In a recent post on the ACC in Touch Blog, Aaron L. Baggish, MD, FACC, explores ways to get to know athletic patients, including his own recent experience at a running race. “Before the gun went off, I was with the rest of the pack, standing in line for the porta potty … Runners talked about training plans, tapering, electrolyte repletion and all the usual important topics. But they also talked, sometimes in nervously comic ways, about lifestyle issues including eating choices, alcohol intake, family genetics, medication compliance and recent illnesses. In five minutes of waiting in line for the porta potty, I’d been privy to dialogue that addressed almost every clinical topic relevant to runners with cardiovascular disease,” explains Baggish. “The clinical environment may not be the best place to really learn about the people we care for … To best care for athletes, perhaps we need to immerse ourselves in their world and not simply rely on ours.” Read more on the ACC in Touch Blog.