My Take | Running is good for the body and soul but be aware of the risks
- The Hong Kong marathon is a wonderful event. But competitors must, as I know from personal experience, ensure they are free from health concerns
One night, during a cold spell in Hong Kong in 2016, I woke up with agonising back pain. I had never experienced anything like it before.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only 10 or 15 minutes, the pain eased and I fell asleep. But it returned a few days later.
Worried, I went to see a doctor. It was not my normal GP, as this was a Sunday. I was referred to a physiotherapist for treatment to my back and assured the problem had nothing to do with my heart. Then, with the benefit of hindsight, I did something stupid. I went for a run. The back pain returned immediately and I stopped running for a while. But then it went away and I continued for a few kilometres without any problem. I soon discovered I had been dicing with death.
When the pains later returned, I visited my GP. He advised me to get my heart checked out and might have saved my life. An MRI scan revealed one of the main arteries to my heart was 85 per cent blocked.
The diagnosis was heart disease. This came as a shock. I have always been quite slim and sporty. I have never smoked. An annual health check, which included an exercise electrocardiogram, had not revealed any problem. But I should have been aware there was a family history of heart disease.
A stent was inserted during surgery, unblocking the artery. I will always remember the words of my cardiologist as I lay on the operating table at the end of the procedure. “I don’t know how you did that run,” he said, “but we will have you running again soon.”