I Just Ran A Half-Marathon (Part 1)
(1-day post-hearty transplant, June 2023)
From Bedridden to Bonkers
Hi. I’m Mehreen. I’ve had a heart transplant. And on the 8th September 2024, I ran in the world’s largest half-marathons, the Great North Run.
In this blog, I share the physical limitations I had before my transplant, and also how I built up my strength and stamina after my transplant. Finally, I share how I made the mad-as-a-hatter decision to sign up to a half-marathon, and an even madder-than-a hatter decision, to actually do it.
In part 2 of this blog, I share my feelings and emotions on the day of the GNR, and how I felt leading up to the finish point.
Exercising with my old heart >>>
Before my transplant, I was living with a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy – a disease where the heart muscle weakens, and loses its ability to pump blood effectively around the body.
As a result of my condition, I was always restricted in the types of sports I could participate in. My cardiology team at the LGI specifically advised me against things like:
Running marathons
(too high-intensity)
Lifting heavy weights
(too physically demanding, too much strain on the heart)
Participating in contact sports - like rugby
(risk of internal bleeding - because I was taking anti-coagulants)
The last one was a real shame – it was always my dream to be thrown around a pitch for hours. Guess I’ll have to stick with spa-days, and saunas. A real shame.
Marathons were a distant dream
Given the advice of the healthcare professionals, “marathons near me” was something you’d never find me Googling. Firstly, because I live in the middle of nowhere, next to cows and fields and fodder, and the only marathon you’d see me doing is running away from the stench of cow poo.
Secondly, even if I wanted to run a marathon, I just couldn’t.
A minute alone, of running, was enough to leave me completely and utterly out of breath, drenched in sweat, and stood in the corner somewhere coughing intensely, with my hands on my knees.
Even though I’ve always dreamed of being a runner, at one with the wind and running for miles on end without stopping– marathon running was just too big a risk with my weak heart, and one I was not willing to take.
So, me and my big, weak heart, stood our ground, had patience and were satisfied with our less-than-1-minute running attempts. After all, 1 minute of running is better than nothing.
Exercising with my new heart >>>
After my transplant, I had a couple of infections, and so remained in hospital for some time receiving treatment. But as soon as I was given the green light to go home, I was determined to keep my new heart in the best of health.
Walking
For the first couple of months post-transplant, I made a habit of walking daily. Apart from a few infections, and a slow-healing scar, I was very fortunate to be granted mobility very early on in the transplant process. Alhamdulilah.
In a later post, I share some of my top tips that helped me physically get off the sofa, out of the house and into the outdoors, but one of the things that helped me, was having something to look forward to. A goal to reach. Something that you know would make your stroll worthwhile.
My biggest motivators, was this lil pony…
This pony made my transplant journey a whole lot easier. As the months went on, and I started to build up my exercise tolerance post-transplant, this pony was always there munching away on the grass, watching me get stronger and stronger with my beautiful new heart.
Cardiac rehab
Once my sternum wound had fully healed, I was able to join my local cardiac rehab programme. Yes, I was the youngest patient. Yes, most of them thought I was an assistant sport therapist. Yes, every single person was shook to the core when they learnt that I had a heart transplant.
With the support of my wonderful cardiac rehab team, I was driven to go that extra mile, and began to use the treadmill to build my stamina, and run longer distances. The nurses helped support me, giving me guidance on how to exercise safely, making sure that warm-ups and cool-downs were always prioritised above anything.
Gym
By the time I had reached 5-months post-transplant, the British temperatures had begun to plummet, and I decided it was time to take my transplant fitness journey indoors. Joining the gym was the best, but also the most scariest decision ever.
Unlike most people’s gym fears, which often revolve around body-image and fear of being judged, mine was more centred at the heart.
How will my new heart respond to different intensities of exercise?
How will it respond on the treadmill?
At what point will I get breathless?
What happens if I push myself too much?
When you’ve only known a heart that beats like ‘lub-dub, lub-dub… DUB… lub-DUB… DUB-DUB, da-ba-dee…da-ba-daa’, I think its safe to say, that I was nervous about exercising with my new heart.
To help me understand how my new heart was coping with exercise, I made an exercise journal, recording all the little details, like heart rate, feelings and emotions, on my phone. It helped me visualise my progress, and I’ve given an example of the notes I made below (credits for prettiness go to Canva)
(short extracts from my style of an exercise journal - there is no right or wrong way to make a record of your progress)
Half-marathon (?!)
Now, I know what you’re thinking. She’s gone from walking daily, to cardiac rehab, to going to the gym. Where on Earth does the “I-wanna-do-a-half-marathon” bit come in?
6-months post transplant, I decided that I wanted a bigger long-term goal. Something that would keep me active and on my feet in the long run, something to look forward to in the coming months, and something that could inspire others, and show that a little bit of determination can go a long way (13.1 miles to be exact).
Storytime
The very first time I heard of the Great North Run, was after my transplant, in August 2023, when a nurse mentioned to me that they would be running this half-marathon in the upcoming week.
Mind you, I was still an inpatient in hospital, undergoing treatment after a bacteria and virus decided they would simultaneously host a party inside of me without my permission. (rude)
I had always wanted to give something back to the city that welcomed me with open arms, and gifted me with a new heart. Since the day I stepped foot into Newcastle, I had given the city nothing but a load of my vomit. So, as I listened to this nurse, telling me all about this infamous half-marathon, I was inspired.
It was time to give something back to the Geordieland.
So, when I was 6-months post-transplant, you guessed it. The ballot for the Great North Run 2024 opened, and before I knew it…
I GOT A PLACE!
(sounds like I got a job offer, but that's what it felt like anyway)
In my next blog, I share how the emotions I felt on the day, before, during and after I had completed my very first half-marathon, with my beautiful new heart.
Thank you for reading! Follow my Heart-to-Heart Facebook page to keep up-to-date about future blog posts to come!
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