The worn out paradigm of aging as simply a time when our knees buckle and our belts won’t is rapidly and mercifully dieing. Some scientists estimate that of all the human beings that have ever lived to be sixty-five or older, half are currently alive today! The seventy-five and older age group is the fastest growing segment of our population. These are folks who are not satisfied with the status quo. They are not ...
December 04, 2007
Las Vegas Marathon
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
As a general rule, what goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I am going to make an exception. Two days ago I finished my eleventh marathon by slogging it through the 26.2 in sunny Las Vegas,Nevada. I must say that I have never felt better after a race. I don't know if it was that the course was very flat (great for any first timers out there) or if my training was smarter, or if it was the 20 second walk breaks ...
November 19, 2007
Running Log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did my last long run in preparation for Las Vegas Sunday. It was a 20 miler and I actually felt decent. I did most of it at a 9 1/2min pace but slowed at the end. There were a few hills, not bad, but since there are actually some inclines in the race I figured I needed some training on them. I am a bit sore this AM but can now focus on proper nutrition and tapering. I listened to an interesting podcast yesterday ...
November 03, 2007
Thankfulness
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I am forever amazed by those courageous people who face extraordinarily difficult situations with a grace and peace. Often in the course of a day, I will come across a patient who tells me a tale of woe that would make a statue cry. Inevitably it will remind me, rather poignantly, of the necessity of daily thankfulness. In this country, we are all blessed beyond imagination as compared to the multitudes around ...
October 30, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did 16 this past weekend, and actually felt pretty good. I was most pleased by how I felt Sunday morning since sitting in church with "lactic acid legs" is not a pretty sight. I am following a training regimen from www.runnersworld.com. It is pretty basic and keeps the mileage at 35-45 per week. This seems to be a level at which I can improve yet not risk injury. Only about a month until the Las Vegas marathon. ...
October 13, 2007
This morning I ran in the coolest half marathon I have ever done, because I ran it with over 800 kindred spirits around the world. In a previous blog I talked about The Phedippidations WorldWide Half Marathon. This is an amazingly unique event that allows people from all over the world (40 countries) to run 13.1 miles wherever they are and report the results online. There has been training tips, message boards, ...
October 07, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I was traveling this week, so my mileage was a bit abbreviated. I really don't envy you folks who have to spend a lot of time on the road. (or in the air) I went to Tampa to do a couple of TV shows to promote the book, and I have decided that air travel is about as close to hell as I want to imagine. Has there ever been an airline that really cared about running on time? At least with Jamaican air you expect them ...
October 01, 2007
running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did 18 this Saturday and felt pretty strong. I have been having a bit of trouble with mild plantar fascitis (foot pain) and have been concerned that this would limit my preparations for Las Vegas. I started doing the regular stuff, icing after runs, stretches, using a Strassborg sock (a special sock that keeps the foot extended at night). Also I began using some powerful omega 3 antioxidants in the form of mussel ...
October 01, 2007
Animal Studies Provide Hope Aerobic exercise might be even better for your brain than your body. A new study from the Salk institute shows that exercise may possibly cause brain cells to regrow, a previously unproven phenomenon. "After conducting maze tests, the neuroscientist Fred H. Gage and his colleagues examined brain samples from the mice. Conventional wisdom had long held that animal (and human) brains ...
September 23, 2007
Those of you who regularly peruse Reader’s Digest remember a column titled, “Laughter is the best medicine”. I wholeheartedly support that idea, and sometimes during the holidays we forget that. So here is my prescription for surviving the holiday stress…laugh three times a day. I recently attended a local high school football game and quickly lapsed into a “LOST” -like flashback when the bands took the ...
September 17, 2007
New Email address
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Over the past three days I have been going absolutely bonkers because of an email glitch at Medscape. I am getting no emails now, and for those of you as anal as I, you can understand how this is making me nuts. Of course it really pales when I watch the Hoyt video again (see the prior post) Anyway,I have decided to take matters into my own hands and get a new email address. So if you want to talk, trash the pol.net ...
September 17, 2007
Team Hoyt - I CAN
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
This is what it is all about. I met these folks in Boston and it was the highlight of the trip. Watch this with some tissue! ...
September 15, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did my first 10K in about 5 years this morning. Focusing on the marathon for the last several years has been a blast, but I realized today that keeping tuned with 5 and 10 K races is a great tool. We don't have many in my area, so I don't have to worry about them interfering with distance training. All I have read; however, speaks to the benefit of racing periodically in shorter distances to stay fresh and use ...
September 09, 2007
A celebration is often the result of an accomplishment, a special event or day, or honoring memories. These are good things, but do we really need the “special” to warrant a celebration? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to delight in the relatively mundane. Some of the happiest folks I know are those who relish just being able to get out of bed in the morning. We can celebrate our health, good or bad, by reflecting ...
September 01, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I just completed registration for the December Las Vegas Marathon...pray for me! Actually, this is a great time of year for me as my allergies seem to take a hiatus during the holidays, and plane fairs haven't gone up. We are going to take the kids on this one. I think it is incredibly important for them to see their parents actively practicing what they preach. One of these days it might actually sink in that this ...
August 25, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
The great news about weekends is not only can I escape the office, but I get to do long runs! I know to some that sounds more like punishment, but fellow runners understand the joy that comes from totally exhausting oneself physically (it actually helps revive my mental exhaustion from the week). This morning I did 15 and I felt like I could keep going. Now that is a good feeling. I'm not sure I will feel the same ...
August 18, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Had a good week with mileage. About 50 this week. I want to keep this base as I decide on the next race. I'm really looking serious at Las Vegas in Dec. I finally broke down and bought my wife a Garmin 101 GPS tracker so she can accurately track her miles. She is going to do the Kiawah half one week after being with me in Vegas(watching and shopping), so I felt she needed an accurate tool to measure her distance ...
August 11, 2007
Emily and Stan, a young couple, were expecting their second child. Their firstborn was five-year-old Sammy. During the present pregnancy, Sammy would crawl up next to his mother and rub her ever-expanding tummy and sing to his future sibling. It was his way of getting to know the unborn baby. This continued throughout the uneventful pregnancy until labor ensued. The labor was short, yet at the end Emily developed some ...
August 05, 2007
Look Before You Leap
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I bought a new treadmill the other day. Now, for most families I realize this wouldn’t exactly be an event on par with baptisms or your child graduating college, but in my household, largely due to my bizarre way of thinking, this was a big deal. I have long been an advocate of family focused exercise and fitness, so any new arrival that promotes that philosophy I treat as a banner day and mark it with the appropriate ...
July 28, 2007
Richard Foster, in his book Prayer, writes, “God, I have a thousand arguments against healing prayer. You are the one argument for it. . . .you win!” He then explains his approach to praying for healing. He says this is not a “how to” guide for healing prayer, but a template to build on. His ideas are useful as a guide to aid in all communications with God, not just specific to healing. He describes four steps to ...
July 28, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did 13.85 this morning in a driving rain. It reinforced why I like treadmill running! Actually, it was kind of fun as it was early and there was no one around to make fun of me. I signed up for the Phidippidations World Wide half marathon today. I mentioned this in a previous post, but if you forgot go to www.worldwidehalf.com and check it out. It is a cool way to train and run a half...right where you live! ...
July 26, 2007
Obesity contagious?
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
New research appearing in the July 26 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine suggest that obesity isn't just spreading; rather, it may be contagious between people, like a common cold.Researchers from Harvard and the University of California, San Diego, reviewed a database of 12,067 densely interconnected people — that is, a group that included many families and friends — who had all participated in a major American ...
July 21, 2007
The New Testament writings and Jesus’s healings also confirm that illness is not punishment from God. John 9:1–3 says: “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ‘Teacher,’ his disciples asked him, ‘Why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?’ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,’ Jesus answered. ‘He was born blind so the power ...
July 21, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I had a decent week. Too many early surgeries for any long runs, but consistent 5 and 6 milers. I did 10 this AM but got paged before I could get in my scheduled 12. My legs appreciated it. If you get a chance check out www.steverunner.com, the author of Phidipidations, a great podcast. He is sponsoring a 1/2 marathon in Oct. that allows you to run in your own location and report in on the website. It is a really ...
July 16, 2007
running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Whew!! I did 13.25 on Saturday. It was great weather, overcast and not too hot. Took Sunday off and felt sluggish with 5 on the treadmill this AM. By the way, if any of you folks are local (Augusta,Ga) I have 4 kittens that need a good home. I'm really tired of them competing for space in my exercise room. My younger daughter went to walk on the treadmill the other day and was attacked by rabid fleas! I wonder ...
July 14, 2007
THE HEALTHY CHRISTIAN Why do spiritual people get sick? This is a question that many theologians have struggled with for centuries. Is illness some sort of divine punishment? The entire book of Job in the Bible addresses these questions, among others. Many illnesses are, in large part, a matter of the natural consequences of our choices. If you smoke, your risk of lung cancer skyrockets. If you don’t exercise and ...
July 13, 2007
The book,Fat Proof Your Family, is officially released and it is off and running. My prayer is that it will motivate and encourage folks to teach themselves and their children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. What greater legacy to leave your kids than the hope for a better present and future through the pursuit of wellness. God has given parents a mandate to "train up your children in the way they should go" and it ...
July 04, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did 4.25 in the heat yesterday and felt terrible afterwards. It brought home the importance of hydration. Even in the early morning hours the heat and humidity takes its toll. Think about it, you have just gone 7 hours without taking in any fluids (some call it sleep) and you expect your body to tolerate the sweat and strain of a run? It doesn't make much sense. To top it off I often have a cup of coffee before ...
June 30, 2007
Think of the practical problems that would arise if everyone who was prayed for was miraculously healed. Not only would that selectively suspend natural law, but it would also cheapen the concept of the miraculous. Death is a natural result of physical laws, yet it is not the gauge for the success or failure of prayer. I saw a bumper sticker that read, “Eat healthy. Exercise daily. Die anyway!” That is a cynical way ...
June 30, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Had a slow 6 Friday, then 12 this morning. My legs felt sluggish, maybe not getting enough rest (on call this weekend). I just joined a great new online community called ShoutLife. It's like a Christian My Space, an has some great discussion groups. Anyone looking for a safe, fun, informative site, check it out at www.shoutlife.com. I am heading to the International Christian Retailers Show next weekend in Atlanta. ...
June 24, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Did 12.25 Saturday AM on the canal and downtown Augusta. I had forgotten how wonderfully serene everything is at 6:30 AM on a Saturday. For those in the area, if you have never experienced the Savannah Riverbanks and the canal footpath early in the morning you have missed a great time. I highly recommend it...just remember to bring your own water, especially this time of year. I have found that these early morning ...
June 24, 2007
These criticisms illustrate the intrinsic difficulty in studying prayer in humans. There are so many factors, variables, and individual variations that it is hard …if not impossible… to eliminate these variables and only focus on the entity you are interested in: prayer, in this case. The next logical step, given this difficulty, is to study prayer and its effects on non-human systems. The use of non-human subjects ...
June 21, 2007
running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Six on the treadmill this AM. Just read an amazing story in this month's Runner's World about Danelle Ballengee, a ultra distance runner who took a bad fall and was rescued by her trusty pooch, who ran with her. A really terrific story if you haven't seen it. Worth picking up the issue. Also has some great training tips and timetables for marathoners. If you are preparing for a race, these training protocols are ...
June 20, 2007
running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did 4 yesterday with some brief intervals and hills thrown in for sadistic pleasure. I'm looking at either Kiawah marathon in December or Atlanta in Nov. I'm pretty sure I want to do Boston again this April. There is nothing quite like this race. The energy, the tradition, the crowds is like nothing else I have ever experienced. As slow as I am I can never make the qualifying time for my age, but I get in through ...
June 13, 2007
running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
I did 5 Monday, 5 Tuesday, and 6 today. Monday and Tuesday I began inserting speed intervals to help increase fitness. Studies show that inserting short (3-5minutes) of an increased pace can improve fitness, especially if you have hit a plateau. I have also found that changing a workout can nip boredom in workout routines. I'm not a big fan of hill work, mainly because IT HURTS, but I realize that an occasional ...
June 10, 2007
If we are going to study prayer, how are we going to define it? How do you measure prayer? What is a good outcome and what is not? These and other issues must be critically evaluated by anyone attempting to assess the scientific evidence for prayer. This is not bringing God into the laboratory; it is bringing the laboratory to God. It is not a simple, straightforward exercise, but one with many twists and turns that ...
June 10, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
There is something incredibly tranquil about an early Sunday morning. The family is still asleep and the coffee is hot, and I am sore from my 18.6 miles yesterday. It doesn't get any better! I did 5-6 daily throughout the week, and really only intended a 12 or so this weekend, but I was feeling good so I pushed on . Sometimes it is best to listen to your body and revise plans as you go. Rigidity in workouts can ...
June 02, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Finally, some rain! A great excuse to hit the treadmill. I did 6 Thursday, weights Friday, and 10 on the treadmill this morning. I watched a lousy movie, The murder of Crows, with Cuba Gooding. Let this one sit on the shelf at Netflix. I am amazed that I actually made it through the whole thing, but TV was even worse. Needless to say, I don't just go 10 on the treadmill without some diversion. I like to multitask, ...
May 28, 2007
Running log
Posted by Women's Online Wellness Blog |
Happy Memorial day! I hope all of you are taking a few minutes today to say a prayer of thanks for all those before and after who have given their lives to allow us to do simple silly things like write a blog. Often we forget the price for even the most minor of rights. To all those who have sacrificed and their families, a heartfelt thank you . Today my wife and I pounded out 7 over a hilly, close-to-the-house ...
May 26, 2007
Asking questions doesn’t weaken our faith; it strengthens and affirms it. This is not about proving or disproving prayer. …I have trouble doing long division; therefore, I’m not about to try to fully understand the mystery of prayer…. It is about demonstrating the awesome power and grace of the Creator in providing this glorious tool for us to employ. Faith does not lend itself easily to scientific scrutiny, nor ...
