Pace Yourself: Running
After I received my pacemaker, I gladly welcomed improved sleep and the elimination of episodes of dizziness as unexpected benefits of my recovery. However, one of my motivating hopes going into the procedure, was that it would also improve my heart rate responses and breathing during exercise. For the last few years, my heart rate would not rise to match how hard I was working while running, mountain biking, and skiing. It left me breathless during very easy activities and made outdoor adventures far more challenging and a lot less fun.
I followed guidance from my doctor and waited a week to start easing back into running, and patiently waited six weeks before mountain biking or rowing our drift boat.
My gradual return to running included incorporating regular walk breaks, and keeping my outings to 60 minutes or less as my body continued to adapt to my new heart rates.
The end result? I felt amazing!
It was easier to breath at lower efforts, and as I gradually increased my run times and intensity levels my heart responded and I was able to move at paces and efforts that were unattainable prior to surgery. Mountain biking was more of the same, as inclines that left me breathless last summer were much easier to tackle with a hear rate that matched my effort.
During recovery, I remained patient and only pushed as far as my body was capable of going. Once fully recovered, I did find it difficult to push myself to higher levels during workouts on the track or during other high intensity efforts. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to commit to high intensity training and I’ve lost a little confidence and trust in my body. I’ve tried to remain patient just like recovery and give my mind and body time to realign what “hard” feels like. I enjoy the times I can really challenge myself, yet also respect the days my mind and body are simply not able to handle much more than an easy jog or ride.
The recovery and continued mind and body patience has been a monumental effort for me. I’m usually easily frustrated if workouts or adventures do not go as planned due to my health. I’ve enjoyed the experience of prioritizing recovery, and have incorporated the concepts to positively impact my mind-body health in the future.
