Health Scare Doesn't Stop Norwalk Mom

NORWALK, Conn. -- Susan Carlucci knew instantly something was wrong. Her heart raced faster and thumped louder with each step. "If you run a mile as fast as you can, that's how I felt the whole time,'' the 38-year-old Norwalk resident and Stamford native said of the Stamford KIC It Triathlon two years ago.

Three days after she came in last in the field of 251 finishers, the reason become obvious. She rushed to Stamford Hospital with thunderous chest pains. Doctors determined she had developed blood clots in both lungs. They believe the pulmonary embolisms were brought on by birth control pills. "It was not too smart to go that long without going to the doctor,'' Carlucci said. "The doctors told me if I wasn't as strong as I was, I might have died."

Carlucci stayed in the hospital five days and took blood thinners for six months. She returned to training shortly afterwards. Carlucci, a fitness instructor and personal trainer at The Fitness Edge in Norwalk, will return to the KIC It Triathlon Sunday determined to improve on her 2009 performance.

The mother of three reflects on her health scare and realizes she was incredibly fortunate. "It never crossed my mind that something bad was happening,'' Carlucci said. "I was yelling at myself, 'Suck it up, you're not pushing hard enough.' I had all that internal dialogue going on. I look back on it now, and I was stupid not to get it checked out."

Carlucci is as aware as anyone of listening to the body's warning signs. She has run five marathons and has been a a fitness instructor for 20 years. She didn't play sports when she was a student at Stamford (now Trinity) Catholic. She has always, however, been fitness conscious. "I think I started when I was 8 years old,'' she said, "with a Jane Fonda workout tape."

She returned from her health scare to run the ING New York City Marathon in the fall of 2009. "I didn't want to push it for a while,'' she said. "I just wanted to give my body time to heal. It was time to rest, as opposed to a fear issue."

Since then, there's been no looking back. She competes primarily as a runner–in events from 5Ks to marathons–and also raced last year in the Mossman Sprint Triathlon in Norwalk and the Greenwich Cup Triathlon. She will compete Sunday with her brothers, Terry and Dennis O'Connell. Her 10-year-old son, Jack, will race in Saturday's KIC It Kids Triathlon. Olivia, 8, and Peyton, who turns 4 on Sunday, are Susan's other children.

Her goal next year is to compete in an Ironman competition–a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run–in California. The immediate task is to cover her former home turf in Stamford much more swiftly than she did two years ago.

"This time I expect to be the most improved,'' Carlucci said jokingly. "And not come in last."

What do you think about Susan Carlucci's story? Have you ever had a sports performance hindered by medication? Start the discussion below!

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