Running News Daily

It has been one year since I had open heart triple bypass surgery says Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray

It’s been one year since my open heart, triple bypass surgery (Oct 12, 2018).  Some said it would take at least a year to recover and heal.  I didn’t believe them. 

I thought that was way too long and I’d be fully recovered within nine months.  Wrong! Now I believe them!  And, I am still not fully recovered or healed yet. 

However, I have done a few marathon distances and a bunch of road races this past year so I am very grateful for that and just happy to wake up every morning. 

I did have a stress test on Tuesday of this week.  The results were actually pretty good.  They said my aerobic capacity was back to normal but I still had work to do in terms of my anerobic threshold – ha, I probably didn’t need a stress test to tell me that! 

My continued labored breathing when running tipped me off to that.  But, the good news is that they say I can increase my intensity and my distance and begin to work much harder in that anaerobic zone (for me, above 137 heart rate). 

So, I now have three goals:  1.) Stay alive (which is sort of important to accomplish the next two goals).  2.) Improve my performances progressively with the hope that I can become even more fit and faster than I was a year ago.  3.) Continue to create awareness that “just because you’re fit doesn’t mean you are healthy” and to help saves lives.

My main message here to all my friends is “IF YOU FEEL SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!”   TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

Lastly, good luck to all those doing the Chicago Marathon, the Ironman in Hawaii on Saturday or the BAA ½  this weekend!   I so wish I could join you, but that is what NEXT YEAR is all about!

(Photos:  After surgery, October 12, 2018 at Mass General Hospital.  Crossing the Boston Marathon this year.  Running in the Middlemiss Big Heart Celebrity Mile a year later - two weeks ago).