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Summary
In this solo episode, Coach Allan opens up about the hardest 16 to 18 months of his life: settling his mother's estate over 11 months after she passed following a hospital stay, followed by his own health scare that began with blood in his urine and spiking blood pressure. Scans in early 2026 revealed a mass on his left kidney, and a CT scan confirmed kidney cancer, leading to the removal of his left kidney on March 11. Just over 5 weeks out from surgery, he shares that he is already back to walking nearly 10,000 steps a day, back in the gym, and easing back into volleyball, crediting his quick recovery to the physical base he had built beforehand.
Allan uses his story to make one central point: setbacks like injury and illness are not fully within our control, so the real work is raising your base before they hit. He lays out how to do that, doing the little things (water, movement, sleep) consistently every day, and, most importantly, embracing the suck by doing the hard things you do not want to do. His warning is blunt: if you refuse to embrace the suck of raising your base, you will instead be forced to embrace the suck of getting old and losing the things and independence you love.
Links
- The Wellness Roadmap by Coach Allan
Key Takeaways
- Your base determines recovery: Where you start when a setback hits is predetermined by the decisions you made before it happened, and a higher base means bouncing back faster.
- Setbacks are unavoidable: Even doing everything right, you will still face injuries and illnesses that knock you down, because they are not all within your control.
- Do the little things daily: Drink your water, move, and get good sleep consistently, because 80/20 has no place when the goal is raising your base.
- Embrace the suck: Raising your base requires doing hard things you do not want to do, like lifting heavy and going to bed early, and treating them as the most important part of your life.
- Getting old is not for sissies: If you will not embrace the suck of the hard work now, you will be forced to embrace the suck of losing your independence, your hobbies, and yourself later.
- Start now: Every day you put this off brings you closer to the suck you do not control, so building your plan today is the best move you can make.
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 89 – When What Works For Them Doesn’t Work For You
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 743
Published: 2026-04-21
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)