Good news, I am finally running 4 times per week. It has been a long uphill struggle with injuries and arthritis in 2008. The trick seems to be watching my form like a hawk. I have adopted some of the Chi Running techniques to help with my form. Adopting a mid-foot strike as opposed to a more traditional heel strike, if I run this way I run relatively pain free.

With the arthritis I have it is important to keep moving, there is no cure other than to exercise. Through I find it interesting that once I get going and get into the “zone” the pain goes away for that brief moment. Endorphins are a wonderful thing, as it really helps mitigate the pain.

I am going to limit myself to only 5 and 10K runs in 2009. Maybe, if it goes well consider a half in the late summer. But I had to admit to myself that the marathon I ran was the only one I will run. Through I am not setting a ½ as a goal at this point. It is a nice to think about goal, but so far not on the horizon.

What is on the horizon is my Grandson and daughter coming to visit me. This Thursday here in Yellowknife, as well as the YK choral societies presentation of the Messiah by Handel. This should be a great event. Dan Gillis a local singer is featured as a Contra Tenor, he was fabulous at rehearsal today. If you are in Yellowknife this week come and see the concert make sure you say Hi.

Weather in Yellowknife today is -4C and a touch of snow. The ground is now covered and is icing up nicely. They don’t really plough up here; they just pack it down and through Gravel on top. So you get traction from the gravel that is imbedded in the ice. Mind you at this point still slushy at this point, will be another month before the cold weather comes in.

After a bout of hypertension I finally got it under control. For the life of me I can’t figure why it spiked up to over 140/90+. As a Diabetic you really want your pressure in the 128/80 range or less. Right now I took it last night after getting home and it was 116/56. A touch low but my body should adjust to the Diuretic soon.

It is frustrating to see this happen as I have no control over this particular aspect of hypertension. According to my Dr. and reading on the internet. In about 90% of Hypertension cases there really is no underlying cause they can give you. The other 10% can be controlled by diet and exercise.

While I don’t run very often anymore due to my Chronic Tendonitis, I do simulate the mileage on the elliptical. I am hoping that Physio which starts in a few weeks will help get the tendon to a point I can run again. Meanwhile I stay away from the running, with the hopes of being able to start up again before the end of this year.

This only makes me reflect a bit on the aging process and hard we fight not to age, yet it is inevitable that our bodies will betray us in the end. Statistically I can be as active as I was in my 40’s but will be slower. It’s a fact of life, mind you judging by some of the races I have run there are some mighty fine +50 runners who are not that much slower than the 20 -30 year olds.

Hopefully, I will get well enough to run a few more of the larger races. Maybe a couple of 1/2's, and if I can stay healthy one more marathon, I would like very much to do one more marathon. After which I can stick with ½’s and 10’s.

Here’s Hoping
Harry

Time to start posting again

I know as a blogger I suck, it has been much t0o long between posts, I mean March seems so long now. My running has been non-existent due to Achilles tendonitis. This has been chronic since December last year. It did go down and I started running again for that ½ in Edmonton, but I started hill training and that was the end of that.

The good news of course is that I still exercise 5 days per week on the elliptical. I simulate the running schedule on the elliptical. Right now I do the equivalent of 10 miles (110 minutes) on Sundays. Also simulate temp runs and hill training as well. While this is not optimum it does well enough.

This September brought my first grandson into the world. Tre was born September 14, 2008 in Edson, Alberta. His weight was 7lbs 10oz. We saw him in October at 5 weeks old and he was a real bundle of joy, not to mention gas. He does take after his Grandfather after all.

May brought my Marriage to Angela; we are now formally married and getting ready for our long awaited honeymoon cruise. We were to go on a Tall Ship adventure in the Caribbean but due to lack of interest on curises either side of ours they cancelled our cruise. Now we are off to take a Carnival Cruise line ship. Visiting Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Mexico, sailing out of Miami this cruise takes place in December.

My Fathers health is holding steady, I visited him at the end of June. He seems to be holding his own despite what is going on. We are hoping that he holds out so we can fly Natasha and Tre down in April or May of 2009. We would like to go to England next summer if we can, but we both feel that it is more important that he see his Great Grand Son.

I have a rant in me, but I am saving it for another day.

For now Steady on
Harry

Yes, I know I have not been timely with the updates. Its just things were in flux the last few weeks so March’s update is just in time for the end of the month. First the good news, Sometime in September I am going to be a Grandfather. My Middle Daughter Natasha and her Boyfriend our having a baby in September, due date is 15th which is close to my birthday.

My plan for the Edmonton Full Marathon has been downgraded to the half marathon. I messed up my back a bit due to a fall on the ice back in Feb. But, as that healed I decided to try some yoga which somehow aggravated my back even more. It got so bad I finally went to the doctor. He sent me to the Chiropractor who sent me back for back x-rays.

Cheers for Dr. Jerry Barker local chiropractor who did not work on my back, his gut told him to not do anything, turns out his instincts are dead on. After two weeks I finally got my x-rays back last week. Seems I have what is referred to as Foresters Disease or “diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis”.

This is a condition that effects 6 – 12” of the population, mainly men over the age of 50 (65/35). Basically this condition is a slow degenerative issue where calcium creates bone spurs on the spine as well as calcifying Tendons and ligaments. Which causes the spine to be less flexible then it is, in my case its pretty bad and I have a number of fused vertebrae.

There is no cure, and after some debate about running or more like whether I will run again. The doctor said, “RUN”, I cheered. Basically if there is pains take ibuprofen, which is the runner’s vitamin anyway so nothing new there. There is a narrowing of the L4 and L5 vertebrae but according to the Dr. and the Rehab guy I go to it’s normal in a man my age again so buy comfortable well-cushioned shoes and run.

So Edmonton here I come. Yes there is going to be pain and my back will not get better, but staying active is the way to keep the spine as healthy as I can. Now you may ask what causes this problem.

Well there is really no known reason, but factors such as Obesity, diabetes play a factor. As you know I certainly was obese and now a type II diabetic. There could also be caused and links to playing contact sports as a teen and adult. Oh well, at least I can run.
Harry

Update

So here we are week 6 of what amounts to a 29-week ramp up to the Edmonton Marathon on August 10, 2008. Things are progressing well, with no real issues at this point, as the mileage is still quite low. The real full training does not start until April 6th.

Last week lost a day due to the fact that I had a good fall on the ice and managed to whip lash my neck. But I was up and running again and only lost 1 day of full training. Through the first run back was slower then the normal steady pace.

Right now I am concentrating on faster then normal pacing for myself. The theory being that I will build my base, stamina and strength in the first 11 weeks of the program. This coupled with increased stretching. As well as some cross training with Yoga, and a bit of biking and strength work.

With the weather I have mainly been using a treadmill. It’s a bit boring but there are really not a lot of options in this –35 to –45 C weather. I have been out a couple of times when the weather accommodates and rises to –25C and above. Hopefully I will get more runs in march outdoors. By April I should be able to get back outside for the long run.

Meanwhile Aingeal and I are now involved with a local theater group. Aingeal has a small part as the customs officer in Cabaret. I will be joining the chorus as a tenor. This show should be good, some of the talent I have heard sing so I know they can sing at least.

Summer plans are progressing with what looks like a trip to see my dad just before his 82nd birthday. As well my Brother and yet unseen nephews, this will be a very busy week, with travel, folk festival, marathon and a visit to Natasha my middle daughter.

harry

Thank you for the great post from The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, NS

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1010016.html

Look into your heart for a changeBy MAGGIE MARWAHWed. Jan 9 - 6:04 AM

I HAVE SEEN change and his name is Harry.

He’s a tall fellow, too tall to have been running beside five-foot-zero me that late spring day. If I moved too far and too quickly to my left, his pumping elbow would have caught me on a cheekbone. His leg length alone should have given him a stride twice mine.

But I was too polite to ask him why he had joined our plodding group on this long run, so instead I listened to his story – a story of taking control and making change.
I offer a retelling now, without doing it full justice, as this new year takes root and many of us look to this calendar start as a time for change. We make fewer resolutions the older we get, perhaps because we’ve learned how hard they are to keep – how hard it is to change. But that doesn’t mean that quietly, perhaps secretly, many of us haven’t made a promise to ourselves to change something.

On the day we met, Harry had run 10 kilometres in Halifax’s Blue Nose Marathon event a few weeks earlier. He was proud of this achievement and of his time of 61:43 minutes. Not particularly stellar by some measures, but not bad for a guy who a year previous was 100 pounds heavier.

As the other runners asked questions, he told of weighing more than 300 pounds, of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and getting exercise walking to the fridge and back to his computer. He told of how, after his diabetes diagnosis, he started eating healthier meals and walking around the block at lunchtime. Then twice around, then three times. He added a stationary bike and, soon after, running, barely 10 minutes a day starting out. And now, he was determined to run a half-marathon – 21.1 kilometres – that fall.

As I listened to him, my mind dwelled on a question that had long confounded me – and more so at the time as I was working in health care communications. In this province, to work in the health care sector is to understand the full challenge of changing behaviours in a population with some of the worst health stats in the country.

I asked Harry: "What finally made you change?" After all, others weigh as much as he did, have diabetes, and do nothing about it.

"My doctor said if I didn’t, my life would be much shorter."

"Change or die?"

"Yeah. I didn’t want to die."

We ran in silence for a while after that. Too facile an answer, I thought at first. But maybe the puzzle piece was still in there somewhere: Is it fear that gives people the courage to finally change?

Change would be a trendy word if it weren’t for the heft and longevity behind that one syllable, despite the best efforts of politicians to trivialize it.

"CHANGE," Barack Obama’s posters shout, its all-capped, sans serif font the more readable for the TV viewers. "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN." In Canada, should a federal or provincial election – or both – take place this year, I wonder which political party will co-opt the word first and most strongly in their campaign one-liners and jingles.

The experts tell us to be wary of big changes to come this year. They warn of economic tightening and issue cautions about the end of our great run of prosperity. They forecast the price of oil higher and higher. They say Mother Earth can’t withstand our assault much longer. If all comes to pass, we will need to change our behaviour – spend less, drive less, use less.
But change is difficult. And it often hurts. It’s rarely quick – and in this age of instant gratification, we haven’t the patience to wait for results. Yet change is sometimes necessary for survival. Just ask Harry.

The study of change and the development of change models have exploded in the past decade as businesses and organizations seek to weather a turbulent world and governments try to address the unhealthy behaviours of citizens. Organizational change, societal change, individual change, behavioural change. The researchers study how and why it happens, how to make it happen, and more particularly, why it doesn’t happen.

For all the advancements in this studied field, the thinking that has most resonated with me is found in John Kotter and Dan Cohen’s 2002 book The Heart of Change, which looked at how people change their organizations. Change, they argued, is less about giving people data and analysis to influence their thoughts than it is about speaking to their emotions.
"People change what they do … because they are shown a truth that influences their feelings," they wrote. "Both thinking and feeling are essential, and both are found in successful organizations, but the heart of change is in the emotions."

Change is not just a cognitive exercise. Knowing the changes we want and need is rarely enough to achieve them. If it were, we’d have fewer smokers and more active people.
Instead, true change lives in our hearts – in that place that badly feels it and wants it. We change not because someone tells us to or because we know we need to. We change out of fear. Love. Desire. Sadness. Joy. Passion. Anger.

Harry knew this. I came to understand what while fear might have launched him, other emotions kept him going. A year after our brief encounter, and two years into his change, he ran a marathon.

( mmarwah@herald.ca)
Maggie Marwah is a freelance writer and communications consultant living in Halifax.

Well, I have been Naughty haven’t I, no update to the blog since December. There has been a big change in where I live. Aingeal and I now reside in Yellowknife Northwest Territories. For those unfamiliar with Yellowknife it sits on the shores of Great Slave Late at 62’ 27” north.

It holds a number of Canadian Weather records including the coldest city in Canada. Winter arrives early here in Yellowknife, with weather dropping below freezing just as fall is starting. The weather stays below zero well into April and May finally warming up by June. While summers I hear are great in this area they are short.

Another change of course aside from the –25 to –30C weather that is going on at the moment is the fact that the sun comes up at 10AM and goes down at 3AM for a whopping 5 hours of sunlight/twilight a day. Of course the opposite effect in the summer so we are looking forward to 19 hours of sunlight.

How you may ask does it affect running, well at the moment I am running on a treadmill. My best laid plans to run outside year round were set aside along with the Frostbite I received one frosty –33C degree morning. While everything is fine and my toes are finally healed with nice pink new skin. I am in no rush to go outside and run in those days where the temperature dips below –20C.

Now I know I wanted to run the goofy but with the change in venue it was not possible to run the event. Training outside for long runs were a logistical nightmare. This due to the cold weather and the fact that I would have to run long distances in the dark of the morning with little or no lights as once you get outside Yellowknife the road is pretty barren.

The good news is there are a couple of running groups up here and if the weather crawls back to under –20C I will run outside with them on Saturday. If not I will be using the treadmill. This Sunday the weather is suppose to creep back up to –14C which is really not that bad to run in.

I am very excited about the prospect of a couple of big runs this year. First and foremost is the ING Edmonton Marathon on August 10, 2008. I have already started ramping up slowly as I am recovering from Achilles tendonitis. So I am taking a slow build up to the mileage I need.

With a modified ½ program I am slowly building my base up. The emphasis for the next 14 weeks is to get my base up to 25 miles a week, but more importantly work on my core strength and stretching. Already I can see the difference with my stretching. I can actually now touch my toes again.

So on April 6th, 2008 I will switch over to a full marathon schedule and 18 weeks later the marathon. Secondary to that is I am now trying to work with the Team Diabetes program to transfer everything over so that I can do the New York City marathon, on November 2nd, 2008. If not I am going to enter the lottery and hope that I get a spot. If not maybe Chicago may be a good alternative.

Cheers to all for the New Year and most important keep on running
harry

Your metobolsim from CBC September 26, 2007

In Depth
Exercise and fitness
Your metabolism
Burn, calories, burn
Last Updated September 26, 2007
CBC News

Putting on a little weight even though you swear you haven't upped your food intake or cut your energy expenditure? Well, you can blame a slow metabolism, right?

Probably not.

A slow metabolism means that you burn fewer calories at rest than you should, according to estimates based on your height, weight, age and sex. Very few people can actually say they have a slow metabolism. People who are overweight may actually have a higher metabolic rate because while they may have more fat, they may also have more muscle mass. And muscle mass is key when it comes to your metabolism.


What is metabolism?

Basically, it's the process by which your body converts food into energy. Your food is digested and broken down into proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, which are absorbed by the body. These elements are used to fuel your body. Your body uses only as many calories as it needs to function, depending on your level of activity. Anything above that is stored as fat.

There are three components that determine the rate at which you burn calories: basal metabolic rate (BMR, the energy we burn to keep our organs functioning and to breathe and sleep), thermic effect of food (the energy we burn processing the food we eat) and physical activity.

The basal metabolic rate uses up two-thirds to three-quarters of the calories you take in. There's very little you can do to change the amount of energy required to keep you breathing, to keep your blood moving, and to grow and repair your cells.

And there's not much you can do to alter the amount of energy it takes for your body to process the food you eat. That accounts for about 10 per cent of the calories you consume.

But when it comes to physical activity, you're in the driver's seat. Although the less time you actually spend sitting means the more calories you will burn.


How many calories does my body need?

It's simple math. To calculate how many calories your body needs just to keep functioning without putting on weight (your Basal Metabolic Rate), stick your appropriate numbers in the following formula:


For women, BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kilos) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)
For men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kilos) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age in years)

Once you have figured out your BMR, you can calculate how many calories you should be taking in to maintain your current weight:


If you get little or no exercise, multiply your BMR by 1.2.
If you exercise lightly or take part in easy sports one to three times a week, multiply your BMR by 1.375.
If you are moderately active — three to five times a week — multiply your BMR by 1.55.
If you are very active — hard exercise or sports six to seven times a week — multiply your BMR by 1.725.
If you are extra active — very hard exercise or sports and a physical job — multiply your BMR by 1.9.

So, for example, a 40-year-old moderately active 60 kilogram woman who is 163 cm tall would have a BMR of 1,336.4. She would need around 2,071 calories a day to maintain her weight, depending on body composition. If she has a lot of muscle mass, she would need more calories. If she's overweight, she would need fewer calories to maintain her weight. A registered dietician would be able to provide a more accurate reading with more precise equipment.


Does my metabolism slow with age?

Yes. As you age, mainly because of a loss of muscle mass. You can expect to lose two to three per cent of your muscle mass each decade as you enter your 30s. Muscles require fuel, so the more muscle mass you have, the less of what you eat will be stored as fat.

Neglecting those muscles and eating the same as you've always eaten means you will get fatter — unless you increase your physical activity.


What else can affect the rate at which I burn calories?

Your body size and composition will affect how many calories your body needs to maintain its weight. A six foot tall person would require more calories than someone a foot shorter. Again, if you're carrying around little fat and a lot of muscle, you will need more calories to maintain that body.

Your sex will also affect your caloric needs. A man sitting on the couch, operating the remote control needs more calories than a woman doing the same thing. He might burn off the snack they're sharing, while it goes "straight to her hips."

Heredity will also play a role. Look at your parents, grandparents and siblings. The odds are, you'll be able to see whether you should consider cutting back your intake or increasing your physical activity — or, more likely, a combination of both.


What can I do to increase my metabolism?

Unfortunately, you can't change your basal metabolic rate or the amount of energy your body uses to process the food you eat. But you can do something about your level of physical activity and the amount of food you eat.

Here are a few steps you can take:


Eat often: eating five or six small meals throughout the day maintains a constant flow of energy to your body and keeps your body's furnace processing that food. Calories consumed during larger meals are more likely to be stored as fat.

Eat a balanced diet: your body needs a mix of protein, fibre and carbohydrates — especially complex carbohydrates like whole grains. Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks. Choose fruit over fruit juice — you can take in a lot of calories and sugar, without fruit's filling fibre if you drink a lot of juice.

Strength train: building muscle mass will replace stored fat. It takes more calories to maintain muscle than fat.

Ensure that you get cardiovascular exercise: 20 to 30 minutes of exercise five days a week that gets your heart rate up will help burn calories. Brisk walking, swimming, cycling or running will all do the trick. These exercises may not build muscle mass as efficiently as strength training, but combining cardio and strength training will help turn your body into a calorie burning machine. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/exercise_fitness/metabolism.html September 26, 2007)

Harry’s Great White Adventure Part I.

September 24, 2007

Today is the last full week I will spend here in Halifax, as Aingeal and I get ready for our move across the country to Yellowknife. We are moving into the unknown as neither of us has visited that area before. I have been told it’s a great area to live in and many folks move out there and never come back.

My running gear is not complete, over the last 3 weeks I have been slowly adding quality cold weather gear. Aside from my normal pants and jackets I have purchased a micro fleece base layer (Long underwear for runners), wind briefs for the family jewels, triple layered micro fleece mittens rated to -30, a balaclava with a wind guard for the neck and of course a safety light that blinks.

This week while busy is also slightly sad, because of the move Shapiro our greyhound will be headed back to GPAC. They are the Greyhound Pet rescue here in Halifax. Greyhounds are a great dog and if you are interested in a great dog give them a lookup on the neb. www.gpac.ca

But on a good note, I just got an email that will allow me to run a leg in the Rum Runners Relay here in Nova Scotia. While I don't get a 1/2 marathon in because of the move I will get a good race in under my belt. Leg 6 between Hubbards and Chester. Should be a good time.

Harry

August/September 2007

Yes I know its been a long while since I last posted a paragraph or two here. Things have been hectic and busy as ever in Halifax. I guess the big news is that the diabetic runner (me) is going on down the road.

Not just running, but Aingeal and I are moving out west. In fact we are moving to the Northwest Territories in about 3 weeks. The flight leaves on October 4, 2007. I love Halifax and I am very sorry to have to leave a great city. But, the job opportunity of a lifetime has come up and I would be foolish not to go.

I will be moving my Team Diabetes Marathon from the Goofy in Florida to I hope the New York City Marathon in Nov 2008. Couple of reasons for this, first training for a major event in Yellowknife may be a challenge, first the light. I can’t imagine running 30K runs in the dark. Also, the heat factor, I will be running in -30C weather, can you imagine going from -30C training to running in a marathon where the weather is 25 – 30C.

Just a quick update for now.
Harry

July Update

Greetings, folks I thought I would take a few moments and update the blog for this month. I really should try to update more often. But here I go for this month.

Well, I am now starting my training a bit more intensely for this falls ½ marathon in the Valley here in Nova Scotia. I am waiting for the clinic to catch up a bit on the longer runs. I am doing about 12 – 13K on Sunday’s at the moment. So it will be about 3 more weeks when they get up there. Meanwhile I am maintaining about a 40K per week base.

My health is good and my diabetes is not an issue in terms of day to day. My weight I am happy to report is now just a touch under 203. The goal is to be under 200 for the ½ marathon in the fall. With a further goal of 190 before next years marathon season, I am hoping that I will go to NYC or Chicago next fall.

My LTR clinic is going well; I need to polish up my public speaking a bit better. But with Practice and more self confidence I will be much better at presenting topics. This week we talked about goals, which went pretty good through I think I could have been a bit more polished and avoids the Uh’ and Ah’s. But nothing wrong with this as I push the envelope of my comfort zone on occasion.

Hopefully there may be some big news in the next week or two. But mum’s the word at the moment, look for more in perhaps 1 – 2 weeks on that.

Angela and I did get to see Beyond the Pail here in Halifax last week. They were fantastic, great energy and great music.

Just a small one today
Later
Harry

June update

Here we are into July and I have not posted anything, I guess as a blogger I should try to get to my blog more often and post. Really not much to post until now, so here goes an update to what is new and going on in the life of the diabetic runner.

Aingeal and I just got back this week from our summer vacation; we were in a number of locations across Ontario. We made the drive from Halifax NS to Orillia with stops in Quebec city, Port Perry Area and Ottawa. My daughters Graduation was first up in Orillia on June 26, 2007. She graduated with honours from Georgian college, way to go Tasha. She is now a member of my alumni as I graduated in 1999.

We then went off to Ottawa to the Unisong Festival; this festival is 11 years old and brings choirs from all across Canada. After 3 days of rehearsals and smaller performances we had our concert at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. While the performances where nice, the overall experience sucked.

It was like going to a kid’s camp. While 90% of the choirs where children it seems that the organizers painted the adults with the same brush. I found this quite condescending and did not really add the experience. Pity I think the potential was there but it was just one big let down.

The real let down was Doreen Rao, a world famous conductor, while she was a good conductor and very passionate about what she does, I cannot forgive her for a remark which called all the choristers racists. I did complain to the Harper’s about the incident, their reply was that sometimes the conductor has to be harsh to the choir in order to motivate. While I guess there goes you catch more honey theory.

However the Highlight of the weekend for me was the HBC run in Ottawa. Three thousand people showed up to support and raise money for our Olympic athletes. This run was a great event, which wound its way around the canal and parliament buildings. I ran a personal best of 53:03 (chip Time), breaking my previous record by over 4 minutes. The medal this year was great, biggest event I have run since I started racing last year.

We are back now the dust has settled. This Saturday I start the LTR clinic this time teaching. Looking forward to that, I want to make it fun and motivational for them.

Well more later.
Harry

Cabot Trail Relay a big success

Well another weekend goes by and I laced up my running shoes in Baddeck, NS. Baddeck is in Cape Breton were I ran the 20th annual Cabot Trail Relay. This is a 17 man relay that runs the 298Km around the Cabot trail over approx. 27 hours. There were 65 teams from a variety of states and provinces. Runners from 17 to 75 participating in the event this weekend running legs from 13.25Km up to 20Km.

My leg was leg 3, which was a shorter 13.46 KM leg, consisting of rolling terrain. There were some nice gradual inclines as well as nice gradual down hills. So unlike the Bluenose or some of the other legs it was fairly easy to run. I was a bit nervous because having run a full marathon the week before I did not know how I would perform.

But I can tell you I had a great run. It was one of those runs where everything came together. I opted not to run with my Garmin and decided to hell with pacing, I was just going to go for it and giver all I had. That worked, I ran a very fast run, in fact in term of pace it was a Personal Best of 5:35KM breaking the previous 5:47 record set at the HBC run last year.

Will I go back to Cabot Trail and run the relay again you bet. It was a fantastic run, and a great weekend. Aingeal my partner in crime supported the first 3 legs making sure everyone had water and a friendly cheer to motivate them on. We ate in a very nice restaurant and the food was excellent.

Next up, not sure, but if I feel good by end of week, I think I will run 10K in Trenton, NS for the Johnny miles. On June 9th and 10th I will be on the Run for Life Cancer relay here at the Citadel in Nova Scotia. I may even be convinced to head over to Lunenburg on Sunday June 10th to run the famous 5K muffin run.

Harry

Wed. May 23, 2007

Well a few days have passed and I am well on the road to recovery. I ran 4K this morning at a very slow pace and my legs held up very well. They are fatigued I can feel it but at least there is no pain.

Upcoming for this weekend is the Cabot Trail Relay in Cape Breton. It’s a 24 hour event where 65 teams put up 17 runners each and run almost 300K around Cape Breton. I have leg 3 which is 13.75Km and have 82 minutes to run it in. That is going to be a big challenge seeing that I just ran a marathon on Sunday.

Looking forward of easy running through the summer. Concentrating on 10K distances, I am going to try to keep hill work and speed work my training program, alternating them every other week, as well as try to throw in a 15 – 20K run once per month.

I will pick up a ½ marathon in October more then likely the Valley event in Kentville NS. It should be a nice run and flatter then Halifax.

Well back to the grindstone
Harry

Harry Runs a Marathon

Well Folks I ran the Blunose at 4:51 (offical) and 4:49(chip) time. While I would like to have finished faster, who cares I finsished and I am very happy with myself that i was one of only 303 folks to run a full marathon here in Halifax.

The first 20 Km where great, the pace was right on for a 4:30 marathon felt strong despite the showers. The temp was good around 14C so no problem in terms of over heating or being to cold. We did 10:1's and as I finshed the first half it was fantastic.

Then we crossed over to Dartmouth. In case you ever think of running here, make sure you hill train. Dartmouth is 60% up hill, 30% flat and 10% down. Its a nice course but the hills are tough. By the time Woodward avenue my quads were starting to really tighten up. This was unsuall since its not a big muscle I associate with running. But between the damp, hills and faster running speed I guess they were taken a betting.

Shubie park was nice, really did not like running on there new gravel its not flat so you feel the stones on your feet as you run. By the time I came out of the park and down a bit around the 34K mark, I can now tell you what the "wall" feels like. Thats the part of the race where you mind has to take control of your body. Up to then my body was on auto pilot.

The last 8Km where nothing Short of Hellish. I took more frequent walk breaks and I walked up the last 3rd of maple, my quads did not have anything to give for that hill. Once over maple I knew there was only about 5.5K left and I knew that i would finish. But at this point my walk breaks were pretty frequent.

Of course as I approached the finish the last 1.5K were run not to badly and I had a smile plastered on my face. As I approaced the finish I heard my name annouced and my GF was yelling Harry, Harry. I straigthend out, lifted my body up and look right at the photographer. Gave a big smile and the Winner pose with my hands right up in the air.

First thing I said to my Girlfriend was, "I don't ever want to do that again." As I am thinking about the next race. We had a good laugh as I shuffled back to get my bag and waited for my turn at the massage table. Watching the faster runners i realized that, no matter what time I finished, they were walking just like me.

Every ache, pain and twinged is well deserved and I could not be happier with myself.

Richard Marcinko "Rogue Warrior" and motivational speaker has my favorite quote.

"Pain is just mother natures way of telling you, that you are alive", Today I am very alive and Upright and Smiling.

Harry "Now a marathoner" Jacobs

Sugar in foods

Interesting article to yesterday in the Chronicle Herald, it was about how sugar in foods have increased since 1978. Cereals are the worst hit with the sugar content in some cereals doubling. Full article can be found at: http://www.herald.ns.ca/Search/833700.html

One has to wonder why food manufactures feel the need to add more sugar to foods. Only one reason I can think of taste. People have sweet tooth’s so food producers aim there products to appeal to our pallet by making food sweeter. Sweet foods equal good tasting foods. How do you make kid’s eat their cereal, put in sugar so it tastes sweeter. Now the morning breakfast is like eating candy instead of a well rounded breakfast.

But no big surprise, manufactures have turned granola bars into candy bars. They chocolate coat them add marsh mellows, candy all kinds of sugar and tote it as a breakfast replacement. The mass public by into that, don’t have time for breakfast grab a chocolate coated granola bar for breakfast, might as well just grab a 3 musketeers bar.

Let me speculate and say that the problem with our eating habits is that we are fighting the mass media. How does the Canadian Diabetes or American Diabetes association fight billion dollar advertising budgets that say eating candy like granola bars are good for us. Can the government step in and start to crack down in advertising. Maybe we could have disclaimer such as “Having a Granola bar may not be a healthy replacement for a well balanced breakfast”. Or, “Eating this product may cause diabetes if eating in excess”.

The cigarette companies are forced to put disclaimers on there product. How about food, can you imagine Kraft being told to put a picture of an obese kid on the label with the caption, “This Product has no nutritional value, eating in excess can cause Heart attacks and obesity”. I am sure that would go well with the mass marketing media.

There is no easy answer I can think of. Manufactures of these food products are in the business to sell their product. The only solution is for the government to market food guides and health eating and make it fun. We need to get message out to children and families that a good breakfast is needed to start the day.

Harry

This is it; the last big run in the training program has come and gone. By my Garmin the 32K run was actually 34.8K, which would explain why I was hurting after the run. The pace was quick maybe about 30 seconds slower then what I figure I would run during the race. My prediction is a 4:30 – 4:45 Marathon should be right on.

My health is good, while I do have some small aches and pains, but there is nothing that will prevent me from running in the Bluenose at this point. After this week the last two weeks taper down so that my body will be rested and hopefully repaired.

The massage at the College of Massage therapy in Bedford, was really good. I had a good 2nd year student who was a good as any RMT I have been to in the last year. She is going to do really well. I certainly would go back to the College for another massage.

For a good laugh,
http://www.realbuzz.com/en-gb/Your_pictures_and_videos/index?pageID=3174&ht_do=view&id=130

Harry

Well, here we are less then one month away from the Bluenose. Last Sunday we did a 29K run, the time on it was actually faster then the last time we did a 29K run. So far I am still on track for the full marathon.

Through I have been questioning myself lately on why am I putting myself through the training. Let’s face it, running 29K hurts. Two minutes after finishing the run my legs are stiff. Muscles are complaining as they have been pounded into submission. My energy level for the rest of the day is that of a sloth.

Then yesterday, my daughter posted her High school grad pictures from 2004. It was a shock to see how fat I was. I never perceived myself as fat at that time. Yes I knew I was big, but being that fat. It was a good reminder of why I do what I do.

It’s good to be reminded that only two years ago I was over 300lbs. and could not even walk around the block. It’s a wonder that I did not have a heart attack, I was luck. The diabetes diagnosis was a kick in the pants.

I don’t think we give enough kicks in the pants to people. In Zellar’s the other day, I was at the check out. Saw a woman (overweight) with her 3 kids all overweight, double chinned and big bellies. In her cart were at least 7 cases of Pepsi. Bags of chips and candy, I looked over to Aingeal and said, “I wanted to go over and tell her she was killing her kids”. Of course I would be told to mind my own business.

If we want a more healthy society we are going to have to start calling people what they are. I am sorry but FAT IS FAT, not big boned, or “he’s a husky child”. These kids are fat, a lot of them live in homes where the parents are FAT. They eat junk and crap there is nobody to teach them good eating habits.

I am not saying these parents are bad people, but they need to be educated. Maybe we should put health awareness workers at checkouts. Can you imagine the Cashier at Zellar’s telling the customer, I am sorry you are fat I cannot allow you to have the regular Pepsi, but we do have Diet Pepsi if you wish to buy pop.

Or I am sorry sir you are fat, please return the box of chocolates before I can process you through the check out. How about a nice bag of apples, I can see that going over well with consumers.

Should we start denying healthcare on the basis of survivability? I mean why should a doctor waste time on someone who refuses to take care of themselves. Run healthcare like a business, where’s the return on the investment on a person if they refuse to maximize there health and minimize the risks of health care problems by healthy living.

Maybe we should start giving some health care dollars back to people so they can afford to eat better. Eating healthy is expensive. So maybe we need to invest money into food growers so they can provide cheaper produce and meats to consumers. Not to say we should not have junk food. But how about a health care tax on McDonalds meals, or maybe on every box of Kraft Dinner sold. That certainly would raise awareness.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Harry

With five weeks to go to the Bluenose Marathon I can say everything is on track. Training is going well and this week is a bit of a step back week. Then on Sunday we are down to the last two big runs before we start to taper down. We are now done the hill work and this week I started on the speed work. I did not do this last time with the half, but this time I am stronger and feeling better physically.

Feeling better physically as I did not try to over train the event. When I did the ½ marathon in the fall I over trained and paid the price in the last 4 weeks of the program. I had to slow down and taper early. What a difference 6 months make, when we were out doing the 23K run on Sunday I noticed at the 18K mark I was actually about 10 minutes faster in then when I was training for the ½. I am hoping that will translate later on in the season when I start to pick up 10K events.

My Sucony Trigons did not make the grade, while they were a nice running shoe the only went about 400K when I wore completely thorough the heal to the padded layer. I wrote Sucony and got some response that really did not answer or solve anything. So I went out and bought a pair of Adidas Shadow’s. They are not to bad, but not as comfortable as the Trigons.

I may pick up a pair of Trigons just for racing purposes. This I think is a good move as I want to be as comfortable with my run as I can.

Physically I can say I am in the best shape I have ever been in the last 25 years. My weight is steady in that 205 area, I am hoping to drop 15 pounds after the marathon. No sense trying to cut back my food now. I will have to cut back anyway when I take my mileage back down I will maintain a base once I am recovered of about 35K a week until its time to train for the goofy.

Running upright and smiling
Harry