The little scary moments
Today at the gym as I was doing my rounds on the wimpy weight-lifting stack-based machines (heh, stack based!) a relatively young guy (looked to be in mid 30s, not that much older than I) had what appears to be a heart attack while running on the treadmill.. He seemed to be in pretty decent shape.. probably just pushed a little to hard.
That scares me as this is something I tend to do.. This isn't just running, pretty much everything I set my mind to I tend to go to the extremes.. Hey well, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing until everyone thinks I'm psychotic! Not like I'm in such a great shape myself and while I have been working at it hard I still can't really run an 8K race next month that a friend keeps bugging me to enter.. no way.. I'll probably have my own heart attack as I drag myself to the finish line bleeding over fallen bodies of lesser runners (I'm not a quitter, damnit).
What's the point of eating healthy, exercising regularly, being in good shape when it's so very easy to just push yourself too hard one day and boom.. they're taking you away on a stretcher as fat-laden gym members watch and wonder.. Then again, what's the alternative...
Life sucks sometimes.
Comments
Do you know First Aid/CPR? It's terribly easy and can be very useful. I just went through my two-year update yesterday. I assume the gym had employees that know CPR? Do they have an AED on the premises? (Automatic External Defibrillator) They are very easy to use and can quickly save a life long before emergency personnel arrive.
To answer your more esoteric question, even Jim Fixx died of a heart attack...
Posted by: SteveG | March 27, 2003 11:01 PM
A neighbour of mine used to run and exercise every day. He was very athletic and always active around the garden or in anything he did.
In his 40's he developed skin cancer but was treated successfully. Then at the age of 52, he drove himself to hospital with dark splotches all over his body. 6 weeks later he was dead.
You really don't know when God or whatever $DIETY will come for you.
Posted by: Donncha | March 28, 2003 08:56 AM
Since when does being a great shape protect you from Skin Cancer?
Posted by: Dan Isaacs | March 28, 2003 11:24 AM
Hmmm... I think I'll be using those heart monitor gizmos more frequently when I use the cardio equipment at my gym...
Posted by: Matt | March 28, 2003 01:20 PM
being in the best shape often times doesnt really mean anything. Sometimes fate and god (or gods) intervene. You can't live in fear of it. Know your limits, respect them, and just enjoy what you do.
Posted by: Chris | March 28, 2003 01:58 PM
If you die, can I have your server?
Posted by: Mike Short | March 29, 2003 09:48 AM
I didnt know that weight machines had stack space...
;)
Posted by: apokalyptik | March 31, 2003 10:57 AM
What happened with the IRS?
Posted by: Jeremy | March 31, 2003 04:46 PM