You wouldn't believe what happened at my cardiologist appointment!
My 'wackadoo' training style validated
Setting the Stage
This week I completed some heart tests requested by my doctor. It gave me a great chance to reflect back on my 11 years of consistent physical training.
Let me first tell you what happened and why I was seeing a cardiologist as a fit and healthy 38 year old. It’s a neat story of showing off what I’ve worked so hard to create for myself through consistent training and managing my physical health.
Then I’ll explain what gave me the courage to train on my own, with my own ideas, powered by my curiosity and imagination, that allowed me to show up and ‘beat the doctor’s tests.’ It’s neat that this also happened the same time my unique training style found it’s way into the structured training plans of the endurance athletes.
As always, there’s steps and actions YOU can take to start living your best athletic life today. Philosophy without application isn’t worth the time to read!
How Low is Too Low?
“The Doctor needs you to come back in, he’s worried that your heart rate is too low.”
Normally when a doc calls to warn you about potential heart problems the correct response is to take the alarm seriously. But honestly, I was annoyed when I got this call.
I appreciated his concern, but there’s one good reason my heart rate is much lower than the average 38 year old dad of 2, I take great care of my physical health. I see my heart rate every day on my Garmin watch, know how it responds to exercise through zone training, and have years of data as evidence.
I’ve been exercising consistently for 12 years, never missing training days, stacking wins on top of each other, and pushing myself hard on the trails. To be fair, my doctor didn’t know a lot of this because I haven’t seen him much since we moved to the country 8 years ago.
I don’t get sick. I don’t have chronic issues. And I have a healthy distrust of the medical system that attempted to coerce me with social pressure and legal threats instead of sound argumentation and evidence.
I went back in and we started talking about my fitness and racing history.
I told him a few weeks ago I ran 87.5 miles in a backyard ultra and he spit his coffee out. “That’s like 140km man!” Yeah, I know Doc. He recognized that 99.99% the reason for the low heart rate is “you’re just really really fit.” But there is some family history with heart issues so he sent me to a cardiologist just to be sure.
I appreciate that concern and respected the need to follow up, even though we both knew the truth.
Showdown with the Cardiologist
It’s weird walking into a cardiologist’s office knowing you’re there to prove them wrong instead of worried about what they might find.
Mid to late 30’s is when your health decisions from the previous 10-15 years compound. This is when you get prescribed chronic medications for blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other metabolic and lifestyle choice ailments. Most guys my age walking into a cardiologist’s office are preparing for a very different final few decades of life if they keep doing what they are doing; ignoring their health and suffering the consequences.
I felt like it was the opposite for me, a chance to PROVE my health and validate my own approach to maintaining it over the past decade.
First, I had to wear a heart rate monitor for 48 straight hours. Despite the awkwardness of wearing that holster and having those patches stuck on my body, I still worked out both days I had it on. I even went for a 3 mile run and had to keep myself slow for fear of sweating, they told me I could exercise but not sweat too much!
I returned the harness and waited for my next appointment, an EKG scan of my heart and a stress test to gauge my BPM (Beats Per Minute) response to exercise.
The EKG tech was a jacked dude, clearly trains consistently, and we ended up talking about running the entire time he was getting images of my heart. I gave him advice on how to start a consistent running habit and blew his mind on how many carbs you need to eat before a 100 mile ultramarathon (it’s a LOT).
Now I’m giving health and training tips to the docs, oh my how the tables have turned! Oh, and he found that my heart was strong, like really strong.
A test 10 years in the making
Next up is the room with the treadmill, the room most people dread when heading for heart tests. But not me, I was pumped. I wanted to beat the test and leave the docs wondering why I was even there in the first place. Felt like this was a test I was studying the last 10 years to take, and I was READY.
It’s not a running test but a test to see how your heart responds to physical exertion. Basically, incline walking until you hit a certain threshold. After 5 minutes of walking slowly with minimal changes, the cardiologist implored the doctor running the test to jack it up.
“We’re going to be here for an hour waiting for this guy to hit the threshold, give him the accelerated athlete protocol.”
Loved hearing this, but also loved seeing that the one running the test didn’t know how to do that “I’ve never needed to do that for a patient before.”
BOOM, the wins keep coming.
I told them before I hopped on that I had already done 30 minutes of hills, climbing 650ft on trails in the morning before heading to this appointment. They now knew I wasn’t joking.
After a few minutes the test finished with me jogging 5mph at 20% incline finally hitting the threshold of 154bpm. They then asked if I wanted to stop the test, and for the sake of my Achilles tendons I said yes.
The docs told me that I was close to ‘beating the machine’ meaning I would not hit 100% of my BPM max even at the most intense setting of the machine. If I didn’t sprint hills in the morning, I would have stayed on just to do that.
The visit ended with the doctor telling me I was at such a low risk for heart issues that it was statistically negligent even given my family history. I aced the test.
I’m not one to brag about my health, how far I can run, or how fast. That stuff doesn’t matter to me. But this was HUGE.
I now have objective confirmation from the medical community that my ideas on training have led me to excellent physical health.
How did I train myself to such good health?
It wasn’t always this way. I didn’t have a consistent exercise habit for most of my 20’s, only finding the right formula for me around 27. So what changed and how did I make it last for over a decade?
Finding an anchor activity
Everything changed for me the moment I went trail running for the first time. I had tried maybe a dozen times in the previous 2 years to get consistent with exercise. I would do calisthenics for 2 weeks then stop, hit the gym for weights again in a few months then stop again after a few weeks. Nothing was sticking.
I decided I would at least give swimming a shot, I liked it and had easy access to a good pool on my university campus. Swimming at least once a week helped me find some momentum, but it wasn’t enough, I wanted more.
Once I found trail running, I knew I needed to do this at least 2-3 times a week. I’ve run that amount every week for the past 11 years. This is why I say build your fitness foundation on LOVE. It powers you powerfully.
Making it habitual
I had an activity I loved but I needed to make it fit with the rest of my life. Luckily, I found trail running as a PhD student, which meant I had a lot of flexibility. But shortly after becoming a ‘trail runner’ we moved to the biggest city in Canada, where was I going to run trails now?
I discovered a massive urban park with extensive trails, but I had to drive 20 minutes on the most congested freeway in North America to get there. And I was now commuting 1hr 20 minutes to teach university courses 3 times a week. My anchor habit was in jeopardy of slipping away.
I began instituting a structure on how I could run trails, one short run during the week if possible and an early morning long run on the weekend. I saw the limitations around my habit but found solutions that have stuck with me.
The sacred weekend morning long run is a staple for me. Even when our kids were born, my wife recognized how important this time is for me, and I never missed a long run because I’d proven over years that this habit worked for our home, not just my own life.
Using Creativity
The thing that hooked me on trail running was HOW HARD IT WAS ON MY BODY. I’ve never been so sore all over as when I ran those first 2km on a trail way too fast! That was all the motivation I needed to get serious about the one type of training I’ve always struggled to maintain: resistance training.
If creativity and exploration led to trail running, I could use the same principles to find enjoyment in resistance training. I decided to aim specifically at trail running and used the following ‘rules’ to find good resistance training options I’d be able to stick with for the long haul.
Must be able to use at home
Must be aimed at full body overall
Targeted specifically towards core, legs, and cardio
Using this method I found weighted jump ropes, steel maces and clubs, and home calisthenics equipment. I’ve been able to be consistent with all of these in combination and that’s helped keep me running injury free on trails for 11 years.
Stacking Health Habits
The REAL secret is that exercise is just one pillar of physical health.
You can’t outwork a bad diet. You can’t out train terrible sleeping habits. You can try to ‘exercise’ all of your stress away, but the fact you carry it around all day is the real problem.
Diet: I eat a clean diet 80%-90% of the time. I eat whole foods, locally sourced, and as fresh as possible. I spend a lot of money on high quality ingredients that
I’ve learned to cook in tasty ways. I don’t eat junk food often. I don’t drink alcohol frequently and when I do, it’s always in moderation. I don’t eat a lot of refined sugar, deep fried, or processed foods. I ALWAYS drink tons of water and never drink any other calories (tea, black coffee, and water).
Sleep: I’ve never skipped sleep. I was the student who never pulled an all-nighter in college and still made the dean’s list and got my PhD in less than 4 years. I’ve had the same bed time and wake up time for the past 8 years give or take. I actively plan out my circadian rhythm and use this natural part of myself to rest and wake up refreshed.
Stress: I’ve never forgotten this statistic: 95% of ALL ILLNESS ARE CAUSED IN PART BY NEGATIVE STRESS.
The key to living a healthy life is to get rid of all distress.
Stop worrying.
Stop getting frustrated.
Stop giving into cheap dopamine rides.
Stop caring about other people’s opinions of you.
Stop watching the news and salacious TV meant to play on your emotions.
Stop eating garbage food.
Stop over caffeinating yourself because you sleep too little.
Stop giving into petty rivalries at work.
Stop gossiping about your friends.
Stop doing ANYTHING that brings negative stress into your body.
It all adds up and it makes you susceptible to illness and chronic disease. It’s also just terrible for your mental and spiritual health.
In combination, these 4 pillars of my training philosophy showed up big time. It was my foundation to believe that I was going to prove the doctor’s wrong instead of questioning if I was off on my aim all along.
Getting Praise from the Coaches who Coach Me
Objectively, it’s clear that I know what I’m doing.
It’s still a little weird for me to be honest.
I have a PhD in Kinesiology but can’t identify most muscles on a diagram, let alone figure out how they all work independently and in conjunction with each other. I’m not a certified personal trainer. I’ve never taken a course in exercise physiology or biomechanics. I haven’t stepped foot in a gym in over a decade. I never raced in official races.
I was a weirdo, doing his own thing, his own way. Kind of like a punk rocker who didn’t need to know any music theory or have technical skill in order to write songs and perform from the heart.
But it’s still nice to see your ‘way’ validated by others you respect.
The same day I aced my heart tests I received more validation.
The head coach of the Endurance Training team I coach on and belong to is a REAL trainer.
is a certified triathlon coach who’s trained dozens of beginners past IronMan and Ultramarthon finish lines. He’s a top notch athlete himself, qualifying for the World Championships in 70.3 and Full Ironman Triathlons.We recently brought on
to be our strength and nutrition coach, giving us full programs to complete together on our team. Dylan was an elite strongman competitor for years before moving into the endurance world.I was surprised to see a lot of my own concepts of training find their way into our new plans. Coach told the whole team that he’s inspired by the unique things I’ve done to keep strong and build myself as a talented trail runner. Hearing it from your own coach, man, that’s the stuff right there.
It’s the same thing I’ve heard from my own coach
.This guy is ELITE, he set a WORLD RECORD in the amateur deadlift (+700lbs guys!!). After a few races together, he’s been stealing my moves too! In particular he’s been jumping rope daily and running trails after watching my POF Backyard Ultra performance this past September. When a world class athletes models his training off your weird style, that’s EVER COOLER!
This subjective validation means more than the objective confirmation from the test results. But together, they tell the whole truth.
I know what I’m doing. I have the proof. And I should become bold in my confidence to teach and guide others in this area. I don’t need the credentials. I have something better. RESULTS.
Takeaways
When it comes to your health and fitness, I hate to be repetitive, but it’s the only way a message sticks.
You can absolutely find your OWN way in fitness if you’re powering it all from the heart on out.
Use you mind to be smart and figure out how to make it happen, but let the heart be your primary aim.
Remember these 4 Pillars:
Anchor Activity
Making a Habit
Being Creative
Stacking Health Habits
It won’t look the same for you as it does for me and that’s good. You’re not me. I don’t need copycats. I want you to express your individuality through health and fitness. That can only come from the heart.
Every week or two I write long articles with lots of detailed calls to action and steps you can take on your own. I give you the blueprint, talk about it in many ways, and encourage you to go on the journey. But it’s up to YOU to make it happen.
If you want to make 2025 the best year for your health and fitness, why wait until the calendar turns? Start today.
And if you’re still unsure on how to go alone, I’m here to help you. Send me a message using the button below and let’s talk about what my coaching can do for you. My results on myself speak for themselves. Now let’s get you those same results too!
Happy training friends!