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Avatar universal

Runner with no endurance

I have completed 4 Ironman Triathlons and as many as 30 half Ironman Triathlons. I've run over 12 marathons and have been involved with endurance events for over 10 years. I am 65 years old and started only 10 years ago to compete in the above events. A couple of years ago after running the Boston Marathon I noticed that every time I exercised I felt a soreness in my throat. I went to the doc and was diagnosed with acid reflux. They put me on Nexium but the problem never went away. My father's family all suffered from some form of CAD. So, I decided to get a nuclear stress test. BTW, my cholesterol levels were very good. The doctors concluded that there was strong evidence of a blockage. I was scheduled to have a cardiac catheterization. One artery was a hundred percent blocked and the other was 70-80% blocked. A stent was not a good option and the doctor recommended minimally invasive bypass surgery. So, on April 5, 2010 I underwent the surgery. Now, after three months I'm on my way to recovery. I can swim and bike without any problems just as good as I always have more or less. However, my running is still not very good. I can barely run a mile without feeling wasted. I have run 7 miles at an average heart rate of 127 but it is very slow at about a 13:30 pace. I'm was used to running an easy pace at 10:30 per mile. It has been three months since my surgery and I can only run a (5) quarters of a mile on the track at a 9:30 pace before I have to stop and walk in between each quarter of a mile. My endurance is just not there. Will I have be as strong as I was on the run again? As an athlete this is my life.


This discussion is related to Running after bypass.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for you post Sandy. I have read it carefully. I am not on beta blockers anymore. My doc after I begged him took me off the beta blockers about a month ago. Right now I'm just taking aspirin, folic acid, and an athlete's multi vitamin. I never had any symptoms like chest pain or anything except a soreness in my throat when I exercised. BTW, today I completed a sprint triathlon and was totally awesome on the bike. My swim was as usual... okay. My run, despite trying very hard to improve, was about 8 seconds slower than 5 weeks ago on the same course. But, I did feel much better than last time. My cholesterol has always been very good. Next week I'm going to work very hard on my run with the hopes of gaining some speed. I have taken an echo ekg and it looks good. I plan on taking another one in the next couple of months. I'm new in Florida and trying to find a GP doctor at this time. I'll look for another cardiac specialist after that. Wish you were my nurse. :) Please feel free to write me about your progress anytime. My email is ***@****. Thanks again.
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Avatar universal
Also, 3 months is VERY early after surgery to be able to run at your previous levels, it may take a year or more to get your endurance/pace back so be patient! :)
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Avatar universal
Hi there,
First of all, take a deep breath and relax! After undergoing a CABG it sometimes takes a significant amount of time to rebuild your endurance. I agree with ed34 to look at your medications, beta blockers can often make it difficult for runners to progress in their endurance as they serve to both slow the heart rate down and decrease the workload on the heart, thus making it difficult for the heart to meet the demands of such strenuous exercise as running. In addition, I'd suggest getting a stress echo if you have not had one yet to determine not only your EKG's response to exercise but also your cardiac function. You run on a treadmill like a stress test and then hop on a table immediately after you max out and they do an echo cardiogram on you (you also have a quick echo just before the run to establish a baseline). This would shed some light on what is going on as well.
I am a cardiac ICU nurse but also s/p CABG x 1 16 months ago for an extremely rare coronary artery anomaly. I too have had extreme difficulty getting back into running for the exact same reasons you describe. I didn't compete in endurance events to your degree (I was a volleyball player) but I did dabble in Olympic distance tris and 10ks. It took me 8 months postop to be able to run for 30 min. straight and I have had trouble maintaining that although I could do the elliptical (with a high incline and high resistance) for an hour plus and ride the bike for an hour plus as well. I have now been able to wean off my beta blocker (with my cardiologists approval as I do NOT have CAD, just an anomaly). I highly doubt with a history of CAD that this will be an option for you as beta blockers are shown to improve mortality in cardiac patients.
A great website I also recommend is www.cardiacathletes.org It is filled with people just like you who strive to return to their previous athletic levels despite their cardiac challenges.
Feel free to message me if you have any questions!
Sandy
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976897 tn?1379167602
The starting point would be to look at your medication. For example, beta blockers.
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