Every Minute things happen...

As we near the end of this decade, I came across a picture that shows 20 things that happen each minute of each day. So these happened 3 times while I did this post... These include:

1) The average American household makes $0.096, whereas Oprah makes $523
2) 250 babies are born, 113 into poverty and 15 with birth defects
3) Someone working in a Nike Factory in Vietnam makes $0.0014, and Nike makes $36,505
4) 55,757 barrels of oil are used

WOW. There are many more startling statistics out there, but I ran into this and quickly shared it. Click on the photo for better resolution.


On the running (or walking and workout) update, I did 40 minutes at 15% incline and 3.3 MPH and felt OK.  I will keep doing what I can as life is busy, which is good. We had another employee leave our office for another job, and in these times, we are not replacing the positions, so we are not down from 6 to 4 in my position. Fortunately, the economy is not horrible, but we are now busy.

In closing, it was sad that the running community lost a good friend to many. Cynthia Brockman passed after battling cancer. Having only met her once, I never really got to know her. Although I followed her cancer battle at her Caring Bridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cynthiabrochman. As I have written before, blogs let us know a person and feel their trials and tribulations without ever meeting and spending time with them. I wrote about this a while back: http://runlondell.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-is-blog-and-why-blog.html. There is also a great post about her at http://runningminnesota.blogspot.com/2009/05/cynthia-brochman.html as well at http://www.snowshoemagazine.com/viewContent.cfm?content_id=582.

Death of a loved one is always hard to accept. I have had many friends pass on in the past, including two great high school friends in an auto accident in 1980, the suicide of a college friend in 1990, and many others over the years. Most recently, in 2006, I lost a great friend, and I wrote about her a few times.  Most recently, when I explained, she was one of the reasons I finished my post with Carry On. http://runlondell.blogspot.com/2008/08/carry-on-all-you-quiet-dreamers-carry.html

In times like these, when we lose ones we cherish, there is little we can do but remember their energy, smiles, zest for life, and carry on. I remember the one time I met Cynthia, and she had a one-in-a-million smile and loved life. Something I need to remember more often is that life is precious, and I need to cherish the time I have more often. I wish you all a great 2010 and beyond!

Carry on!

Vitamin D is in the news again...

"Vitamin D may be tied to weight loss." This headline caught my eye today.

When I read things like this, I think of the millions of Americans who will flock to the drug store and take large doses of Vitamin D, thinking they will lose weight. But as little as 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine, at least three times a week is enough to manufacture your body's vitamin D requirement, so the professionals say…



But what is funny about this for me is when I was diagnosed with low Vitamin D in April of this year. How could that be, as I was in the sun for hours each day! I soon discovered extended aerobic exercise depletes Vitamin D... I was exhausted with muscular weakness, fatigue, nervousness, irritability, excessive thirst, headache, and itchy skin. The doctor found that my blood test showed dangerously low Vitamin D levels. Then I went on intensive therapy and took lots of vitamin D, 50,000 units once a week.

By the second week, the symptoms went away, and I started working out again and having energy after eating. After five weeks, the symptoms started coming back. I learned that the symptoms of a deficiency are not much different from those of an excessive amount, so I had to balance.

What is true is I lost weight. About 2.5 pounds a week for 4 weeks. Then I started feeling fatigued and unable to workout. I was looking toward food to get my body feeling good again. I gained 4 pounds in one week. Looking back, I saw that I could work out more and eat less once I was balanced in Vitamin D (and other nutrients). This is not part of this research, but from my experience, vitamin D did not lose more weight for me, but feeling better and working out comfortably lost the weight. All that was a result of proper balanced nutrition, not sucking down Vitamin D.

Of course, my findings are not scientific, but I found that an overall nutritional balance is important for success—not just one vitamin or mineral. It's just something to think about.

I have been working out regularly and have not been dropping weight quickly, but it is down 2 pounds since I last wrote on December 3. I am comfortable with two workouts a day, three times a week, and one on other days. The workouts are 30-45 minutes of cardio and weights afterward, for a total of an hour each time. I have not played tennis for two weeks, and I have been able to get other things done, which helps to reduce stress during the Holidays.

My son got here last Thursday, and it is sure nice to have him here for a while. The place is much smaller than we had before he went to college, but it is workable. He will be here for a few weeks, then back to Colorado. So much in life takes a second fiddle while I have him here, and I can enjoy his company. If I do not post until 2010, I wish you all health and wellness during the Holidays. Oh yes, and World Peace.

(Inside Joke for Miss Congeniality lovers!)

Carry on...

Update, thoughts

For the first time in a long time, I looked at my junk email box. I have a great spam filter, but I am beginning to think I must be on the world's list of under-endowed men. I have more junk mail on male issues than I would expect. Maybe once you reach 45, you go on some list? Either way, I deleted 631 emails tonight, and I did not read any; I just skimmed them. And that was just from the last six weeks!

My weight has dropped 3 pounds in the two weeks since I started this new goal. I was hoping for a 2-pound-per-week average. I will not cry over 1.5 when the holidays are upon us. I have been working out for an average of about 45 minutes a day: stationary bike, elliptical, and 15% grade treadmill at 2.5 to 2.0 MPH. My heart rate is not even up in these, and I'm not sure if that is a concern. I'm still trying to shake the chest congestion that has been there for months.

There have been some recent posts about one of my favorite running spots. I have run the Minnesota River bottoms on the Bloomington side for years. The area from Lyndale to Highway 169 is flat, but if you go to the end of Cedar Avenue and go towards Lyndale, there are actually some hills. Not Murphy or Lebabnon-type hills, but at least a change in elevation that is note-worthy.

I hope to be back on that trail at least four to five times a week by March. It could be a great time for organized Wednesday night runs! It's such a nice trail, and I guess I am biased as I live less than a mile from it!

So, as with many, goals get shifted and changed due to things outside our control. Races canceled and races questionable. I have been getting pressure to do Grandma's again. But that is a hard thing to get excited about. I made the 25-year goal, and that was it. Once again, I do not care to have the crowds and over-charging for everything at the event. Who knows, one thing at a time!

In case you forget, on December 26, there will be a Stud Brothers reunion at Bunkers. If you need a reminder, Mick Sterling and the Stud Brothers are great!!! I am planning on being there! I thought I may put this in here now as many of us are busy during the Holidays and posting less and less. Hibernation is common.

Carry on...