How Can You Feel This Good

Why is it some days you wake up feeling so good that you can barely contain yourself.
Today is such a day.
I told someone I even went to confession this morning because with all of this energy I needed to talk to someone and besides it is the start of Lent and I needed a clean slate.
I wonder if I can make it through the "40" days?
I kept talking to everyone at the gym but in spite of that also completed a good and strenuous workout especially after they all moved to the other end of the gym because I assume of the incessant talking.
I may go to Spin this evening or try to run a few miles later today as maybe I should avoid Spin as talking is frowned on during class.
I wish I knew the secret to feeling this good.
I would try to bottle it because everyone should experience this at least one day in a lifetime.
This seems to come along every few months for me and then the daily routine tends to grind it down and out.
Maybe it is related to the recent vacation or the two boxes of frozen Brussels Sprouts I had last night.
I can't afford an endless vacation and I don't think I could eat two boxes of sprouts every night although if it is the sprouts I might try.
The only other difference recently has been the addition of two tablets of Melatonin each night for sleep and two tablets of Krill oil instead of the Omega Three capsules.
So I guess I will need to experiment.
First I will stop everything but the Melatonin.
If no difference I will stop the everything and continue taking the Krill oil tablets.
If no difference I will stop everything and try to eat two boxes of some frozen green vegetables every night.
Finally if no difference I guess I will stop everything and hop a tramp steamer and see the world.
By the time I get back I may be too old to remember why I left in the first place.
Here is hoping everyone gets that special day when your energy level is off the map.
Also give me your addresses so I can send postcards from Bora Bora.

Come On People!

So a dancer at the Super Bowl gave the finger to the audience.
So a "wardrobe malfunction", aka Janet Jackson, exposed something no one even noticed until the announcers made such a big deal out of it.
Sorry ladies.
So Newt Gingrich asked for an open marriage.
So an intern tells of a groping, lascivious John Kennedy.
Don't we all know what is going on in the world?
Don't we all have some clue that all is not well?
Don't we all know the world is bipolar.
We want what we don't want.
We love what we hate.
We eat what we don't need.
We watch what is disgusting.
Who really cares if the Kardashian take New York?
Who in fact are the Kardashians and why should I care?
Who really cares if Lindsy Lohan goes to jail?
Does it affect my life and the things I have to do today?
I don't think so.
I am sorry anyone has to go to jail but quit putting stuff up your nose, quit drinking whilst driving and maybe the "good guys" will let you alone.
I recently read of the billions we are spending to bomb and burn fields of cocoa and marijuana in Central and South America.
Don't you know that if Americans quit buying, the problems in Mexico and Central America would disappear.
We in fact are our sowing the seeds of our destruction and it is called "Will Power" or more specifically "Won"t Power".
Turn off Kim, Lindsy, Crack, cocaine, marijuana, meth and go out and save yourself from yourself.
It starts with an exercise routine and something to believe in beyond yourself.
Then go and eat some healthy food and run a half marathon.
You want to feel some accomplishment?
Do that my friends, even if you die on the road.
It is better than in the bed or worse yet, in the "home".
So as the guy on TV says, "Stay Thirsty my Friend" and I add for "LIFE".

65 Is a Highway, a Speed Limit and Oh Yes, My Age

Well this was the weekend.
I turned 65.
I became eligible for Medicare and will be able to apply for Social Security in one year.
But I feel 30.
I went out and ran 6 miles on Sunday, I should have run 6.5, a cruel irony.
I ran with Alice, Amy remains AWOL and on the injured list.
The run was great on the way out and Alice who is able to talk and run provided the "color commentary".
People waved as they drove by and some yelled "funny things" but all in all it was really pleasant and sunny.
Coming back the wind hit us in the face and it felt like we were climbing a wall.
The speed for the total outing ended up at 12.95 minutes per mile.
This won't break anybody's record but for me it is something that makes me happy.
Alice and Amy can easily run a faster pace but they defer to the old guy.
Thank you ladies.
So this week two more six mile runs are on tap followed by a nine mile run next Sunday.
In five years I would like to write 70 is a highway, a speed limit, my age and the distance of my last ultra.
Hey you "gotta dream"!

Visceral Pain

Yep, it is real and it can exist in a shoulder.
I have been fighting a shoulder pain for about three months.
Shoulder presses, bench presses all make it feel bad but not so bad that I want to quit.
I really feel that if I quit I will lose a lot of ground and ground is hard to gain when you are aging.
So this morning after lifting and avoiding the shoulder a friend offered to help stretch my shoulders.
I was all for this as I have done this in the past and it has been remarkable.
Today was different, the pressure was gradual and downward and suddenly something in the shoulder "popped" both actually and figuratively.
It made a distinct vibration that caused the air to move and produce a "pop" one could hear at a distance.
The person applying the pressure suddenly had a "sick" look on their face and I felt something deep in my gut turn over.
Wait a minute, this is a shoulder how does it cause pain in the gut?
I don't know but I suspect we are all wired differently in small ways and somehow my shoulder sensors register in my gut.
I didn't get nauseated but I knew I was not going to get up easy.
But hey, I am tough, I have broken a lot of bones, I have had surgery and dental extractions so what is a little shoulder pain?
I hopped to my feet and immediately knew I was going to fall head first into a Cybex Machine and I was betting the Cybex Machine would be less dented than me so I took a knee.
In football that stops the clock and you get to reconsider the next play.
It did stop the clock, the dizziness disappeared and on getting up the second time I was ale to navigate to another part of the gym and "yes" the shoulder was free of pain.
Hallelujah.
Well then I decided I will go ahead and run my five miles today.
Guess what, the dizziness decided to stay for the next hour.
The good side of this story, I did lose weight this morning and my appetite never came back the rest of the day.
Maybe this is the way to control my intake, more visceral pain.
Can somebody "pop" my other shoulder?

The Reluctant Chef and the Even More Reluctant Diner

Saw a recipe for Gumbo.
I love Gumbo and order it every time I see it on a menu.
I told my wife, "I think I will make that for dinner".
"Doesn't look to hard just a lot of chopping".
That dampened my enthusiasm but decided later in the day to go ahead and try a batch.
I called my wife to let her know I was making the Gumbo and got the advice, "Be sure to cook the chicken before putting it in the crock pot".
Oh, ye of little faith.
I went to the store and picked up the necessary ingredients and added a few of my own.
For instance, the recipe did not call for Okra but no real Gumbo lacks Okra.
I also picked up some devilishly hot Cajun Spices.
I decided to use the crock pot instead of doing it in a stew pot on the stove.
The only thing I made on the stove was the Roux and I substituted Flax Seed Oil for Peanut Oil, seemed healthier.
I also decided to use the food processor instead of hand chopping all of the vegetables.
The food processor is a monster; it is said to be ale to grind up cement.
So I begin chucking onions, celery, green peppers into the chute and when finished I had a very green liquid.
Little recognizable evidence of the vegetables remained other than the potent smell of onion.
I dump this into the crock pot along with the COOKED CHICKEN, garlic, Cajun Spices, a bag of black eyed peas, a bag of frozen Okra and Andouille Sausage, about 1.5 pounds.
I then heated the Flax Seed Oil and whisked in one cup of all purpose flour.
This was transferred to the crock pot and for the next six hours, the Gumbo "boiled and bubbled".
The odor of the cooking Gumbo took me back to New Orleans, Hilton Head and other places in the low country or deep south.
The only problem; the Gumbo remained fluorescent green.
I attributed it to an excess of Chorophyll but I had to admit, it did not look like any Gumbo I had ever eaten.
By the time it was ready my wife had appeared on the scene.
She took one look at the Gumbo and said "I am not eating that, it is really bright green".
I answered, "It is supposed to be, it is an early St. Patrick's Day Stew".
Convinced by a white lie we both sat down to a bowl of green stew with a glass of Red Irish Wine.
Truly a rainbow feast.
Next time your over I'll make a batch for you.

Another Day, Another Run, Alice's Restaurant

A 4 mile run.
Today, Amy, Alice, Becky, Scott and Jason all joined in for all or at least part of the 4 miles.
It was indoors on the treadmill.
Not as good as running outdoors in the sun but still producing lots of endorphins.
Sunday will be an outdoor run, 8 miles, the Frenchman's Trail.
The temperature is predicted to hit 54* F.
It might rain but hopefully later in the day.
Amy and Alice are both scheduled for Sunday.
Today Alice bailed out early to, you won't believe this, to go eat Eggs Benedict.
I call them Benedict Arnold Eggs, because they betray you.
They taste wonderful, the Hollandaise Sauce is delightful, the Canadian Bacon, WOW.
The calories though are heavy duty; enough to seriously wound or kill your diet.
One source quoted 879 calories per serving, the equivalent of running 5 miles per hour for 80 minutes.
Alice, on the other hand, has a one of those metabolisms that can take the hit and suffer no damage.
I am trying to become a "Monk" following the ascetic lifestyle through the practice of nutritional penance.
It is good training for Lent.
I also believe dropping more weight will help me run faster and make it easier on my joints.
So I will keep running, listen to the storied meals of others and avoid "Alice's Restaurant" where you can have anything you want including Eggs Benedict.

New Year, New Posts

I am trying to become a runner.
I had never liked running, even 5 months ago, when I decided to begin running.
I am not sure why I wanted to run but now it seems natural.
The book, Born To Run, has become a light in the darkness for me.
I actually enjoy running, I enjoy meeting and talking with the people that run.
I have a running partner, Amy, also a novice runner who began running at the same time as myself.
I am more than twice her age and she could easily outrun me but instead follows my pace and we run.
So far my knees are holding up, hips-OK, calves a little tight after a long run but I am able to go back to Boot Camp the following day.
I and Amy are planning on running a half marathon in April.
Andy has also said he is going to join us.
The way I see it the more the merrier, the after party can be a lot bigger especially if all cross the finish line on their own power.
I will not be competing with anyone but myself and the "crawly" demons that begin to inhabit your brain at mile six or seven.
We just finished an 11 mile run, one day ago, yes the "crawly" things did show up right on time.
Like true novices, we went out without water or "Goo".
By the 8 or 9th mile we were seeking water like parched ground in a long drought.
We found it at the University of Evansville and the Lexus Dealership, thanks guys.
Also at mile 9, I was out of fuel, quick fuel, carbs, sugar and was even wobbling slightly with each step.
Again, the Lexus Dealership to the rescue, a stash of doughnut balls for customers waiting in the service department.
We ran into the dealership and like a deranged bandit I immediately sought out the doughnut balls and ate one.
The sugar rush was intense.
I could actually feel my brain rebooting and the muscles coming back on line.
Amy refrained saying she was going to eat 10 eggs when it was over.
We ran through the dealership greeting friends and surprising a few unsuspecting customers, two sweaty, mismatched runners, thanking everyone for the water and sugar.
When we finally saw our cars in the parking lot of Bob's gym we both felt a sense of real accomplishment.
We had completed 11 miles.
The times can get better, preparation can get better, planning can get better but the half marathon in April no longer seems just a dream.

Get Up!

It was really hard getting up this morning.
It wasn't pain although the back was a little stiff, instead I just wanted to stay in bed for another 10 to 12 hours.
At least that was what my body was saying and it had a very convincing argument.
But my mind knew I had promised to meet several people starting with God and I always hate to miss that One.
I am sure He would understand but then again He might not, so I rolled out of bed to begin the day.
The clock was telling me it was 5:20 AM.
After getting ready and putting on exercise clothes I went to my first meeting.
My mind silenced as I awaited the Supreme Instructions and who knows how it will end but I am giving it my best shot, I pray.
Next to the gym to meet with my training partner and my trainer.
Every now and then my mind and my body say, "Go home".
It has gotten louder of late.
It may be the pace, the routine or a little of both
Last night I went to Spin and this morning will train and have a scheduled run followed by a protein shake and a couple of protein bars, some vegetables and a grapefruit.
Tonight I will go to Boot Camp, return home and eat some more vegetables, some form of protein, possibly fish or chicken and after a glass of red wine sink into bed dreaming of a Caribbean tomorrow.
Where is the comfort food, the high calorie, low nutritional density food that never fills you up?
Oh, what the hell, get over it.
I did meet with the trainer and my training partner.
It was a very tough session and my partner at the end could barely get dressed for work as his arms did not want to go over his head.
My arms were actually hot from the increased blood flow as I was getting on my long jogging pants for an outdoor run and facing the cold, 42 degrees, weather.
The wind makes it seem colder but the sun is out.
Once I had reached the site I set my watch, located the satellites and started.
3.7 miles later, 49:14 minutes later, covered in sweat, this run was in the books.
I felt great although breathless but was sad it had ended.
Now I know why I get up.
I got up easy as a seven year old always ready for high adventure.
These days the adventure may not seem as high but it is still there and is ready for the taking if you can just get going.
It really helps to have meetings scheduled especially if He is first because you never want to keep God waiting.

Learning to Run

The last time I ran was in High School.
I ran sprints and wasn't very good but no one else tried out for the 660 yard dash so that became my specialty while at the seminary.
I hated running then and that hate for running aged as I aged.
Then came Boot Camp.
The timer for station switches was usually the run and when it was my turn you could hear every one in the room groan.
The trainer even tried to soften the impact by telling me to only do two laps instead of three or four but I would have none of it and ran the assigned number.
In time I actually got better and my speed picked up and one long time member of Boot Camp recently noted that she no longer knew when I was running as I was doing about the same time as every one else.
Then 3 or 4 moths ago something in my brain tripped or died and suddenly I decided I wanted to become a runner, long distance, train for a half marathon.
A few people said they would help me and a bigger number offered to run with me, etc.
I wasn't sure as I suspected it would be hard to start running at 64 so I wanted to run alone.
I started on the treadmill and began following a training program given to me by an excellent and avid runner at the gym.
Now I am running outdoors and occasionally with others and I have to say the experience is amazing.
Am I good, no, but it has only been a hand full of months.
Do I like it, you bet I do.
It frees the mind to wander down as yet unexplored alleys.
Sleep is much better.
I am no longer timid about saying to my wife, "I am going to go and run 5 or 6 miles, see you in a day or so".
I do have an appetite again if only I could remember to eat.
So far my joints haven't been a problem and it does get you out in the fresh air.
So I guess an old dog can learn new tricks.
I just need to avoid getting run over in the gutter.

Medicare Part Deux

I told some people at he gym, "As soon as I get my Medicare Card I will take you all out for Pizza".
Surprise, you can't buy Pizza with a Medicare Card.
You can get open heart surgery, admitted to a hospital, a scooter, maybe a lift chair and on and on but by George you can't get Pizza.
Just goes to show, the Pizza Lobby wasn't big enough when the benefit design people were working on the card.
All joking aside the Medicare Card is kind of daunting.
Seems a lot of doc's are getting testy about seeing Medicare patients.
Plus now you need to buy so many different options.
Part A is for hospital care.
Part B takes care of the providers or so it is said but you really need to buy a Medicare Part B supplement and then you need Part D and if you fail to get Part D you are penalized later if you need to suddenly pick up Part D.
It is all rather confusing and I was a provider in the past and thought I understood a little about the program.
Well the gym is a whole lot more understandable.
Pick up that weight and do a curl followed by a overhead press.
Do that maybe 30 or 40 time.
Now do bent over flys with that weight maybe 30 or 40 times.
The trainer stands in front of me with a sly smile on her face as the sweat starts rolling down my forehead and back.
I actually pay to endure this pain because it is easier to "hurt" oneself when someone is standing over you.
I don't think too many people would push themselves to muscular failure especially when no one is looking.
The pain went on for about 30 minutes and then the trainer said, "Going to run"?
"Today is run day and looks like I am scheduled for one hour".
I went up to the cardio floor and found an empty treadmill.
I set the speed at five miles per hour, not much more than a really fast walk and headed out.
One hour later I had run five miles and as measured by the scale, had lost three pounds of water.
This was nothing other than a simple morning in the gym and I felt like I had been reborn.
Medicare Card or not I do think I might have some Pizza this weekend but only after the Saturday weigh-in.
I guess I will have to find some cash to get Pizza for the others

A Medicare Card?

I ran 3.2 miles on Tuesday.
It was slightly uphill on the way out with a good breeze in the face.
The time was 42 minutes.
I went to Boot Camp in the evening and returned to the gym this morning.
This morning was a lift day focusing on the chest.
Tonight is Spin Night.
Between the AM and the PM I went to see an expert on Medicare Part B, Supplements and Medicare Part D.
I sat there listening, wondering how I suddenly got to Medicare age.
I realized I was "no longer in Kansas" but I wasn't on the yellow brick road either.
Lots of witches, goblins and flying monkeys can inhabit one's imagination as one tries to foresee the future.
Just remember, there is no future beyond now which keeps recurring every second for most of us.
If you are looking to the future all of the time, you are going to miss the present, trip on a rock and really hurt yourself.
So back to Medicare.
I have the card.
I am going to put it next to my Gym Membership Card.
I just betcha my Gym Card can "beat up" my Medicare Card any day of the week.

More About The Core

Are you losing distance on the golf course?
Having trouble standing up from a chair?
Low back pain?
Pants getting too small at the waist?
Ever feel like you are shuffling when you walk?
Afraid of stairs both up and especially down?
These are all possible symptoms of weak core musculature.
The core muscles include the deep stabilizers (transversus abdominus, lumbar multifidus, pelvic floor muscles, diaphragm, internal oblique and tranversopnialis group) and the superficial movers (latissimus dorsi (lats), erector spinae, iliopsoas (hip flexors), hamstrings, hip adductors (inner thigh), hip abductors (gluteus minimus and medius), gluteus maximus, rectus abdominus (6 pack), and the external oblique).
A good core is first stability followed by mobility with the addition of flexibility
There are multiple exercises to improve the core but a trainer can get you there faster than a "Do it yourself program".
Once you have the basics and know how to avoid hurting yourself, then go full bore.
You will first be seen to be old when posture and balance deteriorate.
You will first feel old when bad posture and bad balance become chronic.
There is no age that truly defines old.
Old is best defined by inaction, lassitude and a "shrinking" attitude.

Let's All Workout

Friday was tough.
Had to get a hard workout completed in 30 minutes.
My lift partner was on a tight schedule. Used the machines. No rest move, move, move.
Hit back, legs, chest, shoulders.
Was an intense "Cardio" workout.
Saturday was a good day.
Ran 5 miles, lifted with the trainer and ended with Boot Camp.
Spin on Sunday.
Today Monday, a good back workout and then 30 minutes on the treadmill and back to Spin tonight.
Good article in the paper today. "Never Too Old For Exercise".
If everyone would exercise I guarantee there would be significantly less people needing acute health care.
Even strengthening the Core would improve balance in the Boomers and as they age they are going to need it.
Tomorrow start with a run outdoors followed by weight training and evening Boot Camp.
Anyone can do it.
It just takes a little time, some desire, some effort.
Stay tuned to get started.
More about the Core tomorrow.

Now we know why some animals eat their own children

An open letter to the Executive and Legislative Branch of the US Government:

Ladies, Gentlemen, I use the terms loosely, it is time to go home.
You really have no authority to lead this great “wounded” country.
You are damaging it daily and failing to even recognize the harm you are inflicting.
This country was founded by great men who would find you, the "supposed leadership", to be traitors to the ideal and purpose of this country.
Therefore you must resign, leave and allow more rational people to take on the mantle of leadership.
This country was founded to allow all men and women an equal chance to worship and find happiness.
It was founded to allow anyone, who was willing, to work and risk all for success.
It was not founded to let government be all things for all people.
It was not set up as a socialist state, a monarchy or a government over the people but a government by the people, a Democracy.
The states were invested with the power.
The founding fathers warned of the dangers of big government and tried to set it up so that limited government would be the future of the federal government.
Today the politicians are more interested in self-preservation than country.
Today the politicians are more interested in their own return to Washington than any constituency or the country in general.
The two party system is most interested in preserving it’s own life and is sucking the life out of America.
Political correctness and legislative stupidity is sending businesses, jobs and wealth overseas.
Today the business of government has become growing more government.
It has failed and is failing the populace of this country.
You are not leaders and possibly not even bad people but you are certainly misguided and wrong principled.
Our next wars should be a War on Debt, a War on the Failure of The American Educational System, a War on Big and Bad Government, a War on Ignorance and Apathy and Finally a War of Innovation and Creativity.
It would be better for all of you to return to your homes and let real leadership restore the faith in and purpose of America.

Let us then turn this government back into the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it.
--July 10, 1858 Speech at Chicago, Abraham Lincoln

To Iron Or Not To Iron

Seems an appropriate question for the gym on the morning of the 4th of July.
I am in the gym early and only a few are there, all gathered into one corner of the building.
The trainer is there along with the "Bad Boy", "No Sugar Please" and Runner.
I join the group and soon we are talking about Iron.
You would think it was dumbbells, or a new supplement, or possibly someones biceps, you know "just like Iron".
But no, something much more mundane, the problem with Linen Clothes.
Runner was talking about the need to go home and "Iron" some Linen Shirts
I commented that I had recently purchased several pairs of Linen Slacks on sale and loved how they wore but also complained of the need to "Iron" these after washing them.
"Well", said the trainer, "It is so fruitless, all that work and the minute you sit down, here come the creases".
"If you are going to live in the Islands and pursue the life of Hemingway then that is another matter".
"If you are a great and unforgettable author then the rumpled look is fine".
"On the other hand if you are in main street USA you had better try to keep your creases".
"In spite of that", I said, "I still like the look and feel of Linen".
"So I like Runner will have to do some "Ironing" today as I expect to wear the slacks tonight".
The conversation meandered down other paths as everyone kept pumping their respective "Iron" some on the bench, some standing, some just holding the "Iron" dead in their hands trying to follow the twists in the conversation.
So in reality the gym isn't all muscle and grunting but a "family" interested in Linen, diets, recipes and all other sorts of daily routine that makes life what it happens to be.
So pump "Iron" or "Iron" your Linen Shirts, Slacks, etc. or take your One-A-Day with "Iron" but keep coming back, join the fun, the conversation, the exercise and soon you may turn all of that "Iron" into Steel.

Another Day in "Paradise"

It is that time of year.
It is vacation time.
I have to wonder, now that I am semi-retired, why do I still call it vacation.
It really is a change of location and an opportunity to spend an extended period of time with grown children and more importantly grandchildren.
It does not qualify as a true vacation as I have nothing to vacation about.
I enjoy the work I do now; gym work is liberating.
In the past I worked and earned a living and gave away life.
Now I live to work to earn healthy life.
The first week was devoted to golf.
I was really bad until the last nine holes on the last day, my partner and I played with two gentlemen who hit the ball a ton, drank lots of beer and smoked cigars.
I didn't smoke cigars or drink beer but I began hitting the ball a half of a ton, putting, chipping and ended up with 44 on a respectable course.
I thanked these two free spirits because for nine holes some of their "karma" came to roost on me.
The second week will be devoted to children and grandchildren.
I have six of the neatest grandkids in the whole world.
Their parents, my children and their spouses are pretty neat too.
This week we will build sand castles, swim in an ocean, spend time at the pool, go to a Princess Party, color, watch cartoons, hug a lot and just rejoice in family.
Sadly two of the grandchildren and my eldest child will be absent this year but I am promised I will get the full Monty next year with a two week visit.
These are the times that make the days fly, these are the times that make me young again.
These are the times that define vacation.
In reality you don't even need to change location; as long as you are in the presence of family be they young or old, you have before you the makings of a great vacation.
Why do we have to get old to learn this?
Oh, I did adopt those two cigar smoking, beer drinking golfers; they helped my game more than all those lessons and they really don't want to be in the will as long as I supply the game and the beer.
So here is to my wife, Paradise, grandchildren and children along with Bill and Pete.

An Observation

June 20th, 2011: 151,000 people died throughout the world today.
Some died of cancer.
Some died of trauma, related to suicide bombs, unsuspecting and innocent except for living in a dangerous part of the world.
Some died in surgery.
Some died in their beds at home with family at their side.
Some died of Military Interventions, in Libya, some died in Africa and many had no idea a trip to the market was going to be that dangerous.
Every day about 150,000 human beings die.
Every day some die at their own hands, pill, hanging, exsanguination, overdose, drugs, alcohol.
Yesterday it was announced that a certain person associated with the Jackass Movies died in a high speed Porsche crash.
It was suspected that alcohol was involved.
Where does this piece of news rate among all of the other deaths?
It is a death, it is sad, it did not have to happen.
Roger Ebert tweeted about it and was castigated.
Grief should not be the vehicle for attack.
I prayed for the soul of the person, I know this is "passé" in modern society but I also prayed for the many innocent victims of random and non-selective violence.
We as humans have free will and if we choose to use bad judgement and die as a result, at least we had the choice and the possibility of a different outcome.
Many of those who died yesterday didn't have the choice.

When Endorphin Tsunamis Crash on Limbic Shores

Sometimes art and exercise conspire to create a unique and powerful inner storm.
Such was the effect tonight in spin class when the song "Shinedown-Second Chance" coincided with a powerful hill climb.
The resistance was turned to "pain" and the tempo, sprint.
It doesn't take a lot of imagination to realize that oxygen debt and lactic acid will soon have the upper hand.
But then something magical happens, at least for me.
I am transported.
The art and the exercise, like reinforcing waves, lift me out of myself.
I am singing, first in my mind, then out loud.
This is something I don't do, even in church during a solemn high mass.
I don't have the voice to sing.
But there it is, I am singing, out loud, unabashed.
A strong wind is swirling in my soul as it expands, ending the pain and closing off the real world.
I am "blind" to the surroundings.
The music enfolds me and I am no longer spinning but instead floating above the fray, Nirvana, I think the Mystics call it.
Unfortunately it ends too soon.
The endorphins finally quell and the Limbic shore is once again baked in the oven of now.
"Lets do it again", says the trainer.
I want you sucking air at the end, not singing".
"You hear that Ken"?
I mentally bow, "Yes Master, Grasshopper has much to learn".
The music starts and I can't help it, the transport is under way.
This time I sing in my mind.
I can do it louder in "hear"  because only I can "here".
Nirvana, still is there.
The endorphins still crash on the Limbic shore.
I hope the trainer goes for number three.
I may just transport out of here forever.
As I go I need to remember to thank her for showing me the portal.

Medicine, Glutamine, Maybe L-arginine, Lots of Protein and Finally Chocolate Milk

Lowering one's Cholesterol is a good thing.
The medicine is very effective but can have side effects such as severe muscle pain and damage.
I went generic.
The symptoms were subtle at first, arm pain, some shoulder weakness, leg cramps and a general feeling of going down the "tubes".
It was at a dinner that some kind lady mentioned all of the muscle issues she had had with a generic statin and it hit like a ton of bricks, "Duh" those were my symptoms.
It seems the side effects may never go away even after going back to the name brand stuff.
Is it time for Red Yeast Rice?
Seems glutamine, a semi-essential amino acid promotes metabolism, protects muscle under stress from breakdown and in my own anecdotal report alleviates muscular pain associated with exercise and has been very helpful in reducing the pain from the statins.
When I forget to take it, I know within three days that I am missing something key in my routine as exercise begins to hurt a whole lot more than usual.
So whence l-arginine?
Seems l-arginine is a big source of Nitric Oxide in the body. NO helps regulate vascular relaxation supports increased blood flow along with oxygen delivery to the end organ, in this case, muscles and has been shown to promote the production of growth hormone plus enhances protein production and fat metabolism.
I have not yet started l-arginine but I am sure it will become part of my new diet.
On to the proteins, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day; this is a tough prescription but if you are going to work out several times a day for several hours, such as a one hour climb on the stair master, a one hour spin, one hour of interval training or one hour of intense weight training then you are going to need a lot of protein.
The body is not particular and if pushed will begin to"burn" the endogenous protein such as your own muscle and you will find increasing weakness over time.
This is the best sign that you are not getting enough protein in your diet.
Good sources of protein; fish, chicken turkey, eggs, yogurt, beans and occasionally lean red meat and if you are still short a Whey Protein Shake can help fill the void.
Remember 5 oz. of salmon provides 34 grams of protein so to get 160 grams would require almost one and one half pounds of salmon per day.
Well, maybe you are a grizzly.
Last but not least, my favorite, low fat chocolate milk: Post-exercise consumption of lowfat chocolate milk was found to provide equal or possibly superior muscle recovery compared to a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories.
So you might say, "he has gone off the deep end", and I guess I have but when you feel this good being in the deep end seems OK.
So bring on the Amino Acid Pâté with the Chocolate Milk Spritzers and keep the party going.

Grow Up

We sent you to Washington to cut the deficit.
We sent you to Washington to stop the slide into mediocrity.
We sent you to Washington to put this country back on course.
We did not send you to shut the government down.
We did not send you to worry about your perks and your benefits.
We did not send you to continue the stupidity of the past.
The Moderates, the Conservatives, the Left or whatever you are called need to hear the American People.
We want smaller Government.
We don't want someone telling us how to live.
We want to decide how and where we worship even if it is a quiet prayer in the classroom.
We want our children to pray if they wish to.
We want to decide how to spend our money.
We do not want to have a group Washington Insiders telling us how to believe, how to live, how to raise our children and how to die.
Pay off the debt.
If you have to, raise taxes.
Simplify the Tax Code.
Help Americans earn the Dream.
It is not worth much if it is "given to them".
If you can't make it better then go home.
I will not hate you for failure but I will despise your limited vision of the Future.
If we can no longer dream of the stars couldn't we at least dream of the Inner Planets.
Dream the dream of America, Freedom, Peace, Innovation, Hard Work, Worship and Hope.
If these values fail to inspire then go home and sit in the corner and sulk.
But don't try to remake America.
America is more a vision, more a hope, more a dream than a place and everyone should be allowed to pursue that dream.