First 5K today in five years at least..

I completed a 5K today. It has been at least five years since I did a road race... I did it in 33 minutes or so. It seems tough getting back to running; my legs are killing me! It is certainly 5K further than I could have done in 2nd degree block... But, hard to believe my 5K time five years ago was around 21 minutes. Gives me something to work for! Still thankful to be out there!

3 Comments

Mz.A

by IAN MC - 2013-05-06 06:05:50

Do you expect too much ? . Probably.

I was a very keen marathon runner and cannot do it any more ? Why ? Several reasons... advancing years / loss of training fitness and the important one, a heart with an electrical malfunction. Do you notice that I haven't mentioned the PM at all.

I often read on here statements of anger directed at the implant e.g. " The Dr lied to me ! " or " I want to rip it out "
or "they said it would return me to normal performance "

Perhaps any anger we have should be directed at our faulty hearts and not at the lump of titanium which takes care of one of the symptoms. A PM is not a cure, we all still have hearts which are not normal electrically and when you push them hard ,as in distance running, some of us hit problems.

But having said all that, congrats to USMC- Pacer , go for a 10K next time; you can do it !

Ian

Congrats!

by Grateful Heart - 2013-05-06 12:05:21

Sounds like a new personal best to beat with a pacemaker. :) Like you said, you couldn't have done it with 2nd degree block.

Celebrate!

Grateful Heart

I agree with all...

by USMC-Pacer - 2013-05-08 09:05:43

I actually replied to this the other day, but I guess it went into the internet netherland...

Anyhow, I appreciate and agree with every reply. My only gripe is that it takes so long to come to the optimum settings of the pacer - in my case - mainly due to communication issues at the EP lab. Like Mz.A said, I too was told how straight forward it would all be... I went full circle between 4 nurses, an NP and back to the EP. All the former assumed I had AFIB, until the EP confirmed that I do not (I still don't know where that came from)... Anyway, after all those nurse visits, copays, and time wasted... the EP put me on a 1:1 - problem solved. I feel that I should have left the surgery on a 1:1..

However, I am thankful for being able to run the 5K as I would not have been able to do it without the pacer. I am also extremely thankful for this site, and the very helpful people here (especially Frank / :>( God bless! ) If it weren't for everyone here, I wouldn't have known what the heck a 1:1 was, or how to ask for it.

Thanks again for your replies and motivation!

You know you're wired when...

Your old device becomes a paper weight for your desk.

Member Quotes

My eight year old son had a pacemaker since he was 6 months old. He does very well, plays soccer, baseball, and rides his bike. I am so glad he is not ashamed of his pacemaker. He will proudly show his "battery" to anyone.