Fast Run

Saturday July 30, 2005

This morning I entered a Las Vegas Track Club 4-mile run at Mission Hills Park in Henderson. It was a beautiful morning for the 7am start and a nice loop course through an upscale neighborhood. My mile splits were 1. 8:13, 2. 17:00, 3. 25:06 and my finish time was 33:46. Not bad for a 48-yr old diabetic. That average pace of  8:26 per mile was good for 3rd place in my age group.

Next week it's a 5k cross country course through the trails at Sunset Park.

Good but not great numbers this morning. Blood sugar 131 so I better not stop taking the pills yet. But if good numbers continue I'll cut dosage in half.

The weekend's over for me back to work tonight.

 

Lake Mead Morning

Friday July 29, 2005

Now that Red Rock, home of my favorite local running trails, is charred rubble after last week's lightning strike and fire, I decided to head out to Lake Mead today.

What a glorious and beautiful day it was. Hopefully you've already received the 20-picture package I sent out, but if you haven't let me know.

It was already a little on the warm side as I forged my own trail along natural washes between the Tunnel Trail and the lake's receding shoreline. But I worked my way around to the back entrance, for most the end of the Tunnel Trails and thankfully there was no fence blocking my entrance like last time. On that occasion with Dad, Ann, Uncle Wally and Rosa Maria on the main trail I had to scale a cliff in death-defying fashion to rejoin the main trail. But today it was clear sailing, much to my relief. I took over 90 photos along the way and narrowed it down to the top 20.

To replace the carbs I burned during the 79-minute sojurn, Lyndavegas and I went to the buffet at the Palms Hotel & Casino. I had my usual rabbit food plus some pasta and carrot cake (what else?)  for dessert.

Afterwards I checked the numbers. Blood pressure 117/69. Excellent. Blood sugar 206! Whoa! Reports of my miraculous recovery may have been greatly exaggerated. Was this an anomaly or a return to diabetes? Well, I popped a couple of the pills I had stopped taking and waited nervously for my next reading before bedtime.

My fears melted when my bedtime reading was a non-diabetic 98. I'll just have to approach this in a cautious manner from now on.

 

 

 

 

Take a Run With Me

Thursday July 28, 2005

To celebrate my first full day of medication-free life since freeing myself from the burden of diabetes and hypertension I went on a great 8-mile run this morning. If you haven't already, check out the delightful dozen picture slide show above.

My favorite part was meeting up with the horses on Eldorado St.. One even came up close to me at the fence to give me a sniff and a lick.

My blood sugar was 105 this morning so what's the point in taking medicine? I haven't had a high reading for nine days. Before this last incredible week I never went a day and a half without going over the "normal" range either before breakfast or bedtime. I'm checking it three times a day with no signs of trouble.

I'm not sure what exactly did it but it was a combination of running, yoga, a vegetarian diet with no dairy products, no alcohol and spiritual meditation. It's not for everyone but it worked for me.

Today's numbers: Weight 152 after run. Allow 5 pounds for water loss. Blood pressure 121/75 at Smith's Drug store and 110/79 at home. Not bad after going without pills all week and with two large cups of coffee and a big run today. If blood pressure would have stayed high I would have given up caffeine too. But what would that leave? Air & water?

Signed of for 5k (3.1-mile) cross-country run at Sunset Park to be held Aug. 6. Baby steps to the LV Marathon.

 

Getting Better Every Day

Wednesday July 27, 2005

It's all good. Today was just work & yoga but blood pressure and blood sugar numbers are fantastic. I believe now that my next scheduled full-blown blood test in roughly two months will show no signs of diabetes. I love proving doctors wrong. All they want to do is medicate you to treat symptons and not the cause.

"Just living is not enough... One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."
-- Hans Christian Anderson

Dawn Patrol

Tuesday July 26, 2005

Had to work the 7am-3pm shift today so that meant if I wanted to get a run in it would have to be before work. So I got up at 4:45 am, fed the cats, had a cup of java jet fuel and headed out the door before sunrise.

Had a great run at nearby Grier Park as the sun came up (see photo). All the numbers are still excellent. Before run: BP 117/80. BS 111.

Someday I might write a book called "How the 1804-06 Lewis & Clark Expedition halped me beat hypertension and diabetes in 2005."

 

 

Pompey's Pillar

Monday July 25, 2005

One hundred and ninety-nine years ago today Capt. William Clark climbed up on an enourmous rock near today's Billings, Mt. He named it Pompey's Pillar and carved his named into the stone alongside some Indian pictographs. Today it's the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

Capt. Clark probably would have been humored if knew that in 2005 a slightly demented Lewis & Clark enthusiast was going alcohol free to honor the 15 months the Corp of Discovery went without grog.

As I complete my third week of my Lewis & Clark Abstinence Reenactment, things are going very well. The numbers speak for themselves. My blood sugar readings the last 5 nights have been: 101, 107, 102, 110 and 105. That's amazing when you consider I was 343 when first diagnosed last November. And my blood pressure is now under control without medication. 115/74 this morning.

Here's to Lewis & Clark who 200 yrs ago put me on today's path to better health.

 

Seventh Heaven

Sunday July 24, 2005

Cancer survivor Lance Armstrong capped his amazing career today with a seventh consecutive victory in the Tour de France. So today it's not about me. It's all about Lance. Here's to your Mr. Armstrong and your amazing story. I will have to wait until September 2006 to share a sip of your champagne celebration.

Meanwhile back in the USA it's only 77 degrees in Vegas this morning thanks to some thundershowers last night. I wasn't going to run today but I can't skip this wonderfully cool day so off I go on a local trot through the neighborhood.

Blood sugar was 120 this morning. Viva Lance!!!

 

On top of Mt. Sunset

Saturday July 23, 2005

Caught a break in the weather today it was only 90 at 9am when I went out running. But the humidity was 37 percent as I jogged under cloudy skies to Sunset Park. While I was running around the lake a lady walking her dog told me I looked like the guy in the Geico commercials with all the muscles. I'm not familiar with ad but I'll take the compliment. It must be the new lean me.

Although I only ran 55 minutes, it was the sweatiest run I've had in a long time -- maybe all year, because of the humidity. I was soaked right through to my shoes. I was so thirsty when I got home I was ready for a beer.

Just kidding. I've still got a long way to go till September 2006 for my next cold one. But if Lewis & Clark went 15 months without beer, wine or spirits, then I can too. But I'm not going to do anything else they did. Like cross the Rockies on foot and horseback or travel up and down the mighty Columbia and Missouri Rivers on dugout canoes and I'm certainly not going to eat nine pounds of meat per day.

Weight holding steady at 155. Blood pressure was 112/68 this morning so I'm going off the BP medication for a while. Blood sugar was 123 this morning. Not perfect but pretty damn good. Pretty soon I'm going to stop taking diabetes med too. So now my only drug is coffee and vitamins.

Lance Armstrong, who beat cancer like I'm beating hypertension and diabetes, was awesome today winning the time trial in the next to the last stage of the Tour de France.

 

Back to ground zero

Friday July 22, 2005

Back to reality today. Instead of the spiritual Red Rock run it was a mundane jog around the neighborhood with a pit stop at Albertson's to use their chilled water fountain. It was only 96 when I finished today compared to 103 yesterday. Fall's coming.

 Weighed in at 155 after run. One pound over ideal weight suggested by doctor. Hard to believe I was 188 last fall when diagnosed with diabetes and 235 when I started running again in 1996.

Something weird happened on the run today. On the way out I came across a slip of paper that looked like a page from my daily Zen Calendar. I ignored it. But on the return trip I had to stop and pick it up. I knew it was mine because I had noted Sue's blackberry address. But more importantly was the Zen saying it had. If I found this 2/10ths of a mile from my house it must be significant, yes? It read:

"All worldly pursuits have but the one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow: acquisitions end in dispertion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births, in death. Knowing this, one should from the very first renounce acquisition and heaping up and building and meeting, and ...set about realizing the Truth. Life is short, and the time of death is uncertain. So apply yourselves to meditation.''

Milarepa

Here's my blood sugar numbers for the last three nights: 101, 107 and 102. My meter must be broken.

 

 

 

Grand Circle Trail

Thursday July 21, 2005

Just another perfect day. Got a break in the weather today with overcast skies so I headed out to Red Rock this morning in search of the elusive Grand Circle Trail. This is to me what the Northwest Passage was to Columbus, Cook and Lewis & Clark. I've sought to complete it many times but never accomplished it.

The Grand Circle Trail is an 11.6-mile trail that traverses Red Rock Canyon. There are so many secondary trails that interconnect with it, it's hard to follow all the way around. Plus it's very difficult and challenging. But today I thought I might attempt it. Well, I made it about 1/3 of the way before I realized there was no way I had enough stamina or water to complete the loop. The skies cleared and the temperatures soared past 100. So I turned back but still got about a 9-mile run in. I was out on the trail for 2 hours but I stopped so many times to take pictures and admire the scenery it was impossible to figure a pace per mile.

Then needing carbs, I went to my favorite restaurant - Sweet Tomatoes - to fill the void. It was perfect.

To cap the day I took in Cypress' yoga class at the Yoga Sanctuary. Except Cypress was on vacation and Stacy took her place. Stacy was good but I miss Cypress.

Caught an amazing lightning show on the ride home.

 

Yoga with Michelle

Wednesday July 20, 2005

This day's off to another great start. Got emails from both Dad & sister Sue about Dec. 4 LV Marathon. Sue's thinking about running it and Dad's thinking about coming out for it.

Then I had a great yoga class with Michelle M. who was subbing for Kim Culp. Michelle was a great teacher.

Blood sugar was 101. Anything under 100 is considered non-diabetic. Could I be dissolving this disease? Could be.

Evening Run

Tuesday July 19, 2005

I wanted to run this morning. I really did. But I worked late last night and by the time I fed the cats, got dressed and hit the pavement it was already too hot. Almost 100 and heading fast for another 116-degree day.

So instead I officially registered for the Las Vegas Marathon. It's not till Dec. 4th, but you get a "free" In Training T-Shirt if you register by Aug. 1. I put free in quotes because it cost me $100 for 26.2 miles of torture. But I'm really looking forward to it. I wish the marathon was this week. But I'm not quite ready for it yet. But I will be.

So to make up for my aborted run this morning I got a late run in after work on the Hilton's spongy rubber running track. It was 100 degrees. But I still got a quality run in under an almost full moon. Gotta get those miles in.

Ramble on.

 

Two Weeks Done

Monday July 18, 2005

Two weeks. That was easy. Only 60 weeks to go. If Lewis & Clark could go 434 days without grog than so can I. Except they didn't traverse the country as far south as Las Vegas where booze is available 24/7.

I put in for a flex day for Sunday Dec. 4. That's the date of the LV Marathon. This year's course goes right down the strip, starting and finishing at Mandalay Bay. Should be quite an experience. I haven't run a marathon since 1999. I'll have to decide if I'm running for a fast time or just for fun and take digital pictures along the way.

Had some really good numbers tonight. BP was 109/67. And that was with about 5 or 6 cups of coffee today. I'm gonna stop taking my bp med. Doctor said that was fine to give it a try. And my blood sugar was only 111. And I had a big piece of carrot cake, a  hunk of four-fruit pastry, a small muffin and a couple of pieces of bread with dinner. You'd think I was carbo-loading for that marathon already. This no-alcohol business is really agreeing with my system.

 

That's Hot

Sunday July 17, 2005

"That's Hot!" A new catch phrase of Paris Hilton but also a perfect description of today's run. It was 101 when I started at 9:30am and 104 when I finished about an hour later. But my thermometer measures in the shade. I wasn't running in the shade. So I put it out it in the sun. In two minutes it jumped to 115. So I was really running in 115 degree heat. It's all in the mind. Excessive heat warnings are for wimps.

Weighed in at 157 after run. three pounds over ideal weight. I'm fat!

Last night I looked into this year's Las Vegas Marathon. Sunday Dec. 4, 2005. I don't know what's more daunting -- the 26.2-mile distance or the $95 entry fee. So I'm accepting donations $5, $10, $15, $20 whatever you can afford. But I need pledges by July 31 when the early entry fee period ends and a new higher rate goes into effect. Please help a poor boy pay for 26 miles of torture.

Two weather records today. Highest low temp ever. 93. Old record 92 hit various times in 2002-03. High temp of 116 broke record for this date and was one short of hottest day ever in LV. Can you say Global Warming!

 

 

Just Another Day

Saturday July 16, 2005

Not much to write about today.

Yoga. Work. Finished Dan Brown's Deception Point. I liked it.

Blood Sugar 132. Kinda high but I'll take it. A dozen days with no alcohol. So far so good. We proceeded on. 

How Hot Is It?

Friday July 15, 2005

If anyone is taking bets on me going 15 months without grog. I'm sure "no" is the big favorite. But I'm in my 12th day now. From July 5, 1805 to Sept. 13, 1806 the Lewis & Clark Expedition went 434 days without any booze. Now they faced must harder challenges like crossing the Rocky Mountains on foot and with horses and making their own canoes out of trees to float up and down mighty rivers. But If I can just face one small challenge that Lewis & Clark did then I feel part of the expedition in some small way.

Back in 2005, I went for a run along the Arroyo Grande urban trail about 8:30 am. It was already in the 90s heading for a high of 113. Got the car washed. Those poor souls working outdoors all day in this heat. Then grocery shopping at Albertsons. But the point of this story is more than two hours after I started out this morning, the coffee in my travel mug was just as hot if not hotter than when I left. So this extreme heat is good for something.

 

 

Almost Heaven

Thursday July 14, 2005

It's days like this that make writing a journal all worthwhile. I couldn't top this day if I planned it myself, which I did.

For starters a 10am yoga class taught by Linda filling in for Sherry. It went very well. Easy and relaxing. Immediately afterward was a one-hour deep tissue massage. That was even more relaxing. Some kind of new age music and waterfall sounds filled the room. Becky was very good. Don't even think it.

Lunch was a veggie burger at the Veggie Cafe. It was perfect. Avacado, sprouts, tomatoes, beets and a bunch of other good stuff that I don't know what. All organic.

Then  it was chill with the cats for a couple of hours. Drink green tea and read Dan Brown's Deception Point. A great novel. Very suspensful.

Later, when it's cooler than 113, it will be off to Red Rock to run part of the Grand Circle Trail. The whole trail is 11.6 miles. I've only done sections of it. I'm doing it piece by piece until I put it all together. I just want to find exactly where it goes. Most of the time the trails I'm on at Red Rock go off in some other direction. So I know how Lewis & Clark felt at Decision Point. Which way do we go?

Later I did run on the Grand Circle Trail at Red Rock and it was awesome. Pictures later. Blood sugar was 117 after run. That's pretty good.

Who needs firewater when I have all of this? Day 10 is done. Just over 400 to go.

 

Proceeding On

Wednesday July 13, 2006

We're well into the 2nd week of this thing. So far, so good. I'm drinking a lot more green tea (hot & cold) but no alcohol for 9 days now.

 No run today. Just yoga. Inhale w/Steve Ross on Oxygen.

Night numbers: Blood pressure 113 / 74. Blood sugar 107. Excellent!!!  

"Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much."
-- Oscar Wilde

Good Numbers

Animal Crackers by Fred Wagner previous date | no next date

Tuesday July 12, 2005

In addition to checking my blood sugar numbers twice a day I also check my blood pressure and heart rate at the same time. This morning my blood pressure was an excellent 113 over 70 and my heart rate was 54. That's great but my blood sugar was 154. That's not great. But after my morning run I'm sure I'll have a much better reading tonight.

Lance regains lead in Tour de France after Stage 10. Now leads by 38 seconds. I don't know whose effort was greater Lance's ride or my run.

I ran about 5.75 miles this morning in 54 min. Not bad just over 9 min/mile. Picked up 7 Marlboro packs. My heart rate was 164 when I finished at 9:30 am. Temp was 91 on its way up to 112. Humidity 20%, weighed in at 156. Blood sugar down to 110 by end of day.

Booked flight for Buffalo Aug. 22-27. Susan and Micky will be there first few days. I'm really looking forward to that trip seeing Dad & Ann too!

There is no easy way from the earth to the stars -- Seneca

 

Week One is done

Monday July 11, 2005

Well I made it through the first week of the Lewis & Clark Abstinence Reenactment. That's seven days without an alcoholic beverage. I did the math. Only 61 weeks to go. No problem. But that dram on Sept. 13, 2006 is gonna taste good.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

-- Robert C. Gallagher

Sunset Park at Sunrise

Sunday July 10, 2005

It was already 82 degrees at 7am when I started my day with a sunrise run to Sunset Park. But I proceeded on as the day warmed up to a predicted high of 104.

After run, weight was back to ideal 154. But some of that was water loss. Night blood reading was 108. Excellent. The 6 days with no alcohol is starting to pay off. It sure was a lot easier getting up to run today after working late last night.

Planted the seed with Dad for 2006 Alaska Tour of Discovery.

Here, from within my heart, I make the vow

to shun all evil -- to achieve the good.

From deep within my heart I seek my refuge.

 

Happiness is Always Inside of You

Saturday July 9, 2005

  Day 5 of abstinece started out great, some yoga, some reading and some green tea. The book  is Dan Brown's Deception Point. It's very good. He's the same guy that wrote the DiVinci Code that's been on the bestseller list forever.

Here's a passage from Steve Ross of the yoga show Inhale on the Oxygen Network:

 When the mind becomes quiet happiness bubbles up. If you look at most of the times in your life -- actually all of them -- when you've experienced true happiness. If even only for a moment it's because the mind stopped. For example, if you meet a relative or a friend you haven't seen in years, when you hug them the mind just stops, and so there's happiness. Or if you're surfing and you're in that perfect place in the wave, the mind stops and you're happy. When the mind gets quiet your inherent happiness bubbles up. So it's not those things, it's not surfing, it's not relatives. it's not partners, cars and homes and all that stuff, that isn't what makes you happy it's when your desire stops. When your desire is either fulfilled or transcended  for a moment then your true nature, which is already happy bubbles up. So rather than trying to find it in a million different ways in the world. the Yogis suggest you go directly to it. That it's inside you. It's not out there somewhere. So no amount of chasing it in the world will ever amount to any lasting happiness. It just won't. Don't take my word for it. Just test it for yourself. Look in your own experience. If you observe your own life you'll notice happiness comes, happiness goes. But if you want it to remain more constant what you need to do is let go of running after it where it isn't which is outside of yourself. That's what the Yogis say. How do they know? Because they've done it. But test it for yourself. Just contemplate the possibility that all the happiness you could ever want is inside you. You not meaning your body, All creation is inside you. All bodies are inside you. It's a vast subject and understanding intellectually is not enough. It has to be experienced.

 --Namaste  

Rabitt on the Run and better blood

Friday July 8, 2005

Started the day with a run down the Arroyo Grande trail. I felt a little fatigued after giving  blood yesterday. But I proceeded on up the trail and passed a bunny rabbit, who was a little nervous when I passed him going up. But on the return trip he looked at me with a wink that said, "Hey man, you're cool. No fear hear."

Then it was a dull afternoon of grocery shopping, getting insurance quotes on car and home owners, paying bills and balancing the checkbook. This life of sobriety can get mighty boring. Is anyone awake out there?

The best news came later in the afternoon when the Dr. Nnati called with the blood test results. What a great doctor when she makes the call her self the day after the test. She said all my numbers were good and normal. And that includes my diabetes numbers.

First it's best to explain the numbers in the Hemoglobin A1c test.

Under 6 -- Non-diabetic level; 6-7 -- Goal-Near Normal; 7-8 Fair to Good Control; 8 and above -- Action suggested for better control.

When I was first diagnosed last Nov. I was 11 1/2. Way to high. In Feb. I brought it down to 8.6 Still over the top. But yesterday it was 6.8. That's near normal!

I might celebrate with a beer. No way. Not yet. Not for 15 months. 

Capped off the day by watching National Treasure with Nick Cage. It was a great movie. Very exciting. One clue after another. Like the DiVinci Code.

 "Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes."
-- Carl G. Jung

Bloody Thursday

Thursday July 7, 2005

After fasting for the required 12 hours I went in to see Dr. Nnadi for my blood test. But first weigh-in and blood pressure. My weight was 162 1/2, which your not going to believe this but when she put my height and weight in her computer my ideal weight came out at 154. So I'm 8 1/2 pds overweight. But she said I looked fine. And the bp was fine too -- 115 over 78.

She was pleasently amazed at my cholesterol numbers (HDL 43, trig 86, LDL 85, total 145), She said someone usually has to be on medication to have numbers so perfect. But of course I'm not. It's that good vegetarian diet. Then if I'm so healthy why the diabetes? It's just genetic she said. Someone, I don't know who, had it in our family. But it was probably before they did regular blood tests to check for it.

Tonight's big challenege will be to watch Red Sox-Orioles game on ESPN with no beer or wine. I'll have to settle for water or green tea.

Now after breakfast, and it really is breaking fast, I'm off to give blood today -- making this Bloody Thursday.

Gave a double (automated) dose of blood. Now I'm not eligible to donate again until Oct. 27.

Got a Berry Blast at Tropical Smoothies and then saw the movie Madagascar. Very funny, colorful with amazing animation.

Red Sox lost 3-1 in a rain shortened 6 inn. game but they still have a 3 game lead in the AL East.

 

 

Red Rock adventure

Wednesday July 6, 2005

Another early rise, about 5am. Another beautiful clear mind. The beauty of a fresh start is I didn't need coffee in the morning for the last 2 days.

After working 7-3 and checking in on the cats, I headed out to my favorite outdoor cathedral, Red Rock, and went for an amazing trail run. Some were familiar and others were new to me. But the scenery was beautiful as always especially at sunset.

End of Day 2 and I didn't crave a drop.

I had to eat fast when I got home because I have to fast from 9pm-9am, so I can take blood test tomorrow. As a diabetic I have to have this done every 3 months. With no alcohol the numbers should be better than last time. But just wait till the next test in 3 months!

 

Clear head

Tuesday July 5, 2005

It was great to wake up with a clear head for a change. It was a big plus because I had to be up at 5:15am to be at work by 7.

After work I went to a very challenging Dynamic Flow yoga class taught by Michelle. Normally I can hang in with any class, but this one was really advanced. I pushed myself to the limit and worked up quite a sweat. But I was glad I wasn't slowed by any alcohol or hangover effects.

I got through the first full day perfectly fine with no grog cravings. 

Last of the whiskey

Monday July 4, 2005

Had my last alcoholic beverage the same way Lewis & Clark did 200 years ago to the day. What they drank was called grog. A mixture of whiskey and water. So to honor the expedition and Meriwether Lewis, who died in 1809 in Tennessee, I got a pint of Jack Daniels and mixed it with water. No ice.

I could only drink a couple of glasses before I poured the rest down the sink. But I knew my abstinence journey was underway. That, I hope, was my last drop of alcohol for 15 months.