Health and Ultra Running

I got the lab results back from my latest physical.  I've saved previous results from 1991, 95, 2000 (the year before I started marathon running), 2005, 2009, 2012, and 2014, and thought it'd be interesting to compare and look at trends.  My doctor said I don't need to go every year unless I feel something has changed.

Most of my levels are well in the normal range, with not too much noteworthy.  I have to admit I don't understand all of the tests, though for nearly all of them I have a general understanding of what it assesses, such as liver, kidneys, heart, etc. I rarely dig deeper unless I'm out of range or see a big change.

One thing that really stands out is my HDL ("good" cholesterol) count and LDL/HDL ratio, which indicates risk of heart disease.  In 2000, the ratio was 2.9, a bit better than average.  It has steadily improved to 2.5, 2.41, 2.09, and finally 1.87.  My LDL is staying pretty stable, but the HDL has risen a lot.  As I look at advice for raising HDL, other than eating a bit more fish, I haven't really changed my diet to improve it.  The factor that sticks out is improving endurance.  Yay for ultra running.  My father survived a major heart attack in his late 50s so I'm always happy to see any indication that my heart disease risk is low.

Blood pressure is another area of improvement.  20-30 years ago it was 150/90 or higher.  This time it was 126/78.  It has fluctuated between 140/80 and 115/70 from when I measure this at the doctor, giving blood, or at home.  It's not great, but we have a family history of high blood pressure, so I have a cuff at home to measure it and it's good to see this move in the right direction.  I got some improvement by cutting back on salt years ago (though I'm still bad with some hidden salt in barbecue sauce, pizza, and processed foods), and the rest has almost certainly come with running.

Some of the CBC numbers were down, but not to the level of anemia, and my doctor wasn't concerned.  It's probably more likely due to donating blood 15 days earlier and running a 50 miler 10 days before that.  They test for hemaglobin when donating and the nurse said I was well within the needed range.

It's helpful to have a doctor who runs or at least understands running.  We discussed whether ultras are too much, and he said as long as my joints can handle it he is not concerned.  He said a goal should be to be able to continue running for many more years, more than trying to pack in more and longer races.  He had no concerns with me running 100 this spring.

Again, yay for ultra running.  It's good to see some quantifiable proof of improved health almost certainly due to running.