Fast Mechanical Marathons Anyone?

[Boo I need a valve]

Hi all,

Anyone run a 3.5 hour or faster marathon on a mechanical valve and Coumadin?

I am having a AV replacement in about 1 week. I am leaning toward a mechanical valve, and with it, am hoping I can get my running life back on track.

One thing I stopped 5 years ago (when I was diagnosed) is marathoning. I would like to get back into it.

My surgeon says "no problem", while my Cardiologist warned me that its OK to do, but... there is a risk that on Coumadin I could build up blood in my joints during a race due to the repeating pounding. Although not fatal, if it happens, it will be very painful and require a few months of rehab.

I would assume this would have to do with pace and training?

Anyone have experience in this area?

Many thanks in advance,
Adrian

 

[MarkU]

Hmmm. Never heard the deal before about blood building up in the joints before.

I'm not a marathoner, but do triathlons (slowly. Okay swimming and biking, but a plodding runner).

My cardiologist supports my triathlon training, but has me monitor my heart rate closely. I was tested to determine my lactic threshold heart rate a couple of years ago. I do most of my training in Zone 2 (about 80% of my lactic threshold) for aerobic endurance. My doc doesn't like it when I spend too much time close to my max HR. I'm planning to do my first half-mary next March, but doing the Galloway run/walk plan to finish and am not worrying about my time. I'm definitely not in your league as a runner.

There are several marathoners here, hopefully some will add their specific insight.

Mark

 

[tprice54]

It's possible

It's possible

Just a few thoughts on your question. One, the surgery (if all goes well) should not stop your plans for a good marathon. I am six months post-op...training for Twin CIties marathon in October. It won't be fast (maybe sub 5:00). BUT, my first caution is, you are going to be a totally different person after sugery. NEVER compare yourself with before surgery. You can work towards new goals, but you are 5 years older than what you remember as a marathoner. Second, I am finally off all drugs except aspirin and a small ace inhibitor daily. Other drugs (Toprol) can keep your heart beat slow, and prevent you from training at a high level, but we take them for a reason, so we change out goals.

Marathoning can definelty be in your future.....

 

[67walkon]

Those "changed goals" suck! The surgeon tells me there will no restrictions on my activities, at least in a few months, and I'm hoping to be stronger on my road bike than I was before. We'll see!

John

 

[kodi]

Those "changed goals" suck! The surgeon tells me there will no restrictions on my activities, at least in a few months, and I'm hoping to be stronger on my road bike than I was before. We'll see!

John

You're very right, those changed goals suck but nonetheless, they change. I'm also training for a marathon on Oct. 6, it will be one year and one day post surgery. My slowest marathon ever was 4:50 and if I come close to that now, I'd be estatic. I have no restrictions on my activities either and your condition post surgery will certainly depend on your condition pre-surgery. What ever your goals are, I hope you achieve them, if you don't just be pleased that you are able to ride a bike.

 

[Boo I need a valve]

Thanks all

Thanks all

Thanks for the comments folks.

1 week, 2 days and counting down until I find out first hand.

In two weeks I'll just be happy to be alive, and will roll with the punches. If all goes will, I expect I'll be much stronger then I am today, and am hoping that I may even be stronger then I was 5 years ago (It was then that I had severe regurg.)

But in the end I just want to know what I should expect.

I think I will plan on NO goals and see what happens. Its only upside from here!

 

[kodi]

Thanks for the comments folks.

1 week, 2 days and counting down until I find out first hand.

In two weeks I'll just be happy to be alive, and will roll with the punches. If all goes will, I expect I'll be much stronger then I am today, and am hoping that I may even be stronger then I was 5 years ago (It was then that I had severe regurg.)

But in the end I just want to know what I should expect.

I think I will plan on NO goals and see what happens. Its only upside from here!

You gotta have goals, just make sure they are reasonable and easily attainable at first, like walking a mile without stopping. From there, then you adjust upside. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[SumoRunner]

I read some where that No mechanical valve could work past 180bpm

There's nothing mechanically that would prevent it. Way back when my valve was new, I recall having an email exchange with a guy who was an engineer for St Jude's and ran the life cycle testing on them. He said the way they determined they would last up to 30 years was by running them in a machine at 1000 cycles or more for a time that "simulated" 30 years of normal heart rates.

If there's a safety limit on the HR it must have something to do with the dynamics of the connection to the surrounding tissue.

 

[Philip]

My Carbomedics mechanical hits 170+ at least once weekly when doing interval workouts and has been over 180 once but only for a very brief period during a hard 200m after a 6 x 800m workout.

It seems that we all recover at different rates; Mark has a slow methodical approach that has worked very well for him, Kodi ran a half at 6 months post-op. Bill and others are out there training hard as well.

I was surprised at the slow pace of my athletic recovery and struggling just to get to the middle of the pack but am making slow but steady improvement.

PM me if you want to talk.

Philip

 

[Boo I need a valve]

Cardio Discussion

Cardio Discussion

Talked to my cardio today.

He said heart rate is not that accurate an indication of limits. Its easy to measure however, which drives its popularity.

Felt right to me. I have a buddy with all original equipment that runs in the "dead zone" for his age group every time he runs. He is still alive.

From the valve point of view, he was not aware of any published or statistically validated structural limits that I would be up against.

He did warn me again about really hard extended pounding (ie extended fast pavement running in dress shoes) while on coumadin - could lead to minor tissue bleeding, that could lead to joint pain. Weather I personally will experience this on the "soft" trail, with good shoes, there is no way to predict.

I think I will just take it one day at a time and see how I feel.

Adrian

 

[SumoRunner]

He said heart rate is not that accurate an indication of limits.

Well, not from his perspective. Measured from one person to another it's largely meaningless, but you're not measuring it vs anyone else. When you monitor it on yourself from day to day, week to week, it is a highly effective measurement. I know what mine should be under no training, low training and high training conditions. I also know what to expect after a hard workout, so that if it is too far out of expectations I'll know if I've over-trained and need more recovery time. So, he's right in that he can't give you guidelines, but he's wrong because with sufficient data points you can learn a lot from it.

 

[LLJ]

Hey Guys: Another morphed athleted here...2 years later and I finally feel like striking distance of respectable numbers in Duathlons. I say what's the rush? (Although I didn't say that 6 months after surgery when I did my first Duathlon return--VERY slowly) I have a friend who is not a valver but has a clotting issue which almost knocked him off the racing circuit (and life) last year. He is on coumadin now and continue to finish in the top 10% of athletes in well established triathlons. His joints are fine and he runs 7 min miles on any surface God has put down and he is over 40. Just one example--but everyone's different!
Good luck and we can't wait to see you on our valve-o-lines race team!
Laura

 

[Boo I need a valve]

Thanks

Thanks

Laura,

Thanks for the good news and case study.
You'll have to tell me about the valve-o-lines race team some time in the future. Sounds like fun.

For me right now - its about racing to the OR. Tommorow is Pre-op day, Wed is the real deal!

Unless something changes drastically, looks like I am still going mechanical.

Thanks agian all.