Fun Facts about your Heart

Women have a higher heart rate than men:  78 beats per minute for a woman versus 70 beats per minute for a man.  That's at rest and is an average.  My resting heart rate hovers around 50 beats per minute.  Wonder what that makes me?  Here are some other fun facts about your heart, the strongest muscle in your body:

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

40 Beats a Minute: Zen Baby, Zen!

Zen baby, Zen!

40 beats a minute.  That's my resting heart rate.  Less than 1 beat per second. 

"Thumpa...big pause...thumpa".

My Doctor was concerned so she sent me for a battery of heart tests...stress, electrocardiogram, ultrasound.  Her concluding diagnosis:  "40 beats per minute is abnormal...but it's your normal". Sally got a kick out of that notion that 'my normal is abnormal'. It may just explain my mellow state. It explains a lot.  And it got me thinking:  what else beats at 40 beats a minute.  To answer that of course I Googled it:

• First up was this article, "My heart rate is 40 beats a minute, does this mean I'm in good shape?".  My favourite answer noted that only Sages and Monks had heart rates that low.  Hmmm...Sage...I quite like that!
• In music, I am a 'Lento'.  That means music at a 'leisurely' 40 beats per minute.  One great example is this one from Charles Mingus, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat".  Not so good to run to...ideal though for relaxing and meditating;  Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon...Zen!
• And speaking of running, with the change to forefoot running, I'm up to just over 160 step rate...that's 4 x 40.  Don't you just love math.
• Also at 40 beats are Hummingbirds.  Of course, they flap their wings at 40 beats per second!  
• In cycling, the current theory is that the ideal cadence is 80 RPM:  2 times my resting heart rate
• Driving in a school zone in Toronto:  40 Km/hr.  Hmmm...
• And still on driving, my comfort speed is 120 kpm:  3 x 40.
• This past year I celebrated the 15 anniversary of my 40th birthday.  OK, I didn't find that on Google...

I could continue but that would be beating a dead horse.  The bottom line is that I'm healthy, still running and enjoying every minute of it.

Zen baby...ZEN!

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy