I set my running baseline

[Guest]

My husband and I ran together this a.m., nice temp, windy, no rain, though I was a bit slow, I ran 2.5 miles, non-stop and it felt great. We finished in 29 minutes, pace about 11.5 minute miles. My husband runs a lot faster than I do (for now ) so he ran a couple loops behind me to keep his own pace, and keep his calves from hurting, a slow pace does that to him.

My heart rate averaged 167, the highest was at the end just before a little hill, 177, we walked up that little hill until it dropped to 140s, then ran the rest of the way home. My heart rate recovers quickly and that's a good sign. No PVCs or palps during rest so far this afternoon.

Starting next weekend, our training begins for Army 10-Miler in October. We'll need to run every weekend and ease into 5 days a week. I have cardiac rehab tomorrow, (M-W-F) 7 minute interval week, that will give me 5 days if I run next Saturday. I will see how I feel Saturday morning and decide if a day of rest is in order. Cardiac Rehab will be finished in 4 more weeks.

I know 2.5 miles is not a lot to most runners, it's not to me actually, but I'm pleased with it considering I'm not quite 4 months OHS post op.

I'll use this thread to show my progress over the next several months as a way to provide encouragement to others who want to run after OHS.

Tom, I guess this baseline is my first POPB.

 

[tprice54]

Hooray!

Hooray!

2.5 miles non-stop! GREAT! You are on your way! Keep up the good work....just remember there will most likely be some days with set backs. Listen to your body and take time off when necessary...it will actually make your training better in the long run. YOU GO GIRL!

 

[BillCobit]

Good job, Louise!

I agree with what Tom said - some days will be better than others, so take it easy when you need to and don't get discouraged. What worked for me was focusing on duration of exercise and keeping my heart rate in a comfortable zone; I didn't worry about pace (much) for the first several months.

Good luck with your training.

 

[SumoRunner]

My husband runs a lot faster than I do (for now ) so he ran a couple loops behind me to keep his own pace, and keep his calves from hurting, a slow pace does that to him.

Ah yes, I have another anecdote about that. In 1992 a little over a year after OHS, I signed up for a 15K race that I had done at least 10 times prior to AVR. My wife was worried that I was overdoing it by going all the way back to longer distances and she conspired with a good friend to join me at the race. They didn't admit it until much later but his job was to stick with me through the whole race and be my guardian angel in case I failed.

The trouble was and I told him so before that race began, he was too fast to run my pace. I was going to cruise at about 10 minutes per mile and he was capable of running it at an 8 minute pace. We ran elbow to elbow until about 7 miles when he started to struggle mightily. The slow pace was killing his calves. I told him the cure was to pick up the pace and take it on in the last couple miles at his natural pace which he did.

On the drive home I was feeling really chipper for having returned to distance racing in only a year but he was in obvious pain. He never ran it with me again.

 

[MikeHeim]

2.5 miles at a little over three months post-op is nothing to be ashamed of at all. Keep it up!

 

[kman]

Please keep up the posting,your experience and all the advice is very helpfull to me. Im a little over four months and Im struggleing along, jogging slowly every other day sometimes 3 miles and feeling great and sometimes less than a mile and feel like......... but all in all Im pleased to discover I have more energy overall and seem to get less winded on the hills than I did before the surgery.
Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Guest]

Please keep up the posting,your experience and all the advice is very helpfull to me. Im a little over four months and Im struggleing along, jogging slowly every other day sometimes 3 miles and feeling great and sometimes less than a mile and feel like......... but all in all Im pleased to discover I have more energy overall and seem to get less winded on the hills than I did before the surgery. Thanks for the inspiration.

We went for our run this a.m., 40s, no wind, same route, 25 minutes, and I ran up that little hill this week. Bill, I tend to focus on distance rather than duration, and how my legs and breathing feel, my pace can be all over the place sometimes, today was 10 minute miles. I like to run when it's cold rather than hot, in the mornings rather than the afternoon.

How I feel this coming week will determine if I overdid it. My 7 min intervals went ok this week too. Next week 8. Total distance for the week approximately 11 miles. I use Bob Glover's 'The New Competitive Runner's Handbook' for my training.

Kman, are you doing any leg strengthening exercises? I'm up to 30 lb leg lifts at rehab and I know that is why my legs feel good during runs. I'll miss the nautilus equip when cardiac rehab is over. I don't want to buy one for myself as I know it will grow old at home and then collect lots of dust. Besides, I'll be pushing the lawn mower every week with spring finally here, and I get a great leg workout from that. My neighbor kept trying to give me his self propelled mower as he now has a riding one. I told him I need the workout. I asked him if he'd let me drive that bad boy and he looked at me kind of funny. I'm guessing that meant no.

Overall, a good run today.

 

[Guest]

Alrighty then, I'm up to 3.5 miles. Ran 3.5 last Saturday, 3 at rehab MW, 3 at home on Friday after work (5:30 p.m.), and then another 3.5 this morning (9:00 a.m.). I'm averaging 10 minute miles at home with small uprades in my route and 2 hills. My plan is to add a 5th day of running to build on the endurance, then after about a month, add the 6th day. By May, I hope to be at 6 days a week, 4 miles each outing, 24 miles a week. By end of July, early August build on speed and increase to 30 miles a week. Long runs will be added as my endurance improves.

I have 5 visits left at cardiac rehab, I'm ready to bail on that now, running on a treadmill is nothing compared to the real road.

Army 10 Miler opens for registration April 1st, at 12:01 a.m. I will see if I can register, after that, no turning back!

 

[BillCobit]

Sounds like you are doing quite well, Louise. I also bailed from my rehab early, with the endorsement of my rehab nurse. Best wishes for your continued recovery. I predict you will handle the 10-miler quite well.

 

[tprice54]

On your way

On your way

Sounds like you are bouncing back! Good luck on the entry for the Army 10 miler. Let us know how you do!

 

[Guest]

Progressing well @ 5months post op

Progressing well @ 5months post op

It's been 4 weeks since my last post. My husband and I are registered for Army 10-Miler, hotel reservations are complete, all I need to do now is arrange airline travel. Not sure if we'll throw in visiting family beforehand as DC is a 4 hour drive from our families homes in PA. In '96, we flew into PA, visited for 2 days, drove down for Marine Corp Marathon, drove back to visit family another 2 days, then flew back to Texas.

During the week, I run after work with temps starting to get into the 80s. On the weekends, I run in the morning by 9:00 a.m. This morning, the temp was 51, NO WIND, and I felt strong throughout my run. I'm marking my progress three ways: distance, heartrate, and time.

Distance: I started training on March 2nd, 2.5 miles, today, April 20, I ran my first 4 miles. No breathing or heart problems. The first mile is slow, then pick up the pace. My history has been the first mile being the hardest, once I settle into my pace, it's the distance scheduled for the day. I was having some issues with my iliotibial (IT) band, left leg, that is improving with added stretching and muscle strengthening.

Heartrate: My heart rate is getting better also. In the beginning, it would go up to 177, I'd have to back off my pace and average around 167. At this point in my training, my heartrate has been staying between 165 and 172. I'm not sure but I think it's the little upgrades in my path because I check my heart rate at certain points in my route and it goes up a couple beats on the upgrades and settles back at 167 and 168 on level parts of the route. Overall average heart rate is steady at 167. The last hill heading home is usually where my heart rate increases the most.

Time: When I started at 2.5, my time was 11.5 minute miles, at 3.5, my time was 10 minute miles, sometimes a little under 10. Today at 4 miles, my time was 9.625 minute miles. This was a total pleasant surprise.

 

[llewis34]

Great job on progress!

Great job on progress!

Great job! I am one year out and also had a blown knee at 6 months post OHS! So I will never be quick as my joints won't allow it. I now am happy to do the walk/job thing.

We did out 10 miler today....48 degrees, cloudy, only a slight breeze every now and then. It was a perfect day for it! We've done probably 10 races since February in prep for our 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks.

It feels great to be back at it! I didn't realize how much I would miss it.

Keep up the great work!

Lisa

 

[kman]

Louise,
I just now saw your post suggesting leg strengthening exercises,I have been doing seated press and calf raises which seem to be helping. I ran four miles this morning on a trail in the Santa Cruz mountains and it was magical, I will never run competitively and I dont really care what my times are, Im just so gratefull that I can get out there and do it. Thanks for being an inspiration.
Keep up the posts Keith

 

[Guest]

Long runs every weekend, increase distance every 2 wks

Long runs every weekend, increase distance every 2 wks

The long runs begin today. This morning was cool, windy (6mph gusts to 21 mph per weather site), but overall comfortable. I started out the door in shorts, went back in and changed into leggings.

I ran solo today, 5 miles, easy pace, time 49:08. Will increase to 6 miles in 2 weeks as long as I feel ok. I need to find a route, out and back for 10 miles....Spartangator, if you are reading my thread, do you know the distance around Lady Bird Lake? You can PM me if you like and if you know of any other areas where I don't have to worry about cars and dogs. The other day there was a German Shepard loose, good thing he was friendly and my husband was with me. I just may have to buy some mace to carry with me when I go solo.

Last weekend, we put my heart rate monitor on my husband for a test. I wanted to see how far off my heart rate was from his during exercise and to test a non-operated heart against mine. I know men's hearts and rates are different from women but the curiosity got the best of me. My husband's heart rate during exercise is about 8 to 10 beats a minute slower than mine. His resting heart rate is 40, mine is 60. My running is getting better and better!

 

[ctyguy]

Great to read your thread Louise. I wasn't much of a runner prior to surgery because I struggled and had chest pain which I attributed to everything BUT a heart issue. Now that I've got my AVR behind me Im starting to run again and to my suprise I can actually do it without pain ! woo hoo ! So Im running my first 5k at the end of the month, then a few 10k runs through the fall and finally I want to run a 1/2 marathon next April. I've also got an On-X valve and so far its been everything I could have hoped for.

Keep up the good work and posts, its motivation to everyone who reads it !

 

[Guest]

I wasn't much of a runner prior to surgery because I struggled and had chest pain which I attributed to everything BUT a heart issue. Now that I've got my AVR behind me Im starting to run again and to my suprise I can actually do it without pain ! woo hoo ! So Im running my first 5k at the end of the month, then a few 10k runs through the fall and finally I want to run a 1/2 marathon next April. I've also got an On-X valve and so far its been everything I could have hoped for.

Hey Ctyguy, I've been reading your threads as well, anything to do with running, I'm on it. I have not run seriously in over 2 years, I also attributed my issues to other things rather than my neck and my heart. The sad part is I listened to doctors who said my symptoms were everything other than my neck and my heart. It wasn't until my move to Austin, a new family physician, a great neurosurgeon, a great cardiologist, and 2 'best in the business' surgeons, that I am where I am today. Who would have thought I'd be running again? Not me.....I thought my running days were over several years ago, I was always tired, no endurance, always hurting. I had a double cervical fusion with titanium plate Aug, 2006, heart in November 2007. My cardiologist didn't want to let my valve go anymore, did not want my baseline to drop more than it already had, and he said his goal was to get me running again.

My On-x is everything I have hoped for as well, I think we have the maximum size too!

Good luck with your 5K, and 10Ks as they come up. I hope to start a few myself over the next couple of months. Nothing like a little bit of competition to make you want to go all out! All in all, as long as I finish every race I run, that's all that matters. A good time is a bonus. My very first 5K, back in 1991, I ran a 24:54, personal best was 21:28, I stood behind Francie Larrieu Smith (http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/1999/smith.html) at the Dallas Komen Foundation Race for the Cure, 1993, her masters year and she ran a 17:05. I ran with Olympians!

 

[duncanjo]

Awsome, I can't wait until I start running....

Joey
Mech AVR-April04/08

 

[tommy]

Louise, congratulations on a superior recovery and running progress. It truly is outstanding!

I've taken some time off for a while and have just been getting started again, when I lurked and found your great story and inspiration. Thanks, and please keep posting.

I'm in North Texas, have run events at White Rock and Cowtown. Have switched to triathlons for a variety of reasons, but still like to pound the pavement as part of the tri. Did a WR relay with my church in 2006.

Perhaps a VR.com White Rock relay some day?

 

[South Sound Sailor]

Louise, great post and thread. Thanks for sharing your progress. I'm at 3 months post-op and am finally at a point where I can run 2 miles non-stop. Prior to OHS, I had run 5 marathons but that's all history now and in so many ways I feel like I'm starting all over again. Reading posts like you've written keeps me encouraged and feeling like I'm eventually going to get back (or close to) where I was prior to OHS. My goal is to be running 5 miles non-stop at the 6 month mark. Pace is irrelevant. I'll gladly take 11 minutes a mile (in a past life, marathon p/r pace was 8:30/mile... again history that is meaningless now!!).

I hope your progress continues and I am looking forward to reading more of your posts.

Steve

 

[Debbie]

steve

steve

Hey Steve, we haven't heard from you in a while, I'm glad to hear your up and running again. Take care and keep us posted. Debbie