Running Hero - Matt Long
I recently read the book, The Long Run, by Matt Long. On Dec. 22, 2005, Matt Long, a New York City fireman who had recently run the NYC Marathon in 3:13:56 to qualify for the Boston Marathon, was hit by a bus while riding his bike to work during a transit strike. He was trapped under the bus and impaled by his seat post.
Extremely fit, he survived his injuries with the help of emergency workers and the skilled medical staff at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital and an infusion of a total of 69 pints of blood (the human body only holds about 10 pints of blood).
Matt struggled with his rehabilitation at first, but eventually went on to run the 2008 NYC Marathon and completed the 2009 Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon.
This book is an inspiring read. As runners, sometimes complain about relatively minor injuries. After reading this book, you’ll have a greater appreciation for what sort of injuries it is possible to overcome and be thankful for the gift of good health.
A brief video about Matt’s journey is embedded below:
Have you read The Long Run? What did you think? Tell me in the comments.
