Heart rate is almost entirely genetic, my max is around 200, and despite working out PLEANTY for three years my resting heart rate is around 75. If you can't get professional testing go hard up a hill and then add 5 beats or so (because no matter how high I get it climbing, it always goes higher during a race).

Trekhawk-is the taste you're refering to metalic? That's fairly common I think, but I have no idea what it is, an google has no answers! I thought google knew everything.