Todd Starnes, a news radio anchor and reporter, had been diagnosed with a very serious heart condition. Doctors told him that open-heart surgery would be necessary to save his life. But surviving that was only the first obstacle. Todd, who was 37 at the time, also weighed 300 lbs. Needless to say, he needed to institute a serious lifestyle change. After surgery, an exercise and diet regimen was crucial for his survival. For most people that’s more than enough. Other than open heart surgery and losing 100 lbs through conventional means, there was one more thing he wanted to add to this grueling to-do list: run the New York City Marathon. 

The New York City Marathon is a taxing event in itself. To attempt it when you’re overweight and you’re recovering from open-heart surgery might be called suicidal by some. But it was Mr. Starnes’ sheer willpower and determination that makes this story intriguing. Rather than treat his obesity with weight-loss surgery, Mr. Starnes decided to undergo a complete lifestyle change regarding his exercise and eating habits in order to lose weight and enjoy life on his terms.

Recovering from open-heart surgery can be a long, arduous process. To do this and decide to lose 1/3 of his body weight as well, without the advantage of bariatric surgery, is commendable to say the least. And the first one to admit this is Mr. Starnes. Factor in that he grew up in the south, where his mother “managed to fry the entire food pyramid.” But having been given “a second chance at life”, Mr. Starnes was determined to reevaluate his life and the habits that were slowly killing him. Although many studies have shown that those who opt for weight-loss surgeries such as gastric bypass and larascopic adjustable gastric banding, or lap-band, tend to lose weight and keep it off, as opposed to those who lose weight through diet and exercise. This group tends to lose weight and but has a much lower success rate in terms of keeping the weight off.

But he was willing to give it his all. At 26.2 miles, the New York City Marathon was probably the ultimate test for someone in his condition. He had been training for months leading up to the marathon, which took place November 4th, 2007. But at the heart of this story lies one question, which the author himself posits: how did a guy survive open-heart surgery, lose more than 100 lbs sans surgery, and run a marathon? Well if you’re curious, he documented this journey by writing a “marathon blog” that details the arduous, yet ultimately fulfilling, process. And Mr. Starnes says it best- you may even find out something about yourself in the process.