Healthy Choices

I did something today that I haven't done in nearly 10 years.  I went to see a doctor!  I've been thinking about doing this for several years, but just never took the initiative.  Somehow, checking Kona off my bucket list, and turning sixty, inspired me to stop being my own doctor.  It was not an easy decision. I've seen too much in my career, and I honestly have trouble trusting physicians.  I know that sounds scary to most people, but the fact of the matter is that I know my body better than anyone else.  However, it really isn't smart to treat oneself.  So today, I found myself a primary care physician.  I went online and tried to guess the right person.  Fortunately, my instincts were good!

When a physician responds to a question about a particular test by stating that the results won't impact treatment based on my goals and preferences, you're on the right track.  I'm definitely a therapeutic nihilist, and I'm skeptical of many care and treatment approaches in today's medical world.  My Ironman training has given me a unique insight into how my body feels and when something doesn't seem to fit.

Two days before I left for Kona, my resting HR was 42 and my HRV (heart rate variability) was 93.  Three days later, the morning I did the 10K, my first full day in Kona, my resting HR was 45 and My HRV was 83.  I assumed this was the humidity, but it was probably my allergies starting up.  I knew something wasn't quite right, and the numbers corroborated it.  The next day my resting HR was 55 and my HRV was 69.  I still did the swim and actually did ok.  By the next day, I thought I had a full blown cold (in retrospect, I think it was a full blown allergy attack, but who knows). My resting HR was 63 and my HRV was 63.  Theoretically, I knew all this without getting the numbers, but it's always good to get corroboration.

When I saw the doctor today, my resting heart rate was 42.  It was a sign.  I'm not feeling 100%, but I'm getting closer.  It doesn't help that we have poor air quality from local fires, which don't help my allergies and upper respiratory tract function.  I will always wonder how I would have performed in Kona if I'd not been feeling the way I did. However, I still know that I gave the day the effort it deserved and performed to the best of my abilities. In fact, in many ways, it was the ultimate test of my will to compete.

It will be interesting to see the results of my blood work and other tests that I'm getting.  Since I've been my own doctor for so long, I tend to make my own assumptions.  I told my new doctor that I'm giving them that responsibility from now on.  That's a good thing.  In the meantime, I'll continue to eat well and exercise regularly.  I'll also continue to try to bring meditation into my life and keep a healthy balance of work and play.  It's all about making healthy choices.