I'm reminded of a tragic event that unfolded at the London marathon on Sunday 22nd April 2012. A young woman, Claire Squires who was only 30, collapsed and died with only 1 mile left to run of the 26 mile marathon.
Apparently, she was fit and healthy and not a stranger to fitness challenges. Climbing Kilimanjaro and completing other marathons.
This isn't the first time an apparently fit and healthy person died while engaging in some fitness activity. Going back to 490 BC, there is a record of an athlete, just like Claire Squires collapsing and dying after running 26 miles. Phidippides, a young Greek messenger, ran 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news of the Greek victory over the Persians, he then collapsed and died. This is probably the first recorded incident of sudden death of an athlete.
Can we learn anything from these tragic events? If you're just starting out on the road to a fitter and healthier body and setting ambitious goals for yourself, get checked out by your Doctor.
Ask him/her to do an ECG on your heart, or better still ask for an echocardiogram. None of these tests are invasive and only take a few minutes. The tests will give you and your Doctor a picture on the state of your heart.
I've had both these tests done, not because I planned to run a marathon or climb a mountain, but because I collapsed at work. The echocardiogram found I had an enlarged heart caused by untreated high blood pressure. Until I collapsed, I thought my health was great. But had I started an ambitious programme of exercise and fitness routines the outcome could have been more serious than just collapsing at work.
Getting these tests done is no guarantee against developing heart problems in the future. But, at least you can make an informed decision on just how far to push yourself and your heart in beating the struggle to stay or become fit.
I'm now going on a 4 mile bike ride, uphill, to get home from the train station.
See you next Sunday.
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