03-05-2025
Pennsylvania teacher grateful to be participating in Broad Street Run 6 months after medical ordeal
For this Glenside teacher, the road to the Broad Street Run was filled with obstacles
For this Glenside teacher, the road to the Broad Street Run was filled with obstacles
For this Glenside teacher, the road to the Broad Street Run was filled with obstacles
A teacher from Glenside, Pennsylvania, is thankful to be back running and preparing for the Broad Street Run, just six months after a scary medical ordeal.
"For me, it's definitely a stress reliever," said Brynn Peterson. "Taking in the nature and the beauty of it all."
The 24-year-old teacher is training for the Broad Street Run in Wissahickon Park.
"A lot of doctors told me it was going to be years until I could run again," she said.
In October, she was training for the Philadelphia Marathon, running 60 miles a week, when she started having chest pain and was suddenly exhausted.
"Everyone tells you that you're tired during marathon training, that your body hurts, so I just thought my body is tired," Peterson said.
She finally got herself to Temple University Hospital, where doctors discovered dozens of blood clots in her lungs.
"I was about a week away from a heart attack, they said if I hadn't come into the hospital," Peterson said.
CBS Philadelphia
She found out she has a genetic predisposition and was effectively treated with blood thinners.
"Blood clot – we call it a silent killer, because it's way more prevalent than we think," said Dr. Parth Rali, who works at Temple University Hospital. "Every five minutes, there is one person in the United States who dies of a blood clot."
Dr. Rali, a pulmonologist, said blood clots can be caused by a number of different things, including being dehydrated – something that can happen to runners if they're not careful.
"If you're not keeping up with hydration, what happens is that your blood becomes thick and that puts you at the risk of forming the blood clots," he said.
Now that she's cleared to run again, Peterson said she learned the importance of seeing a doctor when something doesn't feel right, and she's excited for Broad Street.
"I'll just be happy to finish it with a smile on my face, but the athlete in me does want to go under 66 minutes," Peterson said.
No matter your pace, CBS News Philadelphia is wishing everyone good luck!
