Progressing....slowly

[ChouDoufu]

Today is Day#38 post-avr.

Good news yesterday. PT is back in range at 2.13, with 7 weeks left.

Good news today. made some progress at the track. also found a store
that carries jelly beans, although no luck on the cheese front.

Ran 3 x 1/4 mile, with 1/2-mile cool-down walk between each. Time and max
heart rate for each 1/4 mile = 2:15 @ 144, 2:10 @ 147, and 1:55 @ 158 BPM.

After that felt good enough to run 1/2 mile in 4:45 w/max HR=154. didn't
feel at all tired at the end, just didn't want to push too hard.

But i need a goal, right? gotta have a goal. maybe at week 8, will try
to run a full mile in 8 minutes. That's almost back to pre-op condition.
By week 10 i'll try to equal pre-op's 2 miles in 14:55.

Unfortunately, have to do all of this alone. can't get anyone to accompany
me. they all complain i walk too far and/or too fast, and forget running,
noone jogs here.

 

[skeptic49]

Congratulations! Spectacular post op progress!

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[SumoRunner]

That's not going slowly. Your progress is exceptional. Most of us I would dare say took months to get to where you have gotten in a few weeks. Of course, as noted in a previous thread, procedures have improved in 17 years since my AVR, but it took me about 10-12 weeks to run a single mile.

 

[Bina]

Chou, don't push too much and end up getting bitten in the butt.
Otherwise, good for you.

 

[zipper2]

Chou, don't push too much and end up getting bitten in the butt.
Otherwise, good for you.

Chou i agree with Bina above!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't even get so far yet and i got bit in the butt.

All the best and keep well.

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[Herburban1]

You are amazing I only run if someone is chasing me..Don't get me wrong I am thin and active I just don't like running unless it's around the bases...

 

[njean]

Slow down my friend! Just some friendly advice.....don't push yourself too hard or too soon! I know you feel like you can take on the world but don't try it or you might end up paying a very hefty price!

Stay well!

 

[kodi]

Whoa, those are some fast times even without an AVR. Heed the advice the others have given, you don't want a relapse. I know what you mean about goals. I set some small ones, like run/walk a 5K at 6 weeks, run a 5K without walking at 15 weeks, run a 1/2 marathon at 6 months, etc. I didn't care much about the pace but just to finish comfortably.
Good luck.

 

[olefin]

And you call that......Progressing....slowly!

You are very lucky, you must had a normal surgery or even better.
At day 38 I had only been home 18 days and was just beginning to get back a little strength and appetite. I was doing good to walk a mile or so.

Good luck with your continual fast progression.

 

[ChouDoufu]

thank you everyone for your advice. i'm pushing, but yet not pushing too hard,
or so i think. on the track yesterday, i truly felt that i could have run much (well,
maybe a little) faster and much (ditto) farther. felt good, no pain, not out of
breath, comfortable. i'm thinking why not go for it? but then the little accounting
clerk who lives deep in the reptile portion of my brain calculates that i did xx-%
better than last time, so now it's time for ice cream. sadly, the little shop outside
the uni grounds only had green bean flavor. alas, green beans are high in vit-K,
so settled for a dozen custard tarts instead.

i think i'm going to have to continuously fight the urge to push harder and harder.

kodi, my brother, you are an inspiration. we have the same model valve, thus
we are in a sense brothers, you with 21mm then are my 'little' brother. i've read
some of your posts, and you seem to have progressed faster than i'm doing now.

run/walk a 5K at 6 weeks, run a 5K without walking at 15 weeks, run a 1/2 marathon at 6 months, etc.

seems like a goal....run/walk a 5k at 6 weeks....that would be this
saturday. i think i've just about got this one.....the track work out
including the recovery walks between runs equals about 5k. the next
one.....run a 5k without walking. not worried about the pace? how
about try for this at 10 weeks? i plan on doing 3-1/4 km at 'speed' by
then, could also do 5k for distance.

and btw, i'm a student (granted, an old student). 3-4 hours a day, 4 or
5 days a week. minimal homework, other than self-study. plenty of
time to train and to rest. local traditions include a 3-hour lunch break.
most government and business offices are closed. shops are open, but
the clerks are usually asleep at their posts. noontime naps are
acceptable. no other stress in the background, like commuting
to work, wife 'n kids, etc. good environment for recovery.

 

[SumoRunner]

Whoa, those are some fast times even without an AVR.

Well no, that speed isn't out of the ordinary for a long time runner depending on his age and weight. I was running very similar track workouts last spring and summer at age 60 (and way too far overweight). An 8 minute mile is well within his range. What I was surprised about was how soon after surgery it is.

I took more than a year before I returned to speed workouts and my AVR was 17 years ago when I was only 43. By then I was able to crank up the speed to under 7 minutes per mile. I was being overly cautious though because there were no internet sites where I could compare experiences with others back then. Compared to lots of other cardiac athletes online today, it's an extraordinary recovery.

Chou and I had discussed this on another forum. The procedures today are far less traumatic than they were 17 years ago, which should make recovery a lot faster, but heart surgery is still a major event in any case.

 

[ChouDoufu]

true, not really fast. my best 2 miles was 11:30, best mile was 5:30, but i was 20
years younger. before my valve went south, would be in the 6:30-7:00 mile range.

recovery may be going too fast. with all the warnings from youse guyse, i'm starting
to worry. maybe it's too soon to be hitting 160 bpm. not maybe, probably.

i've decided to concentrate on distance, rather than speed (not that
i'd be doing any blistering runs in the near future anyway). endurance
is more important at this point anyway. unless i'm mistaken, i should be
able to continue xxx exercise for an unlimited time, as long as my heart
rate doesn't exceed some arbitrary number. no point in hitting 160 and
blowing a suture.

walking is not a problem, can easily do 13+ miles at a steady 105 bpm. stair
climbing as well. climbed these today http://www.panoramio.com/photo/12057745
by the time i reached the top of the 314 stairs, heart rate was at 130.
and for a view from the top, http://www.panoramio.com/photo/10564354

will start cycling on saturday. no off-road stuff, just a nice easy ride out to the
hydro dam and the next village for noodles and dumplings.

and for running? will quit the "speed" workouts, at least for another couple weeks,
perhaps a month. let's work on endurance, see how long i can maintain a 9:00 pace
(2:14 for 1/4-mile) with heart rate staying under 145, even better if i can keep
that pace at 140 or 135. once i can maintain that, we'll see about
increasing the speed. next track work will be friday.

 

[ShezaGirlie]

recovery may be going too fast. with all the warnings from youse guyse, i'm starting to worry. maybe it's too soon to be hitting 160 bpm. not maybe, probably..

I wasn't supposed to go over 120bpm in cardiac rehab, but that was in the dark ages - things have changed. Easy does it...you don't wanna blow that gasket.

 

[kodi]

Well no, that speed isn't out of the ordinary for a long time runner depending on his age and weight. I was running very similar track workouts last spring and summer at age 60 (and way too far overweight). An 8 minute mile is well within his range. What I was surprised about was how soon after surgery it is.

I took more than a year before I returned to speed workouts and my AVR was 17 years ago when I was only 43. By then I was able to crank up the speed to under 7 minutes per mile. I was being overly cautious though because there were no internet sites where I could compare experiences with others back then. Compared to lots of other cardiac athletes online today, it's an extraordinary recovery.

Chou and I had discussed this on another forum. The procedures today are far less traumatic than they were 17 years ago, which should make recovery a lot faster, but heart surgery is still a major event in any case.

For a lot of current day runners it's fast. For me right now and at my age(I turned 71 this past Monday) it's about what I am doing on a good workout day. In my prime running days about 15 years ago, I was much faster but age takes its toll. My marathon PR is 3:18:45 (age 48) 5k PR 20:11 (age 56) 1/2 mary PR 1:26:XX.

 

[dtread]

My recommendation is to slow down and don't push it. Back in the stone ages a long time ago (like in the 1950's and 1960's) there used to be a thing called a break in period for new cars. Back then you weren't supposed to take a new car over something like 50 mph for the first 500 miles or so. This was so the piston rings would "seat" properly and so the new engine could get broken in before it was pushed too hard. The same principal applies with your new refurbished heart. Although you are feeling pretty good now, if you push too hard you might "blow a gasket" or something. I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud or anything, but I really think you need to set a slower pace for your goals for your recovery. Just slide your goals to the right quite a bit. You are not going out for the Olympics. There is no sense jeopardizing your recovery by pushing too hard. That is counterproductive. Take it slower. When many more weeks/months have passed is when you can start increasing the tempo, duration, etc. Take baby step increases each workout. It took me about six months before I was at about 75% - 80% of pre-op condition. The remaining 15% - 20% took about another six months. Better to be safe than sorry. Consider this friendly advice.

 

[ChouDoufu]

break in period for new cars

yeah, they used to have that for motorcycles, too, incidentally also
so that the valves would seat properly. the 'new way' is to crack open
the crate, assemble the bike, and run the poop out of it.

skipped running today, it's nice and sunny so opted for the bicycle.
did a leisurely half hour, stopped by the bike shop for tea, followed by
another half hour. mostly flat along the river, hr rarely over 108.
did do a half mile uphill towards the end, max hr of 125.

was careful to avoid speed bumps and potholes. sternum feels fine.
the town is out of jelly beans. will continue consuming custard tarts.

 

[hensylee]

you got a phone in case you need some help? Bet you do so maybe you don't need a partner to walk/run w/you. Sounds like you are winning all way round. Congratulations.

 

[ChouDoufu]

you got a phone in case you need some help?

yes, i carry a cell phone. not sure how much good it would do in a crisis.
speaking chinese is hard enough, but speaking during a heart attack or
panic situation? and then they don't have one single emergency 911
number here. they break it down into four emergency numbers: police,
fire, ambulance, and pizza delivery. i asked what to do if you have a
vehicle accident, car on fire, with injuries? make three calls.

and all the long walks (and the long bike rides for now) are along bus routes
with 10-minute service. no establlished stops other than the end points,
busses will stop when flagged down, and would make a detour to the
hospital if asked.

 

[kodi]

speaking chinese is hard enough

I probably missed your bio if you posted one but from the above quote you are not Chinese but living in China. How long have you been there, why do you live there and what is your ethnic origin and where are you from? Lots of questions but it's nice having 'friends' around the world although most of us will never meet in person. Hope you don't mind me asking.

 

[ChouDoufu]

kodi: i are from texas, studying chinese, have been here 3 years. you're
from lake havasu? last time there on a cycling tour, barely avoided getting
shot by some drunk at the campground. but i do miss the china star buffet.
real chinese food!

and for today's exercise....more track work!

started out with a slow 1/2 mile stroll, steady 95 BPM walking, down
from 102 last week, 108 the week before.

then did 6 x 1/4 mile 'jogs.' ran the absolute slowest possible without
falling down (2:45 per lap, or 11:00/mile pace), max hr 130-135. each run
followed by 1/4 mile walk to get hr<100, plus another 1/4 mile recovery.

during run #5, college students arrived for phys-ed class. i was about to
leave, not wanting to be embarrassed. after some warm-ups, a few groups
tried jogging. they jogged 1/4-mile only, and amazingly THEY WERE
'RUNNING' SLOWER THAN ME!!!! must have been about a 14:00/mile pace
cause i could almost pass them at my fast walking pace.

feels pretty good for an old(ish) fart 6 weeks out of ohs to be able to
outrun college kids. anyways, thinking next track work, may try some
1/2-mile jogs, assuming i can keep hr<135.