ANOTHER snowman!

posted December 2007

Ok, so that wasn't my "last" snowman....but this one will be for 2007.

My last snowman....

posted December 2007

The dogs were having a great time romping in the snow while I watched. Being the type "A" can't stand still for long I started to lob snowballs at them until my arm started to give out. They were having a great time, but always need supervision so not to follow the joggers home. So to make my time "productive" enters Mr. Snowman.

Mr. Snowman began to take shape and although remembering the "method" I had forgotten the effort involved with wet snow. By the time the eyes were placed my snow pants were sweat soaked on the inside. Maybe 200 calories burned including the snowball making (bend over 500 times).

Snowboy lasted a total of two days and melted before Xmas... In a few days we're back to Austin and out of the snow. I can see this as my last snowman.

Turkey Trot 2007

posted November 2007

Ran a 5 miler in Austin on Thanksgiving. First race in 20 years. This was an endurance workout keeping heart rate below AT. Averaged around 148 with a pace of 8:50. Ran in just under 45 minutes.

The following Saturday did a hilly 5k in just over 8 minute per mile pace. Conditions were terrible....cold rain and 40 degrees. Could have easily gone below 8 minutes on a dry day...(slowed going down hills due to slippery conditions....and had to stop and tie shoe!) Hands were so cold I couldn't tie my shoe at first!

Results of Healthy Eating and Exercise

posted October 2007

Participated in Free Wellness Screening at our gym. Free is a senior's favorite word. The results were encouraging:

Age: 58
BMI 23.5
Waist/Hip Ratio: .86 (Under .95 best for men)
Waist: 31"
Weight: 178
Height: 6' 2 3/4"
Sitting heart rate: 56
Blood Pressure: 100/58
Triglycerides: <45 (so low the machine couldn't read)
Total Cholesterol: 171
HDL: 84
LDL: no reading (too low again)
TC/HDL ratio: 2.0 (below 4 is desirable for men)
Glucose: 88

Lowest blood sugar ever. This was 133 before I started my fitness and healthy eating.

Sinus Update

posted October 2007

Around September 4th I developed a sore throat followed by severe sinus drainage...clear liquid almost like water. In the following days the throat cleared up with some chloreseptic help, but the nose drainage persisted. On one afternoon at Jamestown Virginia I used one box of Kleenex. Also, my handkerchief was totally soaked, but NO yellow or green ONLY water like! NON-Stop drip. Need to say had trouble sleeping. Hotel in Williamsburg was old and musty...lost sense of smell....basement meetings were in a cold room. We moved after one night in motel to a Hampton Inn. Felt so rotten that I missed the farewell dinner...sneezing and runny nose. Took only lozenge for throat.

Eventually, the drippy nose turned into a full blown sinus infection including the usual swelling and thick sticky discharge. Sense of smell was gone in a few days and taste has diminished.

A couple of nights I woke at 2-3 in the morning and felt like I was suffocating. So I used a temporary relief nasal spray PLUS resumed Flonase. The spray gave IMMEDIATE relief but shouldn't be used past 2 weeks. I thought if I could get sleep plus open the sinuses and use the saline rinse (sinucleanse) that EVENTUALLY the problem would subside. The 12 hour relief (one spray in each nostril) lasted for about 15 hours. Stepped up the sinucleanse rinse to 3 or 4 times a day.

The culprit may be the Candida fungus triggered by the amount of sugar I had been eating. Couple that with an old hotel and problems happen. I was also eating 2-3 odwella bars per day PLUS a couple of cups of sweet cherries on top of my other fruit (shake and breakfast). BBQ was creeping back into my diet. Also, this is ragweed season (nearing an end now).

Notices some other symptoms, clear bubble sore on my lower lip, and muscle soreness.

In any case, I'm back on the NO sugar diet...UGH which means minimal fruit...not after 1 pm. About 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries and 3/4 cup of frozen strawberries for lunch (shake) is it. I'm going to cut out sweetened soy milk...going to plain start tomorrow. Trying some non-gluten grains/chips and almond/cashew butter.

It's been 2 days without meds and without most sugar...also using 2 drops of grapefruit seed extract in my 8 oz of saline rinse (8 oz. per side now!). The results are no smell, no taste, but reduced congestions (ie can breath with mouth shut). Can smell only during hard exercise.

Continuing my fitness routine. Burning between 4000-5000 calories per week.

October 18th: Been on this diet for a week with some success, but still no sense of smell and little taste. The diet sucks...but not breathing sucks more! Cut out meds except the saline rinse 1-3x's a day. Rattles in the nose, and light yellow mucus, light green in the AM. Resting better some nights.

November 29, 2007 update: Feeling great...can smell and taste since 10-31. Sinu-cleanse in the morning produces a small amount of mucosa. Last several days have been 8 on a scale of 10. Sleeping with mouth open, but during the day breathing through nose.

Sleeping great with average data A around 23 minutes. Only one day in last 23 below 20 minutes.

sinus update fall 2007

posted over 2 years ago

Incredibly busy with new dog and travel. Cut back workouts to 1-2 lifts per week, 1-2 core sessions, 1-2 spinning, 1-2 running, plus the usual 3-4 rounds of golf per week.

Caught some nasty virus OR had a reaction to sour cream added to peanut soup. In any case lots of drainage, worse since starting new diet last February. Unable to smell MOST odors, but NOT totally blocked. Had a sore throat followed by runny nose (1 box of Kleenex in ONE afternoon.)

One more week of serious golf then back to off season routine.

Just a great time

posted August 2007

The most legal fun I've EVER had...pulling 2 g's in a ZO6 Corvette. HOLD ON BABY!