Running update after ablation

[mnnewy]

Thought I'd update after getting great feedback on this group after my ablation back in March. It's been hard to remain patient. I have been slowly building up miles from 5-10 a week up to a bit over 25 a week now. What's been frustrating is that I'll have weeks at a time where it's a struggle to run those under 8 min/mile given 7 min/mile was normal before AFIB got more frequent leading to ablation.

Lately I have been able to push the long run over 8 miles and in the 7:50/mile range. I ran a Turkey Trot with my daughter and ran the 5k in 21 mins, faster than I have tried to run since March. Very encouraging given I easily could have pushed faster.

I do get some ectopic PACs that'll bother me for up to an hour sometimes, but cardiologist is not worried. They are worried about what they are calling a mild to moderate calcification in one of the arteries. They think that's why I cannot run sub 19 5ks anymore when clearly that did not all build up in the last 8-9 months! Seems like people here know more than the cardiologists on recovery from an ablation for athletes. So thanks for giving me the patience I needed. Finally recovering and feeling better!

[rosyG]

It's very good to hear you are well- but I wonder about doing such hard training again??? The muscles of your left atrium will build up and I wonder what your doctors have said about this and any future AF??

[mnnewy in reply to rosyG]

The doctors think I should be able to train as hard as I like at this point. And I have not been training hard. Until the 5k it's all been easy, and I stop if it does not feel easy. Even the 5k was more comfortably hard, tempoish than real race pace. The EP says do whatever I feel comfortable with and the regular cardiologist thinks the mild blockage may be why I'm not the runner I was 9 months ago.

[SprintMark]

I was pleased to read your post, gave me great encouragement. My second ablation was 3 months ago and I have increased my exercise steadily (I’m a personal trainer & sprinter, 56 years old)

I’ve entered my first competitive race in December so I’ll be able to see then if I’m back to my old self. I work out 6 days a week including heavy weights and feel that exercise for those able to can be part of the recovery process.. both mentally and physically.. god limy k with your running.

[UScore]

Thanks for the update. I'm a 40 year old who plays a lot of football. So far I've not noticed a direct correlation between intense exercise and my AF, it's never happened during or immediately afterwards anyway.

It's good to hear reports such as yours that ablation isn't the end of fitness. I do a lot of sprinting for my training. I find jogging completely boring; it would terrible if post-ablation I was unable to push myself as that's the only way I stay interested.

[Jhcoop55]

Everyone’s experience is different. I’m a long distance cyclist that had to curtail both the intensity and duration of ny rides following my second so called “successful”ablation. There have been studies that show that athletes may be more susceptible to AFIB and that even post ablation, side effects such as ectopics while not deadly can certainly impact quality of life as in my case.

Suggest that you bite the bullet and enjoy your workouts but pare it back to a level where you are more comfortable.

I can’t speak to the other issue your cardiologist noted but another reason that some athletes post ablation cannot perform as before is due to any residual arrhythmia meds that you are on. I still take low dose meds and that limits what I can do anyway.

Best of luck

Jeff

[KMRobbo]

I am jealous of the 8 minutes miles never mind your target 7! Good luck to you and well done for getting back at least some of the way to what you were doing previously.

[Jong1945]

Sounds like it would be worth your while reading Dr John M's site about athletes and AF. e.g. a bit old now but a good start drjohnm.org/2011/04/cw-trea...