"Listen To Your Body"

This was posted on the first week of November 2007 in my Wordpress site.

I just read the news at www.yahoo.com that a runner died while running the Olympic Trials for the Marathon in New York yesterday, Saturday. The runner/marathoner is 26 years of age and had been a elite runner since the early 2000’s. The cause of death is not yet released/known and it will take some time before the doctors and experts will find out the reason why he died while running the marathon in the early stage of the course.

I remember the writer and turned-marathoner James Fixx, which was popularly known as “Jim Fixx”, who was the author of the “The Complete Book of Running”. Jim Fixx and his book were credited to have started the “running revolution” in the United States and to the entire world. The book motivated the whole world to run and be physically active to be in good health. But at the age of fifty-tw0, he died of cardiac arrest after having his daily practice runs. His death brought questions and doubts if running is the cause of his demise and brought a wrong message to the people. However, as a result of more investigation and studies on the background and lifestyle of Jim Fixx, it appeared that he was a “chain smoker” in his younger years before he started training and running numerous marathon races. His father died of heart attack also and he was advised by doctors and experts to undergo regular treadmill tests and heart monitor tests. But he refused to heed to the advice of the experts. It appeared that cholesterol deposits had thickened in his arteries that impeded the regular flow of blood in his circulatory system, thus, causing his heart failure.

Jim Fixx was basically a writer but because of his popularity in motivating the people to run and finish/compete in marathon races, he has to “walk the talk” and do what he preaches. I really don’t know how many Boston Marathon Races and other marathons he had competed or finished but I guess, he did not listen to his body and took time to undergo a treadmill test. For me, Jim Fixx had greatly contributed my development into a passionate and determined runner.
In my experience as an old runner, I see to it that I determine my pulse rate every morning after waking up in the morning. Check my blood pressure through the latest digital blood pressure gadgets available in the market. I have also my annual “executive medical check-up” whenever I visit the United States once a year.

The practice runs for the day should depend on your pulse rate, blood pressure, the amount of rest/sleep you had the night before your run, and your “gut-feeling” about yourself and your body.

Always remember, listen to your body.