Bliss and Tears

2008-05-15
Sore in the calves before this Thursday 5miler, after 5Tue and 6Wed. Week 13 of marathon training. Time for this street hill run 47:44.
Sore calves so i ran slow at first and had a killer finish. About halfway through I was singing along to my mp3 player and waving to strangers, some adrenaline and quasi-fartleks, Transient Bliss. Last 2 miles some tears as the general pain peaked. Persevering through the last 2 miles I kicked hard down hill to finish.
Subsplits 9:30/10:12/10:00/9:19/8:43

Synergy Of Excellence

• With the change in lifestyle I have empowered myself with has come a reinventing that has evolved into a Synergy Of Excellence! By this phrase I imply that I have encompassed several aspects of my own embodiment, expanding an enlightened awareness and a profound radiation of recovery, growth, and flourishing that is creating the best possible version of myself. While self-actualization is inherently a destination and not an ongoing process, the flavor of the phrase applies to what is transforming and transpiring in me. Some examples follow:

1. The eradication of many free radicals in my body has altered my desire for the use of several chemical substances. The lingering attraction for stimulants and mind-altering intoxication (namely alcohol use) that followed me through my entire adult life has dwindled significantly in recent months and no longer motivates me and controls my behavior. Indeed I am inebriated from the thoughts and behaviors associated with sound health now, both physical and psychological.
2. Self-destructive tendencies have abated in my psyche, as my mind and body are becoming more in sync with and in tune with the harmony and balance of life. The big picture is coming into view as I explore my world and the world with healthier perspective and healthier habits.
3. Decades of paradigms and negative attitudes are giving way to objective decision-making and creative replacement of dangerous engrams and ideas.
4. Cognitive processes are less restricted as my blood flows cleaner and better from a reconstituted system and a more organized foundation of spirituality emerges in the core of my existence.
5. My bodily processes like respiration and digestion are more conducive to being proficient and optimal.
6. I see better, feel better, remember more, am more attuned to my environment; I love deeper, and sense all things in a lucid manner.
7. I kid myself less, facing hard truths with courage. I abandon abandonment itself.

These changes emanate from self-improvement in nutrition, thinking, and exercise. I am THRIVING in a Synergy of Excellence!


Word Jaybo

FOOD AND DRINK - WHAT TO CONSUME FOR GOOD HEALTH AND WEIGHT LOSS

Here's my list of what to eat and drink, rated by:

HOW OFTEN TO EAT IT / HOW MUCH TO EAT

This food list (not a fad diet - never fad diet - what you eat IS your diet though!) allowed me to lose 20 lbs in 6 months without being hungry, but keep in mind that I run and I workout. I ran 600 miles in these 6 months, averaging from 10 minutes a mile at the start to 8.5 minutes a mile at the end of 6 months. This may sound daunting, but it is only about 3 miles a day (every single day I run at least 1 mile). AND, walking counts! Whether you run or walk or a combination, 1 mile = 1 mile; both burn the same amount of calories!
This food/drink list also lower my Triglycerides from 169 to 57, my total cholesterol from 220 to 203, and my Glucose from 149 to 99, in 6 months!

VERY OFTEN / AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE UNTIL YOU ARE FULL

• Seltzer water, club soda, tonic water, water
• Tea, unsweetened
• Coffee or Espresso, black only
• Popcorn, air popped plain
• Kale/kale greens/collard greens
• Rice
• Pasta
• Corn
• Potatoes
• Apples, berries
• Kidney beans
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Brussel sprouts
• Carrots
• Squash, eggplant
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage (not cole slaw)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Salsa
• Tofu
• Citrus fruits
• Melons
• Peas
• Peppers
• Whole wheat bread - 5g/slice fiber
• Peanut Butter - natural - only contains peanuts
• Oats, rolled, plain
• Salad - lettuce, veggies, olive oil dressing only
• Pickles, dill
• Pepper, hot sauce, mustard

OCCASIONALLY / 1 SERVING

• Peanuts, almonds, nuts
• Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, seeds
• Avocado
• Brazil Nuts

If a food is not on the list, avoid it. If you can't avoid it, eat a small portion of it and don't dwell on it or make a habit of it. There were many times when I had a piece or 2 of pizza, or a hamburger, or even a few fries. But seldom. And I quite often worked out a bit harder afterwards. Eating is a joy and a big part of life, especially as you age, and there's no sense being too anal about it. The keys here are portion control/self-control, common sense and being honest with yourself, exercise, and consistency. Work at it and play at it, have fun!

AS SELDOM AS POSSIBLE / AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE

• Trans fats, hydrogenated oil
• Oil - AVOID ALL OIL
• Seafood - AVOID seafood
• Meat: - NEVER BEEF NEVER PORK NEVER POULTRY. EVER.
• EGGS - AVOID EGGS
• CHEESE - AVOID CHEESE
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Processed foods
• White bread
• Bagels
• Bread, low-fiber
• Fried food
• Ribs
• Pizza
• Ice cream, cookies, cakes
• Candy, gum, mints
• Artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Saccharin, Acesulfame K, Sucralose)
• Sugar
• Coke, cola, flavored soda, flavored water
• Vitamin water
• Gatorade
• Energy drinks
• Diet Soda
• Sweetened Tea
• Processed food
• Chocolate
• Frozen foods (most)
• Milk - NEVER MILK
• Mayonnaise
• Butter
• Canned fruit
• Cole slaw
• Macaroni salad
• Potato salad
• Alcohol - NEVER ALCOHOL

Blood/Water/LDL

• I just went to the doctor to get my blood test report and I have dropped my cholesterol from 220 to 203 (range 100-199) in 6 months. I also dropped my Triglycerides from 169 to 57 (range 0-149). And I lowered my Glucose from 113 to 99 (range 65-99). I lost exactly 20 pounds in 6 months, from 242 to 222. And I quit smoking 8 months ago!
  
• How? Diet and exercise, just like they say. I run 2 to 4 miles every day and I eat good foods and drink black coffee, seltzer water, unsweetened tea, and whey protein. I do not drink alcohol regularly and I rarely even drink diet soda. In fact I stay away from sugar and all sweeteners as much as I can. If I mess up, I make sure I don't gain more than 5 lbs and I get right back on track the next day. I eat steamed crabs, apples and other fruits, sardines, 5g fiber/slice bread, natural peanut butter, nuts, seeds, berries, beans, broccoli and other veggies, olive oil, dill pickles, eggs, pomegranate juice/açaí juice (daily), and salad. All I want of those. Occasionally I will eat other foods, like a slice or 2 of pizza, or a cheeseburger with no bun, but these are my main foods. I avoid fried foods, white bread and bagels, pasta, beef jerky, mayonnaise, and greasy foods like bacon and ribs. I limit foods like cheese, creamy soups, cream, ice cream, whipped cream, yogurt, potatoes, corn and rice. For snacks I will eat Triscuit Whole Wheat Crackers, Sun Chips and natural honey for a sweet. If a bad food comes along (chocolate, fries, chips, cookies, cakes, etc), I will eat a very small serving if I want to - portion control. It works! You lose weight slowly, the way you should, and it stays off. About a pound a week.
• What I don't do is drink too much water. Water, while we need it to run our bodies, also facilitates the processes that store fat. Too much of anything, ANYTHING, is bad; it's what TOO MUCH means! I hydrate enough to keep my urine from becoming lemon meringue. Light yellow usually. But clear to med-light yellow is acceptable. It's a major contributor to my success; drinking less keeps my weight down, whether its water or coffee!
• Now for the bad news. My LDL is UNCHANGED @ 144 (range 00-99). This is high, probably due to my genetics, but not as high as I originally thought:
  

LDL Cholesterol Levels

Less than 100 mg/dL - Optimal

100 to 129 mg/dL - Near Optimal/ Above Optimal

130 to 159 mg/dL - Borderline High

160 to 189 mg/dL - High

190 mg/dL and above - Very High

www.americanheart.org

• So maybe as long as I am below 160, I can improve total cholesterol and get below 200, and be okay with my gentically high LDL! But the blockages I feel in my chest from time to time, and have felt for maybe 20 years or more, are certainly the effects of LDL. These minor blockages are kept at a minimum from a daily aspirin, thinning my blood and keeping me alive. I feel quite certain I would be dead if it were not for my change in lifestyle and my 81 mg daily aspirin therapy! But who knows? I could live until I am 80! Maybe longer! I am certainly going to try. Now that I have transcended my childish suicides, conquered my addictions and compulsions and insecurities, and achieved a sublime sense of awareness and spirituality, I want to reap the rewards of my journey and grow into the world and the universe as I grow out of this body I wear.

• I am living like I will be here forever. The positive results from my recent life change are astounding. My thoughts are clearer, my body is thriving, and life is beautiful! And today I made my doctor's day. "This is why I am in this business," he said, as I was leaving the examining room today. "Seeing results like like this makes it all worthwhile." His success and my success: win win! This is what life is about. Living right.
  
• Other aspects of my life are coming together better too. My unbelievably frustrating workplace is less stressful, now that I eat right and exercise regularly. My specialized professional career has brought me to a pinnacle, where I must fall or stand my ground. So I stand, but you know, somehow it is not so desperate anymore. There is no hurry to leave right now...
• I also try to stay calm, cool and collected at all times. I relax and hold my tongue to avoid exacerbating situations in my life that I can not change. Things like other's addictions, aging issues, dealing with inferior minds, and other's health problems. I use my knowledge of spirituality, martial arts, relaxation techniques, as well as my knowledge of psychology, health, and nutrition to find and obtain the strength, energy, and resolve to handle any situation in an intelligent, respectful, experienced manner. I make sound decisions and plans and I hope for the best while preparing for the worst. I live life for today and for an unlimited future of todays. Assume nothing, anticipate everything!

Word Jaybo

2007-10-30

• Running 2-4 miles now every day, had a little soreness in left hammy the other day so eased up a bit. Ran a lunchtime 2 miler today! 17:13.
  

• Wrote this yesterday about my weekend running

• 29 Oct 2007 - running/workout update:
  Ever run sprints? I want to run more after the streak; it’s fun hauling ass for a half lap or so! Can’t believe I ran 1/8 mile in 38 sec this weekend, or 5:04 pace! I was almost running at top speed, but I didn’t want to pull anything. One pulled muscle and my streak dies, so I won’t be doing too much sprinting for now. I’d also like to try to run a mile as fast as I can later too. I think I can run a 6-minute mile, or even better. My cardio kicks ass and I recover in breathing quicker too now. And this weekend I got down to 217 lbs. I can feel a difference from the 237 lbs I weighed 6 months ago. Man if I can get down to 185 lbs again I am gonna fucking fly!

  But until the streak ends I am focusing on diet and moderate-intensity workouts. I set up a new heavy back in the basement this weekend, attached to the rafters and added support beams. It’s a 100-lb Everlast bag, $84 from Shenk and Tittle (I said “Tit”!), and is hanging in the office in the basement (the room behind the mancave). I also moved the tread back in there and put a TV mount on the wall. And the pull-up bar and weights are in there; it’s a cool little 1-man gym! I watched Leaving Las Vegas today on the tread and had no BPM music. I checked my timing and I was 176 and 180 BPM the whole way; so I think it’s inscribed into my genetic code now! My livelihood depends on it!

  Had a long day yesterday and never got around to eating anything but a banana until evening. I ran 3 miles on the track, with sprints and intervals (28:54). And walked 1.25 miles on top of that (21:30). Then I cleared out the basement, moving everything around with Deb, installed the TV mount on the wall, added a splitter and ran coax cable, and hung the heavy bag with support beams I had to saw and screw in. Then had a good bag workout beating the fuck out of the bag with punches, spinning backfists and kicks over my head. I was wiped out. When I finally got a shower and relaxed to watch football, this is when I would normally eat poorly. Chinese, or pizza, or worse. Not yesterday! I had seltzer and a can of sardines, on 2 sandwiches – Thomas’ mini whole wheat bagel squares, a salad, and 2 apples. Yay! Slept like a rock and had to fast until the blood test today. So I only ran a mile today so far (8:37 = 7mph). My blood work should really improve this time: good diet, exercise every day, and no smoking since last blood test – first time ever! Results at Dr.’s office in 1 week. Crossing fingers!

  108 days left in the streak!

2007-10-24

Day 252. I am running 4 miles minimum every day, EVERY day, for over a week now. Body seems to be able to handle it, though I am asleep by 8 or 9pm every night. I get up at 3 or 4am though and usually do not sleep more than 5 hours straight, 6 tops. Over 600 miles now since the streak began!
Today I ran in the dark again and had a stray dog chase me, briefly. I turned around and yelled "SIT" at him (her?) and he barked once and stopped coming at me. He was not there on the way back. Luckily it was raining today and I ran without my mp3 player, or I may not have heard him and had a problem with this dog. Karma? Could be; I am living right these days. I seldom drink at all, don't smoke (near 8 months cig free!) and am eating good food (not to mention the exercise!).
Unseasonably warm again today for late October, 66 degrees, 94% humidity. Time was slow, 37:42, but acceptable. HR was 148 after 2 miles. I like running in the rain, keeps you cool and makes you feel like a fuckin' bad ass!

2007-10-17

Day 245. Wednesday. Ran 4 miles in the dark, hybrid run (street to track at local school). 37:10. Good run, actually warm out. No breeze at all and 60 degrees. Frickin' cars couldn't see me on the way back on Cranberry Road; I was only a couple inches from some and very near death. Guess my dark blue 2005 half-thon under armor shirt and black compression shorts is a bad darkness outfit!