Running For Life

Giving back to the community was the driving force behind Jeff Woodruff’s journey to becoming a marathon runner, and it seems it will also be the reason he continues running, hopefully, for the rest of his life. Woodruff, also known as Woody, 50, recently underwent groundbreaking surgery to repair a damaged knee—a procedure that will almost certainly change the lives of athletes moving forward.

Every finish line Woodruff has crossed has been with one or both of his daughters by his side, cheering him on.

Years ago, while living in Albuquerque, NM, he began participating in charitable 5K events with philanthropy in mind, and he found the experience therapeutic. When he moved to Colorado Springs in 2010, trail running became a part of his life, and he has been hooked ever since. “The nature aspect of running on Colorado trails cannot be duplicated,” Woodruff says. “And there is therapy involved in getting out there with your colleagues. We all know each other. We high-five each other when we pass, and that just doesn’t happen anywhere else.”

Woodruff entered every marathon he could, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and satisfied his insatiable appetite for the sport with trail runs. However, the constant impact on his joints eventually caused damage, and in 2020, he was diagnosed with chondromalacia patellae, or “runner’s knee.”

A visit to Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group brought devastating news: a knee replacement would end his days of running, at the level he desired, for life. Unwilling to accept that outcome, Woodruff continued searching for options despite enduring chronic pain. Upon the recommendation of his doctors, he met with Dr. Jamie L. Friedman, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon specializing in complex knee and shoulder injuries and cartilage restoration. Dr. Friedman was familiar with a new surgery that provides a biological resurfacing of the damaged patella. This procedure, called an osteochondral allograft transplantation, involves replacing damaged cartilage with tissue from a deceased donor. Though Dr. Friedman had never performed the surgery before, she saw its potential.

Dr. Friedman credits this innovative procedure with giving athletes a second chance to remain active in their sports.

The decision was made to scope Woodruff’s knee and clean it up so he could make it through marathon season in 2021 before undergoing the surgery. Dr. Friedman practiced the procedure in a Denver lab to prepare for the real thing.

On November 16, 2021, a matching donor patella became available. Dr. Friedman called Woodruff, giving him just one hour to decide whether to move forward with the surgery. “There are certain specifications the donor patella has to meet, including being a perfect match in length, width, and depth,” Dr. Friedman explains. “It has to be pristine and healthy, and matches can take 8 to 12 weeks to find.”

Excited to be the first surgeon in Colorado to perform this surgery, Dr. Friedman admitted it was a nerve-wracking experience. “My patients trust me, so I invested a lot of time into this and took my time performing the surgery,” she says. “The operating room is a place for execution, not surprises. My job was to ensure Woody could continue being active.”

Now in recovery, Woodruff is allowing his bones to heal for eight weeks before starting physical therapy. He remains optimistic about his future. “I don’t necessarily want to run the Boston Marathon, but I do want to be an inspiration—the old guy in the race that people stop and say, ‘I want to be like you,’” he says. “And I’m also demonstrating to my daughters that they can become anything they want and overcome pain and adversity if they put their minds to it.”

Dr. Friedman notes that this procedure is an excellent option for younger athletes who don’t want to give up their sport. “This is huge for runners, who are often drawn to the sport not just for the physical benefits but also for the mental and emotional aspects,” she says. “This really opens the door for athletes in Colorado who are motivated to keep going. We will definitely get them more miles on their tires.”

Woodruff has a personal goal to hike up and run down all 58 of Colorado’s 14ers, but his philanthropic nature is focused on sharing this surgery as an option for others. “We’re opening the door for the large community of runners in Colorado who can now consider this as an alternative to knee replacement,” he says. “By writing this book, we can offer a solution so athletes can maintain their level of activity, and that’s a big deal to me.”