|
Wanderer Barilla Does
Not Stop
George Barilla moved to Doylestorn from metropolitan
New York last year and started running for the Wanderers in
the spring. George, now in his 50’s, was a strong marathoner
prior to his illness running well under four hours. However,
in 1997, George suffered a serious stroke. But he has come
a long way back and now is running regularly in road races
in the mid-Atlantic region. George competed in the Winter
10k along Kelly Drive on March 3 in wretched weather conditions
posting a time of one hour and 37 seconds. In mid April, George
competed in the Hackleberry Hill Climb 15k in New Jersey where
he finished in 1:34:35.
 |
George Barilla (right) and
Rock Steady at the Winter-10K
on Kelly Drive on March 2nd. |
Earlier this month, George visited his daughter and grandchildren
in Mobile, Alabama, where he ran in the Old Mobile 8k (his time
by the was was 42:33). The race director asked George to write
about his stroke for the Port City Pacers running club. Here
is what George wrote. "I was in Mobile for the Old Mobile
8K and Jon Adams told me about Fred Crook having a stroke.
Jon asked that I talk about my experience with a stroke that
I had in 1997. I didn't have any heart disease. My stroke was
caused by a hole in my heart that caused blood clots. The blood
went through the hole instead of to the lung to get oxygen so
I ran in oxygen debt all the time. No doctor had ever detected
the hole all my life. About 30% of people are walking around
without knowing they have holes in their hearts. Some have very
small ones, mine was large and it still could only be detected
with an echocardiograph. The neurologist said I had been getting
smaller strokes all my life, some that took me months to feel
right again. The doctors misdiagnosed what it was. Most doctors
wouldn't think to check a runner's heart but that's a mistake."
"With the final big stroke I was
paralyzed over half of my body and couldn't talk or understand
anyone. I came out of it well considering how bad it
was. I learned that active people like runners recover better
after a stroke. Also, having good body levels of antioxidant
vitamins like vitamin E and vitamin C help protect the brain
cells during a stroke. Of course, it doesn't hurt to pray
also! Aerobic exercise after a stroke helps get oxygen
to the brain and it heals faster. If you are like I was and
ran but felt too tired and out of breath, you might want to
have your heart checked out."
A quick post script. George's latest performance
was on May 17 at the Crater Armed Forces Day 8 miler in Fort
Lee, Virginia (George was there visiting his son who is in
the military). George took third in his age group and won
a trophy. His time was 1:07:37 on a course that was very hilly
and run on trails as well as roads.
< additional
news stories
|
