Every Minute things happen...

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

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

In closing, it was with sadness 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 in 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 them and spending time in person 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 a a story 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, a 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 finish 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, life is precious and I need 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 was a headline that 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. I thought 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 very tired with muscular weakness, fatigue, nervousness, irritability, excessive thirst, headache, and itchy skin. The Doctor found my blood test shows 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 to workout out again and have energy after eating. After 5 weeks, the symptoms started coming back. I learned that the symptoms for a deficiency are not much different than 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 once I was balanced in Vitamin D (an other nutrients), I could workout more and eat less. This is not part of this research, but from my personal experience, vitamin D did not lose more weight for me, but feeling better, 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 an overall nutritional balance is what is important for success... not just one vitamin or mineral. Just something to think about.

Been working out regular and no dropping weight quickly, but it is down 2 pounds since I last wrote, December 3. I am getting comfortable with 2-a-day workouts three times a week and one a day other days. Workouts are 30-45 minutes cardio and weights afterward for a total workout of an hour each time. I have no tennis for two weeks and I have been able to get other things done which help to reduce stress during the Holiday's.

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 second fiddle while I have him here and I can enjoy his company. If I do not post until 2010, wishing 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 e-mail box. I have a great spam filter but I am beginning to think I must be on the worlds list of under-endowed men. I have more junk mail on male issues that I would expect. Maybe once you reach 45 you go on some list? Either way, I deleted 631 e-mails tonight and I did not read any, just skimmed them... And that was just from the last 6 weeks!

Weight is down 3 pounds in the two weeks since I started this new goal. I was hoping for a 2 pounds per week average. I am not going to cry over 1.5 when we have holiday's upon us... Been working out on average of about 45 minutes a day. Stationary bike, elliptical, and 15% grade treadmill at 2.5 to 2.0 MPH. Heart rate is not even up in these and not sure if that is a concern. Still trying to shake the chest congestion that has been there for months.

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

I am hoping by March I am back on that trail at least 4 to 5 times a week. Could be a great time for organized Wednesday night runs! 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 of our control. Races cancelled 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. I just do not care to have the crowds and over-charging for everything event once again. Who knows, one thing at a time!

In closing, in case if forget, on December 26 there will be a stub brothers reunion at Bunkers. If you need reminder, Mick Sterling and the Stud Brother are great!!! I am planning on being there! I thought I may put this in here now as with many of us, we are busy in the Holiday's and posting less and less... Hibernation is common.

Carry on...