Human Performance Outliers Podcast with Zach Bitter

Dave Heitmann - Couch To 100 Mile Check In

·1 hr 53 min·5 clips

Dave Heitmann finally gets diagnosed with calcium shell disease after nine years of unexplained symptoms.

Host Zach Bitter welcomes Dave Heitmann back for a check-in on his goal to run a 100-mile ultramarathon. Dave opens by describing the adversity he's faced, including life, travel, and health challenges. He shares a major update: after eight or nine years of unexplained symptoms, he received a diagnosis of calcium shell disease. This condition involves the body leaching calcium and magnesium from bones and nerves, leading to high blood calcium, arthritis, depression, and organ enlargement. Dave explains how this diagnosis clarifies past issues like teeth crumbling and extreme fatigue. He outlines his treatment approach, which involves avoiding calcium-rich foods and mega-dosing magnesium, potassium, and sodium through supplements. Dave discusses his dietary experiments, moving from carnivore to a Mediterranean style after genetic testing indicated it suited him better. The conversation shifts to how Dave maintained training during family crises, including his father-in-law's stage four esophageal cancer and a scouting camp in Arkansas. He describes finding new trails and using running as stress relief. Zach and Dave then talk about training consolidation, planning for three-hour runs twice a week to prepare for the hundred-miler. They discuss the role of hiking as specific race preparation and how to balance intensity on trails. Dave asks about optimal walking versus running ratios during long runs, and Zach advises using heart rate as a guide. The episode also touches on broader topics like personalized nutrition, the enhanced games in sports, and healthspan versus longevity.

As heard by us

A practical endurance discussion weighs disciplined nutrition against the flexibility needed to keep a demanding routine sustainable.

A Human Performance Outliers check-in turns into a practical look at how endurance routines can balance eating, training, and ordinary flexibility.

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Why you'd press play

You want nutrition talk that gives you structure without locking every meal into one rigid script.

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