What Going for a 1-Mile Run Does to Your Body, Says Science

[BobTheSubgenius]

9. After a Staph A infection led to two replacement valves, and a chunk of the heart muscle,

it took me ages to get to any semblance of conditioning. 3 weeks before I could walk to the corner and back. I knew I was never going to be athletic again, but at 67, both my cardiologist and my GP were pleased with my effort and my results.

Then, last spring, I was doing one of my normal routes, and I just ran out of gas early on. I couldn't believe it, but I cut it off short and headed home. On the way home, it hit me. "Is this COVID???"

Well, it got somewhat better, so I knew it wasn't that, but then it got worse again. I had all kinds of medical stuff going on at the time - surgery on both eyes and an upcoming colonoscopy, after which I was resolved to get to the bottom of this. I couldn't do anything even close to what I had been doing, in either distance or intensity.

During the colonoscopy, it came to light - pulse rate was between 28 and 32. Turns out, either the infection or the surgery had damaged the electrical connection, and I needed a pacemaker. I fully expected it was going to jumpstart me, but it never happened.

I now do what used to be my "resting" day - a kilometer at a fairly relaxed pace, my "stress" day being something over 3km in around 40 minutes. Hardly competitive, but not bad for an old guy.

Not any more.