What's It All About?

Last May I was out running with my dear friend, Kim, when I went into cardiac arrest. If not for her quick reactions and the fact that I was one block from the fire station, I would not be here to write this today. For that I am extremely grateful, as well as for the many firemen, paramedics, doctors, nurses, friends, acquaintances, and family who saved me and got me through the experience.

The doctors didn't quite figure out what happened to me--they suggested that it was a freak electrical occurrence. Or maybe it was a celestial storm. Whatever. They declared my heart to be fit as a fiddle. After implanting an Implantable Cadioverter Defibrillator, they sent me home and said I could go back to my normal activities. And for me, that meant running. (You can read more about it here.)

Since my event (as we euphemistically call it), I have educated myself much more on the heart and heart disease, which is the #1 killer of women. So I've been trying to encourage all the women (and men) that I know to take care of their hearts. A significant step on this path includes increasing physical activity.


So, to celebrate my survival and give people an excuse to add more physical activity to their lives, I am inviting everyone to join me on May 10 at 9:00 a.m. at the Taylor School. The route for this run/walk is my regular route, the one I was on when I went down. It's 3.4 miles long (just slightly longer than a 5K). A map of the route is at the bottom of this page. I can't provide water or prizes or timers or t-shirts, but I won't charge you an entry fee either. Instead I'll give you a hug and thank you for helping me celebrate and for doing something good for yourself.

There's no official registration, but email me at pjbishop @ comcast.net if you want to join us or need more information. You're also welcome to join us the day of the run/walk. And stop by here often for encouraging words.