Running with heart
By Stephanie Butzer, The High Point Enterprise, N.C. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Since its inception 28 years ago, the annual
Heart Strides, which focuses on cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, started 28 years ago. About 300 people go through the program every year, said
But the program isn't free, and sometimes insurance doesn't cover all the costs involved. That's where the 5K comes into play.
"What we're able to do through the Rives race is offer partial or full scholarships to people who can't afford it," Beane said. "It's a fantastic program that helps people learn everything from how to reach into a high cabinet after a heart attack to learning how to exercise again without overexerting yourself."
"Then I got that elephant-standing-on-your-chest sensation," he said. "At first, I wasn't entirely sure what was going on. It got worse slowly enough that I had time to go upstairs with my boy, put him in his crib and pull out one of my medical books to look up symptoms."
He called his wife and told her she should come home. By the time she arrived at the house, Pipkin had called 911 and the paramedics had arrived. In the back of the ambulance, he went in and out of consciousness.
He was in the hospital for four days. By another swoop of irony, he ended up staying in the hospital room next to his mother-in-law. When he was allowed to go home, he decided to start the Heart Strides program.
Pipkin worked with the program for six weeks, attending two or three times a week.
"It got more intense as time wore on because I was recovering. They would break it up -- there would be different activities over the course of a session, but there would be some educational sessions about diet, what exercise to do, what had happened, what to expect in recovery and better ways to take care of yourself."
The exercise specialists showed Pipkin and the other survivors how to use elastic bands for resistance training and monitored them when they used the treadmills or ellipticals. Pipkin said the participants could get better and recover, but couldn't be pushed too hard. The Heart Strides employees knew this, and constantly checked blood pressure and heart rates.
After six weeks of rehabilitation, Pipkin graduated from the program. By this time, he was not only going to the Heart Strides program, but also was working out at the gym at his work.
"When I was going through rehab, I could run all the way up two flights of stairs and I wasn't even winded -- and I had had a heart attack," he said. "I thought that was awesome."
Pipkin lives in the same neighborhood as Beane, and when he found out about the 5K, he immediately decided to sign up. He said he hopes to bring his kids to teach them about the importance of raising money for those who need it.
"I felt like that was a good lesson for them to learn and see a way to help people out that could really use it," he said.
Even though doctors told him the effectiveness of his heart would be diminished by at least 10 percent, Pipkin said he believes that his body is stronger than it was before the heart attack. Completing the race be a full circle, he said.
"I certainly understand how lucky I was from the time I made the phone call to 911 to the time I got out of Heart Strides," he said. "To be able to do the thing that helps other people -- that means a lot to me. It means that I've pretty much succeeded in my own recovery."
Even those who are in the middle of the Heart Strides program or otherwise unable to come to the race can contribute to the program's scholarship fund, Beane said.
He recently received a letter from a man in the program who wanted to donate
"He said it was a great program and he wanted give everybody the opportunity to be a part of it," he said. "That type of stuff is very touching to know -- everybody wants to help everybody out to be a part of a program that they benefited from."
[email protected] -- 888-3617 -- @HPEStephanie
Want to go?
What:
When: Saturday. One-mile Fun Run at
Where:
Donations: Can't make the race? You can donate online at payments.highpointregional.com/giving
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(c)2014 The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.)
Visit The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.) at www.hpe.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
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