This morning when I checked in at rehab, they asked me if I was ready to ramp things up a bit. I told them I was game and ready to go. Typically this is the routine in rehab: stretch, walk two laps around the room, do resistance training for a few minutes, 15 minutes of cardio, resistance, 15 minutes of cardio, stretch and cool down walk. Today the cardio was back to back, and I could run.
Just to be clear, this is all being monitored, and no, I wasn't running like I used to. This was intervals on the treadmill, strapped to monitors, with the blood pressure check. My walk interval was 3.1mph, my run interval was a 3.6mph, which in terms of time per mile is walking at 18:45 min/mile, and running 16:45 min/mile. I would do one minute walk, and one minute run.
I was nervous as I started. I hadn't run in months, and now I was running after a heart attack. When I switched to the run part of the workout, I felt like I had been cut loose. No blazing speed, but I ran. Of the 15 minutes, I ran about 6 minutes. They asked me to stop at one point, because the monitors were not sending accurate readings, so they had be stop running, and do some brisk walking. Still I ran.
I didn't feel any tightness in the chest. I felt my heart beating, but it wasn't bad. My blood pressure went from 122/64 to 140/66. All was good.
This was an important step in my recovery, and an important step for my mental well being.
The rehab folks asked how I felt at the end, and I told them great. With that, I got a thumbs up and a "See you tomorrow" from them.
Today was a great step on the road to recovery.
Charlie
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