Work Hard, Be Safe and Have Fun

As an internal medicine doctor, I love to see all of the F3 Pax doing what is right for their health. At the end of the day there are very few reasons not to exercise. I frequently have to beg my patients to walk 30 minutes three times a week. Through my experience with F3 there are some guys doing 6 days a week, and frequently some are double downing during those days. This is amazing dedication, but so many times we ourselves don’t listen to our own disclaimers, “do what you can do.” I think a perfect example of doing too much occurred this past weekend at the Stomp the Swamp. I do not know all of the details, and every case is unique, but something terrible happened. A non-F3er had a stress induced heart attack and required hospitalization. Like some, I assumed it was an out of shape person trying to do something they had not trained for, but I was wrong. This individual was a guy who turned in a sub-22 minute 5k time. Friends of his described him as active and healthy. We all need to take note of this experience. We all want to push our limits, #getbetter #bebetter, right? At the end of the day I really want people to learn how to listen to their bodies. Not just their arms, legs, joints, muscles, but their whole body. Knowing when to stop is hard, and it is definitely a fine line that is crossed easily. We should all see a doctor for regular check ups. One of the things that I try to stress to my own patients is not to ignore your body. So many times patients have hesitated to tell me something because they questioned the importance of it. Sometimes it isn’t important, but just as many times it is the key that solves the whole puzzle. If you have questions ask, ask them. If you haven’t seen a doctor lately, do it. So many things can be prevented with a careful screening exam. Sometimes, unfortunately, it’s just someone’s time.

At the end of the day, work hard, be safe, and have fun!

Yours Truly,

Pepto
(Dr. Chris Wicker)