids and if the whole PMR experience has caused you any additional issues because of the effect on your bones , muscle strength and nerve health.
Getting to the point that you are able to walk for 3 miles a day already is a great start and should fill you with optimism , although trying to run now is out of the question , as it could trigger the sort of flares which could cause you to need a longer recovery time or other injuries that would prevent running in the future.
As you know , running is a full body sport , the upper body and shoulders are worked hard in the process. As you also know as a Sportsperson , getting competition fit is a slow process, especially after any injury or illness, and involves alot of body preparation outside the actual practise of the sport itself.
With PMR the inactivity and mobility issues that are part of the illness itself mean your core and muscle strength are weakened well below the level for sustained sporting activity.
I was told by a sports therapist once that the recovery process time is about twice the time you have the illness or injury.
Building up all the muscles slowly before running or active sports is vital to getting you old fitness back.
Swimming is key to getting a full body workout to strengthen the shoulders and core body , building up your reps slowly after any long term injury or illness.
Adding in exercise classes that involve muscle toning without putting pressure on the joints like tai chi , then Pilates then months on muscle strengthening exercise classes , including some cycling or aquafit .
Then perhaps trying Nordic walking with poles ( not for stabilisation , but for the way it will help strengthen the core muscles in your shoulders and thighs required to run ) .
Do this on a level surface then graduate to short simple hill walks.
Then progress to power walking , but never the joint distressing exercise of leisure jogging , as a runner you know what I mean about the damage this does.
And always have rest days between longer exercise sessions or after bringing in new exercises to prevent taking two steps back from a flare of pain.
When the muscle strength has grown over time as you taper , eating the right protein and calcium rich foods to help rebuild collagen decreased and bone strength lost on steroids.
During the tapering process building in new exercise or more reps in your weeks when you don't taper and are stabilising your body will help.
Increasing your vitamin and mineral intake above those in normal recovery will also help , along with good hydration from mineral water or homemade isotonic drinks as PMR involves alot of inflammation so your fluid intake needs to be higher than before.
Making sure you have appropriate rest between exercise days will help too.
Heat therapy for the aches after a short burst of cooling gel or packs is better for the sort of muscle pain you will experience post PMR , rather than the old school cold therapy.
You may benefit from compression clothing to help stabilise and protect your joints when exercising all the time now , even more than before to prevent open knit movements that will cause flares of inflammation in the hips and shoulders and restrict your recovery.
Only after achieving muscle strength and high nutrition without flares or pain try some short runs then see if running long distance is still right for you. This is only likely to be achieved on the level you talk about long after your PMR has gone and you are Pred free , or at least stabilised at a low level with a return of adrenal function .
It's good you have started walking now , it may take a very long time to get back to a level of strength to be able to run again without incident.
Really hope you get back on the road , and please keep posting to us about your progress , what works for you best in your post PMR training growth may help lots of us too .
Onwards and upwards , bee x
Thank you so much for your detailed reply with many great suggestions..!!! I tend to get really impatient with myself. This came on SO suddenly, I mistakenly think it will be gone suddenly!!!LOL----patience patience patience and as I walk I am learning a lot from introspection....not checking my Garmin for time etc...................kind of enjoying really.
Yep , I keep saying the key to getting through this illness with your brain intact is learning Serenity.
You need patience with the PMR , People who don't understand why it's so bad , and most importantly patience with your self.
Coup!ed with the calmness you need to learn to make yourself think before you react , and count to ten and start again, to stop the stress of it all flaring up your symptoms.
One silver lining of PMR is you do learn amazing skills of Serenity .
We will all be much stronger people both physically and mentally by the end of it.
Like Yoda , not even an exploding planet will faze us .
But those thinking and relaxing skills will help with your running in the future too , inner calm is always good for sporting performance.
Keep us posted won't you !
I will certainly keep you posted!!! I have been using Deepak Chopra's STOP lately (stop, take three deep breaths, observe, proceed) and working with a fabulous group of ladies on postive affirmations.......who knows.........the mysteries of life and the 'gifts' we are given to help us grow stronger one day at a time.
thank you for your kind words!!
I was diagnosed October 2018, started on 15mg pred and am now on 6.5mg having gone down very slowly, with (touch wood) no flares. My onset coincided with the Australian Masters Squash Champs and I'd initially put the symptoms down to overtraining and the competition load over the two weeks (9 matches over 10 days). Pred gave me virtually instant relief and that has remained. I've been able to continue competitive squash since then with little problem. I suspect that being quite fit at onset has greatly aided capacity to return to exercise quickly. That said, I've also managed to recently mildly damage both hamstrings (sequentially, not both together) and I do wonder if that's been an effect of the pred on the muscles - it can't be that I'm coming up to 79!!
One of the "bad" things that pred does is numbs the muscle pain, so it is easy to overtrain and get hurt. Never the less, it is remarkable what you have accomplished. I think the key is pre-PMR fintness and also starting as soon as possible with training, so not much conditioning is lost.
The Pred could be responsible , as steroids do deplete collagen because of the drugs effect on your collagen receptors , and therefore does weaken tendons and ligaments like hamstrings even if you were physically active before or have managed to continue a sport as well as you have done.
It is amazing that you have managed to continue playing squash without the flares , as it is such a shoulder and hip intensive sport.
Just goes to show how individual the experience of PMR/ GCA is for all , and how unique each persons journey is .
The one thing I will say , in a Mummy way ! is that despite your fitness , the effect of Pred and PMR will mean that your hamstrings will take longer to repair than pre Pred , and you may need to spend more time on strengthening and toning exercises before intensive workouts to help prevent it happening again.
Wish I could play squash again , I am amazed. x
I was diagnosed with GCA/PMR in December 2012. Now, at the age of 72, I can do all levels of Jillian Michael's 25 minute '30 Day Shed' DVD and her 50 minute exercise programs, 'Banish Fat' (basically Cardio) and 'No More Trouble Zones' - basically strength though my Fitbit tells me I am in 'peak' exercise mode most of the time. I hate running so can't tell you about that but I should think that if I have got up to doing these Jillian MIchael's DVDs (not something I could have even attempted before I developed PMR when I was a total couch potato) and at my age then running the marathon again is entirely possible as long as you work up to it slowly. Just listen to you body - and your GP.
Hi Bamboi,
I like you did a lot of running and thought I had a virus infection, and like you, suddenly couldn't even turn over in bed at night. That was just over a year ago. I was dx with GCA in November last year.
Since original dx I have been slowly increasing my running. Like you I am 66. I have qualified as a running coach and every Thursday take out ladies who have never run, are overweight and don't have a lot of self esteem. It is wonderful to see them improve both emotionally and physically.
I accept that my marathon days are over but I enjoy my shorter, slower runs without any pressure to keep going.
As one of the other replies said, learn serenity and keep reading this forum, it's great xx
You are amazing , and so giving , it's great to see someone suffering with their own physical health condition helping others learn from the lessons they have learnt to get fit too.
It does really interest me , the differences in everybody's experience of PMR/ GCA and how unique the recovery process is for all too.
How well you improve doesn't always seem to have anything to do with age , or how physically fit you were before getting PMR ( although being active and having a healthy diet before getting PMR probably did help some people bounce back to fitness quicker) .
I am 48 , was very physically active and had to have a healthy diet because of other health issues .
That lifestyle had kept me going on a competitive levels for years with my other health problems. Even my artwork , as a land artist, involved many hours of full body work each day, rain or shine.
Yet adding GCA/ PMR into the mix seems to have become a slimey cherry on top of a cupcake that has landed icing side down.
I do think that the combo of PMR and the side effects of Pred on people who already had previous ongoing health issues is a key factor in how PMR ultimately affects are activity levels and abilities and how quickly we can recover , even more than age and previous lifestyles .
Seeing the stories of runners and exercisers in the 65+ age range is adding proof to the way I had been thinking .
It's great to hear the successes of some though , and it gives alot of hope to us for the future , even if we will take longer to get there .
I too woke up in agony in October last year and was diagnosed with Polymyalgia. I am 72 but very fit with a healthy diet I don’t smoke and I’m slim. I was prescribed 10mg of prednisone and the pain eased within a few days.
I became depressed as I had to give up badminton gardening and DIY. I decided to cut the meds to 5mg after six months, so far so good.
I wake in some pain but it eases after an hour or two.
I am now playing badminton again although not for as long I do get tired but considering my age I think I’m doing ok. There is light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
Good luck for the future
Even starting at 10mg, your doctor should have told you to try reducing 1mg at a time after the first month or so - if it doesn't work you go back but the aim is to find the lowest dose that works as well as the starting dose and it is rare for people not to be able to reduce at least some.
Me too!!! I ran a 10k the day before I was diagnosed. I’m two years in and struggling to walk. At first, I just kept running, trying to stay on top of it but eventually my breathing became a problem and I think the Pred has played havoc with my muscles. Don’t mention the weight gain.
I keep telling myself that I’ll get back to it. I miss it so much. I was a competitive rower too! 🙄
Hi Bamboi- I, too, used to run a lot, including marathons. And what I internalized from doing that is a ‘push yourself to keep going mindset. If absolutely necessary, ease off slightly, but keep going’. As a runner, bet you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m 69 and don’t run anymore, but moved to Florida on retirement and undertook making a very large tropical garden. My habits are this: drink coffee, then go out and sweat and work my arse off for 6 hours. Only then, as I tell my husband, have I justified my existence for the day!
So, yeah, PMR cramps those habits. They say PMR doesn’t do actual damage to the joints, but you know you’ve already got some in your hips from all that running. You should probably find some other outlet.
I’m down to 8mg prednisone, and able to rake, haul mulch etc. for a good 3 hours now but that’s it or I suffer. And I have to eat breakfast with my pills. Oink oink. Cannot wait to get rid of this appetite I’ve got.
Everybody is different of course, but I know that long-distance runners mindset, and know I’ve had to curb my enthusiasm.
Thanks joblow.. can totally relate to the mind set..as a longtime runner my schedule was always up early ..lots of coffee and then go for my run. In races my mantras were 'if the bone ain't showing
. Keep on going'..and 'if found on the ground..
Please drag over the finish line'
'Moderation' was definitely a swear word
PMR has literally stopped me in my tracks!.over the last 5 months I have had a lot of time to think about what kinds of activities really give me joy..and running races is not very high on my list!!
Go figure!!!
Ahh!! Remember those days , especially the thought about the bones .
Not a runner originally , but in my youth running was a big part of my training as a High Jumper .
Then running as part of Coaststeering and combo sport of swimming / running events
( couldn't do triathlon , do t like cycling!) .
It was very hard , even though my health had forced me to slow down and adapt over years before GCA/ PMR , it must have felt like hitting the worst sort of wall for it to arrive overnight. No time to accept it and mentally adjust.
I am just thinking if GCA/ PMR as a different sort of competition , putting the training mindset to alternative use. Using the old will power and positivity and urge to be the best I can and overcome to alternate use in coping with the illness .
After adjusting to the physical changes of the " New Normal" and accepting the need to be patient about getting the " Old Normal " back that willingness to follow a routine to get to peak fitness and the mental strength it creates has helped me not get as low as I could while still stuck in the starting blocks.
It's just now , my training involves becoming the best at balancing rest and activity , food and drugs , and ditching pushing myself to the edge for understanding that I have to become a tortoise to win this race instead of my usual Hare.
The short answer is yes you can. It is possible to regain pre-PMR fitness, but it takes maybe a year or so. I would suggest that you start as soon as possible with very gradual training that combines walking and light jogging. Over time extend the distance you run vsa walking and keep the speed at very light level ( similar to recovery runs) that you probably did after a race day.
I have logged training and progress for first couple of years in the post on different forum and you can check it out if you are interested.
patient.info/forums/discuss...
I used to do triathlons, but lately due to knee injury I only do biking and swimming. In those two sports my fitness level has completely recovered and I am able to do the same distance and times that I did before PMR.
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