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Picks for 2008
2007-12-10 17:02:00
1) Maratona Della Citta Di Roma (March 16th) A beautiful ancient city and a marathon together? What more could you ask for!2) E.T. Full Moon Midnight Marathon (August 17th) "Running along the fringe of the mysterious Area 51, this stretch of highway (375) has an overwhelming number of reported UFO sightings. So much so, that in 1996 the federal government officially named highway 375 the "Extraterrestrial Highway". The ET Highway has become a gathering place for UFO enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. With elevations ranging from roughly 4000-5600 feet, the high desert will enchant you with gorgeous vegetation, surrounding mountains, and stunning vistas. An additional treat is the cooler temperatures. Rachel, NV is generally 15 degrees cooler than the Las Vegas Valley; coupled with a midnight run, temperatures should be in the 60's in August! "Oh yes......this one's definitely for me!3) Portland Marathon (October 5th) Where I caught the bug.4) Trail of Two Cities Marathon ( ...
More About: 2008

New asthma action plan
2007-12-05 23:41:00
After a record number of admissions to the intensive care unit this year, (5 so far), it was pretty evident that my current asthma action wasn't working anymore. So, at last weeks pulmonary clinic follow-up visit, we (they) came up with a new asthma action plan that will hopefully reduce that high number of ICU admissions.For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about; an asthma action plan is basically a set of instructions agreed upon by the patient (me) and the physician (my lung docs), on how to best manage one's asthma on a daily basis. It includes such things as, how to interpret peak flow readings, when to increase or take certain medicines, what to do if your symptoms get worse, when to contact the your doctor...that sort of thing. The goal for most people of course, is to keep your asthma under control so that it will never escalate to the point where you have a crisis and need to seek emergency medical care.Well with severe or brittle asthmatics, thing...
More About: Action , Asthma , Plan

Be the best you can....with what you have
2007-11-30 17:53:00
**Video courtesy of Roxlyn (who's pretty amazing herself)**

Bass Ackwards
2007-11-27 20:36:00
Was checking my registration on the Rome Marathon website ,when I came across this blurb......And you thought racewalking or joggling looked a bit odd!Makes me wanna do the Rome marathon even more......"On March 16th we are running backwards!The 2008 edition of the City of Rome Marathon will be the first big world marathon to hold an official competition for the category of backward runners. Italy is the leading nation in the promotion of backward running (running in reverse) and the AIRR (Associazione Italiana Retrorunning-Italian Backward Running Association) holds more than 20 races a year.No other nation has witnessed as great a development in backward running, and in the last few years Italy has become an important reference point also for many foreign backward runners.The best backward runners will meet in Rome on March 16th 2008; among them there will be Claudio Conti from Rimini, who gave the best Italian performance (5:50.07 Rome 2007).On the streets of Rome many backward r...
More About: Bass

Racewalking for Science
2007-11-21 23:42:00
As part of the shortness of breath ( dyspnea) research project that I'm involved in over at UCSF, every 3 months I have to go into the lab where they check my pulmonary functions and then have me do a series of physical fitness type tests. Sometimes they have me get on the treadmill and basically walk till I puke. Other times they 'll test me to see how many arm raises I can do in one minute and that sort of thing.One of the tests that I have to do during every follow up visit, is called the "6 minute walking test". (Kinda weird they would have me do this if you consider , that on a good breathing day, I can walk 9 hours non-stop) .Anyway ,this is kind of the standard test they administer to people with lung disease , to see how short of breath they become when they exert themselves. Basically , you walk as far as you can in 6 minutes , and then they check your vital signs and you oxygen level . They also ask you to rate how short of breath you feel during and after t...
More About: Science

Discouraging
2007-11-18 20:21:00
Felt pretty good for a few days , even racewalked during a research follow up visit ( more about that later), but now I'm starting to slide back . I don't know if it's the steroid taper ( I'm still at 40mg) , or if I'm rebounding, or if I starting exercising too soon, but somethings not quite right.Today's test walk was very disappointing. I was so short of breath, I couldn't racewalk..at all! The best I could do was some regular walking with an occasional sprint thrown in so I that wouldn't get bored.My Peak flows are all over the place as well. Today before my walk they were 375, after my walk...240 (almost my red zone). Even when I'm not exerting myself, they're dipping 100-200 points without rhyme or reason. In addition, my shortness of breath has been near constant, which makes me very irritable and quite bitchy. I havent been able to break through to my green zone in weeks now.My lung doctors have been expressing their frustration as well. Not so much abo...

What a difference
2007-11-17 03:10:00
......last week This week.........I'm gradually starting to feel somewhat normal again( normal for me that is...) , but it's still a one-day-at -a time kind of process.As my docs always tell me....."It's pretty amazing how fast you seem to bounce back after a serious attack". Well, I don't know if it's amazing, but I'm sure thankful for it. There have times where it's taken me MONTHS to recuperate after one of these flare-ups.Actually , this recovery hasn't been as easy as it sounds...there's been a lot of bumps along the way. Tapering off the steroids is always a tricky affair, and I have a long way to go before I wean down to my baseline dosage of 20mg.Starting tomorrow I'm going to attempt to begin walking again on a regular schedule. It'll take me several weeks , if not months, to regain what I've lost , but I don't have any pending races, so I guess that's cool.
More About: Difference , Diff

A taper of a differnet kind
2007-11-16 07:33:00
Funny how many parallels you can draw between the endurance sports and severe asthma exacerbations. Though I never actually walked one until I was 52 years old, in many respects I've been training for marathons my whole life.These are the thoughts that were running through my head while I was suffocating in the hospital last week;A severe asthma attack is like the "ultimate" ultra endurance event, only this race starts in the ER, you cant quit or stop to rest, and the finish line is never determined until after the race starts. Could be 20 miles... could be 200. Once you start, you're in it, till it's over....If you just can't go anymore, they knock you out and put you on auto-pilot with the help of a ventilator. Regardless, you never cross the finish line until after your lungs finally open up. Sometimes this race can last for several days. Oh..and you're not allowed to walk this event..You have to run as fast as you can or you're disqualified.... ...PERMANENTLY ...
More About: Diff

This is why I couldn't race this week.
2007-11-10 14:34:00
I really must get a new wardrobe. Doug took this picture with this phone cam right after I came off the breathing machine... Hey, I have a blog to maintain failed multiple attempts by medical student to place an arterial line artery. I'm actually allergic to steroids? they make me crazy Years and years of IV steroids use have destroyed my veins. The only one they could find was in my foot. Have you ever had an IV in your foot?.... ouch !So anyways, this is what my "red zone" looks like when it gets out of control. Sorry if I don't look my best.I had a pretty severe attack last week which almost did me in. Because of that, I had to withdraw from the Trail 2 Cities half Marathon in Clovis this weekend... My very first DNS due to asthma ! Oh well, I guess it was bound to happen eventually. I hope this is not going to be a trend. Thank you to all the wonderful Doctors , Nurses , Respiratory Ther...
More About: Race , Week

Does your cat do this?
2007-11-03 16:28:00
Winston's favorite room has always been the kitchen. I remember the first day that he showed up at our doorstep, he went directly to the kitchen and plopped himself on the floor next to the stove. Now he spends most of the day ( and night) there.Crazy like the occupants of this house.

Farewell Megawalk
2007-10-31 17:52:00
A great time was had by all this past Sunday , as racewalkers of all ages and abilities merged on the town of Seaside California to compete in this prestigious and USATF sanctioned 10K racewalking event. (Though Kelly appears to be airborne, her front heel is actually touching the ground.To a racewalking fan, her racewalking form... is a thing of beauty!) ( more pics)The Megawalk race is a tribute to my friend Hansi's father, and racewalking legend, the late Giulio De Petra .The event was conceived and put together by Hansi and her Monterey Peninsula walking club " The Walk Walk Walk Club" back in 1981 . It's been a must- do annual race ever since.In addition to organizing this event, she also competes in it!This women is amazing. She'll be out there setting up tables, coning off streets and making sure everything gets done...then she'll join the race herself!As this that's not enough, after the race... she...
More About: Farewell , Fare , Well

It's a Racewalking Weekend.
2007-10-26 17:56:00
(photo courtesy of Jeff Salvage)This weekend is filled with all kinds of racewalking events throughout the world.Here are just a few of my friends who will be competing this Sunday.Dave Mc Govern and Steve Pecinovsky will be competing for a slot in the 2008 Olympic trials at the 30K National Racewalking Championships in Hauppauge New York.Allan of Racewalker55 fame, will be racewalking the Suwa Ko Half Marathon in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan .Elite runner and racewalker, Hansi Rigney will be hosting her famous Megawalk 10K racewalking championships in Seaside California ( yours truly will be there helping out)To everyone racing this weekend GOOD LUCK!!
More About: Weekend

New asthma toy
2007-10-23 17:37:00
There's a small subset of people with severe asthma, who often don't sense that they're asthma symptoms are getting worse until it's to late -- I'm one of those people.In an attempt to keep better tabs on my constantly fluctuating peak flows , and to identify what the critical values are for me, the clinical airway research folks at UCSF gave me this electronic peak flow meter . I'm supposed to blow into it 4 times a day on a set schedule ; morning, afternoon ,evening and night. In addition , I'm to use it before and after exercise or whenever I start to feel more short of breath than usual.The device displays and records my peak flows and other pulmonary function data, then stores it for analysis at a later time back at the clinic.The hope is that by keeping a constant and close tab on my pulmonary functions numbers throughout the day, that I'll be more likely to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of an impending severe attack, much earlier on. Even a few ho...
More About: Asthma

This is what's next
2007-10-20 01:50:00
Well, I got my long distance/fun fix with the Portland marathon, but now I'm really itching for a faster, shorter and more serious race that I can do with less preparation and expense. Thanks to my friend Brandon who did Portland with me, I think I found a good one.I signed up for the Trail of 2 Cities half marathon in Clovis California on Nov 11th. Clovis which is located in northern Fresno county, is about a 3 hour drive south from where I live, so I'll spend the night before the race down there.I've never done this race before, but I've heard many good things about it .From reading the reviews, it seems to be well organized and you get lots of bang for your buck. We're talking pre & post race hot food, not one, but TWO shirts, finish medal, goodie bag, etc . All this for $40.00 ...Can't beat that! The event is getting so popular in fact, that next year they're going to introduce a full marathon.More reminiscent of trail race, than a big city marathon , they cap...

Reflecting
2007-10-16 01:11:00
It's weird, but when I look at my marathon photos, it's almost like I'm looking at a stranger . It's as though someone else did this race for me and I just went along for the ride. I always seem to look healthier in race pictures than I actually feel. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I love what I'm doing , and the camera only captures that.Well, like most people in the days following a marathon, I've been doing a little recovering and a lot of reflecting. From a physical stand point, I'm now totally healed, mentally though, my mind is still in Portland thinking about that 7.5 hour walk and all the extraordinary people I met a long the way.I've tried to do a little self-critiquing on my performance, but other than walking slower than I had hoped ( and loosing my inhalers), I think I did the best I could , with what I had to work with at the time. I know for sure that I trained properly , because I didn't suffer a single leg cramp throughout the entire ...
More About: Portland Marathon

Slow.......but worth every extra second.
2007-10-11 06:16:00
I did it.....Again !(Two of a kind)(Mile 6)(mile 13)(St Johns Bridge mile 18)You probably wouldn't know it by looking at my slow finish results, but today, I'm a very ...very happy and lucky person . I know this wasn't my fastest marathon, nor was it my slowest , but it was by far... my Favorite marathon !Having been in the hospital just two weeks earlier, and judging by how rocky my recovery had been , I decided that I would not push myself too hard, and that I would deliberately keep my speed down and my racewalking sprints to a minimum.To summarize briefly.... I'm proud of my performance in this race and that of my friends. For the first time ever, I think I did more things right, then I did wrong . That doesn't mean I didn't do any stupid things (more about that later), but I started the race with a positive attitude, finished strong, and I had a whole lot of fun in between.And get this... I didn't have a single leg cramp--not even a twitch during the enti...
More About: Portland Marathon , Worth , Extra , Slow , Wort

Rain or Shine.....Bring it on PORTLAND!
2007-10-04 17:48:00
The Portland Marathon festivities have officially begun . Let the good times roll!I'm just on my way out the door to catch my flight to Portland. Gosh.. I can't believe a whole year has gone by. Seems like I did this marathon just a few weeks ago!It'll be interesting to compare this years experience, with last .I'm breathing fair, but with these persistent calf cramps, walking a full marathon is still an iffy proposition. We'll see what Sunday morning brings. Either way, I plan to have a good time.I was invited to attend a luncheon put on by the Portland Marathon Race Committee. A guy name Bart Yasso, of Runners World, will be speaking and showing funny videos. Should be fun.I'm not bringing my laptop with me , so I'll post the outcome of this weekends event, when I return next week.To everyone else who is racing this weekend.........RUN/WALK STRONG!(This is where I hope to be at 6:30 on Sunday Morning)
More About: Rain , Shine , Bring It On

It's that time again
2007-10-03 17:29:00
Well, Friday I'm off to Oregon to hopefully take another stab, at this, my most favorite walking event on the planet...."The Portland Marathon"I say hopefully, because I'm still not totally sure if I'll be able to walk it. Though, I'm breathing OK, I've been having major problems with calf muscle pain/cramps . I'll make that final decision on race morning.The weather forecast also looks a little sketchy, but they say in the past 25 years, it's only rained one time during the actual marathon--- and that only lasted 10 minutes; gosh... I hope so.While in Portland, I'll be hooking up with a few friends from my Walkingfasterclub racewalking group who are also doing the marathon.We'll be hanging out over the weekend, but will split up on race morning. All but one of them, that I know of, has major health problems or other physical disabilities, so just being able to finish this race will be a victory to many of us.We decided that the first one in the group to finish the ra...
More About: Time

A One -Women Cheering Section / Pit Crew
2007-09-29 21:14:00
Major funCheck this out........My good friend and fellow Dave Mc Govern alumnae and freelance writer extrodinaire, Anita ( aka Phatgirlwalking ) ,is actually going to fly up to Portland , rent a Vespa scooter, and meet us at various points along the marathon course , where she's gonna cheer us on and supply us with various edible delights !Is that cool or what???I love this women!!! At last years marathon, she waited patiently for 8 and 3/4 hours until I FINALLY make it to the finish line. The area was basically deserted , but she clapped , shouted out my name , and carried on like the war had just ended.I'll never forget that as long as I live .Gosh..I gotta get well, so I can do this race.
More About: Women , Portland Marathon , Section , Crew

A matter of timing
2007-09-26 17:51:00
Sometimes when I'm suffering from bouts of dyspnea , I'll divert my attention by writing about it .... or I should say... bitching about it . Nine out of ten times, I'll never actually post/publish these rantings , because by the time Ive written them, I've already begun to feel little better and they somehow don't seem as relevant anymore.Below, is the post I was working on just a few hours before I ended up in the hospital last week. I had no idea at the time, that my symptoms would escalate to the point where I'd need emergent care. Kinda weird reading it now:Post title " A matter of timing"No matter what I do, no matter how well I take care of myself, the reoccurring theme seems to be...Breath good for a few weeks--Breath bad for a few weeks ! Cycle on, cycle off. It's like a I have a built in "breathing disruption" chip that's programmed to trigger on and off every few weeks. Well, after almost a full month of easy breathing, I'm getting increasingly...
More About: Matter , Timing

Test walk
2007-09-23 15:44:00
(Today's photo sure looks better than last Mondays) Five days out of the Intensive care unit and I'm already back on the road.Right now I'm going through Fentanyl, Ativan and Prednisone withdrawals which makes it really difficult to sleep, so I thought I'd try a short walk.I ended up doing a 4 mile test walk to see where any potential problems areas might be, ie..lungs, leg cramps, diarrhea etc. The medications I'm on have some pretty nasty side effects, and with less than two weeks left until the Portland marathon, I wanted see what I'm going to be up against. When I was in the hospital, they put IVs in my arms and feet. The one that they put in my foot is really sore and hurts when I bend my ankle.Well ,with the exception of some major shortness of breath and muscle fatigue, I think the "test walk" went fairly well . Because I'm still on a lot steroids, the undesirable consequences of todays walk probably wont surface until tomorrow. I'll have a better han...
More About: Test , Walk

# 87
2007-09-21 01:07:00
16 hours on Bipap, 36 hours on Continuous Albuterol, 22 blood gas samples drawn and 3 IV infiltrations...I'm pooped. This current prison stay took a lot out of me.I'll be back to my adorable cheerful racewalking self shortly . I have a marathon to walk in 2 weeks ...Depending on your perspective, this will either be the biggest mistake or the biggest challenge I've ever dealt with.PS.. To my shining stars and ICU Nurses, Trishia and Jane ... Thanks for taking such good care of me! Most of all , thank you Douglas for putting up with my shit for 19 years.

I am humbled ..........again
2007-09-15 01:47:00
I'd like to introduce you to three remarkable people. My friends, Mike, Roxlyn and John.All have severe emphysema, all need supplemental Oxygen.....All are avid walkers and Mike and Roxyln...... are actual Marathoners!!!!Not only do Mike and Roxyln walk/run races with oxygen cylinders in tow, but they do it at 10,000 feet above sea level. As you can see in the pictures ,they have to carry multiple oxygen tanks to get them through their long treks. ( Mike doing the Las Vegas Marathon)(Roxlyn and Mike doing a race in Colorado)Then there's my friend John . He runs a popular COPD website from his home in the UK.John was an avid mountain climber for 35 years before his lung disease put an end to it.John has extremely severe emphysema , and at last report, had an FEV1 of only 15% . As a Respiratory therapist I can assure you , that a lung function of 15% is almost incompatible with life, but John is an amazing person. Desp...
More About: Humble , Bled

Holy Crap!
2007-09-13 01:56:00
....Today ( Sept 12th), I turned 53I started walking when I turned 51 ...Since then, I've walked over 2,300 miles I hope to get a few more of these before I turn 54
More About: Crap , Holy

Odds and Ends
2007-09-10 18:41:00
Thanks Everyone --- For all the advise and tips regarding core strengthening and knee and leg problems.Taper time -- Thank goodness Saturday I did my last long slow walk, covering 20 miles in 6 hours.I was breathing fairly well , but once again was plagued with leg and knee pain from mile 8 which really slowed me down. Next week I have a 12 miler followed by a 10 miler the week after that. Then it's two weeks of NO WALKING (over 4 miles) before the race.Knee Problems-- After doing my 20 miler, my left leg and knee was killing me . I could barely walk without a limp. Immediately after that walk, a good friend ( and a USA Track& Field coach) was kind enough to examine it for me. He thinks it's a pronation or muscle imbalance problem.It appears to have something to do with the way I'm landing on that foot. I seem to be landing on the outer edge instead of directly on the center of the heel, which in turn, is putting too much stress on the muscles that allow you to turn you...
More About: Odds , Ends

Core strengthening...harder than it looks.
2007-09-05 21:11:00
In an attempt to slim down my midsection and tone up my abdominal muscles, over the last two months I've been gradually incorporating more and more basic core strengthening exercises into my daily workouts. The problem I'm having, is that because of my obstructive lung disease, it takes me forever to exhale at the beginning of each exercise maneuver.How long does it take YOU to exhale a single breath? A few seconds maybe?Well, on one of my typical breathing days, it can take me up to a half a minute !Seriously... it takes me 15 to 30 FULL seconds to expel enough air, to allow for the proper core muscle contraction to take place. Even if I force the air out with a cough, it's still takes upwards of 10 seconds to get most of the air out, and by the time I do get it all out and tighten the appropriate muscles , I'm too short of breath to maintain the proper breathing pattern for the recommended contraction interval.Is there an alternate , but equally effective way of do...
More About: Core , Then , Looks

Training notes
2007-09-01 23:19:00
Well, only 5 weeks left till the Portland marathon , and I'm happy to report that for once, I'm on track with my Long Slow Days. Last year, I had countless interruptions due to my lungs, leg cramps and other annoyances, but other than some minor knee issues, things are going much smoother this marathon season.Next Saturday will be my last long walk ( 20 miles), followed by a very rapid taper.For this marathon, I'm giving myself 4 full weeks of easy walks...nothing over 8 miles. Last year, I pushed myself way too hard at the end , got sick , and didn't have time to fully recover before the race. This time around if I get sick, I'll do the mature thing...and not race.Something else that I've added to this season's already FULL training menu, is some basic strength training. Nothing hardcore, just 15 lb hand weights. I use them to work my biceps, triceps, pecks and a few other muscles , and it seems to be working! I've also begun to do some core strengthening...
More About: Training , Notes , TRAI , Raining

The Man
2007-08-31 01:41:00
Got this email today from Stiletto Entertainment :Clear your calendar for September 11 and 12!Barry is taping a new PBS Special "Barry Manilow : Great Songs From The Seventies," and we want YOU to be in the audience. The taping will take place on two days ? September 11 and 12 ? at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York , a return to the city where Barry was born and raised.Steiner Studios15 Washington AvenueBrooklyn Navy Yard, New York 11205For Map and Directions, visit: http://www.steinerstudios.com/mapsdirecti ons.html Doors will open at 5:00pm on September 11.Doors will open at 6:30pm on September 12. -You can go to both shows, but you must specify which show(s) you want to attend.-You must submit your full name as well as the full names of the other guests in your party.-All requests must be received by Monday, September 3.-You will receive a confirmation via email by Monday, September 10.-Dress for the taping is Fall/Winter ?New York Chic.? No summer attire.-You must bring a v...
More About: The Man

Pleasant Surprise
2007-08-28 23:23:00
So here I am, half way into my 18 miler, just coming off the Golden Gate Bridge and racewalking down Long ave, when all of a sudden, I hear someone call out my name. There's this little guy, totally buffed, riding his bike up the hill toward me. Sure enough, is was Rick of "365me" fame!I couldn't believe it.. he actually recognized me! He was all decked out in his cycling clothes, on his way to meet some friends in Marin. The first sentence out of his mouth was "how's that knee doing? How sweet is that! He remembered from one of my earlier posts, that I was having knee problems, and was kind enough to leave comments on what to do about it.I have to tell you, in person Rick is like a mini Hulk!Not surprising I guess, since he runs 100 milers for fun. Anyways, we talked for a few minutes, he snapped a quick picture , then we headed off in opposite directions. I finished my measly 18.2 mile walk, in 5 hours flat .Call me sentimental , or maybe even star struck, but aft...

How does the saying go?..... When in Rome.....
2007-08-24 22:55:00
Ok... I think I will !Well, after months of working out the logistics, and obtaining the medical waivers, today I received official confirmation. March 16th 2008, I'll be walking the Maratona Della Citta Di Roma or by it's english name, the "City of Rome Marathon" ...... in Rome, Italy! What better way to see ancient Rome, than to walk a marathon right through the middle of it.... Kinda like walking 2000 years back in time!Check out this course ......"Starting and finishing at the Roman Colosseum, runners and walkers will pass by all the the major landmarks including, the Vatican/St. Peter's Square, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Del Popolo, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain", etc etc.How cool is that! Plus ... I got great accommodations just 2 blocks from the starting line ( the Colosseum)As you might imagine, this is quite an ambitious endeavor for me and not everyone is exactly thrilled with the idea (especially my pulmonologists). Traveling 6500 miles alone, to a for...