December Athlete of the Month

And we made it to December... 2021 almost in the books.

GOOD WORK EVERYONE in navigating the challenges and obstacles of this year.

Just like Blood Clot Survivors we all have done some sort of overcoming this year to make it through.

This year TEAM STOP THE CLOT did incredibly well at the NYC Marathon which is so inspiring... I can't get enough of seeing people finishing the grand challenge of completing 26.2 Miles.

December's Athlete of the Month will also inspire you.  MIKE is not strange of challenges and battling through to overcome and come back. Thank you Mike for your willingness to share your story. Your story is going to make a difference to get blood clot survivors going when their journey gets difficult. For my my part I am inspired to get out and do something today and everyday...!

I am eternally THANKFUL for the opportunity to meet so many incredible people through this medium, share these amazing stories, and be able to keep it up for another year... 13 years and counting!

Please read on for Mike's story and get inspired to NEVER STOP MOVING FORWARD because BLOOD CLOT SURVIVORS CAN DO ANYTHING!!!

What is you sport/activity of choice? Why do you enjoy it?    

I am an avid triathlete.   I enjoy the camaraderie of training in groups for the swim, bike and run.  Triathlon training is a mixture of solo training and team training and it all comes together on race days when everyone is cheering you on and you get to realize all that you’ve been training for.

How did you get started in that sport? 

I got started later in life, about 10 years ago.   I had gone through some life challenges, decided to get back into good physical shape (I was a former Division I football player) and I missed the competitive nature of sport.  I started small.  I started without having swam in over 20 years.   I hadn’t run more than a 5k in probably 15 years.    As a Clydesdale sized athlete (Age 59, 6’ 1”, 225 lbs.), I am not the size, nor age of the normal little skinny triathlete.  However, I routinely finish before my younger, lighter competitors do.   I am a mid-pack age grouper.

What is the latest milestone you achieved or plan to achieve?

I am fortunate to have done 2 full distance Ironman races in the last 3 years, probably 6 or 7 half Ironman distance and a bunch of Olympic and Sprint distance races over the last 7 years.   I was training for my 3^rd Ironman when I experienced my clotting episode.    My goal for 2022 is to compete in the USA Triathlon Athena/Clydesdale championships and do well enough to place in my age category.

Tells about your clotting episode.  Are you on blood thinners now? How long were you out of commission? 

I am the luckiest guy I know.   I had a bike crash in June 2021 that caused me to have a torn thumb tendon and casted for 5 weeks.   Kept working out but on bike trainer and running w/ a cast on.   Within a week after the cast came off, I started having difficulty breathing on my workouts.   My partner Jennifer told me to go to the Urgent Care on Sat AM to get it looked at rather than wait to see my family doctor on Monday.  She saved my life.  The CT scans showed I had 10 blood clots in my lungs.   Had I waited, I probably would have either had a heart attack or died in my sleep that weekend.  On blood thinners now through March as they try and figure out what caused the clots and a path forward as every test has come back as normal or negative.   The pulmonologists and hematologists have no idea what caused the clots and what happens if/when I go off blood thinners.

When were you able to get back into your activity?  How did it feel that first time?  

 I got released two weeks after my episode to begin working out and gradually increase my level and duration of exertion.   It felt weird and I was a little scared at first but things seem to be coming back but its going to take a while to get there as my lungs recover and my fitness rebounds.   As my pulmonologist said “while on blood thinners, your veins and arteries are virtually coated in WD-40 so nothing is going to happen to you” so I’m going to work on getting back to my Ironman level of fitness.

What is your favorite piece of gear for your favorite activity? 

I am a product junkie to help me be faster, stronger, more healthy, safer.   I have a Scott Plasma 6 Tri-bike, I love my DeSoto tri-suits and New Balance 860 running shoes.  I also have a Road ID that the EMS and medical staff used when I crashed earlier this summer.   I plan on getting a Polka-Dot tri-suit from DeSoto to go along with my Red Polka-Dot technical t-shirt to bring awareness to everyone about blood clots.   I also swear by Maurten mix and gels along with Skratch for hydration and nutrition during workouts and races.

How much are you getting out doing your sport?  

I train almost everyday and sometimes as I’m ramping up in IM training, its twice a day workouts.  Probably 10-16 hours a week. Its always a balancing act as I have a day job as an human resources executive for a big company and a personal life.   However, working out is a stress reliever for me and I get a lot of satisfaction trying to remain “a year younger each year”.  It’s a game to me and I love looking at my workout data during and after a workout.  My favorite workouts are 8-10 mile runs along the river in my community and 40-60 mile bike rides outside in the far western Chicago suburbs and beyond.  Swimming is necessary but not a discipline I’m very good at nor have the body shape for it.

What is your favorite food?  Either generally or after a workout.   

My favorite food is a good steak paired with a Pinot Noir.    After a workout, I often crave carbs and salt – so it sometimes is cheese and crackers and a beer or two as I rehydrate.  😊

If you could go some place to visit and explore, where would like to go?  

I’d love to explore the coasts of the Eastern Mediterranean countries of Greece, Turkey, Croatia, and Montenegro.    Someday I will get there.

What would like to say to someone who is going through a clotting episode, perhaps very similar to yours?  How can people return to do what they enjoy? Tells about your concerns and what you look out after.

My advice is listen to your body.   Know what feels right and what doesn’t and act upon those perceptions.   Talk to your medical advisors and ask lots of questions.   Questions don’t mean you’re challenging their knowledge or direction, rather looking to clarify and confirm.   Don’t be afraid to stop and assess.   Don’t just work through the discomfort or pain.   Be smart so you can live for tomorrow.    And once you get treated for clots, teach your body and mind how to get back at it – smartly.   Don’t be afraid but don’t be reckless either.   Discretion is often the better part of valor.

Can't wait to see Mike in his CLOT BUSTER #StopTheClot polka-dots racing triathlons out there.  Who knows maybe someday we will be racing together out there and since you will beat me then I will be buying the "recovery beers"... Never stop going forward.

Thank you for reading,

The Clot Buster