April 04, 2025

Ep. 168: Lactate Sensors: The Science of Sweat or Just a Fancy Gadget? And, Older, Wiser, and Vaulting Higher: The Age-Defying Story of David Bonham

1 hour 4 minutes

In this episode:

This episode features a Medical Mailbag segment that tackles the latest in sports technology, specifically lactate sensors. Are they the holy grail of performance metrics or just another shiny gadget? Jeff and Juliet break it down with their usual wit and sarcasm, dissecting whether these sensors provide meaningful insights for age-group athletes or if they’re just fancy toys to make us feel better about our training. Spoiler alert: the answer isn’t as clear-cut as you might hope.

Then, the podcast dives into an unexpected yet fascinating realm of sports: pole vaulting, as seen through the eyes of David Bonham, a former high school pole vaulter turned masters athlete. It’s wild to think that after years away from the sport, an impromptu return was spurred on by his daughter’s passion for vaulting. David’s journey is not just about jumping over a bar; it’s a rollercoaster of life experiences, including a near-fatal heart attack and a major knee injury that would make anyone else reconsider their athletic aspirations. But not David. Oh no, he saw that heart attack as a wake-up call—an invitation to reclaim his athletic past and, quite literally, jump back into the fray.

In this episode, we get a front-row seat to David’s world of pole vaulting, where he humorously recounts the absurdity of being the 'old guy' among teenagers at practice. His story is sprinkled with moments of irony, especially when he mentions how he was once self-taught, only to find himself once again under the watchful eye of coaches who actually know what they’re doing. It’s an inspiring tale of resilience; after a year of recovery from a devastating ACL tear, David not only returns to pole vaulting but also competes at a master's level, proving that age is just a number when you’re having this much fun. Trust me, you’ll want to hear how he navigates the perils of high school competition and the joy of setting personal records in his mid-fifties—it's a story about passion, persistence, and the occasional ridiculousness that comes with chasing your dreams at any age.

Segments:

[06:10]- Medical Mailbag: Lactate sensors

[36:13]- Interview: David Bonham

Links

The TriDoc Podcast in Supplement Form (newsletter)

@flying_higher2022 on Instagram David's Facebook page

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