How did he end up with so many stents? was his cholesterol through the roof? his years of training most likely facilitated in his cardiac arrest survival
How did he end up with so many stents? was his cholesterol through the roof? his years of training most likely facilitated in his cardiac arrest survival
Good grief. Read the article!
"One possible cause, he and his doctors came to believe, was Agent Orange, the herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War, which the Department of Veterans Affairs has since linked to coronary artery disease. Mr. Galloway served in combat as a Navy lieutenant and was exposed to the defoliant through drinking water.
"He had no family history of heart disease but had developed a complete blockage of one of his coronary arteries, which researchers have observed in other veterans exposed to the toxin. The blockage likely began to form decades ago, his doctors told him, growing and increasing his risk with each passing year. It took five stents to save his life.
"While recovering from his heart failure, Mr. Galloway learned that his decades of training likely helped to save his life. Not only did his consistent run-walking slow the progression of the blockage, but it also helped him to develop what doctors call collateral circulation: His heart grew new blood vessels, which kept him alive when the original vessels became fully blocked."
There are tens of thousands of Americans who love running, but have stopped due to a doctor's justified orders. Inspiring these people to disobey doctor's orders and damage their health doesn't seem very ethical to me.
There are tens of thousands of Americans who love running, but have stopped due to a doctor's justified orders. Inspiring these people to disobey doctor's orders and damage their health doesn't seem very ethical to me.
What a dumb post.
The article clearly states that his doctors support this.
A great story about Galloway is from the 1972 Olympic Trials, where Frank Shorter and Galloway go 1st and 2nd in the 10,000, but Jack Bacheler has an off day and gets passed by Jon Anderson with 100m to go. Five days later, Shorter, Kenny Moore and Galloway want to make sure Bacheler qualified. He had been a mentor to Shorter and Galloway. Shorter and Moore take it out hard to burn off the contenders and Galloway runs with Bacheler to work through the field to get Bacheler 3rd. Bacheler got 9th at the Olympics.
A great story about Galloway is from the 1972 Olympic Trials, where Frank Shorter and Galloway go 1st and 2nd in the 10,000, but Jack Bacheler has an off day and gets passed by Jon Anderson with 100m to go. Five days later, Shorter, Kenny Moore and Galloway want to make sure Bacheler qualified. He had been a mentor to Shorter and Galloway. Shorter and Moore take it out hard to burn off the contenders and Galloway runs with Bacheler to work through the field to get Bacheler 3rd. Bacheler got 9th at the Olympics.
A great story about Galloway is from the 1972 Olympic Trials, where Frank Shorter and Galloway go 1st and 2nd in the 10,000, but Jack Bacheler has an off day and gets passed by Jon Anderson with 100m to go. Five days later, Shorter, Kenny Moore and Galloway want to make sure Bacheler qualified. He had been a mentor to Shorter and Galloway. Shorter and Moore take it out hard to burn off the contenders and Galloway runs with Bacheler to work through the field to get Bacheler 3rd. Bacheler got 9th at the Olympics.
That’s awesome.
That 10,000 Trials race was actually televised. IIRC Jack swatted Jon as he passed and was DQed, but I could be wrong there. Huge race for Jon Anderson of the Big Red. He went on to win Boston the next year, I believe.
Anyway, Jack qualified for the Olympics in the marathon and Jeff in the 10,000. (They asked the USOC or whomever about trading events at the OG, but no soap.) By finishing ninth, Jack completed the USA's "square" finish in the OG marathon: Shorter 1^2, Moore 2^2, Bacheler 3^2.
I didn't see the race. I was 11 yrs old. Kenny Moore doesn't mention any incident between Bacheler and Anderson in his book, but said Anderson was the son of the Eugene mayor and had the Hayward crowd behind him.
That 10,000 Trials race was actually televised. IIRC Jack swatted Jon as he passed and was DQed, but I could be wrong there. Huge race for Jon Anderson of the Big Red. He went on to win Boston the next year, I believe.
Anyway, Jack qualified for the Olympics in the marathon and Jeff in the 10,000. (They asked the USOC or whomever about trading events at the OG, but no soap.) By finishing ninth, Jack completed the USA's "square" finish in the OG marathon: Shorter 1^2, Moore 2^2, Bacheler 3^2.
As I recall it was Bowerman who didn't let Jeff and Jack switch events.
You are right. I believe that runners should stop training for marathons after age 50 or so if longevity is their goal.
I feel like longevity is a bit more of a relevant concern at 50 than 80. Not to be too morbid, but the latter is more toward the 'do everything you want while you still can' end of the scale.
How did he end up with so many stents? was his cholesterol through the roof? his years of training most likely facilitated in his cardiac arrest survival
Good grief. Read the article!
"One possible cause, he and his doctors came to believe, was Agent Orange, the herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War, which the Department of Veterans Affairs has since linked to coronary artery disease. Mr. Galloway served in combat as a Navy lieutenant and was exposed to the defoliant through drinking water.
"He had no family history of heart disease but had developed a complete blockage of one of his coronary arteries, which researchers have observed in other veterans exposed to the toxin. The blockage likely began to form decades ago, his doctors told him, growing and increasing his risk with each passing year. It took five stents to save his life.
"While recovering from his heart failure, Mr. Galloway learned that his decades of training likely helped to save his life. Not only did his consistent run-walking slow the progression of the blockage, but it also helped him to develop what doctors call collateral circulation: His heart grew new blood vessels, which kept him alive when the original vessels became fully blocked."
Two of my senior friends and I have had extensive cardiac testing and I've spent a lot of time researching cardiac problems. Here are some things I've learned.
- Arterial blockage is often asymptomatic until the blockage becomes very great... 90% or more.
- By the time one artery is that blocked, chances are that other arteries are greatly blocked as well.
- Tests exist to determine arterial blockage, but some early detection tests aren't covered by Medicare so seniors don't get them. (I've had them. They are relatively inexpensive.)
- The two of us who haven't run marathons after age 50 have no arterial build-up. The one who has run competitive marathons after age 50 does have calcium build-up. Her cardiologist says he sees it more often in aging marathoners than in aging non-marathon runners. (Of course, he sees it even more in the general non-runner population.) Case in point, my BIL has blocked arteries, but he's in such bad shape that they had to abort the stent procedure. He probably won't be around much longer.
The bottom line is that if you're 65+ and you're covered by Medicare, you should proactively find the best cardiologist in your region and get a complete battery of tests. Tell him/her something like what I told my cardiologist when I first met him. "I'm a competitive runner at the national level. I train insanely hard. I often train by myself in remote areas. I need to be sure that my heart can handle it." As a result, tests caught arterial inelasticity at a very early stage and reversed it.
You can't just rationalize that because you're a runner, your heart has to be healthy.
Jeff has done as much or more to introduce more people to the physical and mental benefits of running than anyone else. Before the knee accident at home, he was planning to mostly walk Honolulu with his cardiologist.
Young and middle-aged folks tend to think that aging is a purely physiological process. It's not. It's as much mental as physical. That's why you see all those articles every day about the loneliness and depression epidemics among retired Americans.
Many of us over-70 runners are still at it because it makes us feel better every day. At training runs and races, we also connect with our community. These are powerful forces.
I often say that, at age 79, my running gets more difficult every day. That's the physical side. I'm slower, I have less muscle, lower VO2 max, yada, yada.
I also say that my running becomes more important to me every day. That's the mental side.
Keep going ... at your own appropriate level. It's worth it.
I think completing a marathon in 8 decades is an awesome psychological goal. You know, it’s the classic triumph of the human spirit over adversity story that we all love to read about.
Setting a very difficult goal, in essence, doing very hard things, exemplifies the tenacious, relentless spirit of the best of us.
Jeff demonstrates the resilience that has carried him through these many years. He’s an inspiration for so many runners.
I think it important though, to frame this very carefully. This is HIS story, HIS quest. This is unique only to him. Taking on this challenge is in no way a medically healthy thing to do. However, it can certainly be a psychologically healthy thing to do. Just so we remember the difference.
I have a very good friend who, in fact, died while running an Ultra at age 70. Some may say this is a tragedy. In fact, I used to think it set a bad example. I don’t think that anymore. Now, I can’t imagine a better way to go…...only closer to the finish line so they don’t have to cart my carcass so far over rough terrain….
The reader Comments to the Jeff Galloway story at the New York Times are informative and inspiring. He has had a strong, positive effect on many people, and that continues even as his own running gets more difficult.
This is the kind of stuff you don't read often at LetsRun or other sources, which understandably focus on elite athletics. Nobody writes stories about 6/7-hour marathon runners.
But these are real people living real lives, and finding their own best paths. Which, at some point, is all any of us can do.
"One possible cause, he and his doctors came to believe, was Agent Orange, the herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War, which the Department of Veterans Affairs has since linked to coronary artery disease. Mr. Galloway served in combat as a Navy lieutenant and was exposed to the defoliant through drinking water.
"He had no family history of heart disease but had developed a complete blockage of one of his coronary arteries, which researchers have observed in other veterans exposed to the toxin. The blockage likely began to form decades ago, his doctors told him, growing and increasing his risk with each passing year. It took five stents to save his life.
"While recovering from his heart failure, Mr. Galloway learned that his decades of training likely helped to save his life. Not only did his consistent run-walking slow the progression of the blockage, but it also helped him to develop what doctors call collateral circulation: His heart grew new blood vessels, which kept him alive when the original vessels became fully blocked."
Two of my senior friends and I have had extensive cardiac testing and I've spent a lot of time researching cardiac problems. Here are some things I've learned.
- Arterial blockage is often asymptomatic until the blockage becomes very great... 90% or more.
- By the time one artery is that blocked, chances are that other arteries are greatly blocked as well.
- Tests exist to determine arterial blockage, but some early detection tests aren't covered by Medicare so seniors don't get them. (I've had them. They are relatively inexpensive.)
- The two of us who haven't run marathons after age 50 have no arterial build-up. The one who has run competitive marathons after age 50 does have calcium build-up. Her cardiologist says he sees it more often in aging marathoners than in aging non-marathon runners. (Of course, he sees it even more in the general non-runner population.) Case in point, my BIL has blocked arteries, but he's in such bad shape that they had to abort the stent procedure. He probably won't be around much longer.
The bottom line is that if you're 65+ and you're covered by Medicare, you should proactively find the best cardiologist in your region and get a complete battery of tests. Tell him/her something like what I told my cardiologist when I first met him. "I'm a competitive runner at the national level. I train insanely hard. I often train by myself in remote areas. I need to be sure that my heart can handle it." As a result, tests caught arterial inelasticity at a very early stage and reversed it.
You can't just rationalize that because you're a runner, your heart has to be healthy.
My Calcium score was off the chart. BC\BS wouldn't pay for Heart Cath or CT. My Cardiologist even wrote a letter.
But later on health insurance are OK paying for more expensive procedures that could.have been detected earlier with a CT ect?