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!!!