Fun & Fitness over 50

Thursday, while putting makeup on my zits in front of the bathroom mirror, I had a sudden sharp chest pain.

I have had these pains before and since I have survived them and had EKGs and stress tests in the course of normal checkups with no negative indications, I usually don't do anything about them. Notice I didn't say I didn't worry about them.

This one worried me more for some reason. Maybe because I was starting my workday out with it (usually they occur later in the day or at night after going to bed).

It hurts more at the top of a full breath than anything.

In any event, I went to work and it didn't go away so at 2PM I called my doctor and while he didn't think it likely that it was heart related (my checkups have always been good)he thought it was best if I check into the emergency room.

The town's major hospital is quite literally across the street from where I work. So I took a leisurely stroll down to the ER.

Long story short, I'm perfectly fine, it's non-cardiac chest pain, probably something muscular like a cramp (isn't the heart a muscle?) but I'm glad I went. So now I know.

Because of my age (61) they still want me to do a full cardiac workup, echo, stress test, etc. I'm hoping I can wrangle a free maximum heart rate determination out of it! ;-)

One of the doctors who talked to me asked if I exercised and when I mentioned cycling, it turns out he rides in my area and wanted to know where I rode and what hills I ride and how recently did I ride them. Since I rode a pretty good hill just a few days ago without chest pain he thought it unlikely that I was having heart pain now. I thought that was kind of cool.

My only regret is that I didn't get a nap out of the whole affair. They just don't leave you alone in the ER plus it's noisier than the greyhound bus station downtown!
(Cost me 50 bucks too!)

Hey! I took a nice ride today with buddy Charles. 30 miles up into Thatcher Park and the Helderberg Escarpment. Beautiful day (Memorial Day): low traffic, 70-ish, no wind, gorgeous scenery (sorry, no pics). We went up to the dread "Pinnacle" but took the easy way, my choice. Next time ... Beaver Dam Road ... mwah-hah-hah-hah! Oh the pain!

Here's the route!