STRESS TEST, 2020

     I've been going to a succession of cardiologists (they keep retiring on me) for fifty years.  It all started when I began running and after one hard workout thought I had a heart problem.  I didn't, but kept getting tested annually.  Now that I'm old, need a statin to control cholesterol, and continue to stress the heart on an almost daily basis, I continue the annual visits.  Every five years I get an Echo Stress Test.
     Every time I complain that they really aren't stressing me.  And this is why (not the "reason why" because that is grammatically incorrect, even though it is repeated ad infinatum): apparently they use the formula 220 minus your age to determine the maximum heart rate.  For me, that would be 143.    As best I can determine, this year my maximum heart rate is 157 and 90% is 141.  At the Driveway last year my average HR for the 30 minute race was 150.
     I would have preferred a stationary bike, but no, they have a treadmill.  I suggested they invest in a bike, but they pooh-poohed that.  Anyhow my first surprise is that they didn't want 90% but 142.  Plus, I had to keep my mask on.  Actually she said if I were having distress I could take it down, but would have to put it back when I got back on the table.
     I'm not fond of treadmills, and my hamstrings really don't like them.  In conversation with the technicians I mentioned (bragged) that when racing I could hold 150 for an extended time.  What I didn't say was I take a good thirty minutes to warm up properly plus have a good bit of adrenaline running.  Every three minutes the angle and speed increased.  I started out with a 67 HR and it took awhile to get over 100.  Breathing began getting ragged when the angle was fairly steep and the speed was between a fast walk and slow jog.  But they really didn't want me jogging, nor did I.  The hammys were beginning to complain, as were the lungs.  HR approached 142 and when that number showed up I said I'd had enough.  Indeed, I really did have enough.  The kept me going another thirty seconds (having told me earlier that they would).
     The treadmill stopped, I sat back down on the table and turned to my side to get the post-treadmill echo.  This wasn't like the end of a race where you get to cool down.  I was supposed to stop breathing in order to get a picture.  I was gasping for air and couldn't hold my breath on the intake, but was finally able to do it on the exhale.  It's only for a second or two, but it was a challenge.  Another minute and I was back to normal breathing.
     I see the cardiologist next week to review the results.  One thing the technician told me was it took about a minute and a half less time to get to my target HR this year than in 2015.  I get that, I'm five years older.