Give or take a few tenths of a mile, I have now run a half marathon in my training. It was actually 13 miles, and I held about 8 minutes per mile, so I was really happy about that. It almost didn't come to pass, though.
I originally was planning on running in the morning, and it had rained overnight so I was prepared for mildly damp conditions. However, when I made it to the lakefront (about a mile from our pad), it started raining. And then it started pouring. And five minutes later, I could have been running through a waterfall or a stream and it would have been of equal difficulty. At first I thought I would just power through--what's a little wetness when you're running 13 miles? But I quickly realized that was stupid when my socks started holding about 5 pounds of water a piece. And then I remembered the potential for blistering. And I turned around to go home, covering 4 miles in the process. (Look ma! No blisters!)
Later in the day it got super nice, so once the sun had gone down a bit (I have sensitive skin and a family history of skin cancer, so I try not to tempt fate), I gave my 13 miles another shot. It actually went really well (see initial comments above), but when I finished, my body told me it was not happy with me. Running 17 miles in one day for a body that had previously built up to 11 miles is kinda a big jump. And my digestive tract revolted in protest.
I had the runs for the rest of the day, and then into the next.
(Again, sorry for the images in this one, but at this point I imagine there isn't much that I haven't candidly spoken about when it comes to my gut).
I have never eaten so much Pepto-Bismol (or Bis-Mate, because we buy Jewel brand) in my life.
Anyhow, I was trying to figure out what the deal was: did I induce a flare? Was my condition secondary to running too hard and maybe getting a little dehydrated? I wasn't sure if my symptoms were from my Crohn's or because I was stupid.
But I took it easy for a couple of days, and that helped a bunch, and I feel good about where my training is currently at. This morning I ran 12 miles, and again it went very well. So far, so good with my body's response.
But I think I learned an important lesson (which incidentally, I have learned numerous times in the past and then have promptly disregarded): don't push yourself too hard or too fast.
Otherwise, your body will make you pay.
:)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Amazing, Scary, or Amazingly Scary?
I visited this website today.
If you're wondering how I even knew about this website, there was a two sentence blurb about it in Details magazine this month (and I am a dedicated subscriber). I read it, thought that I would go take a look, and then promptly forgot about it. But then Eileen reminded me.
So here's the question: Is this the coolest thing ever, or what? I mean, for people like me that tend to have the occassional gas problem. I have to say, if it works then it is totally awesome, because it seems like noone would ever know that you had one of these suckers on.
The weird thing is, what's up with the website? It looks kinda janky for a real company, and the guy in the upper left hand corner looks straight out of The Onion. But I'm pretty sure that this company is real. The other thing I found disturbing was this quote (straight from the website):
"Activated charcoal cloth [used in the product] was originally developed by the British Chemical Defense Establishment as a highly efficient filter medium for protection against nerve gas and other highly toxic vapors that might be used in chemical warfare. This is the reason for its outstanding advantage as a decontaminating material in commercial air and water purification applications."
So...the thing I'm using to keep people from noticing my bad gas was originally designed to combat NERVE GAS AND TOXIC VAPORS? That is frightening. On the other hand, I guess I can be pretty sure it works if they use it in war situations.
Equally unsettling:
"Flat-D now makes the Thong-D, a standard product for women."
I'm not even gonna go there.
I know I probably sound dismissive of this whole thing, but I actually think it seems like a great product...somehow the marketing is just a tad bit ridiculous, though. Either way, Eileen really wants me to try it out (bless her heart). So if you are on the fence about getting the Flat-D, check back because I'll probably order a pack and give 'em a spin to see if they work as claimed. It will probably be helpful when I go back to medschool.
All in the name of education and consumer awareness!
If you're wondering how I even knew about this website, there was a two sentence blurb about it in Details magazine this month (and I am a dedicated subscriber). I read it, thought that I would go take a look, and then promptly forgot about it. But then Eileen reminded me.
So here's the question: Is this the coolest thing ever, or what? I mean, for people like me that tend to have the occassional gas problem. I have to say, if it works then it is totally awesome, because it seems like noone would ever know that you had one of these suckers on.
The weird thing is, what's up with the website? It looks kinda janky for a real company, and the guy in the upper left hand corner looks straight out of The Onion. But I'm pretty sure that this company is real. The other thing I found disturbing was this quote (straight from the website):
"Activated charcoal cloth [used in the product] was originally developed by the British Chemical Defense Establishment as a highly efficient filter medium for protection against nerve gas and other highly toxic vapors that might be used in chemical warfare. This is the reason for its outstanding advantage as a decontaminating material in commercial air and water purification applications."
So...the thing I'm using to keep people from noticing my bad gas was originally designed to combat NERVE GAS AND TOXIC VAPORS? That is frightening. On the other hand, I guess I can be pretty sure it works if they use it in war situations.
Equally unsettling:
"Flat-D now makes the Thong-D, a standard product for women."
I'm not even gonna go there.
I know I probably sound dismissive of this whole thing, but I actually think it seems like a great product...somehow the marketing is just a tad bit ridiculous, though. Either way, Eileen really wants me to try it out (bless her heart). So if you are on the fence about getting the Flat-D, check back because I'll probably order a pack and give 'em a spin to see if they work as claimed. It will probably be helpful when I go back to medschool.
All in the name of education and consumer awareness!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Nourishment for your mind
I was forwarded this link from my friend Marla today.
Thanks, Mar!
Before I discuss it, a brief aside about Marla.
Marla is one of my BFFs from high school, and although we were supposed to attend Northwestern concurrently, she didn't disown me when I went to Kalamazoo instead. Good for me, because there are few truer friends that one could have than Marla. Although all my friends love me (I think) and know about my Crohn's, Marla is probably my friend who remembers it the most, and is most supportive of my various Crohn's/GIRF-related endeavors. I have convinced her to come to a lot of Crohn's-related events, and she always does, despite instances where she has been cornered by people who swear they know her from somewhere...
Anyway, Marla is getting married in October to Allen, who in addition to being our friend, is our insurance guy (If you are looking for an outstanding insurance agent in the greater Chicagoland area, drop me a line and I'll send you his digits). Also, Allen has Crohn's. Which is kinda fun for me because it is nice to have a friend that you can complain to about all your Crohn's-y things and they really understand, so I got lucky when Marla met Allen. And it needs to be pointed out that Marla has always been supportive of me (even pre-Allen), so if you think she's only nice to me because her fiance is saddled with the same disease, it's not true (though I'm sure it makes me even more sympathetic, if that's even possible). So basically what I'm saying is that I'm really glad that Marla and Allen found each other because they are an awesome couple, great friends, and Allen would be really hard-pressed to find someone who will take better care of him than Mar (except maybe Eileen, but she's mine). Holla!
OK, so now I'm mixing up what kind of post this is and I need to get back to the story. Basically, this group at Cornell found a link between the presence of a nasty strain of E.coli and Crohn's disease. I hadn't heard of this particular study before, but there have been many groups looking into associations between different bacterial species and Crohn's. The cool thing about the research going on now is that they can actually do something about it. There have been a lot of advances in genetic analysis, so it is possible to isolate gut bacteria and see what genes they might be expressing that can lead to an inflammatory response...and then it is possible to potentially target these genes so that the bacteria are not so pro-inflammatory. Also, comparing the bacterial composition of Crohn's people vs. healthy people can further give us an idea about what might be going on in the disease.
Did you know that you are mostly bacteria? Apparently we have more bacterial cells living on or in us than we do our own "human" cells. And because of this, the interaction between host (us) and symbiote (the bacteria--remember, they do good stuff for us in our guts, too, and that is why Dannon is trying to get you to buy their Activia yogurt that apparently is chock full o' bacterial goodness) can really influence our health. So researchers are trying to get at what signals are being transmitted between bacteria and human that might influence an individual's disease state...it's getting at a very central part of the environmental component of Crohn's (remember, Crohn's is thought to be due to environmental factors interacting with a genetic predisposition to induce disease). They are doing a lot of this kind of stuff at U of C now, also.
Always at the "Forefront of Medicine!"
PS I think eating yogurt is good for you, but any yogurt should do (just don't get ones sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. It's bad for you.)
Thanks, Mar!
Before I discuss it, a brief aside about Marla.
Marla is one of my BFFs from high school, and although we were supposed to attend Northwestern concurrently, she didn't disown me when I went to Kalamazoo instead. Good for me, because there are few truer friends that one could have than Marla. Although all my friends love me (I think) and know about my Crohn's, Marla is probably my friend who remembers it the most, and is most supportive of my various Crohn's/GIRF-related endeavors. I have convinced her to come to a lot of Crohn's-related events, and she always does, despite instances where she has been cornered by people who swear they know her from somewhere...
Anyway, Marla is getting married in October to Allen, who in addition to being our friend, is our insurance guy (If you are looking for an outstanding insurance agent in the greater Chicagoland area, drop me a line and I'll send you his digits). Also, Allen has Crohn's. Which is kinda fun for me because it is nice to have a friend that you can complain to about all your Crohn's-y things and they really understand, so I got lucky when Marla met Allen. And it needs to be pointed out that Marla has always been supportive of me (even pre-Allen), so if you think she's only nice to me because her fiance is saddled with the same disease, it's not true (though I'm sure it makes me even more sympathetic, if that's even possible). So basically what I'm saying is that I'm really glad that Marla and Allen found each other because they are an awesome couple, great friends, and Allen would be really hard-pressed to find someone who will take better care of him than Mar (except maybe Eileen, but she's mine). Holla!
OK, so now I'm mixing up what kind of post this is and I need to get back to the story. Basically, this group at Cornell found a link between the presence of a nasty strain of E.coli and Crohn's disease. I hadn't heard of this particular study before, but there have been many groups looking into associations between different bacterial species and Crohn's. The cool thing about the research going on now is that they can actually do something about it. There have been a lot of advances in genetic analysis, so it is possible to isolate gut bacteria and see what genes they might be expressing that can lead to an inflammatory response...and then it is possible to potentially target these genes so that the bacteria are not so pro-inflammatory. Also, comparing the bacterial composition of Crohn's people vs. healthy people can further give us an idea about what might be going on in the disease.
Did you know that you are mostly bacteria? Apparently we have more bacterial cells living on or in us than we do our own "human" cells. And because of this, the interaction between host (us) and symbiote (the bacteria--remember, they do good stuff for us in our guts, too, and that is why Dannon is trying to get you to buy their Activia yogurt that apparently is chock full o' bacterial goodness) can really influence our health. So researchers are trying to get at what signals are being transmitted between bacteria and human that might influence an individual's disease state...it's getting at a very central part of the environmental component of Crohn's (remember, Crohn's is thought to be due to environmental factors interacting with a genetic predisposition to induce disease). They are doing a lot of this kind of stuff at U of C now, also.
Always at the "Forefront of Medicine!"
PS I think eating yogurt is good for you, but any yogurt should do (just don't get ones sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. It's bad for you.)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Holla! (Vol. 3)
In our continuing series, I will be honoring the people you can thank (or blame) for me and this blog...my parents.
When you have awesome parents like I do, it is difficult to really do justice to how they support me in both ways that are directly related to my disease, and ways that just make my life easier, which in turn makes dealing with my Crohn's less of a hassle. But I'm going to focus on the Crohn's-related stuff, because listing all the ways in which I appreciate them would take too long.
Basically, my parents were the ones who jumped to my rescue the minute I found out something was wrong with me. When I first found blood on the TP, it was my mom who I yelled to for help, and she put everything under control right away--she got me a GI appointment and my first colonscopy within a few minutes of my unsettling discovery. A few days later when I actually had to go in for the procedure, my mom was the one who coached me through my first bowel prep (among the most nauseating things in the world, and difficult for someone like me who basically eats constantly) and stayed in the hospital while I had plastic tubing inserted into my nether regions. That's more than enough, but then my mom let me stuff my face at P.F. Chang's afterwards to make me feel better (ask her sometime how much I ate).
Anyhow, my parents involvement in my care didn't stop there--when I returned to Germany they sent me my medication in the mail and generally checked up on me to make sure that I was doing okay. I can only imagine what it must be like for a parent to find out that their child has a chronic inflammatory disease like Crohn's, but I'm glad that my parents held it together because I might have gotten freaked out more than I did.
Since I've been on my own for the last number of years, my parents watch over me, but less directly. They call and email to make sure that I am still in good health, and when I am home my mom makes a CostCo run for me to make sure that I have enough peanut butter and cereal to eat, in the name of keeping meat on my bones. I think my parents freaked out when I lost a ton of weight a few years back, and they are happy to see me at a healthy weight again. Mostly, I am just grateful to know that my parents think of me, love me, and keep me in their prayers. Growing up it used to bug me that my mom referred to me as her "baby" (I'm the youngest of three kids). But now that I'm older I have a better appreciation for what sentiment really lays behind that name, and I'm just grateful that I am guaranteed to have two people (well, 3 now, with Eileen) who love me unconditionally and who will always be there for me, especially in case of emergency.
Here is a picture of my parents at their wedding:
And at mine:
I hope our marriage is as fruitful and long as theirs (and BTW, if I were a betting man (and in this case, I am) I'll bet it will be).
Mama and Papa, your guidance and support in so many ways has made my life easier and helped me to deal with this challenging part of my existence. You have made me what I am today, and I hope that what you see makes you proud. I value everything you have done for me, and I hope you know that I love you both very much.
Holla!
When you have awesome parents like I do, it is difficult to really do justice to how they support me in both ways that are directly related to my disease, and ways that just make my life easier, which in turn makes dealing with my Crohn's less of a hassle. But I'm going to focus on the Crohn's-related stuff, because listing all the ways in which I appreciate them would take too long.
Basically, my parents were the ones who jumped to my rescue the minute I found out something was wrong with me. When I first found blood on the TP, it was my mom who I yelled to for help, and she put everything under control right away--she got me a GI appointment and my first colonscopy within a few minutes of my unsettling discovery. A few days later when I actually had to go in for the procedure, my mom was the one who coached me through my first bowel prep (among the most nauseating things in the world, and difficult for someone like me who basically eats constantly) and stayed in the hospital while I had plastic tubing inserted into my nether regions. That's more than enough, but then my mom let me stuff my face at P.F. Chang's afterwards to make me feel better (ask her sometime how much I ate).
Anyhow, my parents involvement in my care didn't stop there--when I returned to Germany they sent me my medication in the mail and generally checked up on me to make sure that I was doing okay. I can only imagine what it must be like for a parent to find out that their child has a chronic inflammatory disease like Crohn's, but I'm glad that my parents held it together because I might have gotten freaked out more than I did.
Since I've been on my own for the last number of years, my parents watch over me, but less directly. They call and email to make sure that I am still in good health, and when I am home my mom makes a CostCo run for me to make sure that I have enough peanut butter and cereal to eat, in the name of keeping meat on my bones. I think my parents freaked out when I lost a ton of weight a few years back, and they are happy to see me at a healthy weight again. Mostly, I am just grateful to know that my parents think of me, love me, and keep me in their prayers. Growing up it used to bug me that my mom referred to me as her "baby" (I'm the youngest of three kids). But now that I'm older I have a better appreciation for what sentiment really lays behind that name, and I'm just grateful that I am guaranteed to have two people (well, 3 now, with Eileen) who love me unconditionally and who will always be there for me, especially in case of emergency.
Here is a picture of my parents at their wedding:
And at mine:
I hope our marriage is as fruitful and long as theirs (and BTW, if I were a betting man (and in this case, I am) I'll bet it will be).
Mama and Papa, your guidance and support in so many ways has made my life easier and helped me to deal with this challenging part of my existence. You have made me what I am today, and I hope that what you see makes you proud. I value everything you have done for me, and I hope you know that I love you both very much.
Holla!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Spiritual Healing
No, not the type of healing that Marvin Gaye sang about.
I read an article in Men's Health today (if it seems like I'm totally shilling for them, I'm not. I just have a subscription and in general I think their advice is pretty useful. Although when they quote studies it often makes me cringe because they dumb down--and sometimes misinterpret--the results. But I digress). It was about spiritual healing and how it can be used to help manage chronic conditions. Apparently the author had a really nasty case of Crohn's Disease where he had over 40 inches of his small bowel resected and had been taking over 16 pills a day (!). That's a lot. Anyhow, his disease kept on getting worse (probably because he admittedly did little to manage his condition; he ate and drank and did whatever he wanted), and he eventually got so disenchanged with western medicine he went to Brazil to see a spiritual healer. Apparently a month after he went, his condition abated considerably, and it has been helpful to him. This article made me think: can we use our minds and our faith to heal ourselves?
I think so. I'm not a huge alternative medicine advocate (especially since a lot of these herbs and stuff are completely unregulated and as my Pathology teacher Dr. Meredith has told us many a time, "Nature is not benign."), but I definitely think there is a place for it, particularly with things like meditation. I can't help but think that the increased pace and stress in our lives contributes to all these inflammatory conditions (we're ALWAYS on high alert), and so to calm these things in your body by using your mind seems plausible to me. But I think that this type of stuff has to be incorporated into a broader lifestyle change: less stress, taking better care of yourself by eating well and exercising regularly and making time to relax. I don't think it's a coincidence that I was diagnosed with Crohn's after working 16+ hours/day for months at a consulting firm in Germany. I had gained 10 pounds since graduating from college (I was pushing 190 lbs; by comparison I am now about 170), didn't have time to really exercise and I always felt bad. So being able to change my lifestyle and do something that I enjoy (yay for science nerd-dom) and take time to take care of myself has probably been key in maintaining my health despite my Crohn's.
Kinda proving my point, the author gave up alcohol, red meat and spicy foods after his faith healing session. So it's a combo of mind and body (and hopefully only a little bit of meds).
When they put the article on-line, I will make a link to it, otherwise just go to the store and grab the issue with Jamie Foxx on the cover (apparently, he's a "Mens Health Guy"). In the meantime, I'm all for exploring alternative therapies that can SUPPLEMENT whatever you are doing now to manage your disease. Talk to your doctor about it.
What do you think?
I read an article in Men's Health today (if it seems like I'm totally shilling for them, I'm not. I just have a subscription and in general I think their advice is pretty useful. Although when they quote studies it often makes me cringe because they dumb down--and sometimes misinterpret--the results. But I digress). It was about spiritual healing and how it can be used to help manage chronic conditions. Apparently the author had a really nasty case of Crohn's Disease where he had over 40 inches of his small bowel resected and had been taking over 16 pills a day (!). That's a lot. Anyhow, his disease kept on getting worse (probably because he admittedly did little to manage his condition; he ate and drank and did whatever he wanted), and he eventually got so disenchanged with western medicine he went to Brazil to see a spiritual healer. Apparently a month after he went, his condition abated considerably, and it has been helpful to him. This article made me think: can we use our minds and our faith to heal ourselves?
I think so. I'm not a huge alternative medicine advocate (especially since a lot of these herbs and stuff are completely unregulated and as my Pathology teacher Dr. Meredith has told us many a time, "Nature is not benign."), but I definitely think there is a place for it, particularly with things like meditation. I can't help but think that the increased pace and stress in our lives contributes to all these inflammatory conditions (we're ALWAYS on high alert), and so to calm these things in your body by using your mind seems plausible to me. But I think that this type of stuff has to be incorporated into a broader lifestyle change: less stress, taking better care of yourself by eating well and exercising regularly and making time to relax. I don't think it's a coincidence that I was diagnosed with Crohn's after working 16+ hours/day for months at a consulting firm in Germany. I had gained 10 pounds since graduating from college (I was pushing 190 lbs; by comparison I am now about 170), didn't have time to really exercise and I always felt bad. So being able to change my lifestyle and do something that I enjoy (yay for science nerd-dom) and take time to take care of myself has probably been key in maintaining my health despite my Crohn's.
Kinda proving my point, the author gave up alcohol, red meat and spicy foods after his faith healing session. So it's a combo of mind and body (and hopefully only a little bit of meds).
When they put the article on-line, I will make a link to it, otherwise just go to the store and grab the issue with Jamie Foxx on the cover (apparently, he's a "Mens Health Guy"). In the meantime, I'm all for exploring alternative therapies that can SUPPLEMENT whatever you are doing now to manage your disease. Talk to your doctor about it.
What do you think?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
What's on your playlist?
Sometimes I have discussions with people (or more frequently, myself) about what motivates me while I train. I'm not talking about the big things (helping others, being an example, etc.), I'm talking about the things that keep me going right at the moment, or more specifically what keeps me from being bored when I run or lift weights. Interestingly, it depends on what I am doing. When I lift, I need to have my iPod with me because I get bored in between sets otherwise. I don't wait too long, but just standing around is kinda lame, so at least listening to some tunes helps me enjoy the passing time. I've tried reading in between sets but it's counterproductive: I get interested in a magazine article and then suddenly I've been resting way too long and my workout takes forever.
In contrast, I can't run and listen to music. I don't know why...it's not that listening to something distracts me; I used to run and listen to NPR Podcasts (awesome, by the way), but for some reason I quit doing that, though I don't know what that reason is. I think I just got too lazy to download them. But I absolutely can't listen to music, and the reason is because it screws up my pace. When I get a song with a quick tempo it makes me pick up my pace subconsciously, which I guess is good, unless you are running 10 miles and you need to make sure that you have some energy coming home. Conversely, I just can't seem to pick it up once a slower song comes on. Also, a funny thing happens to me when I listen to music and run: the music "slows down." I have no idea what causes this; if it's the sweat getting onto my iPod and slowing its functioning, if sweat in my ears is impeding the transmission of sound waves, if maybe I'm just crazy, but I definitely perceive it, and it drives me nuts! Am I the only one for whom this happens? Hollaback!
Anyhow, I thought I would give you a peak at some things that are currently on my iPod workout playlist. Maybe you'll find something you like.
Basement Jaxx "Make Me Sweat." This song is apropos, I guess, but it's actually about dancing, not lifting weights (or anything else, for people with naughty minds). It's pretty techno-y and is very cool...even encouraging a multiculti approach to music--"Hip hop, soul, a little bit of crunk, a little bit of punk, a little bit of disco, drum and bass, a little bit of house, a little bit electro, all of that!"
Amy Winehouse, anything off her album "Back to Black." I think this woman is crazy, but I dig her beehive and her updated motown girl group sound. Plus she has a cool voice. If you like this album, you should check out Garbage's "Beautiful Garbage", which has a similar vibe but wasn't as appreciated
Jarvis Cocker, "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time." For anyone with a daughter or who might have one in the future, just play this song for her when she starts dating. Got a great beat, too. He was the lead singer of Pulp, for anyone who is familiar with the band.
Anything by Fergie (but mostly "Fergalicious" and "My Humps" which I know is actually Black Eyed Peas, but whatever). I know it's probably not cool to like her, but I can't help myself. Goes double for Gwen Stefani.
Gnarls Barkley, anything off their album "St. Elsewhere" but especially "Smiley Faces". If this song doesn't make you happy, nothing will.
What else should I be listening to to help me get ready for the Urbanathlon?
In contrast, I can't run and listen to music. I don't know why...it's not that listening to something distracts me; I used to run and listen to NPR Podcasts (awesome, by the way), but for some reason I quit doing that, though I don't know what that reason is. I think I just got too lazy to download them. But I absolutely can't listen to music, and the reason is because it screws up my pace. When I get a song with a quick tempo it makes me pick up my pace subconsciously, which I guess is good, unless you are running 10 miles and you need to make sure that you have some energy coming home. Conversely, I just can't seem to pick it up once a slower song comes on. Also, a funny thing happens to me when I listen to music and run: the music "slows down." I have no idea what causes this; if it's the sweat getting onto my iPod and slowing its functioning, if sweat in my ears is impeding the transmission of sound waves, if maybe I'm just crazy, but I definitely perceive it, and it drives me nuts! Am I the only one for whom this happens? Hollaback!
Anyhow, I thought I would give you a peak at some things that are currently on my iPod workout playlist. Maybe you'll find something you like.
Basement Jaxx "Make Me Sweat." This song is apropos, I guess, but it's actually about dancing, not lifting weights (or anything else, for people with naughty minds). It's pretty techno-y and is very cool...even encouraging a multiculti approach to music--"Hip hop, soul, a little bit of crunk, a little bit of punk, a little bit of disco, drum and bass, a little bit of house, a little bit electro, all of that!"
Amy Winehouse, anything off her album "Back to Black." I think this woman is crazy, but I dig her beehive and her updated motown girl group sound. Plus she has a cool voice. If you like this album, you should check out Garbage's "Beautiful Garbage", which has a similar vibe but wasn't as appreciated
Jarvis Cocker, "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time." For anyone with a daughter or who might have one in the future, just play this song for her when she starts dating. Got a great beat, too. He was the lead singer of Pulp, for anyone who is familiar with the band.
Anything by Fergie (but mostly "Fergalicious" and "My Humps" which I know is actually Black Eyed Peas, but whatever). I know it's probably not cool to like her, but I can't help myself. Goes double for Gwen Stefani.
Gnarls Barkley, anything off their album "St. Elsewhere" but especially "Smiley Faces". If this song doesn't make you happy, nothing will.
What else should I be listening to to help me get ready for the Urbanathlon?
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Overall Update
I thought I would give an update on how everything is going with the training and the fundraising efforts.
First, the training: it's going really well. August is a tough month to train because it is so flippin' hot every day, and especially this past week it was exhausting just to live--can I get a witness that this heat is oppressive? Even when I trained at the air-conditioned gym I felt like I was sweating through my clothes in record time! So that is kinda rough--but I'm still on track. This morning I went for an 11-mile run and completed it with little problem. Except for the stupid gnats on the Lakefront Path; I swear they are the scourge of my existence. Fortunately none of them got in my eye today, although I had a bunch of dead ones smushed to my chest when I finished (I know, I know, so gross...but I must have been running pretty quickly, eh?). Anyhow, my goal is to make it up to 15 miles before the event, and seeing as how it is 2+ months away, I think I am in good shape. So that's encouraging. My strength training doesn't seem to be suffering any from all the running either...I have to be strong to make it over those marine hurdles and that darn wall!
As for the GIRF component of the Urbanathlon, I want to take this time to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has already donated...and there is a significant number of you. Your support is truly inspiring to me and I promise I won't let you down! If you haven't heard any sort of acknowledgement from me, fear not--your generosity has been noted by me and all the powers that be, and a proper 'thank you' will be coming, but probably once the Urbanathlon is over and I can fill you in on all the specifics. Anyhow, thus far my extremely generous benefactors have pledged over $1500 total--that is so much money!!! Thank you so much!
And, if you haven't donated yet but are thinking about it/on the fence/whatever, it's never too late--the Urbanathlon is still two months away, and GIRF is always grateful for pledges, irrespective of the time of year. But if you are inspired by the outpouring of support already, join in too! We'll love ya for it!
First, the training: it's going really well. August is a tough month to train because it is so flippin' hot every day, and especially this past week it was exhausting just to live--can I get a witness that this heat is oppressive? Even when I trained at the air-conditioned gym I felt like I was sweating through my clothes in record time! So that is kinda rough--but I'm still on track. This morning I went for an 11-mile run and completed it with little problem. Except for the stupid gnats on the Lakefront Path; I swear they are the scourge of my existence. Fortunately none of them got in my eye today, although I had a bunch of dead ones smushed to my chest when I finished (I know, I know, so gross...but I must have been running pretty quickly, eh?). Anyhow, my goal is to make it up to 15 miles before the event, and seeing as how it is 2+ months away, I think I am in good shape. So that's encouraging. My strength training doesn't seem to be suffering any from all the running either...I have to be strong to make it over those marine hurdles and that darn wall!
As for the GIRF component of the Urbanathlon, I want to take this time to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has already donated...and there is a significant number of you. Your support is truly inspiring to me and I promise I won't let you down! If you haven't heard any sort of acknowledgement from me, fear not--your generosity has been noted by me and all the powers that be, and a proper 'thank you' will be coming, but probably once the Urbanathlon is over and I can fill you in on all the specifics. Anyhow, thus far my extremely generous benefactors have pledged over $1500 total--that is so much money!!! Thank you so much!
And, if you haven't donated yet but are thinking about it/on the fence/whatever, it's never too late--the Urbanathlon is still two months away, and GIRF is always grateful for pledges, irrespective of the time of year. But if you are inspired by the outpouring of support already, join in too! We'll love ya for it!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Taxi Hurdling
So they have finally posted the stuff that we have to do in between running for the Urbanathlon.
Check it out here.
Are you back? Good. So I have to say, I was excited about doing this, but now I'm even more stoked. Taxi hurdling? Right on! I was a little dismayed to see the rope wall, because I'm not sure how great that is going to go, but I'm hoping it's low enough that I can just jump up and pull myself over. Ropes, walls and I don't mix very well.
I think my other favorite thing is the scaffolding maze. I know my balance is good enough to make it through no problem, but it will still probably take like an hour because I'll be too stupid to figure out which way to go.
Don't I look good doing the marine hurdles? I think I need to cut my sideburns, though.
If you take some time to wander through the rest of the site, you'll see that they are having a big, free festival afterwards in Grant Park--where they give away more free stuff! Here's the math, Markus style: Free entry + free stuff = awesome. Definitely gets my seal of approval.
Perhaps this will further coerce you into coming out and supporting me on October 20th? Just askin'.
Check it out here.
Are you back? Good. So I have to say, I was excited about doing this, but now I'm even more stoked. Taxi hurdling? Right on! I was a little dismayed to see the rope wall, because I'm not sure how great that is going to go, but I'm hoping it's low enough that I can just jump up and pull myself over. Ropes, walls and I don't mix very well.
I think my other favorite thing is the scaffolding maze. I know my balance is good enough to make it through no problem, but it will still probably take like an hour because I'll be too stupid to figure out which way to go.
Don't I look good doing the marine hurdles? I think I need to cut my sideburns, though.
If you take some time to wander through the rest of the site, you'll see that they are having a big, free festival afterwards in Grant Park--where they give away more free stuff! Here's the math, Markus style: Free entry + free stuff = awesome. Definitely gets my seal of approval.
Perhaps this will further coerce you into coming out and supporting me on October 20th? Just askin'.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
My Neck! My Back! My Neck and My Back!
Have you ever had really bad neck pain?
I never had...until Wednesday, when I started to get this weird crick in my neck. And then it got progressively worse over the next two days, despite application of IcyHot (watch out folks), a couple back rubs from Eileen and trying really hard to have good posture. It didn't do anything.
My response to this neck pain (which was concentrated at the base of my neck and radiated out to my right shoulder) was typically male: I complained to my wife and begged her to make me feel better (if you asked her, she would readily admit that she was sick of my whining, and I can't say I blame her), and then decided that I must keep on training and ran 10 miles Friday morning, despite the pain. You would think it wouldn't have been a big deal because I was running, not crawling 10 miles using my neck and chin, but it was. I was okay at first but by mile 8 I was pretty much in agony and had to walk/run the rest of the way home. So dispiriting! But I guess I know not to do that again. Anyhow, as I assessed my reaction to said pain, I have to admit that it is typical of every stereotype that I have heard women spout about men who are sick--they are helpless, crying babies. And also probably a little stupid. (Ladies: can I get a witness?)
Anyhow, all the people I consulted about my neck problem said that it would just go away after about a week. But that was not happening for me because I don't think I could have gone another week with this pain, it was that bad. So I did something I never do--I took aspirin. I don't take aspirin for two reasons: 1) I don't like taking medicine at all, despite (or because of) the fact that I have to take anti-inflammatories every day for my Crohn's. 2) thinning your blood and potentially giving yourself ulcers (two side effects of aspirin) isn't the smartest thing to do when you are already bleeding enough down there. But I was desperate and went for it (note: I could have taken Tylenol, which doesn't have these side effects, but that would have only been a pain-reliever, not an anti-inflammatory, and I wanted to get both effects), and miraculously, my neck cleared by this morning. Isn't that crazy? Maybe it's the placebo effect, but I don't care. I have mild soreness when I turn my head to the left, but otherwise I'm right as rain.
So, the morals of this story are:
1) Don't take aspirin or related products if you have IBD
2) Take the time to rest if your body is actually telling you to
3) Be more sympathetic to your spouse's neck and back pain if they have any, because one day it's gonna get you, too.
I also think that everyone would benefit from better posture.
Oh, and this is the obligatory, periodic link to what I am doing on this site, for any newcomers. Welcome!
I never had...until Wednesday, when I started to get this weird crick in my neck. And then it got progressively worse over the next two days, despite application of IcyHot (watch out folks), a couple back rubs from Eileen and trying really hard to have good posture. It didn't do anything.
My response to this neck pain (which was concentrated at the base of my neck and radiated out to my right shoulder) was typically male: I complained to my wife and begged her to make me feel better (if you asked her, she would readily admit that she was sick of my whining, and I can't say I blame her), and then decided that I must keep on training and ran 10 miles Friday morning, despite the pain. You would think it wouldn't have been a big deal because I was running, not crawling 10 miles using my neck and chin, but it was. I was okay at first but by mile 8 I was pretty much in agony and had to walk/run the rest of the way home. So dispiriting! But I guess I know not to do that again. Anyhow, as I assessed my reaction to said pain, I have to admit that it is typical of every stereotype that I have heard women spout about men who are sick--they are helpless, crying babies. And also probably a little stupid. (Ladies: can I get a witness?)
Anyhow, all the people I consulted about my neck problem said that it would just go away after about a week. But that was not happening for me because I don't think I could have gone another week with this pain, it was that bad. So I did something I never do--I took aspirin. I don't take aspirin for two reasons: 1) I don't like taking medicine at all, despite (or because of) the fact that I have to take anti-inflammatories every day for my Crohn's. 2) thinning your blood and potentially giving yourself ulcers (two side effects of aspirin) isn't the smartest thing to do when you are already bleeding enough down there. But I was desperate and went for it (note: I could have taken Tylenol, which doesn't have these side effects, but that would have only been a pain-reliever, not an anti-inflammatory, and I wanted to get both effects), and miraculously, my neck cleared by this morning. Isn't that crazy? Maybe it's the placebo effect, but I don't care. I have mild soreness when I turn my head to the left, but otherwise I'm right as rain.
So, the morals of this story are:
1) Don't take aspirin or related products if you have IBD
2) Take the time to rest if your body is actually telling you to
3) Be more sympathetic to your spouse's neck and back pain if they have any, because one day it's gonna get you, too.
I also think that everyone would benefit from better posture.
Oh, and this is the obligatory, periodic link to what I am doing on this site, for any newcomers. Welcome!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
A Request
I was appraising my blog and realized that nobody ever leaves me any comments/messages. Am I amusing? Irritating? Irreverent? Drop me a line and let me know what you are thinking! I'm one of those needy types looking for feedback. I'm also actively taking suggestions for what I should post about--do you want to know more about Crohn's, IBD, GIRF, med school, the Urbanathlon or anything else? Let me know and I'll try to address it.
You can always email me, too.
Thanks!
You can always email me, too.
Thanks!
80% Oxygen
Hiya!
I'm back from my MD/PhD Conference in Keystone, CO. It was a ton of fun, and very informative, too--always nice when you can share the research you have been doing and get some new ideas. Fortunately we had some free time to enjoy the surroundings as well.
My fellow MudPhud Kent and I made it out a little bit early to make sure that we would make it to the conference on time, and it's a good thing we took the precaution because everything was delayed on Thursday and Friday going east to west. Apparently, it's bad to fly in stormy weather. I know this has nothing to do with the purpose of this blog, but I just need to share how awful the morning that we flew out was. Here are the things that happened to me, in order: woke up to torrential rain, found front window leaking, went downstairs to leave and found basement flooding, tried to stop flooding by opening up drain, sliced finger open on metal drain cover, went to airport without precautionary tetanus shot (Eileen fixed me up in a jiff), boarded plane, stood on runway for 2.5 hours, gave up aisle seat to man so that he could sit next to his 5 year old son, got switched to middle seat with crying baby next to me instead. Could it possibly have been any worse?
Actually, no, it couldn't. So when we landed in Denver, I had a beer and realized that, in fact, I would not be training for the Urbanathon at any point that day. The rest of the day was actually lots of fun. And the story ends this way: I got a tetanus shot yesterday when we got back, and I'm not dead. Yay! (FYI: the symptoms of tetanus infection present themselves 5-15 days after initial infection. But my finger, despite its deep wound, never looked particularly infected to begin with, so Eileen assured me I would be OK).
So...in addition to engaging in some hardcore nerdness, I also found time to train while in Colorado. Can I just say that running at an altitude greater than a mile above sea level is really hard? I usually like to mix up my speed when I run, but I could just manage enough energy to plod along at a single pace at the Keystone Resort--especially because it was much more hilly than I am used to (also, see title of this post). But I definitely worked up a sweat! Needless to say, the huffing and puffing probably did me some good (running this morning felt pretty easy), and it was nice to have a change of scenery, too. Running along forests and over rivers is definitely a nice break from the regular (though scenic) Michigan Lakefront.
We also went on a hike to McCullough Gulch, somewhere outside Rocky Mountain National Park. Good times! It was advertised as an "intermediate" hike, but beyond a few stretches of steep elevation gain, it wasn't too bad. And it was cool--there was snow when we reached the top!
Unfortunately, the fitness center at the resort was under construction so I couldn't train for the in between stuff for the Urbanathlon. Hopefully my obstacle course scaling abilities haven't suffered too terribly for the lost time. Oh well.
Anyhoo, it's good to be back home and with my baby (don't get too excited, I'm talking about Eileen, not an actual child). It's hard to be away from your spouse for so long (plus Eileen had to work in the PICU the day after I got back. Bleh)! Don't people warn you about this stuff before you get married? Alas and alack, lessons to be learned...
And to Shnook: the Mile High Stadium is, in fact, NOT a mile high. Hehehe.
I'm back from my MD/PhD Conference in Keystone, CO. It was a ton of fun, and very informative, too--always nice when you can share the research you have been doing and get some new ideas. Fortunately we had some free time to enjoy the surroundings as well.
My fellow MudPhud Kent and I made it out a little bit early to make sure that we would make it to the conference on time, and it's a good thing we took the precaution because everything was delayed on Thursday and Friday going east to west. Apparently, it's bad to fly in stormy weather. I know this has nothing to do with the purpose of this blog, but I just need to share how awful the morning that we flew out was. Here are the things that happened to me, in order: woke up to torrential rain, found front window leaking, went downstairs to leave and found basement flooding, tried to stop flooding by opening up drain, sliced finger open on metal drain cover, went to airport without precautionary tetanus shot (Eileen fixed me up in a jiff), boarded plane, stood on runway for 2.5 hours, gave up aisle seat to man so that he could sit next to his 5 year old son, got switched to middle seat with crying baby next to me instead. Could it possibly have been any worse?
Actually, no, it couldn't. So when we landed in Denver, I had a beer and realized that, in fact, I would not be training for the Urbanathon at any point that day. The rest of the day was actually lots of fun. And the story ends this way: I got a tetanus shot yesterday when we got back, and I'm not dead. Yay! (FYI: the symptoms of tetanus infection present themselves 5-15 days after initial infection. But my finger, despite its deep wound, never looked particularly infected to begin with, so Eileen assured me I would be OK).
So...in addition to engaging in some hardcore nerdness, I also found time to train while in Colorado. Can I just say that running at an altitude greater than a mile above sea level is really hard? I usually like to mix up my speed when I run, but I could just manage enough energy to plod along at a single pace at the Keystone Resort--especially because it was much more hilly than I am used to (also, see title of this post). But I definitely worked up a sweat! Needless to say, the huffing and puffing probably did me some good (running this morning felt pretty easy), and it was nice to have a change of scenery, too. Running along forests and over rivers is definitely a nice break from the regular (though scenic) Michigan Lakefront.
We also went on a hike to McCullough Gulch, somewhere outside Rocky Mountain National Park. Good times! It was advertised as an "intermediate" hike, but beyond a few stretches of steep elevation gain, it wasn't too bad. And it was cool--there was snow when we reached the top!
Unfortunately, the fitness center at the resort was under construction so I couldn't train for the in between stuff for the Urbanathlon. Hopefully my obstacle course scaling abilities haven't suffered too terribly for the lost time. Oh well.
Anyhoo, it's good to be back home and with my baby (don't get too excited, I'm talking about Eileen, not an actual child). It's hard to be away from your spouse for so long (plus Eileen had to work in the PICU the day after I got back. Bleh)! Don't people warn you about this stuff before you get married? Alas and alack, lessons to be learned...
And to Shnook: the Mile High Stadium is, in fact, NOT a mile high. Hehehe.
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