getting back to running

[Bullsrlfc]

I’ve ran for many years (marathons, 10k, fell running etc.) but ended up have a stent fitted about 3 months ago due to angina (no heart attack) so reluctantly stopped running a couple of months before that. I’m recovering well and now doing cardiac rehab exercise classes which are great but relatively easy for me. I also walk quite a lot (4-6 miles several times a week) and generally feel good. I’d really like to start getting back to running again if my body will let me. I’m finding it difficult to find advice on whether I should do this and what kind of exercise programme would help to get me back. Can anybody point me in the right direction?

[Hidden]

Dear Bullsrifc

A warm welcome to you to the forum, I hope that it helps you as it has me and many others.

Oh the magic of a run and how hard that is to explain any non-runners.

I would have thought that your re-hab team would be able to help with your question, but the answer normally is a simple,

" do as much as you think your body can handle "

Lets face it your an runner at a good level of the sport and you know your body as it tells you how its reacting, just learn to listen harder.

There are a few good runners on here that will be along soon to help you.

I have full admiration for you and a touch of the green mist as in my present condition I am unable to go back to running, but I will gladly walk behind you shouting encouragement.

Take care

[Bullsrlfc in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your response. I genuinely felt quite emotional when I read your comment 'Oh the magic of a run and how hard that is to explain any non-runners' ! Will definitely take your advice to listen to my body when I start again. I hope your condition soon improves so that you can return to running too.

[mmmb]

I had a fully occluded left STEMI (aka widowmaker) aged 49 ... 1 stent ... post op classed as stage 1 heart failure ... 1.5yrs later I'm running 5km in 25mins / the odd ½ marathon / few 10k's a month ... avg pace 6min/km ... the "official" cardiologist advice was listen to my body ... slow down if your body sends you signals ... some days I feel tired so I slow down or even stop ... I wear my apple watch religiously (don't run without it) and keep an eye on my HR as well ... due to the drugs HR is capped around 125 unless something isn't right. Go easy, but you can get back to running if you are sensible, take your meds, eat well, cut the drink and listen to your body ... my VO2 is now 40 (apple watch drug adjusted) or 60 on the rockport test ... which I'm delighted about and utterly thankful for.

[Bullsrlfc in reply to mmmb]

Fantastic performance and recovery. Well done! Thanks for the advice on listening to my body and lifestyle changes. Will definitely take that on board. It's great to know there is life on the other side!

[VickyHK72]

all these comments are brilliant and full of useful information so I only have one additional thing to offer - there’s a Facebook group called Healthy Hearties which is run by Angela Hartley a cardiac rehab specialist. She does zoom classes and one to one sessions to plan bespoke exercise plans. Just thought this might be useful as she has the expertise to give informed advice.

[Bullsrlfc in reply to VickyHK72]

Thanks for the FB suggestion. I will definitely look that up.

[Munkyboy]

Hi there, I'm pretty active as well. 2 years ago I had a mechanical heart Valve fitted. After a few months of recovery I did the couch to 5k thing. Found it a good way of not over doing it and then slowly progressing and getting fit again. Annoyingly recently had a heart attack and stent fitted (4 weeks ago) I feel pretty good and am listening to my body and have started running again. You really need to listen to your body when getting back to these activities and while in the early stages make sure you can walk back to the house easily enough. Small steps if u can. I'm up to 3k now next week I'll be try a 5k and some decent elevation. Everything for me is hanging together well tho. Good luck and take care

[Bullsrlfc in reply to Munkyboy]

Thanks for the advice re not overdoing it, small steps and CT5K. Will definitely take all of these on board. Good luck with your own progress. Sounds like it's coming together well.

[Abl8r]

Hi

I’m a cardiologist and appreciate your concerns and dilemma. If you think about it, you were running when your artery was narrowed and it was only when it eventually got tight enough to restrict blood flow that you needed the stent to reopen and stabilise the vessel. Three months down the line the stent will have been coated over by the cells which normally line the arteries and flow down it will be normal. Now is the perfect time to get back into running. But remember that you will be seriously reconditioned, your times slower and your stamina less. This is nothing to do with the blood flow to your heart and should not discourage you from getting back into it. You just need to be patient and train consistently to build back up

Good luck!

Chris

[Bullsrlfc]

Thanks for your really helpful reply. I'd more or less reached the same conclusions and appreciate your 'it takes a runner to understand a runner' based suggestions! The CT5K suggestion is a great one and not one that I had thought of so will definitely try that once I've finished my cardiac rehab exercise sessions with a view to getting back to Park Run (I was frustratingly nearly at 200 PRs when I gave up!).

[Bullsrlfc]

Wow, that's an impressive recovery! Well done. Thanks for your suggestions and advice. Very much appreciated.

[Zbignieva]

Hi,

Same situation as you, I have been a runner all my life, in this last year before stent, I was running once a week.

This is the issue with stents, there is an increased risk of:

- in stent thrombosis

- restenosis from tissue overgrowth

Our immune system is very good at triggering the clotting system in our bodies, and stents can be viewed as a foreign body, even the drug eluting stents that secrete anti-rejection drugs.

There are a few periods post stenting that are considered higher risk, 4 months post for example. There are papers that examine this.

Exercise is another activity that can kick our immune system off, and it is a known trigger for heart attacks, which is why the cardiac rehab team normally checks your METS and give you a heart rate range to train in during the first year.

You can still run, but HIIT is out, and it may have to be at a slower pace for a year.

It is a bit maddening, especially as I think my stenosis was slowing my running rate, I would love to see if I can better my 5 and 10 km times, however, I have to wait a year.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

escardio.org/Journals/E-Jou...

uptodate.com/contents/coron...

[ChoochSiesta in reply to Zbignieva]

Thanks for this, what you say about the HIIT makes sense. I think I now understand why I am on beta blockers. 8 Years ago I had a heart attack and stent fitted and got back to my exercise levels, not taking beta blockers though. I needed a triple bypass in February 2022. I have always cycled especially in my twenties when I was in a cycling club, we regularly did 60+ miles every Sunday. I am now at the stage where I can do 90% ish of where I was about 3 years ago. It's frustrating that I can't get this extra 10% but I guess the Nebivolol is protecting me from myself?

[Misstibbs]

Hi Bullsrlfc I have the same background and a HA and stent fitted and soon got back to running BUT I believe the answer is stay within your limitations you’ll know, pick a gentle route and be prepared to stop!

[Flimflab]

Welcome to the forum. I am 62 years old and a slow runner (30 minute parkrun) before I had a stent fitted. I found the rehab classes were helpful to increase my level of effort over the 6 weeks and am now back to park runs and club training. I have also found it hard getting reliable advice on what I can do and when and I should follow up the recommendations others have given you above.

Like you I was fortunate enough to have a stent fitted 3 months ago before I had a heart attack or required bypass surgery. I had also given up running 3 months before that when I was diagnosed with warm up induced angina (spotted by one of the coaches at my running club). After the surgery I was put on blood thinners and statins which unlike Beta blockers don’t affect my running.

Personally, I was fortunate that my cardiac rehab team were keen for me to get back to doing park runs and gave me their OK 4 weeks into the rehab sessions. As the rehab sessions were supervised, I was more confident to exercise harder than I would be when running alone. The team used the Borg perceived effort scale and heart rate for the classes. After discussion they seemed comfortable for me to gradually exercise harder than the heart rate range they had set if I could maintain the level of effort and heart rate throughout the session and continue chatting; I also explained that I set the level of effort in the rehab session as a maximum for my other runs during the week.

I had a 15 minute follow up meeting with the cardiologist 2 weeks ago and asked him about any limits on running. He said “do what you feel comfortable with” and there was no risk from overexercising to the stent. Since then, I have restarted parkruns (still 30 mins) and club training but made sure the coaches are aware of the stent.

Good luck getting back into running.

[Stentsrunner]

Thanks for all the useful experiences and thoughts being shared on this thread. I've had two heart attacks and have two stents and am therefore dealing with the physical and mental issues that arise from that and everyone on here knows about.

I was worried after the second heart attack (which actually happened after doing a Parkrun) that I wouldn't be able to run again but the advice I was given was to 'run but not push it'. This seems to be in line with the Chris the Cardiologist's words on here to 'remember that you will be seriously reconditioned, your times slower and your stamina less' and others' suggestions to avoid high intensity training.

Parkrun is a mental lifesaver for me and I'd highly recommend it to everyone! But gone are the days of pushing myself to exhaustion or sprint finishes to get under 25 minutes. I've had to reset and take pleasure from getting round the course without stopping, and perhaps a little more satisfaction if I finish under 30 mins! I tell myself that the time is not important anymore - but what is important is just being there, enjoying the occasion and being grateful to God and the NHS for the stents and the medication that enable me to run at all.

So my experience is that you can still run, but take it easy. Don't regret that your PB, at whatever distance, is probably behind you, avoid unecessary risk by pushing yourself too hard, be grateful that you are out there at all and reset your expectations and goals so that you can still derive joy from it.

Finally, as well as looking after yourself, look after those who love you by reassuring them you are being sensible and that you always run with your phone and GTN spray.

[Lonmayloon]

I had a stent fitted to the LAD in 2011. Like you I had had angina but no heart attack. During lockdown I took up running following the C25K program. When consolidating I followed the MAF 180 program and it really paid dividends for me. The aerobic low HR runs let me put in the miles. Increasing fitness allows you to increase the pace while staying within the limits. Carried on to the bridge to 10k. The rate of the increase in targets seemed to suit me perfectly. Now 64 and still around. Good luck with your return to running.

[ZoeSS]

Just wondering . Seems unlikely I'll be doing it now - but a little while back I was really keen to get involved in the Masters athletics , having read an inspiring article about one man in his twilight years , but found it really hard to find any contact details or signs of application . How would I go about it ? Just need to satisfy the curiosity .

[Blindheart]

Hi Bullsrlfc, Same frustrations as yourself right now! Took a heart attack 5 weeks ago now when out my Saturday morning run with my sighted mate, I'm totally blind. I thoght it was indegistion which was getting worse as I tried to run it off. Long story short, got home, the missus got me to hospital just in time they tell me, 4 stents later and a pile of meds to take each day and my life has changed. Craving the 10 mile morning walks with my guide dog before work each morning, missing my running, but not missing this lethargic periods. I ran 12 marathons last year, Bagged both Manchester and the Great Scottish Run this year, but felt pretty tired, possibly a symptom? Diet is good, hate smoking and don't drink too much; Been a shock to all around me, but determined to get back to fitness ASAP, so all this information is invaluable and looking forward to even more. Best of luck with the recovery

[Zbignieva]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK4...

Stent thrombosis

The evidence suggests exercise is good, it is always good, however there is a risk with a stent that persists for at least a year.

It is also known that exercise is a trigger for MI.

It is all about the dose, moderation, at least for a little while.

thelancet.com/article/s0140....

[Karabiner]

I have some experience running after a HA. I had a STEMI in 2006, and in 2015 (age 53) was training for a half marathon. After a long quickish 15km training run I had a niggle in my chest, turned out to be NSTEMI, and I was stented (again in the LAD - instent stent). The half marathon was 10 weeks from this event. I asked my cardiologist whether it was safe to continue training, and run the event. He said I was pretty well conditioned, and mentioned everything Chris (above) has - better blood flow, on blood thinners, etc.... but take it easy for 6 weeks, and then resume training and see how it goes. I ran that half marathon 10 weeks after the NSTEMI and stenting in a little over two hours (albeit much slower than I was hoping for originally). I have since had another HA (STEMI early 2022 unfortunately), but not while doing or after any exercise, and am again working my way back to as much fitness as I can without going out 100%. As a friend of mine keeps saying, better to drop in your tracks than die in a warm bed! Good luck everybody.

[Phil_London]

Always good to read posts that talk to you and yours as well as the replies really did, I am not 55, over 3 years past HA and 1 stent, I was so keen to get back to life feeling I had been given that second chance to live. The rehab is a must as it boosts confidence which isbthe first thing, I am sure so many on here will say, post HA, your scared and feel every twitch and to get back to your heart eating at 150BPM and more really scared me. One cardiac rehab nurse gave me the best advice and it's simple. You know your body, the stent isn't going anywhere, it's will not move or burst or do anything other than what it's designed for. Simplae as that, build up slowly but after 3 months tissue has covered the stent and your at a great point to start. I went straight on for the Park Run and did a slow 37 minute run for the first run, forever watching my HR as I am afraid to say you just can't get away from and I still do. I'm not a fast runner and was keen to break the 30 minutes, that would be a great place for me which I did a year and a half later at the Park Run. (did hit 175BPM on the last 100m, way above what I should for my age) but my cardiologist said, unless you feel an issue and again you know how you feel, then it's not an issue, we are all different. I am now a weekly attendee and you also can get back to where you want to be, the stents are solid little things, your heart will build back its strength and you can run again.

[PaddyRedVan]

Hi! I am also a runner, marathons, 10ks, fell running etc. I got angina at the end of may which got worse. I didnt have any heart damage. I also got 3 stents 3 months ago and attended all the cardiac rehab classes which were easy but informative. I walked my first park run after 4 weeks and ran after 6 weeks going easy in 30 mins. I got faster every week without pushing. Im now at 23:30 or so and have dobe some hilly forest trail runs and one charity fell runs at a slowish pace. Im keeping my pulse below 160 generally. Im planning to get back to fell running next year but will keep an eye on my pulse and will not be going for any pbs.