back into rhythm Twin Cities 10-Miler on October 3, he knows he’ll be thinking about the Advertisement - Continue Reading Below two years ago during the very same race. But this time, he’s feeling stronger than ever, in part because he’ll be running Shoes & Gear.
“One of the greatest things to come out of that terrifying experience was the recognition of who’s important in my life,” the 27-year-old tells Runner’s World. That includes his father, who will run the Twin Cities 10K with him the day before, and his wife Amy, who will do a 5K with Moon on the same day. Along with the 10-miler, the trifecta is called the “Loony Challenge,” named after Minnesota’s state bird, the loon.
His partner on the 10-miler is Jesse Bueno, a registered nurse anesthetist who was one of 11 people who rushed to help Moon when he collapsed at the 2019 race. (Ironically, Bueno’s given name is Jesus, and Moon was wearing a bib that read “Jesus Saves.”) Moon experienced ventricular tachycardia, Running Pace Calculator, Runner’s World previously reported. Just after the 8-mile mark, the lower chambers of his heart were getting no blood at all, so they simply shut down, sending Moon to the ground, face first.
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Taking turns administering CPR, the ad hoc team kept his heart going until an ambulance brought an AED to shock the heart back into rhythm.
The group met up a few months afterward at a banquet sponsored by Twin Cities in Motion, the organization that hosts the marathon, 10-Miler, 10K, and 5K. By that time, Bueno and Moon had already reconnected, since the rescuer was eager to see how Moon was doing and reached out to Amy a few days after the near-fatal event.
“Initially, I just wanted to make sure he was fine and to see if there was anything else I could do,” Bueno tells Runner’s World. “But then we stayed in contact. At first, it was just in small ways, like having a little Minnesota-Iowa rivalry since I found out he’s a Gophers fan and I’m a Hawkeye. He’s about 20 years younger than me, so it was like having a little brother I could poke fun at.”
When Moon started running and training again, lifelong runner Bueno cheered him on—even in person. Moon did a virtual marathon with Amy rollerblading beside him last year, and beforehand, they sent out an email to all their friends about the course they planned to take. Bueno showed up at the starting line and ended up running with the couple for the first 16 miles.
After that, they did some training runs together, and Bueno says they’re notable for the way the talk is nonstop.
“He’s one of those people who’s a jokester, but you can also talk to him about anything, and that’s what we do,” says Bueno. “Sports, family, work, running—we just never really have any quiet time.”
When Moon decided to try the 10-miler again, Bueno was the obvious choice to be beside him.
“I’m expecting that race to be a meaningful, powerful reminder of what we’ve been through and how far I’ve come,” says Moon. After his sudden cardiac arrest, he had a defibrillator put in and the major surgery and caution about his cardiovascular health kept him from activity for three months. He wasn’t allowed to lift more than a gallon of milk, he recalls, and the doctor even warned him about pushing open sliding doors that were heavy.
When he did get the green light to begin more strenuous activity, Moon faced a decision point. Physically, he was eager to get active, but it took time to feel emotionally ready—a common occurrence among those who’ve experienced dramatic heart events. Having a strong support team—including his parents, Amy, and friends like Bueno—helped ease him back into running.
“It just felt like everyone was cheering me on as I recovered—they were so motivating, and that’s been incredible as I worked my way back,” says Moon.
This year, Moon’s bib will have a nod to his faith, with part of a verse from Hebrews that reads “Run the Race.” That’s also the name of the running club he started with Amy, and Moon says it has a deeper meaning as well: It’s a note of encouragement for anyone struggling to overcome emotional difficulties. Keeping your eyes ahead on the course and having people around you to keep you going is what “run the race” is all about, he says.
He’s looking forward to seeing that in literal form when he and Bueno stand at the starting line of that 10-miler—and especially in that first mile. (Moon only remembers his first mile of the 2019 race, as it’s fairly common with a cardiac arrest to have short-term memory loss leading up to the event.)
“To be honest, I don’t know what it will be like to pass that 1-mile marker—I don’t know what feelings will come up,” Moon says. “But I know I won’t be alone. And that makes a huge difference.”
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