Tely 10 (Teaser) Redux...

Hey Everyone,

The Tely Teaser was an excellent time. The conditions were better than we could have hoped for early April. The Tely Teaser is a fun run, a chance to see where you are at after the lazy winter months. However, it meant more for me to complete it this year than in would in the past. It wasn’t just a throw away fun run (but it was fun… well runner’s fun) for me. It was a chance to tackle something that not just beat me the last time I ran it, but chewed me up, spit me out, and left me for dead.

For those who are unaware (LTR group), if you Google my name one of the top results will be “Tely 10 runner Mark Didham out of coma-CBC”. I was one of a handful of people hospitalized for heat related issues during this summers incredibly hot Tely 10, one of two diagnosed with heat stroke, who had prolonged hospitalization.

Please note, some details may not be exact. While writing this I realized there are a lot of fine details I still have not asked about, just have the general knowledge.

I collapsed little after the 9 mile mark, around the Central Fire Station, an ambulance was called, I was brought to the ER at St. Claire’s.

The staff worked hard to start getting my body temp down (it exceeded 41 degrees). I was placed in a medically induced coma in order to stabilize my critical condition. I would spend the next six days in a coma (they tell me they woke me occasionally… but I may have been a bit to stubborn to keep awake), much of it packed in ice. There were a few complications: pneumonia, blood clots, and the one that almost beat me, liver failure (this also left me looking like Bart Simpson’s cousin for about a month).

Eventually they were able to ease me out of the coma for good. I spent the next 2 ½ weeks on an electrolyte IV trying to control the enzymes that were causing severe muscle damage (again, may be medically off here, I’m no doctor and didn’t ask a lot of questions, just “When can I go home?”). It was a great effort to stand, and walking a few steps assisted started as a great accomplishment.

My case ended up with the news coverage because my amazing family and friends decided to finish out the race for me. They walked the last KM or so that I did not finish and the media was tipped off (Mark Quinn, a fellow runner, with CBC did a greatjob).

Most people want to know what happened. I strongly disagree with the Telegram article that tried to portray it as if I ignored water stations and was a casual person who woke up and decided to go for a nice brisk 10 mile stroll. By the tone of the article I might as well have stumbled out of Darnell’s Pub and decided to see where the crowd was going.

I drank from all the water stations. I had water bottles and sponges of water from spectators along the routes. My last tangible memory is taking a water bottle by Craigmillar Ave. I was prepared. I had run two Tely’s previously (a few Tely Teasers as well), I had done the Cape to Cabot (just a wee bit tougher) and numerous other races. I ran through the winter months. Two weeks prior I had run the Mews 8K in just over 35 minutes on pace to peak for the Tely 10.

I will agree on one thing with George Stanoev from the Telegram article. He said “People have to exercise judgment.” I knew it was warmer than I was comfortable running in. I watched my heart rate averaging 185, well above the recommended rate to maintain for long time. I knew I was pushing harder than I should for my goal. I had a moment of clarity and abandoned my 70 minute target around the Village, slowing to a walk and getting the most out of a water station. Clarity was fleeting though, and I decided I could still get a personal best and started off in a run again. I don’t remember much more after that.

If I’d have exercised judgment, slowed my pace, brought down my heart rate, taking the strain off my body, I probably could have coasted to the finish. But you can’t change the past or dwell on it, only learn from it and move on. I can’t promise anyone I’ll exercise strong judgment next time I’m in the position, but I do hope I remember what all my friends and family went through during that week. We need to push ourselves if we want to become stronger runners. Take yourself to the edge. But you need to recognize when your benfitting from being at the threshold verses diving head first across it.

I hope I don’t scare any of the LTRers away from the Tely.  It is an awesome race, and an excellent goal to get you out on the asphalt. It’s probably one of the best 10 mile courses you can run as a beginner. I wouldn’t change a thing about the race.

So today, while the conditions and stakes were different, I wanted to run the route just to see if I remembered anything new, curious to see if I’d have any anxiety (admittedly, did feel a little jump in my heart when the fire station came into view). In the end, my main feeling was the satisfaction of finishing a run (congrats on all the PRC PBs out there today) with a great bunch of runners, and amazing running support system.

And for you LTRers, I can’t describe the feeling in July when you finish it with about 4000 other people and your loved ones cheering you on along the way.

Mark

Note:

A lot of people to thank for me being back out there today and I feel like they deserve their own entry later on in the month.