The week before I new something wasn’t right. My last long run run was suppose to be a easy ten miles but it wasn’t. I was running 9 min. a mile and was struggling.I though I was just tired.I told myself I had a week to rest before the half and that I would be fine.
The day of the race I got up early had my oatmeal, peace of toast, and a large glass of skim milk ,like I always do before a race. We left about two hours before the race to give us time to get there. I drove while the wife and kids slept. I sipped some Propel on the way.
We got there, I got my race #, I jogged around little, stretched a little. My goal was to run 8 min. a mile until mile ten and then pick it up and do the rest at 7 something a mile for the last three. But it didn’t work out that way. The first mile ended up being 8:20. I never run under the first mile I always end up a little faster than I want to be. So I told myself to pick it up. The second mile was 8:02, that was better but I new something was wrong. 8 min. a mile should be a walk in the park for me,but it wasn’t I was just working to hard for 8 min. mile.
I got to the finish but just barely. I usually recover after a race in about 30 sec. to a min. but not this time. My wife came over and asked if I was ok and I said no lets walk over to the truck and get me something to drink. She got a bottle of Propel out of the cooler and I took one drink and I though I was going to throw up.I got lite headed and I though I was going to pass out. There was some EMT’s at the race and my wife said she was going to go get them, so I sat down in the grass.The EMT’s came over and started asking questions, I told them I had some pain in my back I though it was a muscle pull but it was getting worse and was now running down my arm.They ask if had anything to drink? I said yes but I was having trouble keeping it down.They kept asking questions but kept tell me I was just dehydrated. I told them the pain in my arm was getting better and maybe they where right. They said if I wanted to they would take me to the hospital but I got up and said no, I think I’m getting better.
So they left and I told the wife lets go home. So we get in the truck and get a mile down the road and the pain in my arm comes back and its worse than before. I keep thinking how can I be dehydrated it was cloudy and 50 some degrees.But now I’m sweating so bad it’s dripping off my nose. My fingers are starting to tingle. I’m thinking I’m having a stroke.I tell the wife you gotta go back somethings wrong!
I ended up in the hospital over the weekend. They said I had a heart attack. I had two blocked arteries . They did a catheterization on me to unblock one of them. I have to see my local Cardiac Doc. about the other one. The thing that makes me mad is a year and a half ago I had a stress test done and some other test to see if I had any problems like this and I was given a clean bill of health.
The question I have is is there anybody else out there that has gone through anything like this and still did Triathlons after they recovered? The doctor told me he wanted me back to exercising when I get this taken care of, but I keep feeling like my Tri days are over. Please tell there not.
Baddog, I’m really sorry to hear that this happened, but I’m glad you are going to be OK. I don’t think triathlons are over for you at all. Just be sure you allow yourself recovery time and follow the doctor’s orders. Just think how much faster you are going to be now that that junk is all cleared out. Take care~
Man, what a story … I was thinking heart talk also, as I read. Goes to show, you never know. So glad you are okay … or, at least on the road to recovery.
Thanks for the kind words. It’s hard for me to talk about it, I though maybe typing would be easier but it wasn’t. I’m trying to not get down about about it but it’s hard not to.I know I have much to be thankful for.
First off, I am glad you survived, got medical attention and played the whole thing smart. There is so much wisdom in what you did. You heeded the warning signs. Any one of the decisions you made- had they been made in the opposite direction- could have resulted in far more serious consequences.
There is tremendous value in that for everyone on this forum. Thanks for passing this experience along.
As for your question about people recovering and racing again, well, thee were a grop of fellas who had bypass surgery who participated in a local bike race and kicked butt. They were all pretty good cyclists. It was at Erie Street in Canada last year- Windsor to be exact. I was the race announcer. These guys were up on the announcing stand lifting their shirts and showing the scars in their legs. Impressive.
Every cardiac mality is serious and eachone unique, but I wager with medecine at the level it is at and with some good rehab and a healthy dose of cuation and determination you will come back swinging.
Best of luck my friend. Take it easy and get well soon. Give us updates from time to time too if possible.
Glad to hear you’re ok. Sounds horrifying. I can imagine that returning to training will be great for you. You’ve identified your limiter, so to speak, now get after it once you’re able : )
baddog - my dad is a runner who had a heart attack in his mid forties (he had no previous health problems or risk factors other than genetics) He had a cath done too. He was understandably pretty worried about running again - he used the key pocket in his running shorts to hold his nitro. That was 15 years ago. He has run a marathon every year since then.
There really wasn’t anything he could change lifestyle wise - he never drank or smoked and he ran, ate right etc. allready. It was definately scary at first for him, but as he describes it he “got tired of being scared.” Trust your body to tell you when something is wrong (which you did) You have the advantage of knowing what to watch for. I’m sure it will be very frustrating for the first few weeks, with the whole list of rules (no stairs, no sex, etc) but your body can recover - think positively about what your body has brought you through allready. Thats pretty amazing.
Booth Rand. They checked my cholesterol level at the hospital and it was 178. A year half ago I was having trouble breathing and I though it was heart problems. I went to the doctor and found out it was a lung infection. But they also found I had high platelet levels. They put me on Agrylin.The last time I had it check it was fine. At the hospital it was a little high but they said it could be from what happened.
The the stress test they did said I was fine.
Other than that I have never had any heart problems.But it does run in the family.My father died at 51 while having a triple bypass.
The thing is I’ve never smoked, I don’t eat fast food. I’ve been a runner since I was twenty.The most I’ve been over weight is twenty pounds. I’m 45, 5’11, 177lbs. The doctor said it doesn’t matter I’m fighting genetics.
I think God is punishing me for buying a P-3. I haven’t even got to ride it yet. The wife said I had to wait till X-mas. I don’t even want to go down to the bonus room and look at it. I get depressed.
Oh man, I’m so sorry about what happened. Last week I was just talking to this old guy who always comes in to work to swim. (I lifeguard) He was saying that he competed until he was 73 and then he got a quintuple bypass surgury for blocked arteries. The doctors said he wouldnt have survived if he hadn’t swam all those years. Anyway, the guy is now doing great 8 months later and swims at least a mile a day. So you might not be completely finished yet!
My gosh no, you aren’t finished. Are you kidding? You’re only 45.
You had the artery (or arteries) unblocked, good. I would imagine that exercise is a good thing. It’s not like you have some kind of heart ailment… you had blockage, which was keeping the heart from doing what it’s supposed to do. If you had a tear in the heart wall (can’t remember any of the names now), etc., or needed open heart surgery, it would likely be different.
Search the web… I’m sure there are tons of support groups on this kind of stuff. And of course, always get a 2nd opinion from another doctor.
Badddog, mate, good to have you with us! I have a friend who drove himself to the local Emergency after feeling really crap on a ride, had a heart attack as he walked in the door. That’s not my point, just that you did right by going back to the medics when you knew something was wrong. My mate, who was a runner way back but has cycled exclusively for years, is back on the road after a year and has built back up to his normal routine and distance. All that to say, it’ll take a bit longer than you think, and way longer than you hope but all the training and racing you must have done in the past will stand you in good stead for your future. Patience now, as hard as that may be to contemplate. All the best.
but all the training and racing you must have done in the past will stand you in good stead for your future. Patience now, as hard as that may be to contemplate. All the best.