Day 110: Mourning

This morning we sat with Bella on her pillow in the grass behind our vets.  It was a beautiful morning slightly cool and a gentle  breeze.  We hugged her and told her how much we loved her as she was released from her pain. We went home in tears and picked up Chloe our lab and went for a walk around the lake and talked about our best memories of our beautiful Bella.

Daily Recap:
Matt and Kelly: a very long walk

Day 109: A Not So Happy Birthday

It may be my Birthday but it is anything but happy.  Bella's tumor is rapidly growing and she is not going to make it. Through tears I lifted weights in my garage so I didn't have to be far away from her.

Daily Recap:
Matt: Upper body work out
kelly: Walk around the lake

Day 108: Legs of Lead

It was a nice day. I went for a jog that my body didn't like for some reason. I had legs of lead that wouldn't go faster no matter how hard I tried.  It was rough. Most of I was mental, dealing with Isabella's illness is starting to wear on me.

Daily Recap:
Matt: 30 minute painful jog
Kelly: Walk around the lake

Isabella Recap:
She is getting worse and there is nothing we can do.  Our vet has instructed me to measure the tumor and today it is 1/10 a centimeter bigger. It is the first sign of growth in a while. We called in an additional prescription of pain meds but there is not much else we can do.

Day 107: Jogging in Cycles

Ever have one of those days that are not “bad” per say, but annoying.  That is the day I had.  We did a software upgrade at work and I found that after I had lost two days of work.  I spent most of the day looking up records and re-inputting all the data that I had on them.  For once I am thankful that I keep written as well as digital records.  Still it was a pain. 

I had some stress energy to take care of when I got home.  You know, that burning energy in your belly that feels like a fire and the only way to put it out is to put yourself through some pain (I am not talking about cutting either, crazy).  Kelly waited for me and we briefly thought about going to the gym but neither one of us wanted to leave Bella for an hour. 

We pulled out an old running book or ours and flipped through it. Kelly wanted to ease back into running and, as for me; as much as I wanted to kill it my legs were feeling the beating that I put them through yesterday.   In the end we decided on doing one of the cycles in the book: 7 minutes for running 3 minutes of walking.  The idea was for me to take it easy on my legs and Kelly to ease into jogging. 

All went well for the first two cycles but the third one I couldn’t keep up.  I had a side stitch on my left side that was killer.  I finished the jog and walked it out afterwards. 

Daily Recap:

Matt and Kelly: 30 Minutes Jogging/Walking

Isabella Recap:

Her limp is getting worse by the day and it is obvious that she is in terrible pain when she walks.  The cancer seems to be taking her down fast and it hurts to watch.  It’s as if she is trying to be her old self but she is being held back.  We feel that she may only have days left.  Our vet said she would have good days and bad days but we are on back to back bad days.  We need a good day for her especially since she doesn’t even know why she is in pain.  I do think that it only hurts badly for her when she is standing or walking because she still sleeps hard when she relaxes on the couch or our bed.   Today’s rating is a 50.

Bella and her sister Chloe enjoying some couch time.

Today’s Blog Question:

As you know I have been on a lot of diets from Atkins to South Beach.  That brings me to today’s blog Question.  If you have tried a diet what was the best one you have been on? Why do you think it worked? 

*Side Note: I understand that you have to be a Google + member in order to post commits and honestly who wants to join another social network?  Don’t worry I won’t ask you to. Feel free to shoot me an email if you like.  

Day 106: A Fall Day in August!

What a beautiful day we had.  For August it could not be more perfect.  It barley made it into the 80’s and slightly breezy all day.  Not the hot humid breeze of August, but the cool almost chilly breeze of fall.  I would say that fall has come early and judging by the leaves on the trees that are already starting to change I would not be the only one to think so.  Without a doubt this has been the coolest, wettest summer in a long time, if not ever. 

I felt so nice outside that I decided that today I was going to try to obtain a goal that I had set of doing a mile in less than 13 minutes.  I had come close several times and could probably do it on a flat treadmill in the gym, but I wanted real world results.

I took off and tried to keep up as fast a pace as I could for as long as I could.  I ran flat out as fast as my legs could carry my bulk.  My lungs burned, my legs ached, my body began pouring sweat.  I literally ran myself out of gas well short of a mile but the pace was set.  I had to walk for a few minutes to catch my breath and then I took off again.  In the end I finished the first mile in 11:34 seconds blowing way past my goal and had finished my 30 minute run with an average pace of 12:48.  Needless to say I was pretty proud of myself. 

Daily Recap:

Matt:  30 minutes running as fast as he could

Kelly: 30 minutes treadmill

Isabella Recap:

It has not been a good day for the Bella.  She has been in pain most of the day with relief coming at night after her second dose of pain meds.  Her limp seemed more sever and she really seems to hurt especially when she walks.  The limp does get better when she walks on it longer, but we know that it won’t be long now.  We are counting days since she is way too heavy a dog not to be able to get herself around.  However she still sleeps hard so I am hoping that she is only in pain when she has to walk on it and it becomes bearable after she warms the joint up.  I am realistic enough to know that she hurts and it really hurts me to see it, but there are times where I still see the old Bella and I am hoping that she can let me know when she is ready.  I rate today a 55.

Isabella's Tired and Ready to go to Sleep.

Instant Blog Poll Question:

Since today was a record breaking day for me I thought it would be appropriate to ask: What is your greatest sports achievement?  Whether it is running the fastest mile you could or winning a little league game do you have a sports moment in your life that you are proud of?

Day 105: Board Games and Energy Bars

Another peaceful Sunday just relaxing around the house generally taking it easy.  We had Kelly’s parents over for Sunday lunch and sat out on the back porch with our niece.  We place board games most of the day and they left late in the afternoon.

That is when we realized two things.  One, we still needed to get in our exercise for the day and two, our yard needed some work done in it.  Our plan of attack was simple.  I would mow while Kelly declared war on the weeds in our flower beds. 

An hour later our yard looked great.  (Insert Complaint)  My neighbor has a yard service cut her lawn.  They seem to get lazier and lazier since the light pole separated our yards.  They are now cutting to her fence line which means that I have to cut well into her yard to keep it looking uniform.  It’s an additional two swipes with the lawn more but it is aggravating. 

Daily Recap: 

Matt and Kelly 1 hours (actually a little more) yard work

Isabella Recap:  

As I said Kelly’s parents came over and Bella loves her Grandma and Grandpa.  With all the extra people about she hardly rested all day.  She insisted on being outside with us and we had a hard time getting her to even lay down.  She played in the yard despite her limp and circled the table like a piranha at lunch.  With the exception of a few times and the limp she came very close to her old pre-cancer self.  I am rating today an 85.

Instant Blog Poll Question:

Lately we have been trying different ways to get our protein including bars by MetRx and several others.  I used to eat a meal replacement bar from MetRX called chocolate chip cookie dough and it was by far the best meal bar I have ever had to this day.  Today Question:  What is your favorite meal/energy bar? 

Day 104: Zombie Mowing and Diet Soda

I spent most of the day not feeling very good.  I got a lot of house work done and still had to cut the back yard which was not yet the jungle it can become. 

Cutting the grass while not feeling good was a chore unto itself.  I don’t know if it was something I ate or what but my stomach was in full revolt mode and it was carrying my limbs with it.  My arms and legs ached half way through and I felt like I was sweating more than necessary since it wasn’t that hot of a day. 

By the end I felt I was pushing a log through mud and not really getting anywhere. I was more than relieved to put the lawn mower up. 

After that Ringo and I jumped in the 4Runner and headed to pick up Kelly who was coming back from a program in Tennessee.  She was able to get up and have a good morning speed walk. 

Daily Recap:

Matt: 45 minutes mowing the lawn

Kelly: 1 hour speed walk

Isabella Recap:

No real changes.   She spent most of the morning sleeping and had a significant limp when Kelly got home.  However that was also around the time her pain meds wear off.  After dinner and dose of prescription pain meds the limp gets better.   I gave her a bath earlier in the day and she ran around the yard like she always does.  Even with a hurt leg she can get from one side of the yard to the other quick if she wants to.  Another good day for her we are going to rate it an 85.  I am still amazed at how changing up her meds changes her whole demeanor. 

Instant Blog Poll Question:

Diet sodas.  They are a part of our lives and we consume more diet soft drinks than regular ones.  As you know I am a fiend for Coke Zero.  It is hands down my favorite diet soft drink.  There are some people I know that still prefer Diet Coke and others Diet Dr. Pepper.   What is your favorite diet cola or drink?  Anyone still drink Tab?

Day 103: Three Miles of Pain

Today I decided to test my endurance a bit.  It’s was such a nice day for a change compaired to what the past few days.  This summer has been crazy with rain, rain, and more rain.  I believe this is the first summer I have seen in Atlanta where we may have only had a day or two over 90 degrees.  For the most part the weather has been unseasonably cool. 

I decided that I was going to do three miles today.  It was hot, humid, and painful, but I did it.  I tried to alternate between fast and slow but it didn’t do any good.  I would speed up only to feel like I was running in water.  I would slow to a crawl going up the hill.  There is a huge difference between running the road in real life and running on a treadmill. 

At the end I was chased by the neighbors little dog.   

That was my day. 

Daily Recap:

Matt: 3 miles in 46 minutes. 

Kelly: TBD

Isabella Recap:

We had our first week check up and it went well.  As well as a cancer check up can go.  The tumor has changed very little over the last week, almost negligible.  Her bone is still in great shape and we got the okay for swimming, which is one of her favorite things to do.  She had a really good day today and I will give it another 85. 

Instant Blog Poll Question:

Favorite exercise?  I love to lift weights.  I love it way more than cardio.  Well, to tell the truth I hate cardio and I don’t think I am alone.  

Day 102: Calves, Good Days, and Russians

Day two “AJ” that is After Jump Rope.  My calves were really sore today.  You know what they say about the second day being worse.  In this instance that is true.  It hurt to walk. It hurt to stretch.  I don’t know if you have ever had a cramp in your calves but that is what it was like, all day.

I wasn’t looking forward to the jog today.  It was hot, humid, and the wind was stifling still.  One of those days were it is so stuffy all you want to do is stay inside.  I wanted to, however, I thought since the sun was shining I should get out and, if not enjoy it, at least feel it after all I never know when I might see the sun again.

My body complained but I kept the speed up/slow down pattern up.  Pushing it every few minutes and slowing down to catch my breath for a few minutes.  It was painful, yet once again after the first 10 minutes I warmed up. 

I was going to run and then jump rope afterward but my calves were not up for that.  I got in the thirty minute run and I was done.  There was no energy left and muscles too sore to continue.  Sweating bacon grease and walking with a limp I had all I could do today and called it. 

Maybe I will jump rope tomorrow.  I am interested in the physical endurance it take to keep it up.  If it can give lung burn it has to be good for you.

Daily Recap:

Matt: 30 Minute Jog

Kelly: TBD

Isabella Update:

Yesterday if you had asked me how long my big girl had left I would have answered seven to ten days.  She was listless and nothing like her self.  Today was a full 180.  I believe that the change in how we give her the pain medication has made all the difference (we split it into two doses instead of one mega dose).  She was energetic and interested in everything that she always showed interest in: Loving on her Grandma, drinking bowls of water, chasing cats, dancing around at dinner.  For her it was a good day. 

I decided to attach a numerical value to her days in which I would try to abjectly judge her days compared to her past and how our other two pups are acting.  Today I would give her an 85. There is still some life left in her old bones yet. 

Blog Survey Question of the Day:

You have heard me discuss the “Break Dancer” at our gym as well as the other gym subspecies that dwell within that realm.  My question it this:  What is the most irritating subspecies at your gym and why?

One last thing, Blogger allows me to see in what countries people are viewing my blog.  I want to thank my Russian followers, and all of you who are taking time out of their day to read about my struggles with exercising and weight loss.  We are not alone. 

Day 101: On With the Show!

My calves were feeling a little sore from the jump rope session the day before.  Not debilitating but sore.  It’s not every day I jump around on the pads of my feet.  In addition to that as I jumped in order to keep a rhythm I do a double jump.  Even though I only jumped rope 125 times I did a total of 250 jumps.  I didn’t think of that yesterday.

All day my calves felt tight so I expected them to bother me when I jogged.  I started slow and kept a steady pace with each step feeling better than the last.  As I went I was able to build some speed. After five minutes I tried sprinting. I was then able to split the difference and sprint until I got a side stitch and then jog.  I tried not to walk.

Just before RunKeeper sounded the fifteen minute warning I developed a really bad side stitch.  I slowed way down and concentrated on taking deep breaths.  It hurt pretty bad.  RunKeeper notified me that my pace had slowed way down and I tried to increase it.  It wasn’t until minute 25 that I was able to quicken the pace. 

In the end I was still able to finish with a better than 15 minute mile which equates into a little over 4 miles an hour which made me happy.  Despite the heat and humidity I did it and that is the important part.  I past the 100 day mark and have completed some sort of physical exercise for over the centennial mark.  I feel that is important. 

Daily Recap:

Matt: 30 minute jog

Kelly: TBD

Isabella Recap:

My big girl didn’t have an all to great day.  She was lethargic and seemed down.  This afternoon she started down the ramp I built her and slipped on her back leg and I couldn’t have that.  I pulled a carpet out of our storage building and screwed it to the ramp.  Problem solved.  Her limp was really bad in the evening and I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk to try to cheer her up.  She got really excited.  We walked from one end of the neighborhood to the other and she wanted to keep going until I made her stop.  Like my calves, as Isabella warmed up her limp got better. 

Quick Blog Survey Question:

Have you ever bought or been tempted to buy a fitness product off an info-mercial? If so what and why?

I always though he SlamMan, the boxing dummy that lights up where you are supposed to hit it, would be fun to own but  it always seemed expensive.  

Day 100: The Centennial Anniversary

You know when I started this 100 days ago I was unsure how long I would actually do it and now here we are 100 days later and it is amazing how much has changed. 

I am a stronger runner, weight lifter, and I have more stamina.  Although I haven’t lost the weight that I expected to I know that overall I am in much better health and overall physical condition.  I have tried yoga, palates, and spin class.  I got up and jogged in the am long before the rest of the neighborhood was awake.  Kelly now has a personal trainer and we are both doing more health supplements including vitamins and amino acids.  I have almost worn out a pair of jogging shoes. 

Fat Matt threw a couple of fits along the way.  He is stubborn and doesn’t like to change his ways.  He is going to the gym more now and looks forward to it, well most days.  It wasn’t always easy, I have injured myself a few times by overdoing it.  My leg muscles have been so sore it hurt when I walked or sat.  I had my upper body so sore at one point it hurt to put on a shirt. Lastly my poor dog has been diagnosed with cancer which carries a huge mental burden for both of us worrying about her. 

We will carry on, we will preserver.  There is still a very long way to go and the only way to get there is one day at a time.  Like today. 

Today, I jumped rope.  We have had the ropes for forever since we first did the crazy Fat Flush diet and the lady who wrote said that one of the best exercised you could do was jumping up and down.  According to her it released all the toxins in your body.  I don’t know about that but I got up to 125 jumps, not continuously, and my calves and lungs were burning.  How do eight year old girls jump rope all day?

Daily Recap:

Matt:  Built a ramp (see below) and Jumped Rope 125 count

Kelly: Personal Training Session 1 hour

Isabella Recap:

It was a lazy day for her.  She spent most of the day lying around which isn’t all that unusual for her after all she is almost 70 in dog years.  Kelly said that she had a hard time putting pressure on her swollen ankle and although she would stand around the kitchen she often held her paw up.  Since she has been having trouble with the stairs I put up a temporary ramp for her on the back porch. It took about an hour and I worked up a serious sweat. 

**NEW SEGMENT**

In celebration of making it to 100 blog postings I thought it would be fun to create a new segment of the blog. I will pose a different question and you, the reader, can leave an answer in the commit section if you would like.  There will be no right or wrong answers. 

The first blog polling question I have is: Jean Shorts, not cut offs, are they appropriate to wear to gym? Are they appropriate at all?  What are your thoughts? 

Day 99: Sunshine, My Old Friend... Where Have You Been?

The sun shined at my house most of the day and unfortunately I wasn’t home.  Meanwhile on the north side of Atlanta it rained most of the morning.  I swear it’s like I have clouds following me.  I feel like Eeyor.  I didn’t see the sun until 3:30 this afternoon.

I had to go for a jog in the sun when I got home.  Instead of the steady pace of 4 miles an hour that I am so capable of I opted more for the sprint/jog/walk routine.  Similar to what I have been doing at the gym. 

Jog for 4 or 5 minutes. Then walk for a minute or two.  Lastly run flat out for a minute or two.  I followed that and much to my amazement I still pulled down a mile in thirteen and some change and would up doing a little over two miles in thirty minutes. 

It reminded me of a friends running book that I read a while ago.  It was based around long distance runner and marathon running.  In it the coach was trying to convince people that if they split their time between even parts of running and walking they could make better times during marathons.  It went on to provide examples of people that shaved significant times off their best times following the run walk method. 

On a different note the other thing the book advocated was long slow runs to improve your stamina as well.  I remember it stated something to the affect that running slow for two hours was more beneficial than being able to run flat out for an hour. 

Daily Recap:

Matt and Kelly: Run/Walk outside in the glorious sunshine absorbing that vitamin D.

Isabella Recap:

She had a good day today.  Grandma came over and sat with her for a while which she loved.  This evening we had a chance to sit outside and enjoy our back yard for the first time in a week. Although she has a hitch in her get-a-long she enjoyed chasing the neighbor’s cat on one side of the yard and barking at the kids playing in the woods behind our house on other side.  For the first time in two days she climbed up and down the steps with no problem and generally seemed like her old self. 

This is my baby today enjoying the sun!

I have always called her my 130lbs lap dog.

Day 98: Foods to Fight Cancer

With Bella’s cancer I have been thinking about the super foods, you know the ones that “they” say can help fight cancer.  Veggies top the list, but what are the best to eat?  I did a little research:

All the veggies in the cruciferous family (cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage)are good but one in particular is said to be the best of the bunch.  Broccoli. These vegetables all contain a cancer-fighting compound called sulforaphane, which is supposed to flush out cancer causing chemicals.  Broccoli, however, contains a super dose of sulforaphane giving it the best cancer fighting bang for your buck.  Broccoli can help you fight, or stave off, the following cancers: Breast, Liver, Lung, Prostate, Skin, Stomach, and Bladder.

Berries are next.  We have been told that blue berries can help but new findings say that black raspberries are the best.  It’s based around high concentrations of a chemical called anthocyanins which has been shown to slow the growth and cancer cells as well as new blood vessels that would feed cancerous tumors.  Researchers fed rats a known cancer-causing chemical and after 20 weeks rats that ate a diet of 10% black raspberries had a significant reduction in oral, esophageal, and colon cancers.  According to the researchers, “the berries prevented the entire spectrum of tumors from being initiated.” Berries help you fight: Colon, Esophageal, Oral, and Skin Cancers.

For years now we have heard of lycopene to help fight cancer and where do you find the largest concentration of lycopene?  Tomatoes. According to researchers the best source of lycopene is found in the carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red coloring.  Tomatoes help fight: Lung, Stomach, and Prostate cancer.

There is one food that has been proven to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells and that food is walnuts.  In particular it is the cholesterol-like molecule called phytosterals that it turns out is so good for us.  Studies have shown that consuming an ounce a day gives you the best benefits of this super food.  In facts nuts in general (almonds, walnuts, and pecans) not only help fight cancers they also assist in lowering your cholesterol giving them the one, two punch of helping not only fight cancer but heart disease as well.  Proven in helping fight: Breast and Prostate cancer.

Those are just some of the foods that are the most beneficial.  In addition garlic, black beans, and fish oil, have all proven to be cancer fighters. 

Now to today’s exercise.  We are facing a forecast of non-stop rain, so when there was a break in the clouds we attacked the yard for our exercise.  With the help of my trusty orange Husqvarna mower I obliterated the mini jungle taking over my back yard while Kelly tended to the garden and vigorously weeding before the rain moved back in.

Daily Recap:

Matt: 45 minutes mowing the grass

Kelly: 45 minutes of laborious yard work

Isabella update:  She did well today showing more of her old personality especially when Kelly’s parents came over.  It’s obvious that her ankle is bothering her but not enough to stop her from jumping around and trying to snatch her stuffed animals away from you.  We had an incident that I discussed with the vet and he assured me that it was more than likely do to her age if we removed the cancer issue.  That is all for now. 

Day 97: Dealing With The Illness

I would like to tell you everything is going good but it’s not.  We are both worried about leaving Isabella, our Great Dane.  Her ankle seems to be swelling more and more and there is nothing we can do about it. 

I started this to discuss the daily obstacles that seem to get in the way when a person tried to exercise and here I am with a dog that is very sick from cancer.  It was hard leaving her to go to the gym but our vet said we had time.  We didn’t want to sacrifice our daily routine when all Isabella does is sleep. 

We hit they gym.

Treadmills all the way around.  Both Kelly and I hit them, she doing the routine that her trainer wants her to do, me, making it up as I go along.

I have been working on getting my heart rate up and toyed around with different setting for four to five minute intervals.

First I tried 4mph at a 4 incline.  That got my heart rate up to 147.  Next I tried a 6mph at a 6 incline and that got my heart rate up to 157bmp.  Lastly I set the incline to 13 and walked it at 3.5 mph, oddly enough this got my heart rate up to 160bpm and held it there for four minutes. 

My muscles though the back of my legs, hamstrings and gluts, all the way up the middle of my back burned and struggled to maintain that pace.  I was huffing and puffing harder than setting the speed to 7mph on a 0 incline. 

Afterwards we hurried home to make sure Bella was okay.  She was, at least as well as an almost eight year old giant breed with cancer could do.

Daily Recap:

Matt: 5 minutes stair master 35 minutes treadmill 5 minutes row machine

Kelly : 5 minutes stair master 30 minutes tread mill 5 minutes stair master 5 minutes row machine

Day 96: Going Heavy | Dealing With It

I can’t lie, I am pretty upset about my Great Danes diagnosis with cancer.  Especially since I have watched several family members die of the disease.  However, both Kelly and I felt guilty about our pity party yesterday and we hit the gym hard.  She hit the cardio, I hit the weights. 

The past couple of weight lifting sessions I have been concentrating on the large muscles in my back. Conventional wisdom is that by focusing on the large muscles, those in your back and legs, you will burn more calories and lose more body fat. 

What I devised was hitting the machines in order, that is, lower back, mid back, upper back.  My routine splits up the back exercises since I am lifting heavy they have a tendency of burning out my biceps and triceps before I get a chance to burn out my lats. 

My high point of the whole work out was when I had time left over to work on my legs.  I was going to go for 600lbs on the free weight seated leg press but it was taken by a group of three people, two guys and one girl,  who were alternating turns pressing as much as 240lbs.  I had to use the machines. 

The machine that I used maxed out at 410lbs with that in mind if you do the math I moved a combined leg press and calf raise 24,600lbs.  I like to write it like that since it makes it seem more impressive. 

Daily Recap:

Matt:  Pushing plates for 35 minutes, whole body workout

Kelly: 30 minutes cardio machine 10 minutes rowing machine

Day 95: More Rain | Cancer Sucks

Kelly and I started the day with a 4 mile walk around the lake in the rain.  What was a slow drizzle became a steady light rain soaking us.  Furthermore it was cold.  It felt like a chilly fall day especially when the breeze kicked up. 

The walk itself, despite the rain, felt good.  We kept up a steady pace at a little less than 4 miles an hour.  Not bad for a walk.  The plan was to walk the lake in the morning and then hit the gym in the afternoon after our dogs vet appointment.  That didn’t happen. 

Our Great Dane, Isabella, is over seven and half years old and in good shape for a giant breed dog of her age. She is black with a white chest, white socks, and a white tip on her tail. I just took her to the vets a few weeks ago for a checkup since she wasn’t quite acting like herself.  They did an EKG and full blood work and didn’t find anything noticeable wrong with her. 

 Four days ago we noticed her left wrist starting to swell and then she quickly developed a limp.  I did a little research on the internet that, quite frankly, scared the hell out of me.  While a treasure trove of vital information sometime you learn things from the internet you didn’t want to learn. 

After some x-rays the vet confirmed what I thought it was all along (even though I have no medical training I can did read up on all of her symptoms).  She has bone cancer.  Needless to say my wife and I were devastated and in no shape to hit the gym after getting the news that a member of our family has only six months at best to live.  There were a few tears shed at the vet’s office but for her part Isabella seemed to take it in stride.  Her main concern was how many treats she was going to get since our vet keeps a jar of them on the checkout counter.

This evening we sought comfort in pizza and wine and sat on the couch with Belle letting her try bacon and sausage which she loved.  I know it seems sappy but our beautiful dog serves as a reminder that each day is short and we should live it the best we can, love those in our life with all we have, and cherish every moment. 

So far I have watched two members of my family, both grandparents, wither away and die from cancer. It’s like it serves as a constant reminder not to get so caught up in things that we simply forget to enjoy what we have.  I know all this has been said before by other people and in other ways but it doesn’t make it any less true. 

Speaking of truth we will have to hit the gym tomorrow to try to undo some of what we did to ourselves with our pizza and wine consumption.  I don’t regret it though since sometimes you need some comfort food.

Daily Recap:

Matt and Kelly: 3.8 mile walk around the lake

Isabella with all of her stuffed animals.

Day 94: I Am a Real Jogger

Not to bore you with too many details but it rained again and I needed to get my jog in.  I never thought I would be one of those people you see jogging in the rain, but it had to happen.

I got out the door as soon as I could but it was already raining.  Bottom line I got soaked but at least I wasn’t alone.  Kelly went with me. 

So there we were jogging at a blistering 4 miles an hour, rain coming down on us, cars passing.  It probably couldn’t have been more unsafe if we had tried.

We made it through, soaked to the bone but what else can you do when it rains all the time?

Daily Recap:

Matt and Kelly 30 Min rawlk in the rain.  

Day 93: On the Road Again

Today was the first day in almost two weeks where I haven’t used the treadmill and wow what a difference does it make.  I decided to go for a jog outdoors while it was not raining after work since, sure enough, the thunder storms did roll in. 

I hit the pavement at a good pace.  I made the half mile mark in six minutes on pace for a twelve minute mile.  The road I jog resembles an oscillating wave.  You spend a few minutes jogging uphill then a few jogging down and so on.  The half mile mark happens to be at the top of the first big hump and I quickened my pace interested in seeing if I could break my outdoor mile record.

However, the second hill was not going to cooperate with me.  It is the steepest and mile mark is almost at the top.  I dug in but soon developed a side stitch.  That is the difference between jogging the great outdoors and the assisted jogging of a treadmill. Oddly my lungs were burning slightly as I approached the mile mark at 13:06 or a little over four and a half miles an hour. 

For the second mile I coasted a bit consciously trying to keep up a good pace but my tired legs were struggling despite the fact my lungs could take it.  By the time I made it back to my house the clouds were starting to gather and shortly thereafter it rained, again. 

We have resorted to taking vitamin D since we are pretty sure we may never see the sun again.  Already it is become a myth that parents tell their kids… “When I was your age there was this big yellow ball of fire in the sky.”  I am tired of this winter sky in summer. 

I am also watching the tread on my running shoes very carefully and I am afraid it is almost time for new shoes. I keep reading different opinions as to when you should change your running shoes.  Some people have a milage or time period change time and then another said when your knees or feet start hurting it is time.  Right now my shoes feel fine so I will continue to use them but that could change at any time. 

Daily Recap:

Matt: 35 Minute jog outside in the awful humidity

Kelly: 1 Hour personal trainer with 1 hour walk around the lake

Day 92: Health Myths: Aspartame

I know I have touched on aspartame before but I thought I would start address some common Health Myths out there in detail.  Previously I address the dreaded “Pink Slime” and some of the misnomers that went along with it.  Today I will tackle another evil villain of the malicious food industry: Aspartame.

Aspartame was first discovered in 1965 by James M. Schlatter.  It was then the focus of multiple studies throughout the 1970 and was found to be safe.  In 1980 the FDA approved it for food use and it has since become one of the most widely used food additives on the market.  Everyone from the Japanese to the European Union has studied its effects on the human body and have found it to be 100% safe up to many times the normal person’s consumption. 

In 1996 after over 20 years of study and a decade and a half in the food circulation the FDA removed all restriction from aspartame and now allows it to be used in all our foods. Similarly the EU approved it in 1994 and has reaffirmed its approval in both 2002 and 2006. 

As of today aspartame has been found safe for human consumption in more than 90 countries and has the distinction of being one of the most widely studied and thoroughly tested food additives ever.  Thanks to these studies we know that aspartame breaks down rapidly in the small intestines and due do this complete breakdown no aspartame has ever been found in the blood stream even at high doses.  Studies have even shown no adverse effect on lactating women. 

The only health problem that aspartame causes is with people who have a genetic disorder called Phenylketonuria which decreases a person’s ability to metabolize phenylalanine.  That sounds scary, what does phenylalanine do anyway?  It is an amino acid that the body uses to make proteins and chemicals in the brain like dopamine, thyroid hormones, and adrenaline.  Like the ammonia it is found naturally in foods we eat like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and nuts.  In some instances it is found naturally in much higher volumes than what you would get from a diet soft drink or food containing aspartame. 

Why are people so afraid of aspartame then?  Since the mid 1990’s there have been internet rumors surrounding aspartame and it’s consumption.  It continues to be linked to everything from multiple sclerosis to cancer to Alzheimer’s by individuals that have no documented scientific proof or medical experience.  Due to the severity of these rumors governments and the scientific community at large including Health Canada, Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission, The UK Food Standards Agency and the French Food Safety Agency investigated these allegations and found them to be false. 

Even the American Cancer Society admits that even though they continue to try to find a link between aspartame and cancer that “studies done so far have not found such a link.” That is after over 30 years of research. 

The truth is that aspartame is made from two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which are found in foods we eat every day and is digested naturally just like all other proteins we ingest.  Now don’t you feel better?

Daily Recap:

Matt: 30 Minutes Treadmill

Kelly : 30 Minutes Treadmill

Source Material Here: History, Myths, Facts, Medical, Lies, Cancer

Day 91: Back on the Water Again

Today was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining the temperature wasn’t terrible and the water, with the exception of the ski boats, was calm.

After Sunday Lunch with the family Kelly and I loaded the kayaks and made our way to the boat dock.  There were a number of people out enjoying the lake whose water was the temperature of a warm bath, even after the rain. 

We decided to paddle the whole lake since we had plenty of time.  The bridge was our first destination just past the library.  On the way we passed people on a paddle board even turtles sunning themselves on rocks and downed trees. 

Circling around we headed towards the island.  In addition to the swimmers and skiers there was a couple out in their sail boat.  As we got closer to the island we past a group of kids playing around in with their sit on kayaks.

All in all we spent almost an hour and half out on the water.  Is it just me or does it seem every time you put on sun screen there is always a place where you will miss?  After applying liberally to my face arms and legs I thought I was okay.  Somehow I got a slight sun burn on my knees.  How does that happen?

After the serenity of the lake it was time to press home there was work that had to be done.  We spent the next two hours still fairly active as we moved some furniture around, bathed the dogs and mowed the back grass.  It was hot enough outside to make you a sweaty mess. 

That was pretty much the whole day.  Maybe something more exciting will happen tomorrow. 

Daily Recap:

Matt : 1 ½ hours on the lake, 2 hours house work

Kelly: 1 ½ hours on the lake, 2 hours house work (She also cut the grass) 

Day 90: A Little Relaxation

I used today to catch up on some much needed sleep.  Taking advantage of the weekend and enjoying a little extra snooze time that I believe was much needed and well deserved.  As well, we took the rest of the day to simply take it easy. 

There were things that needed to be done but they could wait. We used the day as a little staycation.  We waited out the hottest part of the day and had Kelly’s parents and our niece over to watch movies.  As the day turned into the evening and they left we decided to get some yard work done as the sun went down.

It was a lot easier to push a mower in the cool shade and breeze of the evening air than it would have been to do in the heat of the day.  As I mowed down the forest of that had sprang to life in our front yard from all the rain we have been having Kelly hit the flower beds like a weed assassin and did some weeding. 

In a little under an hour we had taken back control of our front yard from the invading army of grass and flower bed weeds.  That is what we called exercise today. 

Daily Recap:

Matt: Push mowing yard work 30+ minutes

Kelly: Yard work + 30 + minutes

Day 89: Wall of Exhaustion

Today I was beyond tired.  Ever hit that feeling where you are so tired that you can’t seem to keep your eyes open no matter how hard you try.  It seems like no matter what you do you are moving through water.  That is what I was experiencing today. 

We hit the gym and there was no energy there.  I tried to turn up the speed on the treadmill and it was like led weights were tied to my legs.  It was through pure force of will that I made myself keep going. 

I thought maybe I was dehydrated but the truth was I was just worn out.  I had hit the wall of as far as I could go and that was it.  There was no more left in me. 

On the bright side I did find another gym species to catalog, like a botanist finding a new tree.  This species films itself exercising for some unknown reason.  They take turns using iPhones and video camera to capture every moment of their work out, I guess to prove that they are actually as cool as they claim.  I really don’t know.  It was interesting to watch.

Daily Recap:

Matt: 35 Painful minutes on a treadmill

Kelly: 30 Minutes on the treadmill  5 minutes rowing.

Day 88: Nutrition | What's the Big Deal About Pink Slime?

Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand, with that in mind here is some insight on food nutrition and the mass food production industry specifically the dreaded “Pink Slime”.

Recently I had a conversation with a friend of mine about the food industry and in particular Jamie Oliver and his quest to have “Pink Slime” removed from our food.  I work with companies in the food industry and have access to all sorts of information. For example chicken nuggets, even white meat chicken nuggets are in fact a minimum of 10% chicken skin.  We all eat fried chicken skin so why would this bother people?

Anyways, on to Oliver and his crusade against ammonia in our food supply. While it made a sensational news story there is nothing dangerous about “Pink Slime” and I think it is important to put ammonia consumption into context.  First ammonia is a naturally occurring substance that our own bodies use and produce.  It is found naturally in our digestive system and urine.  Second I think one must consider ammonia in a PPM (parts per million) aspect of our food.  Hamburgers that are mixed with ammonia treated filler come out to about 200 PPM.  Is that high, well let’s compare it to other foods where it is found naturally in abundance. 

Blue Cheese: 1376 PPM

Salami: 1112 PPM

Cheddar Cheese: 1104 PPM

American Cheese: 813 PPM

Mayonnaise: 411 PPM

Catsup: 352 PPM

Onions: 269 PPM

Potato Chips: 240 PPM

(This list is a lot longer than the few examples I have here I just picked some of the more common foods)

If you ate a Blue Cheese crumble hamburger with mayo, catsup, and onions with a side of potato chips you will digest close to 8 times the amount of ammonia from your condiments and side dishes than from your meat patty. Eat a salami sandwich with cheddar cheese and you will consume 11 times more ammonia than from a pink slime hamburger.   Most foods that have to ferment, like cheeses, contain extremely high concentration of ammonia as a byproduct of the natural production process.

Now why would Jamie Oliver leave out information like this?  Maybe it is because he simply hates fast food and want everyone to stop eating it or maybe because he is just ignorant to the facts about ammonia. 

Personally “Pink Slime” doesn’t bother me and I will continue to eat at McDonald’s when I get the craving for a quarter pounder with cheese and yes I want that fry supersized.  Same goes for Taco Bell where every once in a while I want a Nachos Bell Grande. In moderation there is nothing wrong with consuming greasy high calorie fast food.   

Daily Recap:

Matt: 35 Minute Weight Lifting (Heavy)

Kelly: 1 Hour Personal Trainer, 30 + Minutes Cardio