To help
• What: Donations for Randy Zemlicka's Boston Marathon Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge
• To donate: Rundfmc.org/2014/randyz
By Mark Nesbitt
mnesbitt@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Randy Zemlicka turned down offers from friends to run in marathons for years. But after overcoming open heart surgery, he began his journey of running a marathon in all 50 states.
"It's one of those things I had on my bucket list," Zemlicka said of running a marathon. "It's something I wanted to knock off my bucket list and I got hooked."
Zemlicka, 57, of Monroe, was born with a defective aortic valve. He had open heart surgery in 1995 and received a mechanical heart valve.
"Open heart surgery was my only hope to live much past my 40th birthday," Zemlicka said.
Zemlicka consulted Dr. Richard Roberts of the University of Wisconsin Health clinic in Belleville as well as his two cardiologists of the Wisconsin Heart and Vascular Clinic through Meriter Hospital about any limitations he would have.
After 13 years of training and recovery from heart surgery, Zemlicka ran his first marathon, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn in 2008. He will be running a marathon Saturday, Dec. 7 in Baton Rouge, La. It will mark his 37th marathon and his 31st state.
"If you would have told me four years ago I would have been this far along with my goal, I would have thought you would be crazy," he said.
Zemlicka has run marathons from the ocean in Hawaii to the streets surrounding the national mall and Capitol in Washington, D.C. He plans to run five marathons in 2014 including the Boston Marathon in April.
"It's a dream to run in the Boston Marathon," he said. "It's one of the most prestigious marathons. The fact that you have to qualify and they limit it to about 20,000 runners makes it special."
Zemlicka's best finish in a race was third place in his age group at the Swan Lake marathon in Viborg, S.D. last summer. He got the opportunity to run in the Boston Marathon after Dr. Roberts referred him to a colleague. He was directed to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He will be running the Boston Marathon to raise money through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.
Zemlicka set a goal of raising $12,000 for cancer research for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He and his team plan to raise a total of $5.3 million. Zemlicka said he was excited to get the opportunity through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.
"There is no way I could get to that level of performance," he said of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. "After the heart surgery, I have been able to run easier. I usually finish the middle of the road in my age group."
Since his open heart surgery 18 years ago, it hasn't been all clear sailing for Zemlicka. Doctors believed he needed hernia surgery in 2010, but he got clearance to run in a marathon in Jackson, Tenn. the weekend before his surgery. Doctors called off the hernia surgery when they discovered a heart block. Zemlicka said he had a conduction problem in his heart as a result of scarring from heart surgery. In 2011, Zemlicka received a pacemaker and last March he had another setback with an atrial flutter. He had an ablation procedure to destroy abnormal tissues in the heart.
"My heart ventricles weren't beating fast enough for me," he said. "The upper two chambers of my heart were racing in a loop. It diminished my stamina."
Zemlicka went through a treadmill test and receives an annual checkup with doctors. He doesn't see any danger in running after getting a second chance.
"I've never really been concerned about it," he said of running after his open heart surgery. "My heart rate during a race is at about 140 and at the end it's about 150 or 155. If I was running more sprints it may be a problem. I received an endorsement from my cardiologists."
Most runners when they have a strained muscle injury or swelling can take Motrin to relieve the pain. Due to the blood thinner medication he is taking for his heart valve, Zemlicka said he can't use Motrin.
"My challenge is managing the pain," he said. "That (Motrin) is not an option for me. For me, it's an ice bath three or four times a week with five pounds of ice. It kind of comes with the territory."
Zemlicka is dedicating his Boston Marathon race to Ames Relan, 7, his daughter's nephew who won a battle with cancer. Relan had a tumor removed when he was three days old. Sometime between 12 and 18 months, a grapefruit-sized tumor returned and it was malignant. The cancer also spread to his lungs and liver. Relan was diagnosed with stage 4 germ cell cancer. He underwent two five-day rounds of chemotherapy and the cancer was dead. He had tumor removal surgery in 2008 and has been cancer-free since.
"We have all been affected by cancer," Zemlicka said. "I think chemo is tough on adults when they know what is going on. It was tough for that little guy. I thought it was a moving story. I think cancer research helps us get better treatments that are less evasive and are more targeted towards the cancer."
mnesbitt@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Randy Zemlicka turned down offers from friends to run in marathons for years. But after overcoming open heart surgery, he began his journey of running a marathon in all 50 states.
"It's one of those things I had on my bucket list," Zemlicka said of running a marathon. "It's something I wanted to knock off my bucket list and I got hooked."
Zemlicka, 57, of Monroe, was born with a defective aortic valve. He had open heart surgery in 1995 and received a mechanical heart valve.
"Open heart surgery was my only hope to live much past my 40th birthday," Zemlicka said.
Zemlicka consulted Dr. Richard Roberts of the University of Wisconsin Health clinic in Belleville as well as his two cardiologists of the Wisconsin Heart and Vascular Clinic through Meriter Hospital about any limitations he would have.
After 13 years of training and recovery from heart surgery, Zemlicka ran his first marathon, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn in 2008. He will be running a marathon Saturday, Dec. 7 in Baton Rouge, La. It will mark his 37th marathon and his 31st state.
"If you would have told me four years ago I would have been this far along with my goal, I would have thought you would be crazy," he said.
Zemlicka has run marathons from the ocean in Hawaii to the streets surrounding the national mall and Capitol in Washington, D.C. He plans to run five marathons in 2014 including the Boston Marathon in April.
"It's a dream to run in the Boston Marathon," he said. "It's one of the most prestigious marathons. The fact that you have to qualify and they limit it to about 20,000 runners makes it special."
Zemlicka's best finish in a race was third place in his age group at the Swan Lake marathon in Viborg, S.D. last summer. He got the opportunity to run in the Boston Marathon after Dr. Roberts referred him to a colleague. He was directed to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He will be running the Boston Marathon to raise money through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.
Zemlicka set a goal of raising $12,000 for cancer research for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He and his team plan to raise a total of $5.3 million. Zemlicka said he was excited to get the opportunity through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.
"There is no way I could get to that level of performance," he said of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. "After the heart surgery, I have been able to run easier. I usually finish the middle of the road in my age group."
Since his open heart surgery 18 years ago, it hasn't been all clear sailing for Zemlicka. Doctors believed he needed hernia surgery in 2010, but he got clearance to run in a marathon in Jackson, Tenn. the weekend before his surgery. Doctors called off the hernia surgery when they discovered a heart block. Zemlicka said he had a conduction problem in his heart as a result of scarring from heart surgery. In 2011, Zemlicka received a pacemaker and last March he had another setback with an atrial flutter. He had an ablation procedure to destroy abnormal tissues in the heart.
"My heart ventricles weren't beating fast enough for me," he said. "The upper two chambers of my heart were racing in a loop. It diminished my stamina."
Zemlicka went through a treadmill test and receives an annual checkup with doctors. He doesn't see any danger in running after getting a second chance.
"I've never really been concerned about it," he said of running after his open heart surgery. "My heart rate during a race is at about 140 and at the end it's about 150 or 155. If I was running more sprints it may be a problem. I received an endorsement from my cardiologists."
Most runners when they have a strained muscle injury or swelling can take Motrin to relieve the pain. Due to the blood thinner medication he is taking for his heart valve, Zemlicka said he can't use Motrin.
"My challenge is managing the pain," he said. "That (Motrin) is not an option for me. For me, it's an ice bath three or four times a week with five pounds of ice. It kind of comes with the territory."
Zemlicka is dedicating his Boston Marathon race to Ames Relan, 7, his daughter's nephew who won a battle with cancer. Relan had a tumor removed when he was three days old. Sometime between 12 and 18 months, a grapefruit-sized tumor returned and it was malignant. The cancer also spread to his lungs and liver. Relan was diagnosed with stage 4 germ cell cancer. He underwent two five-day rounds of chemotherapy and the cancer was dead. He had tumor removal surgery in 2008 and has been cancer-free since.
"We have all been affected by cancer," Zemlicka said. "I think chemo is tough on adults when they know what is going on. It was tough for that little guy. I thought it was a moving story. I think cancer research helps us get better treatments that are less evasive and are more targeted towards the cancer."
