I love getting my annual physical exam! Not sure why I started, but I like seeing and comparing my yearly numbers and brining them to my cardiologist, he makes a big fuzz of my amazing cholesterol and I feel like I am doing something right (when, in reality I am eating all the wrong things, but that’s not the point!)
It’s come to my attention that most people don’t get one every year… ehem!! It’s free in most medical insurances, or you just have to pay the PCP copay (I think). So, pls try to get a physical every year. It’s really easy. I promise. They’ll just poke around a bit, take some blood and your basic vitals but you’ll get someone to check everything and ask you questions… I also like going to a dermatologist to check every inch of my skin, once a year, just in case! As runners, we spend a lot of time outside and I am not the best at putting sun protection on… Really, take time for yourself.
My dad told me, a long time ago “Your body is a priority, without your health you have NOTHING”. It stuck.
The most important thing though is to find a Dr you like and trust. You know I am really good at listening to them and then deciding what I think is best for me, which is sometimes not following their advice, but it’s good to have someone you trust to bounce crazy ideas off!
My regular drs, the ones I go to the most, are my generalist and my cardiologist, they ALWAYS ask me about my love life, my job, the running, if I am travelling, getting faster… why is that important? they’ll know if you’re stressed, eating well, sleeping enough… Make sure you have doctors that check on you as a whole person, not just body parts.
Even your running doc should ask those questions!!! I swear some of them (the good ones) do! If you have a sports injury and they tell you to stop running, RUN out of there, even if it hurts!!! Your doctor should understand how important exercise if for your health (even your mental health) and know better than that. Now, when you have something like a broken foot, he could say something like “let’s cross train for a bit”… you know? My cardiologist freaked out last year when I couldn’t run, he knew I’d be a DISASTER…
Anyway, I just wanted to get in front of all of you and remind you to stay on top of your stuff, get things checked, don’t wait, get people you trust on your side so you can make the best decisions and don’t be scared to keep looking for the perfect fit.
runningandthecity 