Too many friends the past 2 years have been going "Skalk!", clutching their chest, and getting bad news from the heart specialists. Better athletes than I. Stronger, lower heart rates... and better family history genetics so far as can be determined too. Of course I'm worried for their sake. I'm also wondering about my own ticker. I scheduled a stress EKG test. I've always had good low blood pressure (112/72 typical). I've got no symptoms when doing "hard exercise", but how hard HAS been my exercise, since my left hip issues slow me down before I get a chance to really work hard? I decided to take the opportunity to do my 60 mile standard Saturday ride (InShape gym - Corralitos - Eureka Canyon - Highland Way, to Summit Store where I treat myself to a sandwich, then on to Hwy 17, down Mtn Charlie to Scotts Valley, Granite Creek, to Branciforte Rd, up to Mtn View, up the steep climb to St. Clares Retreat, down to Castelegno's, Old San Jose Rd, to Soquel, to Capitola and the gym. But this time, I'd make a point of doing it hard, and especially on the steepest sections to go hard, and this time wearing my rarely used heart monitor. My highest heart rate was on Mtn View up to St. Clares Retreat - at mile 54. 162 bpm. As a 20 yr old, I once had it up to 210, climbing 11,500 ft Mt. San Gorgonio. And even in my early 40's I did a max heart rate test on my own, and found it was 182. Now, at 60, I suppose it should be a bit lower. Still, I didn't feel I had gone completely all out - my legs were feeling the burn from a hilly 9 mile run 2 days before. The point is, I felt no heart symptoms (pain in chest, pains in jaw, neck, left shoulder, dizziness, shortness of breath). That's got to be good, right? Will look forward to my stress EKG. It's in a month.
