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From heart attack to half marathon | Temple man shares story of recovery

The medical team at Baylor Scott and White who helped with his recovery will be running with him.

TEMPLE, Texas — A Temple man will run a half marathon on Sunday just seven months after suffering a heart attack. 

The medical team at Baylor Scott and White who helped with his recovery will be running with him.

"It was like my batteries were dying," Thom Harris said as he recalled the day he had a heart attack. 

He said he got a tingling feeling in his arm and pain on his shoulder blades in May and turns out he was having a heart attack. 

"I didn't have high blood pressure. I didn't have high cholesterol; nothing. This was a total surprise," Harris said. 

He underwent cardio rehab for several months at Baylor Scott & White in Temple. 

"It was a blast going. I actually looked forward to every day going," Harris said. 

Fast forward to November, Harris is now gearing up for a half marathon with the medical team who helped with his recovery.

"We put up a sign that said we wanted to do a half marathon together and so one day he was exercising and he was looking at the sign and he said you know what I'm gonna do that half marathon with them," Jarrett Crowel said, the cardiac rehab manager at Baylor Scott & White Temple. 

"As I'm running and listening to music and I'm reading these signs. I'm kind of thinking in my head you know at 53 and I had a heart attack. What's up with that? It's unusual you know and you need to make it worth something and I need to have a goal," Harris said. 

So things quickly changed from cardio therapy to training for a 13.1 mile run. 

"He was kind of huffing and puffing just walking on the treadmill. To see his progression from his very first day to finishing up with us at the very end i mean we it was night and day," Crowel said. 

After his scary experience, Harris said his perspective on life has changed. 

"They told me I was very close to dying so it kind of set your thought process a little differently. Go do what you can do. If you can go do the things you wanna do now go do them," Harris said. 

The cardio rehab team and Harris are excited for the race. 

"He always says that it's part of his bucket list. Well we're just glad to be part of his story as well too," Crowel said. 

Harris is confident he'll get to the finish line before some of them. 

"I mean I gotta wait on them to finish," Harris said laughing.   

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