Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Al, I can relate to the story of Jim K.. Mine could be called ‘near death of a runner’ and the death could have been my own. Also, it should serve as a warning to those that think running has made them invincible. Running may help keep the heart disease at bay but only as long as one is actively pursuing the running hobby. However, everyone is genetically programmed, and as soon as the activity ceases for an extended period of time due to injuries, disinterest and various other reasons, one’s genetics rears its ugly head. This certainly was true in my case and may have been the case of Jim K.. When I quit running at the age of 45, I had been a 6-times-a-week runner for 30 years since I was 15. I pounded the trails and roads before Runner’s World and Blue Ribbon Sports were born, when seeing a runner was as rare as seeing a comet. When I quit, it was supposed to be only temporary  for one year or so for two reasons (1) to cure a persistent lower back pain that popped up only when I was running (2) to reduce stress in general (I married a girl 20 years my junior, had a set of twins, changed jobs, lost half of my money (on paper) in the ‘87 market crash. All this happened at about the same time. I thought I really needed time off and running was the only activity I could cut.) Well, as my one-year layoff became eventually a five-year one, I began feeling that something was not right. I felt kind of anemic at all times. I hadn’t made a quick step for some five years when I decided to resume running. I was 50 at the time. So to the high school track I went to a  mile time trial to find what shape I was in, discounting the extra 20 lb I was carrying. I was going to take a couple of warm-up laps and then do the mile. Three quarters into the first warm-up lap I got hit by a crushing chest pain. Another try a week later ended with the same outcome. After seeing my EKG chart he doctor wanted me to check into the hospital within the hour. He made it sound like I was going to croak before sundown. My reaction was one of utter disbelief. I was a runner, right. Runners don’t get heart attacks. I did not go to the hospital  that day but I ended up having triple bypass (90%,75% and 70% blockages) anyway, after calming down and giving it a bit of thought. Now, I’ve been back in the fold for about four years, currently doing 25-30 miles weekly at 8:00-8:30 min/mile at HR of about 150, been up to 175 couple of times. Started 3 months after the surgery. One good thing came out of it all. My lower back pain that had plagued me for years is GONE. Final note : Al, you are old enough to have heard of Vladimir Kuts, the Russian world record setter and Melbourne ‘56 Olympic gold winner. He was felled by a heart attack at 45. Running on borrowed time feels great. Pete.

We are all, more or less, living on borrowed time. Some of us who have better credit rating than others get to borrow a bit more. Keep pounding the trails. (fore-foot/mid-foot first) /             / | oo       oo |/ ||     |||     ||    Pete, 53, fore-foot striker since 1959 ||             ||        |     ===     |       //|

Response:

Many runners die from heart attacks while running each year, but at considerably lower rate than other people their same age. Last number I heard was about 50%.

Response:

Personally, I can’t think of a lovelier way… Beth – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Al, thanks for a serious and thought provoking piece. You could hear a pin drop as I read through it. I’m thinking – as I’m sure so many of us are – that this is the writing on the wall forall of us as well, be it next year or decades from now. Life is finite. It is a gift. If I die on some jogging trail when my time comes, that OK… CometX                          /     /               – -::@darwin<<-<-<-<   ~    ~   ~     ~        ~         ~                                

Response:

A few of you know of Jim K.  At the end, I have afixed an abbreviated version of his death/autopsy report. If anyone wants the complete unedited 7-page report, e-mail me your snail mail address and I will mail it to you. He was a champion marathon runner who ran 2:31 at age 49 (48?).  It was an exact age record for the distance when he did it and was reported in the Road Running Information Center official record book. About the end of November (?) of last year I talked to him at the high school track.  He told me of a pending hernia operation and of a torn knee medial meniscus.  I related to him that I had had a recent hernia operation and that I could not run because of a torn medial meniscus. He had been running 2-4 hours per day since his retirement a couple of years ago — as he did over the years. He expressed the desire to get his body fixed up so that he could return to serious training again.  Hoping to run a 3-hour marathon at age 65. In his death/autopsy report below, I have omitted some information and dummied other information out with *=92s.  This is a scanned document which may have OCR errors. Note the evidence of an old heart attack that he apparently did not know about.  At least he did not mention it to me — nor did he mention the pacemaker or the cancerous prostate. ——  Al Hromjak =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3DS= tart of Jim K.report  DEATH INVESTIGATION REPORT DATE OF BIRTH: */*/1934 CAUSE OF DEATH: Ischemic heart disease SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION Today, January 7, 1997 at 1820 hours I was advised of the death of James K., age 62, by Susan of the Emergency Room at **** ******* Hospital. Susan advised that the patient had arrived at the hospital in full arrest. All attempts to revive him had failed and he was pronounced dead at 1727 hours 1-7-1997. The decedent was found down on a jogging trail at the end of C******* Road in the City of **** ******. It was unknown how long he had been down. I responded to the hospital, arriving at 1855 hours 1-7-1997. Medical records at the hospital show that the victim had arrived at the hospital, via ambulance, at 1720 hours 1-7-1997. The patient was in full arrest and CPR was in progress. The patient was also observed to be wearing a pace maker that was spiking on the electrocardiogram test but no heart beat was present. All attempts to revive the patient failed and Dr. Corre pronounced the patient dead at 1727 hours 1-7-1997. The patient had suffered some abrasions and small cuts to his face. This probably occurred when he collapsed while on the jogging trail. The decedent, a middle aged white male who is identified by family members, is observed supine on a hospital gurney in the trauma room of the hospital ER. Clothing observed is a pair of light blue jogging pants, black socks, blue/grey tennis shoes, and black gloves with the fingers cut off. Trauma observed is a rather large abrasion that runs from the tip of the nose to above the right eye. Vomit is observed on the side of the mouth and in the mouth. A small amount of dried blood is observed running above the left eye and on the forehead. No other external trauma is observed. A airway is in place. Three Electrocardiogram pads are observed, two upper chest, one lower left quadrant. Two DEFIB pads are observed, one chest, one mid left back. A intravenous line is observed, antecubital fossa left arm. The pacemaker the decedent has is checked by the electrocardiogram machine and it is observed to be spiking. The body of the decedent is transported to the Medical Examiner Morgue, by CMA, at my request. The wife of the decedent, *****, is interviewed and she advised that her husband had been in good health until a couple of years ago. He had been talking to her and had suddenly collapsed. He was taken to the hospital where a angiogram was done. The ang ogram showed a 75% blockage in one of his arteries but it was felt he had a strong heart and nothing needed to be done at that time. He was released from the hospital and a few weeks later he again collapsed. At this time it was felt that he was suffering from arrhythmia’s and a pace maker was put in place. He did good with the pacemaker. He had always been a runner and very athletic. He was able to continue his running but not as long as he could prior to placement of the pacemaker. Approximately a year ago he had surgery for removal of his prostate which was cancerous. He has been tested twice since that time and no new cancer has been found. He had hernia repair surgery about a month ago and had been recovering since by  alking instead of jogging. His Doctor, Dr. Graves, had told him that he could start running again when he felt the hernia repair was healed enough to stand the pressure. His only other complaint was a couple of weeks ago when he complained of stomach pain. He thought this was caused by drinking to much coffee so he cut back on coffee drinking for a week. The pain then went away. He had no other medical problems and had been feeling fine the day of 1-7-1997. Dr. Graves is contacted and she advised that she had treated the patient for several years. She had last seen the patient a few months ago. He had no major medical problems as far as Dr. Graves was concerned. He did have a pacemaker put in two years ago and it was last checked in November of 1996. The pacemaker was working fine at that time. Because he did so much exercise Dr. Graves thought that the pacemaker was set to increase its speed when he was running. He was last seen by his cardiologist in July 1996. Dr. Graves had no opinion as to what may of caused the death. She felt Mr. K. was in good health despite the fact he had a pacemaker. The pacemaker was for arrhythmia’s only. On 1-8-1997 autopsy was performed by Dr. Ronald O’Halloran, Chief Medical Examiner, in order to determine the cause and mode of death. The cause of death was determined to be ischemic heart disease. No contributing condition was found. The mode of death is natural. MEDICAL EXAMINER-CORONER    COUNTY OF *******   AUTOPSY REPORT CAUSE OF DEATH: ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE ANATOMIC DIAGNOSES: Ischemic heart disease, with: A.   100% atherosclerotic calcific occlusion, left anterior      descending coronary artery B.   30% stenosis, left circumflex coronary artery C.   30% stenosis, right coronary artery D.   Focus of dense scarring, anterior interventricular septum,      and anterior left ventricular free wall E.   Left ventricular hypertrophy F.   Status post pacemaker placement G.   Acute pulmonary edema SYSTEMS REVIEW: CARDIOVASCULAR: The heart weighs 440 grams and has a smooth epicardium and pericardium, without adhesions. The coronary arteries arise from the aorta in the usual fashion and are distributed normally, with the right and left sides being co-dominant. The left main coronary artery is completely occluded by atherosclerosis which is focally calcific. The occlusion is 1.0-2.0 cm. from the vessel origin. The left circumflex coronary artery is small, with approximately 30% stenosis. The right coronary artery is focally calcific and has up to 50% cross sectional surface area stenosis. Sectioning the myocardium reveals concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. In addition, an area of dense fibrous scarring is seen in the inner one-third of the left ventricular myocardium on the anterior interventricular septum, and anterior left ventricular free wall, adjacent to the septum. The area of scarring measures up to 2" in maximal diameter and up to 1.0 cm. in thickness. No loci of acute ischemic Change are grossly evident. The cardiac pacemaker leads are both attached. One is attached in the right atrium, adjacent to the auricle. The other is attached near the apex of the right ventricular chamber. The cardiac chambers and cardiac valves are otherwise normally formed and free of lesions. The aorta and its major branches arise and are distributed normally, with slight generalized atherosclerosis. = [note:  I concluded all other body systems are near normal, so their review is not reported here ---- Al Hromjak] =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3Dend of Jim K. repor= t

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