BQ or Bust

Running Is as Serious as a Heart Attack

I’ve avoided telling this story for a long time because I didn’t know how it would turn out.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010, wasn’t so different from any other day. I had run a decent 5k a few days earlier, and swam my morning laps without incident. After I got home, I needed to move some furniture and felt a sharp pain along my left triceps. “Crap, I’ve pulled something,” I thought. Later, in the shower, I had that “pulled muscle” feeling across my collar bone and up into my neck.

I already know what you’re thinking, and I thought it, too. But my blood pressure and heart rate were normal, and I had no chest symptoms at all. No shortness of breath. No physical difficulty whatsoever. It just couldn’t be a heart attack, but at the same time, it was weird, so I couldn’t just ignore it. So I split the difference. I took some aspirin instead of Advil and made an appointment with my doctor for the next day – for arm pain.

I slept well but the now-dull pain hadn’t gone away in the morning. And did I feel some chest pressure or was I freaking out? Blood pressure and heart rate still normal. OK, so I go to see my doctor. I told her my symptoms. She looked at me kind of funny. Took me through a series of arm motion tests, one of which provoked a sharp pain in my clavicle. She was pretty sure I had hurt myself while swimming, but we both agreed that an electrocardiogram was in order, just to be sure.

I got the ECG and a few minutes later she returned and said, “You need to go to the emergency room right now.” All she would add is that my ECG was “abnormal.”

My wife drove me across the street to the ER. I sauntered in with a copy of my ECG, handed it to the nurse, and told her what my doctor said.

Then all hell broke loose.

I was escorted into a room where four or five people simultaneusly began removing my shirt, x-raying my chest, sticking multiple IVs in my arm and putting nitroglycerine under my tongue.

Now I may be a bit slow on the uptake, but I finally figured out that this was way serious. The ER staff was absolutely frantic, and I was as calm as can be because I felt fine. A doctor entered the room. I have since referred to him as Dr. Jargon because I understood one out of every five words he used. He told me I was having an “MI.” I’m having a Michigan? A mobile infantry? A moment of inertia? A Mission Impossible? What?

Oh, a heart attack.

This wasn’t like any heart attack I’d ever heard of. No passing out. No white light. No paddles. I was mostly worried that they were scaring the Lovely Mrs. A. out of her wits. You might think I was in denial, but how would you feel if I told you, right now, that you were having a heart attack?

Anyway, I needed a cardiac catheterization so they could identify the blockage and get rid of it. But I had to be taken to another hospital for the procedure, so they bundled me into an ambulance and off we went through rush hour traffic. During the ride I chatted with the EMT. After about 15 minutes of small talk, I asked her if she had ever had a conversation with a patient in the back of the ambulance. “Not during a Code 3,” she said.

For those of you unfamiliar with the catheterization procedure, they punch a hole in your femoral artery and snake a tube through it all the way up to your heart. In my case, they found two blood clots blocking my coronary artery. These were dissolved and two stents were put in. I spent the weekend in the cardiac care unit while they tried to figure out what the hell had happened.

Most heart attacks are caused by arterial plaque, which eventually erupts. Blood clots around it, causing a blockage. This might be what happened to me, but the cardiologist team had some doubts, because my cholesterol was 170 and they couldn’t find any other plaque. They checked for an embolism and a hole in my heart, but both were negative. During morning rounds, my attending physician introduced me to the interns as “the healthiest man to ever have a heart attack.”

On one thing there was general agreement: Running saved my life.

While my experience bordered on the comical, it’s clear that my good health got me through it with far less pain than I had with my herniated disk. I was released from the hospital on Sunday and was back at work on Monday. I’ll leave my rehab tales for another time, but it wasn’t long before I was on the road again. Here we are – less than six months later – and yesterday I completed my first race. It was a 10k, and I ran a 55:22. I’m pretty sure that’s a personal worst, but it’s never felt so sweet.

My cardiologist tells me the running is good for my recovery and as long as I feel no ill effects, “there are no restrictions.” In fact, he told me not to place any restrictions on myself. I’m on a bunch of meds, and I’ve improved my diet. My cholesterol is now 137 (LDL 61).

I’ve done a lot of research in the past few months, and it turns out I’m far from the only runner who has had a similar experience. Stacie Rubin’s story was very close to my own. I decided to tell my story because we, as runners, are people who have paid attention to the best health advice. We (usually) eat right, we’re aware of what our bodies tell us, and we perform an exercise that strengthens our hearts and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

But it’s not a bulletproof vest. So don’t do what I did. If you have the traditional symptoms of a heart attack, even if that seems impossible and you feel you can attribute them to some other cause – go to the emergency room. They’ll know within minutes whether you are or not. If you’re not, then you’ve wasted an afternoon, but that’s all.

What happened to me was bad luck, but I am definitely a lucky man. Lucky to have found running and to love it so much. It will carry me through the rest of my life – as well as next week’s 10-mile race.

Swim Run Moo

I’ve had my best training week in ages and my body feels great (knock on wood, cross fingers, find rabbit’s foot).

It was a 15-mile week, ending with 8 x 400 yesterday (1:42-1:56 range) and a 3.71 miler this morning at 8:51 pace. This is the final week of No Boundaries training.

Another milestone: I actually did swim workouts. Wednesday was 8 x 25. Each lap was in the 40-50 second range, but a better measure was how damn long it took me to complete the 200 total yards – 26 minutes. Friday was a vast improvement, and I had a much easier time of it as well – 12 x 25 in 32 minutes. Tomorrow I’ll take a whack at increased distance – maybe 2 x 50 and then 8 x 25.

Next Sunday is the Urban Cow 5k, and it will be my first race since April. I have low expectations for my performance, as I’m trying to concentrate on the long-term. My upcoming 10k training group program is about 8 weeks long, which should set me up nicely for a spring half-marathon. After that, we’ll just see how it goes.

Running Is Funny Giveaway Winners!

No suspense. The random drawing winner of the Onion Jacks souvenir box was Blaine of Run to Win, and the grand prize winner of the Onion Jacks souvenir box and special secret additional gift was Jeff of no-known blog. Congratulations to the winners! Thanks to all of you who offered terrific advice for my first foray into the world of lap swimming.

Because it was exactly as you predicted. The pool is 25 meters by 25 yards, and though it was tough to tell which was which, I think the lap lanes were 25 yards long. The far-right lane was also double-width, and populated by slow-moving grannies and grandpas in flotation belts, bobbing up and down like buoys. The depth at the shallow end was 7 feet, so I spent the first few minutes blowing bubbles and acclimating myself. I eased my anxiety by never swimming more than an arm’s length from the side wall. Then I simply swam the length of the pool. It took me 43 seconds, but after short rests I was able to do it three more times.

I did a few drills and that was it. The pool is awesome and I’ll be spending a lot of time there this fall and winter.

As for running, there are only two weeks left in the No Boundaries training program. I capped a 13.25 mile week with 6 x 400 yesterday (min = 1:39, max = 1:48) and a practice 5k this morning in 26:06. So, with some good fortune I should manage to break 25 on race day.

After the race, the next step will be Next Steps, an eight-week Fleet Feet training program for a 10k. Since the slow, gradual mileage buildup has kept me injury-free for 10 weeks, I might as well continue with that plan.

Running Is Funny Giveaway Time!

It was a good training week, if a bit sobering. I did 12.5 miles, culminating in a benchmark 5k run this morning in 27:15. I’ve got three weeks until race day to improve on that. Yesterday I did my first track workout in a year – 6 x 400 with intervals all between 1:44 and 1:53. That was encouraging, except that last year’s track workout was 8 x 400, all between 1:32 and 1:37. In short, I’ve still got a long way to go.

We’re coming down the home stretch in the No Boundaries Couch to 5k program. My efforts to remain low-key have not really paid off, since even at my slow speed, I’m about two minutes per mile faster than the next fastest guy. I’ve had to explain to people that I’m “experienced,” without getting into details, which might sound like bragging to them. Despite that, I would recommend this type of program for returning from injury, since it forces you to stick to basics and keep your mileage low.

As promised, I’m ready to give away a cheesy souvenir of my trip to Bermuda. It’s a little wooden box from the world famous (?) Onion Jacks Trading Post in Hamilton.

I have two of these. One winner will be selected at random from the commenters to this post. And since I don’t get a lot of commenters, your chances are great! The second one will go to the commenter who gives me the best swimming advice, and that person will receive a bonus cheesy souvenir inside! What a deal! (I know. You’re having trouble containing yourself.)

Here’s the swimming situation. I’m practicing three times a week in the (unheated) apartment complex swimming pool, which is about 15 yards long. I’m steadily improving my endurance and breathing, if not quite as quickly as I would like. There is a heated outdoor 25-meter lap pool nearby, which is open year-round. I’m new to all this, so I have three stupid questions:

1) Heated or not, do people really swim laps in an outdoor pool during the winter? The winters in northern California are mild, but we do get a lot of rain and temperatures in the 30s. It just seems a bit strange to me, but what do I know?

2) How “good” should I be before getting in the 25-meter pool with other swimmers? I don’t want to be “that guy” who gets in everyone else’s way while I figure it out. Tell me about your first experience in the lap pool.

3) What are your thoughts about a swim snorkel? On the one hand, it takes care of qualms about distance and endurance in the lap pool. On the other hand, it’s like using training wheels on a bike. I might as well tattoo “dork” on my forehead.

If I had taken my swimming lessons at the beginning of the summer, instead of in August, I probably wouldn’t be facing this dilemma, but here I am. It will soon be too cold to continue in the unheated pool. What do you think? And thanks in advance.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

I wish I could say I spent my Labor Day weekend resting or barbecuing, but instead I transfered Running Is Funny to a new host, updated the theme, added a new color, and generally took care of a few housekeeping items. Naturally, it didn’t go smoothly, but all’s well that ends well.

I ran 10 miles this week at an average pace of 8:55, concluding with a 2.4 mile run at 8:26 pace. That means it’s time for another boost in mileage. I’ll be running 5ks this week. Four more weeks until my next race.

I’m now swimming three times a week and gradually improving. I need to build stamina to the point where it makes sense for me to sign up for lap swimming at the local 25-meter pool. Right now I’d just be an obstruction to anyone else in the water.

The Carnival of Running returns on Wednesday!

24 Hours in the City That Smells Like Pee

Yes, I’ve had one full day in my old hometown, New York City. It rained most of this morning, and I had to get my running in on the hotel treadmill, rather than risk my life trying to jog my way up to Central Park from midtown. Apparently there was some sort of cycling event going on just outside our hotel.

I love the city, but it smells as bad as it did 35 years ago. Maybe they could hang a giant air freshener from the top of the Empire State Building.

Anyway, I got the most important tasks done: a couple of toasted coconut Dunkin Donuts and a pair of vanilla egg creams. If you don’t know what an egg cream is, click here for its history. It’s a typical New York concoction in that it contains neither egg nor cream.

Alas, I’m on my way out of town already. I’ll let you in on my mystery destination tomorrow. You got a problem with that?

Swimma Cum Laude

Eight miles this week at an average pace of 9:20. Stepped up to 2.4 miles yesterday and today and managed a 9-minute pace. Everything is proceeding according to my non-plan plan.

I completed my swimming lessons on Thursday, and although we didn’t get certificates and gold stars like the kids did, the instructor said my progress over two weeks was “amazing.” I have to agree, if I do say so myself. I started with virtually no mobility at all in the water and finished with technically sound freestyle laps back and forth across a 25-meter pool. I can side-breathe, though this is still my weakest skill, but I’ll continue to practice until it becomes as natural as, well, breathing.

If you’re a non-swimmer, don’t wait as long as I did to learn. It’s worth your time and effort. I will say, however, that swimming lessons and overcoming your fear of water are really two different things. It’s probably better to wait to attempt the former until after you’ve done the latter. Fortunately, there are programs designed specifically to make you comfortable in the water before you get to the details of kicks, strokes and form.

Check out the Miracle Swimming Institute and its programs if just the idea of putting your head underwater gives you the heebie-jeebies. But if, like me, you’re comfortable in the water and just never bothered to learn to swim, your local parks and recreation district probably offers beginner lessons for adults.

I now have a cross-training sport that I enjoy, plus a cardio activity if (God forbid) I get another running injury. The next step is to look for local indoor pools so I can continue to practice during the winter.