Running and Valve Replacement

[OrlandoTommy]

Before my heart surgery i ran about 4 miles night after work 5 days a week, it kept my weight almost perfect and i really enjoyed it.

After my surgery i have been really paranoid, mainly because i hear the clicking sound and it freaks me out.

Last night I put my running shoes on and went, i only went about 3 miles for starters but my heart was going super fast, maybe its just because i can hear it now and i couldnt before, i dunno but it still freaked me out.

I felt fine and im going to go again tonight.

Is running/jogging ok after a valve replacement, my cardio and surgeon both agreed i should be able to do it with no problems but like i said, that fast ticking freaks me out...

Thanks everyone,
Tommy

 

[Cooker]

From your post it sounds like it has been a while sence your last run, is that true? If so, three miles might have been a push. You may be a little out of shape. I am not a runner but I walk and when I layoff a while I can tell that I need to ease back up to the distance I was at before.

There are many runners here that will respond. And I am sure you will be back to your old distance in no time.

 

[MikeHeim]

I would suggest that you get a heart rate monitor. I never worrried about my HR prior to surgery, but have found that knowing it gives me a little extra piece of mind when I'm pushing myself. I have the traditional watch/chest strap setup (costs about $60 on ebay), but I've heard mention on this site that there are now versions that have the watch only. There are several schools of thought for how high you should allow your HR to get post-op, and feel free to look around the internet on your own and find one that works for you. I try to keep myself under 150, which is somewhere around 75% of my max. I would think that if you can hear every beat from your valve, even a relatively low exercise HR of 120 would seem extremely fast.

 

[SumoRunner]

Yeah, you're ready, just ease back into it. I had AVR in July of 1991. Got back to running one mile in about 3 mos, but by one year later I could do 10 comfortably. I have run some 15,000 miles and over 150 races since. I never raced as hard as I had previously, but I'm still in the game.

Go over to http://www.cardiacathletes.org.uk and check it out.

 

[tprice54]

Run!

Run!

ahh...once a runer, always a runner! Go back to it...you certainly can run after valve replacement, including marathons. Start back easy, it takes time.

 

[Karlynn]

I'm not a runner, but I do know from things I've read on athletes and valve issues that the amount of time it take your heart to recover is also a good benchmark. If you heart rate returns to normal in an acceptable time, then you're lookin' good. If an hour later it's still way up, you've pushed way past what your heart can handle right now.

When I read that your first run was 3 miles, my thought was that you jumped into it with too long a distance. Scale back and build up as you would if you were just starting to run for the very first time in your life.

 

[kodi]

You're now several months out of surgery and having run before surgery, I'm surprised you are just starting back. I started at 6 weeks putting some slow jogs into my daily walks of 6 miles. By three months I was running 3 or 4 miles without stopping. I'm just slightly over one year out and have done some 5Ks, two 1/2 marathons and one marathon. True, my times are slow but I've had no problems. I wear a HR monitor but found that on a normal training day I usually stay around 75-80% Max HR so I really don't pay attention to it. I have a bovine valve so I hear no clicking.
Good luck.

 

[67walkon]

I ride a bike instead of running. They told me I would have no restrictions.

After a bit over 4 months, I am not back to where I was pre-surgery. I'm slower and I haven't built up to the miles I could do before. But, I don't notice any issues from the bovine valve--I am still on a low dose of metatroprol and my HR just won't go up very high. My personal guess is that I will be back to where I was before in 7 or 8 months after surgery.

When you have a lay off, you have to build your base before you can start working on speed. Get a lot of mileage in, then start doing some speed work with intervals or fartlek, and you'll be back to where you were or better.

John

 

[Soilman]

Well, I'm 8 weeks out as of yesterday and cleared to start back running and biking. I'm planning on alternating intervals of running with my walking today and working up from there. I know I've got a long way to go in getting my wind back. I hiked up a long hill on a wooded path yesterday carrying several light items and was huffing and puffing by the time I got to my truck. Breathing that hard on a hill is something I haven't experienced in a very very long time.

Kodi, your post is encouraging. I hope I can be doing 3-4 mi a month from now!

 

[MaryC]

Tommy,
You should do what I do when I jog - wear a radio and turn it up LOUD! The reason I do it is so I can't hear myself huffing and puffing! Good luck with your running. I am not a runner, just a jogger. You're right....it is the best way to keep your weight down.

 

[jds]

Recovering Running Form / Speed is taking time for me

Recovering Running Form / Speed is taking time for me

Hello -

I ran before surgery (MV replacement) but only on and off. I was more of a biker. I have become much more conscientious about running after surgery - now 4 months past. I run 3-4 times per week. I always wear an elastic wrap on my knees to protect them.

A heart monitor is a great tool. I warm up with pulse at 100 then run about 20-30 minutes with pulse at target of 140-145. I don't watch speed but just the pulse.

I'm still pretty slow. Only managing to pace myself at 5.7 mph on a treadmill or about 11.5 minutes per mile on the track. I try to do intervals about once every two weeks - run 220 at running pace then jog/walk for 220. I'm doing nine of these as a running workout when I do them. Slowly increasing the time I run.

I'm pretty slow but my times are getting better.

Good luck.

John

 

[MitralMan]

Learn your body

Learn your body

My resting HR was definitely faster post-op, but it eventually came down -- I remember it was 100 shortly after surgery. NO WAY was I going to do much of anything, and in the weeks and months following surgery while in rehab, I kept it, per the rehab unit's guidelines, below what, 125? Maybe even 115!

Today, it's about 53 first thing in the AM (I use a Polar HR and agree with others who've said it's a good thing to have), I've taken it up to 185 (Heck, I'm not even supposed to be able to beat that fast, I'm 50) -- and I'm running the Philly marathon in a few weeks.

Check out the posts from me early on and you'll see data on HR, pulseox and BP. There are a bunch of us running marathon and marathon relays, too -- the Valve-o-lenes, no less. Check out the posters from the Akron marathon relay and check out THEIR earlier posts.

Good luck!