First 10k, happy to finish!

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Alex B

Alex B

VR.org Supporter
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
73
Location
Portland, OR
Hey all,

I was inspired by sumo runner during and shortly after my surgery last year. Now I'm 10 months post op and after running on my own for awhile now, I started competing. My longest run prior to this one was 4.5 miles, but I had been following a training regiment to get up to a 10k. At the race, I felt pretty good and paced myself well from the start. I ran the first 5k in about 33 minutes (pretty slow :cool:), but then I had a nice negative split for the second half and actually passed some folks to finish above average in just a shade over an hour. I was happy for the results of my first race, but I think I can/should/will get a lot better. I found it weird during post-op and still weird now, that I don't seem to be limited by my cardio, it's not my breathing or heart that seems to be slowing me down, but rather my legs just feel as if they can't go any faster? Does that make sense to my fellow runners? Any advice?

I play basketball and take part in cross fit sometimes, so I have a pretty muscular frame. I'm 6'1" and 190lbs, but other people pushing around a lot more weight than me seem to be able to sustain much faster runs? Of course for the first 30 years of my life I couldn't run around the block, but still!!!!! I would like to be able to run a 7 minute mile, but right now I'm at about 10 minutes. That's quite a way's off I know, but how do I improve? The very first 5k I ever ran (about 6 months post-op) I ran it in 34 minutes, and now my best is about 29 minutes, but I've seen really slow (if any) improvement from about the 7 month to 10 month post-op timeframe.
 
Excellent!

I'm getting close to resuming running after a 30 year hiatus. I stopped due to a leg muscle injury that is now healed. Now with my BAV fixed, I have no excuse to not get out there and start jogging again. I'd be real happy with your times.

Thanks for the inspiration.
 
Alex, when did you go back to playing basketball? I'm looking forward to doing the same, hopefully by the fall (Oct 5 would be 5 mo. post-op for me). I had to quit playing over a year ago due to my valve (too short of breath too quick, and had a couple of bad episodes on the court w/ chest pain). But now that I'm all fixed up, I'm hoping to play again soon! Also, did it improve your shot, or help you jump higher? I'm hoping the new valve helps with those too ;)

I'm also hoping I'll be able to run a lot further than before. Have never been able to run long distances (even as a teenager) and I'm writing that off to the valve (not being 20-30 lbs overweight, lol). I guess I'd be happy if I can run on a treadmill at a good pace for a 1/2 hr - haven't been able to do that for years. But now at 8 wks post-op, I'm walking pretty fast on the treadmill in cardio rehab - hope running is right around the corner.

Just wondering when you started doing things like running, and playing basketball, and how it was when you first started. Any shortness of breath or other issues? Did you get your "legs" back pretty quick, etc.?
 
Congrats on the 10k! Sumo can be inspiring. A little advice...let's assume your heart is doing fine, and not an issue right now for your runnning. As with any runner, you will improve the more you train. You started as we all did, just going out and running. At some point, you plateau, and in order to keep improving, you will need to mix up your runs....some long and a bit slower, some shorter and faster. I believe your are doing just great in your training and will keep improving, just maybe not at the same rate.
 
I want to add to what Tom said about training. I was a "pure" runner and never did any other training. I just loved to run. That pretty quickly lead to me having to stop running. I was a sub 3 hour marathon runner and did 30 minute 10Ks after only 4 months of training when I was 30 after not having run since high school. But I soon broke down developing what proved to be severe muscle spasms and inflammation from muscle imbalance in my legs. It didn't feel like a muscle spasm at all - it felt like my gluteus was inflammed at a muscle insertion point, which I thought was ischial bursitis. My butt just burned like hell. But the pain was actually referred from my inner thigh muscles (adductors) which were found to be very weak. The imbalance was diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic sportsmedicine clinic. But by then the inflammation had produced some semi-permanent changes in the muscles. Long distance running primarily strengthens the abductors on the outer thigh and the hamstrings. Exercises to strengthen my adductors helped almost immediately to relieve the pain and inflammation, but it would quickly return as soon as I started running again. I gave up running entirely. I think I can resume now after 30 years of healing, but I need to be careful to develop and maintain muscle balance.

So, anyway, I learned the hard way that running as a sole exercise can lead to problems with running unless you work the opposing muscles that are not used as much and areas of the body that are not stressed, like the upper half. Profressional runners get this in their training. I didn't. It will make you a better runner.
 
Congratulations on your run and your time. Tom said it all, mixing up the runs and there are lots of ways of doing it. I usually run track one time a week and do hill repeats every other week, unless I'm training for a particular event. The other two days are distance and recovery days. Track workouts can vary depending if your training for some particular distance race. For a 10K, 400s & 800s are great, for 5K 200s & 400s. Right now I'm not really training for anything so my track today was 200,400,600,800,600,400,200. Any shorter faster pace or just consistent training will make you faster, just don't overdo it. Cross training will help balance things out.
 
Great progress in a short time. I couldn't run a 10K myself at the moment. Been struggling with a sore ankle since April and my mileage is way too low for that much of a race. I did do a 5K last weekend though. Finished 8th of 9 in my age group but as always first of one in my own mind.
 
ARGreenMN said:
But now at 8 wks post-op, I'm walking pretty fast on the treadmill in cardio rehab - hope running is right around the corner.

Just wondering when you started doing things like running, and playing basketball, and how it was when you first started. Any shortness of breath or other issues? Did you get your "legs" back pretty quick, etc.?
Click to expand...

Wait until you start running in Cardiac Rehab and the other patients are talking about you and you can hear it. :D Most of my rehab partners were older than I.

I ran during cardiac rehab and once released I started training for the Army 10 miler in October 2008, 11 months post op. Look for my thread "I set my running baseline." My training surprised myself. Found the thread: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?24263-I-set-my-running-baseline

If you want to run, go for it. My issue is not my legs but my heart rate. I can run under 10 min miles, used to run 7 min miles, but my heart rate gets into the 180s, a no-no per my cardio. Of course I don't want to wear out my OnX. As long as you are not having chest pain, shortness of breath while running, you should be ok, that's the instructions I've been given.
 
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Alex B said:
Hey all,

I was inspired by sumo runner during and shortly after my surgery last year. Now I'm 10 months post op and after running on my own for awhile now, I started competing. My longest run prior to this one was 4.5 miles, but I had been following a training regiment to get up to a 10k. At the race, I felt pretty good and paced myself well from the start. I ran the first 5k in about 33 minutes (pretty slow :cool:), but then I had a nice negative split for the second half and actually passed some folks to finish above average in just a shade over an hour.
Click to expand...

Congratulations on a great finish. You will improve as your recovery time passes. If you have the passion to run, you will train and see progress. Having a running partner to push you is a great help also. My husband runs and having him along, even though he would tell me "Watch your form", "Pick up the pace", I knew I needed that support to keep pushing myself towards my goal to run Army 10 Miler, look for my thread "I set my running baseline", if it's still here. You are going to do well! :eek:

Found the thread: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?24263-I-set-my-running-baseline
 
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Speed work and hills

Speed work and hills

And some strength work (lunges, weights, etc) in the off season. Essentially the same advice some others have offered. You need to do some interval training. I used to run before I had to give it up due to orthopedic problems and I had my 10K times to just under 38 min. I did both uphill and down hill work. Uphill builds power; downhill builds fast turnover and longer strides. It's the same with cycling. You have to mix it up. You'll notice some big improvements when you do. Plus, mixing it up makes the workouts more fun/less boring.
 
Run

Run

Nicely done and congrats... it will get better if you keep working at it.

I recently started running a couple of times a week to use muscles that I don't use when cycling. It was quite a shock to realize how slow I really was. I'll be a long time before I get close to a seven minute mile.

-Philip
 
Congratulations, Alex!
I had a similar revelation as you when I realized that my legs were my limitation and not my cardiovascular system. It was frustrating that my legs wouldn't any faster, but good that my heart and breathing felt great!
One of my goals is to get below a 10 minute mile pace in a sprint triathlon - still have a ways to go. Hard to believe that I did a PR 5:02 mile way back during my freshman year in college...
Mark
 
Running

Running

I am only 4 weeks out and I am only able to walk about 2 miles a day. I used to be a mararthon runner , so I am looking to change to some biking and short runs down the road, Congrats onyour race ,I will get there one of these days!!
 
lragsac said:
I am only 4 weeks out and I am only able to walk about 2 miles a day. I used to be a mararthon runner , so I am looking to change to some biking and short runs down the road, Congrats onyour race ,I will get there one of these days!!
Click to expand...
Up to two miles in a month is great. Just keep at it and increase a little every day or so and before long you'll be jogging short distances. I'm a marathon runner and ran/walked a 5K, six weeks after my surgery and set some pretty stiff goals for myself. I ran my first post-op marathon one year, one day after surgery in 4:55 and what a way to celebrate. Keep us posted on your progress
 
Thanks for your post. I never have been interested in running but here at six weeks out of surgery and in and out of the hospital it is hard to imagine that I'll even be able to walk a mile again, I'm glad to hear so many of you can run. I start cardio rehab tomorrow, I am ready to feel confidence that my heart will work right and I don't have to fear walking through the grocery store.
 
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