Running With The Runs

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Running With The Runs Former Marathoner trying to rebuild after a stroke and two heart surgeries.

Now im on a journey at 48 years old to take back everything i lost and then i want more. Also, new to PA from RI.

7x Marathoner (2:59:12) too many lower distances to count.

Even though I wasn’t expecting great results, I was ready to run The EQT Pittsburgh 10k this morning. But then my heart ...
11/09/2026

Even though I wasn’t expecting great results, I was ready to run The EQT Pittsburgh 10k this morning.

But then my heart went into afib last night.

I would wake up repeatedly all night and got up at 5:30. Still in afib.

So, I went out for a warmup run to see if it would break me out.

It failed.

So, at this point I had to make the right decision and not go to Pittsburgh.

So, I went to the gym and started very slow and my heart rate kept going higher and higher. Eventually it would hit 161 bpm, which I haven’t worked in the 150s in years.

As a matter of fact I think I’ve only briefly hit 140 a handful of times.

I would keep lowering the pace by .1 and my heart rate was standing at 157bpm for over a mile. Part of me was saying stop. But the other part said although I was going slow and my heart was racing, I was not dying figuratively or literally and I could suddenly breath while I ran (shortness of breath gets me bad when my heart goes psycho). So, I decided for the last 20 minutes, I would increase the sp*ed .1 every 1/10th of a mile, after every song and after the treadmill credited me 100 calories.

Then while singing along to Creed, my heart suddenly dropped down to 120bpm at the 42 minute mark, my heart kicked back into its normal rhythm and was at 118 and it was on.

So on a day where my heart took me out of a race by deciding to go psycho on me, I may have broke through a mental block that wouldn’t allow me to push my heart past 135 bpm.

Now, let’s see if today’s failure possibly leads to tomorrow’s success.

Oh and I’m down 7.3 lbs in 10 days.

Tomorrow is my first road race in a year and of course my heart has to do this night before.
11/08/2026

Tomorrow is my first road race in a year and of course my heart has to do this night before.

What a beautiful morning to be alive in Western PA. Today was a scheduled off day.  But my weighed in at 220.5 lbs today...
11/01/2026

What a beautiful morning to be alive in Western PA.

Today was a scheduled off day.

But my weighed in at 220.5 lbs today and my Dec 1 goal is 215.

So, a recovery run called for me to burn calories down the Five Star Trail.

When the HIV sign at the start is the best scenery, you know you’re running somewhere special.

I’ve been telling myself that I was going to ease back on the mileage until the scale said that I would not.  So, short ...
10/29/2026

I’ve been telling myself that I was going to ease back on the mileage until the scale said that I would not.

So, short recovery run today with my dog at a sniff and p*e on everything pace.

And for the first time in 18 months (the month before my last surgery). I passed 120 miles in a month and I got two more runs that should push me over 130.

Treadmill kinda day today for 5+ miles
10/26/2026

Treadmill kinda day today for 5+ miles

Recovery Run at Twin Lakes3rd Beautiful Park in 3 Beautiful DaysI intended on having an off day but the scale said 224.1...
10/25/2026

Recovery Run at Twin Lakes

3rd Beautiful Park in 3 Beautiful Days

I intended on having an off day but the scale said 224.1 lbs.

So, today is a recovery run.

2 laps around the park.

I intended on running but the trail disagreed.  No biggie.  Still did the entire Grove Run Trail Loop.
10/24/2026

I intended on running but the trail disagreed.

No biggie. Still did the entire Grove Run Trail Loop.

7 Miles in Ohiopyle this morning.  I added some pics from my hike afterwardsMile splits9:5910:2410:549:509:249:159:17
10/23/2026

7 Miles in Ohiopyle this morning.

I added some pics from my hike afterwards

Mile splits
9:59
10:24
10:54
9:50
9:24
9:15
9:17

Forgot my Garmin at home today.  So, back to the treadmill since I don’t trust my Apple Watch to track my runs.  Started...
10/20/2026

Forgot my Garmin at home today. So, back to the treadmill since I don’t trust my Apple Watch to track my runs.

Started at 6.4 mph and dropped .1 mph for every .3 miles and increased the sp*ed .1mph after each song

Btw, I’m almost glad that I take bad selfies.

I wanted to run outside today. But, unfortunately I had to also go to Walmart and time was not on my side. But I still g...
10/20/2026

I wanted to run outside today. But, unfortunately I had to also go to Walmart and time was not on my side.

But I still got it done

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Belle Vernon, PA
15012

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