Why running a thirteen minute mile is amazing…
August 28th, 2012 - 10:55 am
Okay, so I went out and ran a thirteen minute mile this morning. “Pretty pathetic,” you might be thinking and you would probably be right in most cases. But for me, this is the first time I have run a mile since I had a heart attack in 1999. It was a major milestone for me as I never believed I would be able to run a mile again in my lifetime. Modern medicine can be a wonderful thing!
Bravo, Doctor Helen, and well done! That first step out the door is always the toughest.
Congrats!
Thanks Michael! Hope all is going well with you too.
No, that’s great to hear. Congratulations!
Congrats. The first couple are always the hardest. (ex-smoker remembers that first mile…)
Congratulations!! That’s truly a milestone…good for you!
Atta Girl! Well done and here’s to many more happy miles!
Congratulations! Live long and prosper!
When I can run a 13-minute 2 mile (my best all-around time was 13:14-the lost vigor of youth) I’ll make fun of you for this. Until then, good job!
That is NOT lame. That is a start. Congratulations and keep it up.
Hardly pathetic. Outstanding actually. Great run!
Congratulations on your conditioning and improving health.
Modern medicine can be a wonderful thing!
Your persistence and courage are wonderful things, as well. Keep it up!
Nice job.
Be careful! I’m convinced that running causes brain damage. I refuse to do it any more unless something big is chasing me. Wouldn’t be prudent. Besides, I’m allergic to exercise. It makes me break out in a sweat and breathe hard.
Kudos to you on your successful run. You didn’t give up when a lot of people wouldn’t even have tried.
My hat is off to you! Slante! (an Irish cheer – pronounced slon-cha)
Way cool; congrats!
Your 13 minute mile brings a facet of reality to my earlier response to your article, where I said that if I saw you approaching me on the street I would take you by the shoulders and kiss you on the lips. I can actually catch you.
Seriously, all jesting aside, i would invite you to lunch or something reasonable like that. Great job on the mile. Should you like a running partner occasionaly, send me an email, our pace is similar.
Congrats! Perseverance brings results. For you to persevere the way you have is particularly admirable.
The first trick, when you start running for exercise, is to run SLOW enough that you can sustain it for a while. So a 13 minute mile is just fine. The next trick is NOT to time yourself – you aren’t in a race, just do what’s comfortable. If you time yourself, you can get into a rat race where you’re trying to beat your last time. No one can keep that up.
That’s cool,Dr. Helen, there’s nothing like a good workout.
Wow Kudos to you doc! Just so I understand – I was wondering what your EF presently is? Its always a tough call how to advise post-MI (or revascularization for that matter) patients when/how much activity they can do. Obviously we want them to stay in the best shape they can – w/o having an event.
Either way – Congrats!
My EF–ejection fraction for those of you who wonder—is now 45%. It was only 35% after my heart attack but has stabilized. I do have a ventricular aneursym so my heart rate is supposed to stay below 120. I try to always keep it at that rate or below which is why running faster than 13 min. is probably not possible for me. Thanks for your comment.
I would replace “pathetic” with “awesome”. Well done, Dr. Helen!
Congratulations. It certainly is a major milestone! It does get easier.
Glad to hear that, Dr. Helen! What’s the next milestone?
The next milestone? Getting my new book on men out soon! And hoping my readers will like it.
Congrats, but still be careful.
Can’t wait for your book. Hope you’ll pitch it on PJTV too.
Congrats! You give me hope. My heart attack(s) were a year ago and I have days when I wonder if I will ever get back to normal. It is nice to know that it is possible.
I am so sorry to hear about your health problems. It took me a very long time, but after a heart attack, it is possible to be okay again. I hope that you will “get back to normal” or even better.
Just to make you feel even better, I have never had a heart attack. I have never smoked or drank. When I was in my prime in high school the fastest mile I did was 12 minutes. Now that I am 46 the fastest mile I can do is 12 minutes.
I may be slow but I am steady.
Good for you Helen. Maybe some day we can race!