Summer running.

[Bierzo Baggie]

And I can tell you this much from personal experience: if you have any family history of heart disease, running is not an antidote! In fact, don't muck about - at least know your cholesterol levels. It's a very simple, very cheap test, and it's all too easy to think that because you're fit and healthy the heart is going to be OK. It doesn't work that way. Not at all. A genetic disposition to coronary disease is not negated by running. Scary but true. Even scarier - you don't get any early symptoms. The first you know of it is when you have a heart attack, stroke or angina. By then the damage is done. Have it checked - your mother has spoken.

(from thread on General Running)

I almost commented on this post at the time. The moment passed, I didn't post and then something totally unexpected happened.

My dad died on August 14th from a massive heart attack. He was an apparently healthier than most 66-year old who hadn't shown any previous symptoms. He'd just come back from a short, early morning jog around the block and died on the kitchen floor in his Nike Pegasus. It was over in seconds and at least he didn't suffer.

There's been plenty of heart disease on the male side of my family but we'd always put it down to the lardy diet of another era. Running made us complacent. Dad never ever went to the doctor's (and neither do I).

We'd completed the Aquilianos together back in June and dad had been in fine form. It didn't even cross my mind that he'd never do another one.

By amazing coincidence MLCM's words were written just days before dad's death. At least I can take heed of them.