Joe Amabile, a "Bachelor Nation" alum, knows a thing or two about running after what you want.
When the former "Bachelorette" star hits the streets for the New York City Marathon for the third time Nov. 1, he won't just be running toward the finish line. He'll be running toward his future amid a recent health scare. Specifically, a malignant brain tumor.
Amabile, 40, has detailed his health journey on social media after revealing in July he had a low-grade astrocytoma. Doctors were able to remove the "blueberry-sized" lesion, but the man known as "Grocery Store Joe" hasn't quite bounced all the way back yet.
When we speak on the phone in late October, he just got done running four miles. "My runs are shorter and slower right now," he says. "Last
marathon, I think I ran something like 150 miles the month prior. This marathon looks very different."
He's curious to see if his decidedly more well-rested legs will carry him through.
"What would tire me out before doesn't necessarily tire me out now," he says of his earlier recovery days where going for a run would wipe him out, "but I tend to to push the limits. This past weekend I was in Toronto and I golfed 18 holes and then went for a four and a half mile run, and then that beat me up."
When he needs to recuperate, he puts an ice pack on his head for 20 minutes and will sit in a dark room and meditate for 30 to 45 minutes. He's been getting into Reiki, a Japanese energy healing practice.
His support system includes his wife and fellow former "Bachelor in Paradise" star Serena Pitt, and the rest of his family and friends. As he enters his 40s, he's focused on starting a family with Pitt.
He's bringing all these positive vibes to race day, what he considers the best day in New York City.
"There's just so much good energy and positivity, and it's just nice to be out there and feel the crowd, and I'm really just looking forward to hopefully crossing the finish line," he says. "And if I don't, that's OK too."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Bachelorette' star details 'very different' marathon prep after brain tumor
