I've got this friend with a heart problem. Her whole life doctors told her to take it easy - most people would love the excuse to be lazy. Not her - when new research indicated that exercise would actually be helpful for her kind of heart problem she took up running, then triathlon.
Actually, she's the one who got me into it. In fact - she's the one who suggested I try it when everyone else thought my efforts to get my life back through exercise weren't going to go anywhere. She believed in my ability to do this long before I did, and there will never be words to convey my gratitude for that.
She couldn't race last season because she was pregnant. Now the baby's here and I was thrilled when she told me over the holidays she was planning to sign up for the Shamrock Shuffle, also my first race of the season.
But today I learned that her race comeback is going to be put off for another season. Because it's time to replace the leaky valve on her aorta. So instead of a triumphant return to running in 2 months, she's going for open heart surgery in 2 weeks.
She said she's in good health and in good hands, that she will be fine and not to worry because it's just part of her life.
In fact, she said, she's optimistic that getting this little problem fixed just might enable her to break ten-minute miles once she gets back to running.
Now that's a triathlete for ya.
5 comments:
Wow. Many, many good thoughts for your friend! She sounds like a phenomenal woman. :)
What a great attitude...we could all learn a great deal from her....
She sounds like a wonderful friend - and person, in general. She'll be in my thoughts.
Wow. Now that's inspiration!
She's right about the surgery, she will be just fine and come out of it in much better shape than she is in right now. I hope she does break that 10 minute mile mark!
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