I think the internet is great... I keep finding these amazing tools that will help me keep track of... well... just about everything!
I was over at Pokey's blog "Miscellaneous Ramblings of a Slow Poke" and I noticed that she's using a tool called "Running ahead" that helps her to keep track of her distances.
There's a little under a foot of snow on the ground right now... I'm not going to be doing much running any time soon (at least out doors), but I'll be able to use this come spring to see just how far I run!
... Of course, I was humbled a bit when two of my friends from school stopped by my work... in the middle of a 5 mile run, in the 8 inch deep snow. When asked how it was running in snow, they said it was kind of like running in sand... EXCEPT THAT SAND ISN'T USUALLY COLD!
Those guys are hard core... they ran a 4-man race around Door County, WI with each guy running about 11 miles... and they didn't even really train for it.
Some people just have it in their genes I think...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Weigh-in
Well, it's about that time... ok, really, I'm just taking a break from studying. Two finals and an 8 page paper due tomorrow... and then the semester is OVER!
I'm still on the down slope... that was 4 pounds in the last week! I don't think that I can (... or really want to...) keep this pace. But honestly, I haven't really been consciously doing anything to accomplish this. They talk about the Freshman 15 of your undergrad years... are you really supposed to lose 20 pounds when you start grad school (... or a new job... or have a baby... or babies, as it were...).
Therein, of course, lies the rub... I simply haven't had that much time to eat, I guess... I dunno!
I'm still on the down slope... that was 4 pounds in the last week! I don't think that I can (... or really want to...) keep this pace. But honestly, I haven't really been consciously doing anything to accomplish this. They talk about the Freshman 15 of your undergrad years... are you really supposed to lose 20 pounds when you start grad school (... or a new job... or have a baby... or babies, as it were...).
Therein, of course, lies the rub... I simply haven't had that much time to eat, I guess... I dunno!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Taking care of babies... the healthy way and saving your back!
Well, seeing as I'm in the running for "health blogger" awards, I should probably write a post about being healthy!
As you know, my wife and I have two (now six week old) boys. They're amazing bundles of joy... but they do require quite a bit of "maintenance." Having twins is tougher than having a singleton... and it is more than just two times tougher. With one, when the baby is crying, you have to help remedy the problem. Once you do this, you have peace and quiet, and your baby is happy.
But with two kiddos, one can be crying... and you can remedy that issue all you want... but that has no bearing on that second wonderful bundle of joy...! What we have found is that as soon as we get George settled down... Patrick starts to fuss. Thus, no down time.
But alas, that wasn't even what I had planned on writing about!
In changing lots of diapers and clothes, I've noticed something... I'm doing a lot of bending over, and it really hurts my back! The changing table we have is average height... and the crib is average height... for a changing table and a crib. That's low by most normal standards. Usually if you're going to be handling heavy items, you do it in a way and a place that allows you to use your muscles to their full advantage. Not so here! I'm bent in half, completely isolating my upper body, putting lots of strain on my core and my leg muscles.
I've had to figure out a way to fix this problem!
For one... I've started to bend my knees before leaning over. That takes quite a bit of strain off of my back and hamstrings... but it puts strain on my knees. This is definitely better though.
The other this is that I've started stretching. A common misconception about back pain is that your back muscles are the muscles that are tight and need to be stretched. Now, while that might be true, more likely your hamstrings are tight. The muscles of the core do need to be strong... they help to transfer energy from your upper and lower body when doing strenuous activity, and they're great stabilizers... and they CAN be sore in and of themselves, but, like I said, they're linked to the upper and lower body.
And if most people are like me, stretching is not a normal part of their daily routine!
There are lots of ways to stretch your hamstrings. One of the best, though, is the doorway hamstring stretch:
Lie face up in a doorway.
Lift one leg up to rest against the wall or doorjamb.
Keep your body, shoulders, head, and other leg relaxed comfortably flat on the floor.
Keep both hips flat on the floor. Don't let your hips round under you.
Relax and breathe.
A few keys here... make sure that your other leg, your hips, shoulder, and back are flat on the floor. I know the first time I did it how inflexible I was... My "doorway" let was at about a 45 degree angle! It really goes to show, though, how much MORE flexible I could be. And as you do this and get more flexible, there will be less and less strain on your hamstrings and back, and when you are bending over baby (or doing whatever it is that has caused you back pain).
As you know, my wife and I have two (now six week old) boys. They're amazing bundles of joy... but they do require quite a bit of "maintenance." Having twins is tougher than having a singleton... and it is more than just two times tougher. With one, when the baby is crying, you have to help remedy the problem. Once you do this, you have peace and quiet, and your baby is happy.
But with two kiddos, one can be crying... and you can remedy that issue all you want... but that has no bearing on that second wonderful bundle of joy...! What we have found is that as soon as we get George settled down... Patrick starts to fuss. Thus, no down time.
But alas, that wasn't even what I had planned on writing about!
In changing lots of diapers and clothes, I've noticed something... I'm doing a lot of bending over, and it really hurts my back! The changing table we have is average height... and the crib is average height... for a changing table and a crib. That's low by most normal standards. Usually if you're going to be handling heavy items, you do it in a way and a place that allows you to use your muscles to their full advantage. Not so here! I'm bent in half, completely isolating my upper body, putting lots of strain on my core and my leg muscles.
I've had to figure out a way to fix this problem!
For one... I've started to bend my knees before leaning over. That takes quite a bit of strain off of my back and hamstrings... but it puts strain on my knees. This is definitely better though.
The other this is that I've started stretching. A common misconception about back pain is that your back muscles are the muscles that are tight and need to be stretched. Now, while that might be true, more likely your hamstrings are tight. The muscles of the core do need to be strong... they help to transfer energy from your upper and lower body when doing strenuous activity, and they're great stabilizers... and they CAN be sore in and of themselves, but, like I said, they're linked to the upper and lower body.
And if most people are like me, stretching is not a normal part of their daily routine!
There are lots of ways to stretch your hamstrings. One of the best, though, is the doorway hamstring stretch:
Lie face up in a doorway.
Lift one leg up to rest against the wall or doorjamb.
Keep your body, shoulders, head, and other leg relaxed comfortably flat on the floor.
Keep both hips flat on the floor. Don't let your hips round under you.
Relax and breathe.
A few keys here... make sure that your other leg, your hips, shoulder, and back are flat on the floor. I know the first time I did it how inflexible I was... My "doorway" let was at about a 45 degree angle! It really goes to show, though, how much MORE flexible I could be. And as you do this and get more flexible, there will be less and less strain on your hamstrings and back, and when you are bending over baby (or doing whatever it is that has caused you back pain).
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
New Template!
Well, I got tired of the limited width of my old blog template, especially when I was trying to embed content such as pics and videos, so I found a new one...! Let me know what you think!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Weigh-in
Just for giggles, I weighed myself the other day. Mind you, I haven't worked out in several months, though I've eaten less due to my current lifestyle (full time grad school and work, with two 5 week olds at home).
Needless to say, I was shocked:
WOW! I was amazed when I stepped on that scale! I really think that, in addition to not eating as much, being on my feet, running around one of the busiest pharmacies in the country has certainly helped me lose weight! It is amazing to me how a lifestyle change like switching jobs, from sitting at a desk all day to being on my feet all day, has has immensely more of an impact on my weight loss than working out did! I guess slow and steady certainly is better than short, harder, and more intermittent!
And, as I promised, here are some pictures of the kids. Unfortunately, I only have a few from the hospital on the computer right now... we've been too busy to take other ones!
George Steven
Patrick Lee
My two little men!
Needless to say, I was shocked:
WOW! I was amazed when I stepped on that scale! I really think that, in addition to not eating as much, being on my feet, running around one of the busiest pharmacies in the country has certainly helped me lose weight! It is amazing to me how a lifestyle change like switching jobs, from sitting at a desk all day to being on my feet all day, has has immensely more of an impact on my weight loss than working out did! I guess slow and steady certainly is better than short, harder, and more intermittent!
And, as I promised, here are some pictures of the kids. Unfortunately, I only have a few from the hospital on the computer right now... we've been too busy to take other ones!
George Steven
 |
| From Kids @ hospital |
Patrick Lee
 |
| From Kids @ hospital |
My two little men!
 |
| From Kids @ hospital |
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