I had mitral repair 1.5 yrs ago and have ongoing issues that make a return to regular training difficult (52yr old male). I thought my vasculature would adjust to the new heart faster, but my resting heart rate is 85bpm (standing 95bpm) and exertion quickly brings me to my max heart rate. I had been very fit my whole life, apart from the congenital valve problem, with a resting heart rate in the low 50s. So now I feel like I’m jogging all day. I swim in the mornings because by 6PM I am completely exhausted, and I really haven’t done that much.
It took me a little over a year to join a Masters swim team (I swam competitively for about 10 years); I had some post-surgery depression, working memory and cerebellum damage from the surgery, and scar pain that impeded training. I used to workout 3.5 hours/day (cycling/xc-skiing), but I don’t seem to get much of the exercise euphoria now – lost a lot of motivation. I think the remarkable thing is how long it takes to recover from a workout, more than 24 hrs...sometimes longer. The stress piles on top of itself, despite meditation, naps, a good diet with probiotics, chiropractic support, and acupuncture. I wake up unrested. I spend a lot of time with a foam roller, working my back and opening my chest. I need more electrolyte tabs than I used to (Hammer or Nuun, not sweet).
I wear ear-plugs and reflective goggles because I suddenly became severely sensitive to light and noise post-surgery. I’ve changed my stroke to engage the right pectoral less where my scar is; the scar keeps thickening without treatment (graston). I have been swimming as slow as possible, working on long relaxed exhales while trying to keep my heart rate under 150 (target: 120-130). When I hit 150 I force myself to skip a lap. When my face starts to screw up because of the stress, it is already past time to leave the pool. I typically only get thru 1,500m of a 3,000m workout 3-4 days/wk. The strategy is to do a lot of interval work, but not getting too mentally stressed, and over several months get my resting heart rate down, regain strength/flexibility and recondition my vasculature. I find the slow exhale and breathing less frequently while swimming decreases stress and allows me to train longer. I usually don’t leave the pool too physically tired, but I frequently struggle with the mental strain. I find I can loosen that knot with humor and meditation – something about how dopamine triggers vasodilation and reduces vascular inflammation. I can’t drink beer anymore; all I’ve got is a joke about this duck walking into a bar…
