Top 10 Health Benefits of Running

It's still early enough in the new year to revel in top 10 lists.  As a runner, here are the Top 10 health benefits of running.  Number 2 and Number 5 are the top health benefits for me.

Get up off that counch and get running!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Anatomy of a Run

4:30 am comes early in my house.

That's the time I get up most week-day mornings to go running.  For some crazy reason, I love running in the dark (Sally says I'm 'in the dark' most days but I digress).  I like the quite and almost total lack of traffic early morning. I should clarify though:  I get up at 4:30 am...I don't go running until nearly 6 am.  That's one of the things about growing older:  it takes me nearly an hour to 'go running':

• I don't like to run on a full stomach.  Unless I'm going for a long run, I don't eat anything before heading out.  I drink water though...I sweat a lot even in the winter so having to stop for a 'bio break' isn't a problem for me.
• The first thing after I get up is to check the weather.  Unless there's been an ice storm overnight, I'm going running.  I am sensitive to temperature though so I check that via my handy Smartphone App (The Weather Network).
• Once geared up:  In the summer, short tights and a technical T shirt;  in colder conditions long tights and layered tops, I walk down the four flights of stairs from our apartment.  That's it for pre-run limbering up.  I have never liked stretching before a run:  something about straining cold muscles.  
• With a nod to my age, I walk the first 100 metres before breaking into a jog.  Most mornings it's only a few minutes before my breathing normalizes and I pick up the pace.  That's a good running day...some days it's 20 minutes in before things settle down.  On those mornings I ask myself, "This is fun?"
• I run about 40 minutes 5 days a week now with a couple of days off.  My 'long run' is usually a Saturday or Sunday up around 75 minutes.  After running and racing and training for events most of the past 30 years, I really only have one 'race' that matters:  the annual pilgramage to Negril each December for Reggae Marathon. 
• I don't run with music.  I like my 'alone time' while running and when all goes well just enjoy an easy pace.  I do solve all the problems of the world while running though...unfortunately I never seem to remember the solutions after.  I know my head is clear though...that's all that matters.
• I sprint for the final 500 metres.  OK, an exaggeration but I do pick up the pace as I near the finish.  Old habit...I like to finish in a flat-out sprint. I'll never be Usain Bolt but it feels good trying.
• Post-race I walk for about 10 minutes to cool down.  I don't stretch after running either...the walk seems to be enough.
• Since I run early in the morning and don't eat before I run I come back famished. Lots of water plus hot cereal does the trick.  That's the plan anyway...I usually end up with a cereal bar.

That's the anatomy of my typical daily running routine.  Well, it's exciting to me!

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

The Incredible Shrinking Runner

5 feet 8 inches!

That's how tall I am after being officially measured by my new Doctor last week!

What....???  When did that happen?  All my life I've been 5 feet 10 inches tall.  Then I miss a couple of years of visiting a Doctor and shrink 2 inches!  I was so surprised by this result that I had her repeat the measurement...I even tried to 'stretch' to make myself taller.  Didn't work.

Dam...after living up north for 6 years that water in Georgian Bay in Wasaga Beach must have been really cold!

The back story.

I haven't been to my Family Doctor in many years.  No annual physical, no regular checkup in over 3 years. Reasons were varied and many:  Previous Family Doctor was in Oakville and we lived in Wasaga Beach; No serious health issues (OK, the broken foot bones last year were serious but a great Clinic here in Etobicoke did the job);  too busy! But since moving to Etobicoke in December 2011, the excuses had worn thin.  So after Sally signed up with a Family Practice 10 minutes from our place, I bit the bullet and did the same.

I had my first visit with Dr. Catherine last week and it was...well...OK:  Blood pressure below normal and a few pounds overweight.  The only 'interesting' observation was a very low pulse rate.  Get this, my resting rate is 40 beats per minute...less than one per second.  Dr. C says there's no cause for alarm given that I've a lifelong runner but to be sure, she scheduled me for a full cardio workup.  She did give me heck though for way too much caffeine and Diet Pop consumption.  Luckily I can keep drinking coffee but she was blunt on the Diet Pop:  "Cut that crap out!"  That's not likely in the Doctor Training Manual but I like it.  So long Diet Soda...hello Fizzy Water!

Recently I've observed all the kids, Andrew, Court, Michael and Holden to appear to have grown.  Now the truth is out:  I shrunk!

Until next time...