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MikeL
Post op performance
Post op performance
I've been intrigued by this thread even though I've never been a competitive runner. I've enjoyed running 10Ks especially the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, which I ran the last 8 years in a row. I'll miss it this year, mostly because I moved out to California. OK, I guess valve surgery got in the way also. But I could have at least walked it.
Last summer I increased my milage to 30 to 40 miles a week and then ran the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving day. I also lost about 35 pounds last summer. Little did I know, all that work probably put me in good shape to bounce back from valve replacement surgery this past February.
I've never been a fast runner. My Marathon time was 4hrs, 58 minutes. My 10K times were around 60 minutes. But I was fortunate to be running 20 miles a week averaging a 10:30 training pace right up to the week before surgery. One week before surgery I ran a 4 miler at about a 9:42 pace, which is good for me.
Last week I ran a 3 miler in 33 minutes and felt great. Today, almost 4 months after surgery, I just did my first 4 mile run and did it in 46 minutes. I'm very hopeful that distance and pace will improve over the next few months.
It's hard - as in downright depressing - right after surgery because nothing compares with the way things were before. I remember my painfully slow walk in the first week post op. I barely made it to the mail box and back and then had to lie down the rest of the afternoon. But the good news is that life begins again after surgery. Measureable progress post op has been proportionally greater than any training program I have ever attempted before. So even though at 51 I have to face the inevitable slowing with age, I guess I'm just happy that thanks to my surgeon and a great little piece of hardware clicking in my chest, the days of getting better are not completely gone.
Post op performance
I've been intrigued by this thread even though I've never been a competitive runner. I've enjoyed running 10Ks especially the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, which I ran the last 8 years in a row. I'll miss it this year, mostly because I moved out to California. OK, I guess valve surgery got in the way also. But I could have at least walked it.
Last summer I increased my milage to 30 to 40 miles a week and then ran the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving day. I also lost about 35 pounds last summer. Little did I know, all that work probably put me in good shape to bounce back from valve replacement surgery this past February.
I've never been a fast runner. My Marathon time was 4hrs, 58 minutes. My 10K times were around 60 minutes. But I was fortunate to be running 20 miles a week averaging a 10:30 training pace right up to the week before surgery. One week before surgery I ran a 4 miler at about a 9:42 pace, which is good for me.
Last week I ran a 3 miler in 33 minutes and felt great. Today, almost 4 months after surgery, I just did my first 4 mile run and did it in 46 minutes. I'm very hopeful that distance and pace will improve over the next few months.
It's hard - as in downright depressing - right after surgery because nothing compares with the way things were before. I remember my painfully slow walk in the first week post op. I barely made it to the mail box and back and then had to lie down the rest of the afternoon. But the good news is that life begins again after surgery. Measureable progress post op has been proportionally greater than any training program I have ever attempted before. So even though at 51 I have to face the inevitable slowing with age, I guess I'm just happy that thanks to my surgeon and a great little piece of hardware clicking in my chest, the days of getting better are not completely gone.
MikeL said:
Mike, I think you can have a reasonable expectation of getting better over the next few months. It often takes a year to fully recover from the surgery, so that alone probably means you have some more improvements to look forward to. Maybe some heart function improvements on top of that will give you some additional horsepower.
From your post, it sounds like you will have no problem returning to your pre-op running mileage and performance.
Hang in there.
MarkU
Well-known member
Just to chip in with some random thoughts based on my`own experiences:
- It took me the best part of a year to completely recover from the trauma of my AVR surgery.
- I was not a runner prior to my surgery, and certainly don't have a runner's physique.
- When I started training for triathlons acouple of years ago, I was doing 15 min miles. I bought a heart rate monitor and started doing doing base training in Zone 2 - approx 75% of my max HR. After a year of training this way, I'm averaging 11:30 -12:00 per mile, still staying in Zone 2. I do some tempo runs occasionally, but have not done any speed work per se. (My coach said I needed a solid year of base training under my belt before even considering any speed work).
- While I'm still relatively slow, I'm happy with my progress - it just takes a long time for endurance training to take effect. I see my biggest limiter as my weight/diet. I need to lose 20 lbs. and haven't been as disicplined as I need to be with my diet. That is my major challenge going forward.
- My primary objective with my triathlon training is the health benefit and the challenge of competing against myself. I have no illusions about ever being truly competitive, but enjoy training and competing. Training for races is a great way to instill focus and disicpline in your workouts. Even at age 53, I think I still I have lots of room for improvement.
Mark
- It took me the best part of a year to completely recover from the trauma of my AVR surgery.
- I was not a runner prior to my surgery, and certainly don't have a runner's physique.
- When I started training for triathlons acouple of years ago, I was doing 15 min miles. I bought a heart rate monitor and started doing doing base training in Zone 2 - approx 75% of my max HR. After a year of training this way, I'm averaging 11:30 -12:00 per mile, still staying in Zone 2. I do some tempo runs occasionally, but have not done any speed work per se. (My coach said I needed a solid year of base training under my belt before even considering any speed work).
- While I'm still relatively slow, I'm happy with my progress - it just takes a long time for endurance training to take effect. I see my biggest limiter as my weight/diet. I need to lose 20 lbs. and haven't been as disicplined as I need to be with my diet. That is my major challenge going forward.
- My primary objective with my triathlon training is the health benefit and the challenge of competing against myself. I have no illusions about ever being truly competitive, but enjoy training and competing. Training for races is a great way to instill focus and disicpline in your workouts. Even at age 53, I think I still I have lots of room for improvement.
Mark
mtkayak
Well-known member
I'm impressed with everybody on here. The average normal person with no heart condition barely gets up off the couch to turn the channel on the T.V. It's great that everybody is active.
I'm not a runner or jogger but I do jog quite a bit to stay in shape. I usually try to get in 3-5 miles a day, five days a week. I'm usually a 12:00 mile
but that works for me. My true love is whitewater kayaking. Anyway, I'm 13 weeks Post Op and I'm almost back to where I was Pre Op. I'm hoping I will be completely there by next week. Yes, next week. I'm up to 4 miles an hour and still have plenty of breath. I will go for the 5 miles an hour next week and the 12:00 mile. I hope to lower that this year to a 9 minute mile which will be my best ever.
You guys are an inspiration to all You've inspired me!
I'm not a runner or jogger but I do jog quite a bit to stay in shape. I usually try to get in 3-5 miles a day, five days a week. I'm usually a 12:00 mile
but that works for me. My true love is whitewater kayaking. Anyway, I'm 13 weeks Post Op and I'm almost back to where I was Pre Op. I'm hoping I will be completely there by next week. Yes, next week. I'm up to 4 miles an hour and still have plenty of breath. I will go for the 5 miles an hour next week and the 12:00 mile. I hope to lower that this year to a 9 minute mile which will be my best ever.You guys are an inspiration to all
You've inspired me!
S
stormrev
Continuing to improve...
Continuing to improve...
Hi all
I reckon that we can continue to improve well after the 12 months which is often postulated, with some provisos.
It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that a reconditioned engine (i.e. 2 new valves and associated tubing!) has some different characteristics form the original power plant. It's not quite as efficient and does not produce nearly the horsepower of the original! Bottom line is learning to live with these new restrictions...
Despite my efforts to reproduce performances/training etc from pre-surgery days, I think that the changed characteristics/consequences/ejection fractions etc mean a new regime. I don't believe I can expect to get back to fitnss/performance levels of 8-10 years ago where I could run 10 miles at close to 6 min pace. Initially I thought this was purely due to fitness/ageing factors, but now believe that I need to adopt a new way of looking.
I still struggle with the deeply etched memories of nearly 30 years of competitive sport. Not so much with regret, but with a nostalgic longing for the freedom and ease of those earlier years of running etc. Part of getting older , I guesshttp://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
I'm still enjoying the athletics and doing the sprints - being anaerobic cardiac efficiency is not so important! Once I get beyond 2-300 metres, I struggle with what I think is basic cardiac output issues - not enough oxygen supply for high demand anaerobic threshold stuff. Still, I've not given up hope of continued improvement as the Winter (down under!) continues and I can get back to a few more longer runs and perhaps re-build some stamina.
Love ya
Grant
Continuing to improve...
Hi all
I reckon that we can continue to improve well after the 12 months which is often postulated, with some provisos.
It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that a reconditioned engine (i.e. 2 new valves and associated tubing!) has some different characteristics form the original power plant. It's not quite as efficient and does not produce nearly the horsepower of the original! Bottom line is learning to live with these new restrictions...
Despite my efforts to reproduce performances/training etc from pre-surgery days, I think that the changed characteristics/consequences/ejection fractions etc mean a new regime. I don't believe I can expect to get back to fitnss/performance levels of 8-10 years ago where I could run 10 miles at close to 6 min pace. Initially I thought this was purely due to fitness/ageing factors, but now believe that I need to adopt a new way of looking.
- Any new accomplishment comes under a post-operative achievement
- As with the Masters athletics, every subsequent year presents a new possibility for PR's with subsequent new goals.
- At a deeper level I'm grateful to God to be alive and still be active
I still struggle with the deeply etched memories of nearly 30 years of competitive sport. Not so much with regret, but with a nostalgic longing for the freedom and ease of those earlier years of running etc. Part of getting older , I guesshttp://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
I'm still enjoying the athletics and doing the sprints - being anaerobic cardiac efficiency is not so important! Once I get beyond 2-300 metres, I struggle with what I think is basic cardiac output issues - not enough oxygen supply for high demand anaerobic threshold stuff. Still, I've not given up hope of continued improvement as the Winter (down under!) continues and I can get back to a few more longer runs and perhaps re-build some stamina.
Love ya
Grant
S
Sir Reel
I agree with the perception that the surgery takes a lot out of you physically and the alien valve may not work as well, but are you guys on any meds that could have an effect? I am on blood pressure meds (lisinopril and coreg) and feel that those have a material effect on my physiology. The coreg (beta blocker) clearly suppresses my heart rate (10-15%), which presumably has an effect on athletic performance. I feel the lisinopril makes it harder to lose weight/easier to put weight on. The cardios don't acknowledge the meds have much effect. Any thoughts?
M
MikeL
meds
meds
I'm also very interested in this issue. I suspect that meds, especially beta blockers have some kind of effect on running and other strenuous activities. I'd very much like to have an expert opinion on this. When I first started running three months post op, it felt like my heart had a governor on it. That sensation seems to be subsiding however so I don't know if it's the result of the meds or not. I will certainly ask my cardiologist and surgeon about it.
meds
I'm also very interested in this issue. I suspect that meds, especially beta blockers have some kind of effect on running and other strenuous activities. I'd very much like to have an expert opinion on this. When I first started running three months post op, it felt like my heart had a governor on it. That sensation seems to be subsiding however so I don't know if it's the result of the meds or not. I will certainly ask my cardiologist and surgeon about it.
MarkU
Well-known member
Sir Reel said:
No meds for me (other than Coumadin). I have no problem running slowly on my own without medication...
Mark
MikeHeim
Well-known member
MikeL said:
I felt the same way, so I asked my Cardio about it at my six-month checkup. He said that the beta-blockers can have a negative effect on endurance. It certainly makes sense since a heart that is drugged into beating slower can't move nearly as much oxygen around the body. I then pressed him to reduce mine, and he did (75mg twice per day to 50mg twice per day). Hopefully at the next checkup I can drop even further.
I go back and forth trying to decide if the drop has made much of a difference. I ran about 5.5 miles on Sunday, and actually felt good the entire time, which is the first time I can say that I felt good while running a moderate distance. Of course, it could also all be physcological...
M
msiwik
Running Post-Surgery
Running Post-Surgery
Running Post-Surgery
stormrev said:
D
Der Biermeister
Buzz Lanning said:
Buzz - the 13,000 number caught my attention because that is the approximate distance I walked between the years of 1992 and 2004. I was a walking fiend, doing 4 miles a day for no worse than 6 days a week for all of that period EXCEPT for an interlude of several years after blowing my knee out, suffering with it for a 1 1/2 years, and then finally having a total knee replacement. I am now 63 and back walking the 4/day after AVR 9 weeks ago. I am not yet back to my best pace (13.5 min mile). but if I push myself, I can do a 15 min mile. Never a jogger or runner and probably never will be. But I just wanted to mention that I too have been "half way around the world!"
