Sad news from Philly Marathon (Page 2)

mdalsey - 2011-11-22 6:19 AM

Many of my friends and family members think I'm crazy for being involved with endurance events.  Yes, there's a chance something like this could happen to any of us.  There's also a much greater chance (I believe) of very positive things resulting from doing the things we do.

Not to trivialize what happened, but the very occasional bad things are what get the attention.  There are also hundreds and thousands of great things that happen before, during and after endurance events that don't get into the news. 

vonschnapps - 2011-11-22 6:34 AM The shock of a healthy person having a heart attack is enormous. When a person is the epitome of fitness and health, does everything one is supposed to do to maintain that health and has be doing it for a long time, this isn't supposed to happen. Never the less, for my BIL, if he had to choose a way, that's exactly how he would have wanted to go. He was preparing for the Senior Olympics, so he was taking it easy in this race. Since his death, about eight years ago, I've followed tragic deaths at sporting events. I've also talked with others who have lost loved ones in this manner. Arrhythmia seems to be the common diagnosis, and what is also troubling is that many received CPR and paddles well within a time that should have brought them back, but to no avail. It is also rare that a new or unconditioned athlete suffers from this sudden cardiac arrest. It is more common for the person to have been a long time athlete. There is some research that suggests a chemical imbalance could trigger an arrest, but nothing conclusive. I've also been told by cardiac surgeons that many people have an enlarged heart, or other heart issues, and its difficult to determine if that is the exact cause of these events. Our lives carry no certainty, only that they will end is certain. To give up running/swimming, etc. out of fear is to trade off one small risk for a whole series of other risks. It took me a while to get back into running after the death of my BIL, we often raced together. I still get that concerned look from my wife and my family when I talk about my next big event, but they have never discouraged it. They know I celebrate the life of my BIL every time I run.