Run for Her 5 K Race Report: November 13, 2011

The Run for Her Running Gang line up for the pre-race photo

My wife, Alice, recommended this 5 K race and all of our running friends, plus some folks from my wife's work at MWD decided to run or walk this race. Run For Her is a charitable race for ovarian cancer research and awareness.

So, Alice and I woke up at an early Sunday hour, drove to West Los Angeles and met at Tara's house. Nancy also met us there. Both Tara and Nancy are LA Roadrunners (training for the Los Angeles Marathon) with Alice and I. We have run many races together.

When we arrived at the race site (around Pan Pacific Park and The Grove) we found the parking easy and race logistics a delight. Believe me we have been to races that were either too crowded or so poorly organized that they were a challenge. Even the porta-potties were modern, clean and plentiful.

There was an expo area in the park that served for pre and post-race festivities. I, especially liked the bagels and banana booth! Alice liked the frozen yogurt.

I was contemplating walking this race, but I met a friend, Bob, a tri-athlete, his wife, Tina and his biking partner, Mary Elizabeth before the race. I asked him if he was going to run the race and he said yes. So, I thought, well, why not.

Bob, Mary Elizabeth and me

We lined up at the appropriate time, warmed up......

And, off we went. Nancy joined me in the 5K run with Alice and the rest of the gang walking.

 A 5K race is not every long, so I decided to run a little faster and.... I did not do too badly. Let's just say I am improving.

Here is a photo of Alice and the gang finishing......

More of my photos of the race are here.

Today, will be a running rest day and I will walk only. If I don't rest, then I just might have to acquire some arch supports for plantar fasciitis.  A long run on Saturday and a 5K on Sunday is plenty.

I give a thumbs up for Run for Her and will definitely be back next year!

It Is Running at Night Season: 7 Tips for Safety

From Brooks Running

Now that Daylight Savings time is ending it is time to re-learn how to "SAFELY" run at night.

Here are some great tips!

Light Up the Dark Streets

“I’m always amazed at the amount of runners I pass in my car that aren’t wearing anything to enhance their visibility,” said Atlanta-based running coach, Carl Leivers. “The reflective material on most running clothes just isn’t enough. Wear something designed for the job.”

Headlamps are terrific as they are hands free can come with lights on the front and back of the headband. Other options are knuckle lights, wearing a headlamp around the waist or simply carrying a flashlight.

Run Facing Traffic

Choose The Right Route

“Always chose a route that’s traveled by cars [and run the route] during the day to familiarize yourself with the road surface,” explained Hollie Kenney, an Austin-based triathlon coach. “Look for breaks or steps in the street you could potentially trip on, low tree limbs you could easily run into or glass in the road, etc. Avoid roads without a shoulder, always keep your eyes on oncoming cars, and [run on the sidewalk] if there is one.”

The sidewalk may be harder on your joints, but in the dark it is a far safer option for staying out of a driver’s way.

Carry A Cell Phone

Carry Your ID

Wear a Hat

During the day a hat protects you from the sun, but at night it can be just as helpful from the blinding headlights of cars.

“Tilt your head down when a cars headlights are blinding you,” explained Steven Tally, coach at the San Diego Tri Club.

Ditch Your Tunes

Wearing headphone to listen to music is a nice distraction from the monotony running, yet it also is a distraction from the things going on around you. At night our ability to see what is going on around us decreases, so it is important to have a heightened sense of hearing.

These are all good tips - happy running - day and night!

The Morning Drill: October 20, 2011

A collection of dentistry and health related links/comments for your day.

Unvaccinated Kids Behind Largest U.S. Measles Outbreak in Years: Study

The largest U.S. outbreak of measles to occur in 15 years -- affecting 214 children so far -- is likely driven by travelers returning from abroad and by too many unvaccinated U.S. children, according to new research.

The finding could highlight the dangers of a trend among some U.S. parents to skip the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine for their children, out of what many experts call misguided fears over its safety.

Dr. Andrew Pavlo, professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah and spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), said, "The good news is that we are seeing introductions of measles that are being contained as small outbreaks."

Pavlo credits containment to high levels of vaccination and the rapid response by public health officials. However, if an outbreak occurred in a "really susceptible population the outcome could be very different," he said.

"What would happen in an area with a lot of vaccine refusers? Then you might see a much larger outbreak," he said.

Several measles-related studies were unveiled at the annual IDSA annual meeting, currently being held in Boston.

In the first report, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers chronicled the nation's ongoing outbreaks in 2011.

Most of those sickened were not vaccinated against the disease, CDC researchers said.

Before the vaccine became available in the 1960s, some three to four million people contracted measles every year. Of those, 48,000 were hospitalized, 1,000 were permanently disabled and about 500 died, the CDC said.

Unfortunately, "we have experienced an increased incidence of measles this year," said Huong McLean, lead researcher and CDC epidemiologist. "Typically we see 60 to 70 cases a year, this year we have 214 as of Oct. 14."

Among those people infected, 86 percent were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. Thirteen percent were under one year old -- too young for vaccination.

Throughout the United States, 68 of the patients have been hospitalized, 12 with pneumonia.

Free LA medical clinic to draw 5,000 uninsured

More than 5,000 people are expected to show up for free medical care at a Los Angeles arena starting Thursday.

The four-day clinic, organized by nonprofit CareNowLA, aims to provide health services for the impoverished and uninsured ranging from filling cavities to eye exams to cardiology checkups.

CareNowLA has lined up some 800 medical professionals to volunteer their services at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, but the nonprofit says still more dentists, nurse practitioners and primary care physicians are needed.

People lined up more than 24 hours in advance earlier this week to obtain wristbands that will allow them to enter the clinic. After treatment, patients will be referred to local medical centers that have offered to provide free follow-up care to the patients.

How Do I Run Barefoot With Shoes on?

There is a plausible theory that mankind came down from the trees to run across the African savannah in pursuit of prey. Running is not much in demand as a survival skill anymore, but it is by far and away the most popular participation sport in industrialized nations. This may be great for cardiovascular health, but it is apparently a disaster orthopedically; a typical estimate is that 60% of runners suffer injuries a year. Such high injury rates seem somewhat of an anomaly if we were indeed "born to run." I doubt that, for example, 2 out of every 3 eagles suffer wing injuries each year.

Some runners have used the evolutionary origins of running as a premise to argue that we should run barefoot (those proto-humans in Africa many millions of years ago were certainly not wearing Nike Lunarglides). Recent years have seen some runners abandon high-tech running shoes in favor of bare feet or "minimalist" shoes that mimic a barefoot running style. This has led to debates about whether the best way to avoid injury is to run with or without shoes.

Certain aspects of this debate are fairly settled. Few dispute that barefoot running is a very recent phenomenon in the United States or that, whatever the relative overall rates of injury, barefoot runners are more likely to experience ankle and foot injuries whereas those in running shoes suffer injuries of the knee, thigh, and hip. This makes the barefoot running debate pretty much guaranteed to generate more rhetorical light than scientific heat:

More Than One in Ten Americans Take an Antidepressant

Prozac Nation, indeed — 11% of Americans aged 12 and up now take an antidepressant medication, though less than one third of them have seen a mental-health professional in the past year.

So say stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that paint a portrait of who used the medications in 2005-08. The report covers nearly 13,000 participants in the ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

The rate of antidepressant use has been climbing, rising by almost 400% since 1988-94, the CDC says. Women are significantly more likely to take antidepressants in every age group except the youngest tracked in this report — ages 12 to 17. The high-water mark for antidepressant use is 23%, seen in women aged 40 to 59.

Nearly 14% of whites take antidepressants, far more than the 4% of blacks and 3% of Mexican-Americans who report taking the medications. But income level is not a determinant of use, the report finds.

Despite the widespread use of antidepressants, the majority of people with severe depressive symptoms — about 66% — are not taking the drugs. Only 20% of men with the most severe symptoms are taking a drug.  About 8% of people reporting no depressive symptoms are taking the drugs, which could be because they’re being successfully treated by the drugs, or because they’re taking the drugs for other conditions.

And the data indicate that a significant number of people who are taking antidepressants — even more than one — haven’t seen a mental-health professional in the past year. Just 29% of those taking one drug and 48% taking two or more report seeing a psychologist, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse or clinical social worker in that time period.

Enjoy your morning!

100 Year Old Man Sets Marathon Record

Fauja Singh grimaces as he crosses the finish line Sunday in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Fauja Singh finishes in 8 hours to become oldest person to complete full marathon

Fauja Singh secured a spot in the Guiness World Book of Records on Sunday at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

The 100-year-old accomplished an amazing feat, completing the gruelling 42.195-kilometre marathon and becoming the oldest person ever to complete a full-distance marathon.

It took Singh over eight hours to cross the finish line — more than six hours after Kenya's Kenneth Mungara won the event for the fourth straight year — and he was the last competitor to complete the course. But his time wasn't nearly remarkable as the accomplishment itself.

"Beating his original prediction, he's overjoyed," said coach and translator Harmander Singh. "Earlier, just before we came around the [final] corner, he said, 'Achieving this will be like getting married again.'

"He's absolutely overjoyed, he's achieved his life-long wish."

Although event workers dismantled the barricades along the finish line and took down sponsor banners even as Fauja Singh made his way up the final few hundred metres of the race, a throng of media, family, friends and supporters were there when Fauja Singh made marathon history.

And Fauja Singh, who only speaks Punjabi, also surprised himself. Through his interpreter, he said he had set a goal of finishing the race in about nine hours.

"He said he achieved this through the help of God but even God must be getting fed up of helping him," Harmander Singh said, drawing chuckles from assembled media after the race.

Sunday's run was Fauja Singh's eighth marathon — he ran his first at the tender age of 89 — and wasn't the first time he set a record. In the 2003 Toronto event, he set the mark in the 90-plus category, finishing the race in five hours 40 minutes and one second.

And on Thursday in Toronto, Fauja Singh — whose first name means soldier — broke world records for runners older than 100 in eight different distances ranging from 100 metres to 5,000 metres.

Wow! What an accomplishment.

This gives me some inspiration to keep going for a few more years - hopefully 40 or so.....

Here is the video of Fauja finishing:

Please Vote: The Extra Mile Podcast Nominated for a Podcast Award

And, rightly nominated for the regular Extra Mile Podcast and the Galloway edition.

So, some how, some way you and I have been nominated for a PODCAST AWARD at:

• Podcast Awards, The Peoples Choice
  

We are in the Health and fitness category and you can vote once a day between right now and October 27th, so vote early and often!! Click HERE to vote.

So, don't hold back. Go and vote ---> click this LINK.

Marathon Runner Disqualified After Riding Bus to Complete the Race

The cheekiness of actually claiming the third place, bronze medal, too.

A marathon runner who placed third in a British race had a secret weapon: bus fare.

Rob Sloan completed the Kielder Marathon in a time of two hours, 51 minutes, but fellow runners immediately voiced suspicion, having not seen him toward the end of the race on Sunday, according to the Telegraph.

Sloan, 31, denied cheating at first, but then admitted hopping a bus at the 20-mile mark because he was feeling tired. He then re-emerged from a wooded area of the course and collected the bronze medal.

Witnesses reported seeing him crouched behind a tree until the first and second placed runners went past, then falling in behind them. He now faces dismissal from his club, Sunderland Harriers, and could be banned from future marathons.

Yeah, he should be disqualified from other sanctioned marathons for life.

But, did he really think he would get away with cheating like this?

Video: Train for the Los Angeles Marathon with the LA Roadrunners

Join the LA Roadrunners, the official training program on the Honda LA Marathon. The 26 week program will take you from the couch to the Finish Line of the Honda LA Marathon!

I saw this video (embedded below) as it came across my Facebook ticker this morning and just had to watch. As you know, Alice and I are LA Roadrunners and are currently training for the March 2012 Los Angeles Marathon.

The video is too much fun and has too many of my running friends in it.

Enjoy..... and why don't you join us?

Patrick Makau Sets the World Marathon Record: 2 Hours 3 Minutes and 38 Seconds in Berlin

Patrick Makau of Kenya crossed the finish line to win the 38th Berlin Marathon on Sunday with a record-breaking time of 2 hours 3 minutes 38 seconds

Truly an amazing feat....

Not content to cover 26.2 miles in a neat loop, Patrick Makau of Kenya turned the Berlin Marathon into his own personal conga line Sunday while setting a world record of 2 hours 3 minutes 38 seconds.

Just before Mile 17, Makau swung from one side of the flat course to the other, once, twice, three times, then surged. This zigzagging tactic exposed and dropped the previous record-holder, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, who had run 2:03:59 in Berlin in 2008.

The race kept growing more futile for Gebrselassie, who did not finish. He stopped briefly after Makau’s swerving and then again for good just before 22 miles, experiencing a surprising and debilitating flare-up of exercise-induced asthma, his agent said.

Gebrselassie also dropped out of the New York City Marathon after 16 miles last November, citing a knee problem. He briefly retired, then reconsidered, but will again be forced to confront his athletic mortality.

While Makau, 26, became an early men’s favorite at the 2012 London Olympics, Gebrselassie’s stirring international career — considered by many the greatest ever — appears to have reached irreversible decline. At 38, he seems to have set his last world record and surrendered to emerging runners who might soon cover the marathon in less than 2:03. That time would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

“A new generation is coming that is running very well,” said Makau, who averaged 4:43 a mile and shaved 70 seconds off his previous best, 2:04:48, which was run at the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon.

I am really looking forward to next year's London Olympics and the marathon.

Jeff Galloway: Why is the Half Marathon So Popular?

Jeff Galloway and me at the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon Expo

Because it is a shorter race than the marathon?

• Even after a difficult 13.1 mile (21K) race, runners can usually celebrate that evening

• Beginners who yearn to run a marathon see this distance as the first big step

• Marathoners find that the "half" keeps them in shape for their next "full"

• The distance is enough of a challenge to keep runners focused and energized

• Increasing long runs towards a half marathon race results in faster times at 5K, 10K, etc

All of these are good reasons, but I just like the distance better than the marathon, although I have raced twice as many marathons as half marathons. The planning for food, water and potty breaks are less. Lifestyle changes a week before the race are minimal with the half marathon.

There is more care and diligence in your training for the marathon and it seems I am always worried about injury which will ruin my race. Plus, the pomp and circumstance of the race is the same whether at 13.1 or 26.2.

There are quite a few lessons to be learned as one extends one’s endurance limit beyond 13 miles or 21K: conservation of resources, pacing, fluid intake, blood sugar maintenance, etc. But making a mistake during "half" training does not incur the injury risk or the down time experienced after marathon errors. If you find a way to enjoy a part of every run, your half marathon training can bring joy, satisfaction, achievement, and a positive sense of focus. For many, the challenge teaches individuals that they have unused hidden resources that can be used to deal with other challenges in life. Much of the success and joy comes from a unique endurance blending of body, mind and spirit.

So, I will run/walk/run 3 half marathons a year and only one marathon.

Marathon Training Does Not Always Mean Losing Weight

Me finishing the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon

Ask me how I know?

If you've ever trained for a marathon, you probably expected to lose weight. And why not? Long runs that last two, three, and four hours burn a serious number of calories. But many runners step on the scale just before race day and discover that instead of dropping pounds, they've added some. Runners sometimes gain weight because they change their diets along with their mileage, or because other factors, such as hormonal fluctuations, come into play. And occasionally extra pounds are actually a sign things are going right. Here's why the numbers on the scale go up during training, and how to fuel yourself so you get to the start at an ideal weight.

From my experience since beginning marathon both in walking and running, if you do not watch your diet closely, it is easy to gain body weight.

Most training programs say do not diet during your training and keep everything the same. Well, I say BS to that.

YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT.

I am using My Fitness Pal on my PC and Android phone (myfitnesspal.com) and am monitoring all of my training (for calories expended) and dietary intake (calories in). I am so making sure I have sufficient carbohydrates in my diet to replace the muscle glycogen used on my long runs and protein to help repair muscle fibers.

I have lost 11 pounds in about 11 weeks (which is my goal). I have a long way to go but my body appreciates not lugging around the extra pounds on Saturday morning when I go out for at least 6 miles and now ramping up to 26.2.

Why do you gain weight?

YOU'RE HUNGRIER!

Marathon training almost always requires more mileage, which boosts the number of calories you burn as well as your appetite. "Your body is trying to help fuel your increased activity," says Jenna Bell, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition consultant and coauthor of Energy to Burn. "One of the ways it does this is by making you hungry." It's worse for women: Researchers at the University of Massachusetts discovered this heightened sense of hunger is stronger in women than men because exercise accelerates the production of appetite-regulating hormones, prompting them to eat more; men, it turns out, aren't as susceptible to these changes.

YOU'RE OVEREATING!

You go for a 10-mile run, come home starving, and inhale a stack of whole-grain pancakes, a smoothie, eggs, bacon, toast, and a few well-earned cookies. Oops, you've eaten 1,200 calories—a few hundred more than you burned on the run.

To limit overcompensation—that is, eating above and beyond what you need for recovery and erasing the calorie deficit achieved during a workout—you need to make smarter food choices all day. Bell recommends eating mostly whole, minimally processed foods rich in carbs, fiber, and protein. The latter two take longer to digest, keeping hunger at bay and helping you avoid eating more than you should. Sabato also warns runners against falling into the "I deserve it" mind-set. "Going for a long run does not give you license to eat an entire batch of cookies," she says.

By using a system to monitor your daily NET calories, you can set a body weight goal and lose weight while training for a marathon. Do not use the marathon as a crutch for weight loss.

It is all about the calorie math.

Besides, aren't you training for the marathon for other reasons?

Study: Exercise Talk Test an Effective Tool for Gauging Exercise Intensity?

Me finishing the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon

Yes, according to the study.

New research by University of New Hampshire exercise scientists confirms that a low-tech, easy-to-administer test is an effective tool for gauging exercise intensity, but that it does not correspond as neatly as previously assumed to other more objective tests. In a study published recently in the Journal of Sports Sciences, UNH associate professor of kinesiology Timothy Quinn and his former graduate student Benjamin Coons put the so-called "Talk Test" to the test.

The findings:

This finding confirmed the effectiveness of the Talk Test. "If you can still talk comfortably, you're exercising in a zone that's appropriate for improving fitness in individuals beginning an exercise program," Quinn says. "The Talk Test is a good tool, and it's easy to use."

More surprising, however, was how the Talk Test compared to the lactate threshold, the point at which muscles can no longer metabolize and remove lactic acid as it builds during exercise, and the ventilatory threshold, which is characterized by sudden heavy breathing. While previous research involving the Talk Test has used the ventilatory threshold as the comparator, this study was the first to compare both the lactate and ventilatory thresholds with the Talk Test. Data showed that the Talk Test related best to the lactate threshold as compared to the ventilatory threshold

"Everybody's thought that the Talk Test related well to the ventilatory threshold," Quinn says. "And it does, to a certain degree. But different physiological phenomena occur at each threshold, and it is the phenomena associated with the lactate threshold that relate better to the different levels of the Talk Test."

Quinn says these findings on the relationship of the Talk Test to the lactate threshold make the Talk Test relevant to endurance athletes as well as beginning exercisers. "In order to enhance endurance performance, some training has to occur around the lactate threshold intensity level. When subjects in the study had difficulty talking, they were very close to that lactate threshold intensity. Because of this, athletes could gauge their intensity based on ability to talk comfortably."

"If you are beginning an exercise program and can still talk while you're exercising, you're doing OK," Quinn says. "But if you really want to improve, you've got to push a little bit harder."

This is an easily administered test that I certainly use when gauging my running pace. It is good to know that there is a physiological basis and when I finally shut up or cannot talk (a blessing to my running partners) that I am hitting the lactate threshold.

2012 Los Angeles Marathon: Los Angeles Roadrunners Expo

It was Alice and my first day back training for the Los Angeles Marathon in March 2012 today. We will be training with the Los Angeles Roadrunners, as we have for the past two seasons in Venice, California.

After running six miles from Santa Monica to Venice and back, we drove down to Westminster School for the Expo. Training will begin next week.

Here are some photos from the Expo:

Mary, Peggy and Nancy the Pace Leaders for Walt's Run/Walk 5 Group

We didn't listen to any of the excellent speakers since we arrived late (after our run) but we did make it outside for the exhibitors.

Tara and Alice doing what they do best = Shoe Shopping

Here is Nancy looking at one of the charities for the Los Angeles Marathon. They protect kittens.

We are looking forward to training beginning next week.

Tara, Actor, Michael Sorich and Alice

Are Nearly Half of Runners Drinking Too Much Water During Races?

Tara and me running in the Kaiser Permanente (Pasadena) Half Marathon on May 15, 2011

Yes, according to the latest study.

Nearly half of recreational runners may be drinking too much fluid during races, according to a survey of runners by Loyola University Health System researchers.

Expert guidelines recommend runners drink only when thirsty. But the Loyola survey found that 36.5 percent of runners drink according to a preset schedule or to maintain a certain body weight and 8.9 percent drink as much as possible.

Nearly a third of runners (29.6 percent) incorrectly believe they need to ingest extra salt while running. And more than half (57.6 percent) say they drink sports drinks because the drinks have electrolytes that prevent low blood sodium. In fact, the main cause of low sodium in runners is drinking too much water or sports drinks. "Many athletes hold unscientific views regarding the benefits of different hydration practices," researchers concluded. The study was published in the June, 2011, issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

This is an interesting study and I do confess to taking Salt Sticks on the hour. They seem to work for me since I am a heavier runner and sweat profusely. I do drink sparingly though. I have been talking salt since the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon and they allow me to run at a faster pace without getting dizzy.

In California since it is a more temperate climate, it is difficult sometimes to predict race conditions. For example, my Los Angeles Marathon in March was cold and rainy, while my recent half marathon at Disneyland was hot and humid.

If anything I probably do not drink enough during long runs and races. Maybe this is best.

During the 1980s and 1990s, sports drinks ads warned about the supposed dangers of dehydration, and recommend that runners drink as much as 1.2 liters (five cups) per hour. Sports drink manufacturers generally have stopped promoting overdrinking. But the unscientific beliefs persist that runners should drink as much as they can or according to a preset schedule.

"We have been trained to believe that dehydration is a complication of endurance exercise," Dugas said. "But in fact, the normal physiological response to exercise is to lose a small amount of fluid. Runners should expect to lose several pounds during runs, and not be alarmed."

2011 Disneyland Half Marathon Race Report

Alice and I waiting in the pre-race corral before the race

This year the Disneyland Half Marathon was held on Sunday, September 4, 2011. Alice and I had registered early on in 2011 since we enjoyed the 2010 race so much.

We started around 1:50 AM when we rose from sound sleeping to prepare for our race day. We were going to our running friend and fellow racer Nancy's home in Los Angeles (Eagle Rock) and then off to the race in Nancy's large and spacious SUV (thank you for driving, Nancy).

Upon arriving at Nancy's home, we were greeted by Kiki and Mikey her dogs. They were happy to see us and greeted us with their barking. While Nancy tried to quiet Kiki down, I went to the bathroom.

We were soon on our way to Anaheim and Nancy made it a quick and pleasant drive to Disneyland. Parking was easy and it was a short walk to the course.

Last year Alice and I stayed overnignt at the Anaheim Marriott and took the shuttle over to the race. Frankly, the drive was so easy and parking so good, I would recommend folks drive to the race (sorry overpriced Anaheim Hotels that add on mega-taxes too).

We made our way out of the parking structure, hit the bathrooms and walked up to the pre-race corrals. Of course, we went to the ones from last year and they had been moved. We found our correct corrals and it was almost time to start the race.

Here is a photo of Alice and Nancy which is pre-dawn.

The race was soon to start and Disney true to form made it a spectacular display with fireworks.

After the national anthem, the race started, but we were in the last corral "G" and it would be another 30 minutes before we would cross the start line.

Here is a photo of the wait, just at first light of the day.

Finally, we were about to start the race. Here is the video.

We were soon running our 30 second run and 45 second walk - Run/Walk/Run Jeff Galloway method and settling in at a relaxed pace, due to Alice's left calf muscle which she has been rehabbing from a nasty tear during the Los Angeles Marathon training season.

We were soon heading into the California Adventure theme park.

Here is some video.

We were all doing well and happy to see the sights and sounds of the Magic Kingdom.

Alice and Nancy on a walk break

There was entertainment.

Nancy and Alice were smiling.

Next, we headed into Disneyland.

Then, along Main Street.

After we left Disneyland, I put the Bloggie back in my pocket and concentrated on the race.

It was a humid and hot day. While we started with temperatures around 63 degrees the humidity was around 80%. By the time, we left the Disneyland Park proper (around 4 miles), it was probably 72 with no cloud cover.

Alice, Nancy and I ran together until mile 8 when they started to speed up, went to a 2 to 1 run/walk/run ratio and left me. But, it is a good thing since Alice had a "dilemma" and lost some time as I plodded along in the heat and sun.

I, soon entered Anaheim Stadium and saw my running self on the big Jumbo-Tron while avoiding the myriads of running folks who stopped to take many photos.

The next three miles were hot.

I was maintaining my estimated half marathon race pace until mile 10.5 when it was apparent that around 80 degrees, my body would not perform. So, I started taking a few more extended walk breaks to try to cool myself down. Unfortunately, on this part of the course, there is little shade cover and the sun was HOT.

It was all good and I figured that I would do the best that I could in the heat and then Alice and Nancy joined me from behind. They said hello, explained Alice's dilemma and soon took off again.

I was planning to run the last mile and a half fast. I had enough energy left in the tank and I figured I could get close to my PR (personal record) if I sprinted the last way.

It was not to be.

When I started to pick up the pace, first my right calf cramped and then the left calf. I almost fell over. I resumed walking. Funny, I could walk fine, but when I went to run, the muscles cramped (probably due to the heat and dehydration).

So, I walked and periodically would try to run. I must have looked funny because I would run on one leg and then the other - limping all of the way.

Finally, I could jog and did that until the finish.

Onto the medal dispensing folks, then the photo and the bagels. I soon met up with Alice and Nancy who had finished about five minutes before me.

I was happy and we made our way to the car and a post-race meal at Marie Callender's - even had a piece of cherry pie!

OK, will I do the Disneyland Half Marathon next year?

Yes and I hope that our other running friends, Tara and Mary can join us.

Here is the money photo:

2011 Disneyland Half Marathon Expo

Jeff Galloway and Whitney Henderson ( cross country runner) at Disneyland Half Marathon Expo September 3, 2011

Alice, Nancy, Mary, Tara and I had a great day at the Disneyland Half Marathon Expo in Anaheim, California today. Nancy, Alice and I will race the half marathon tomorrow morning at 6 AM.

We started the day by having breakfast at our usual watering hole, Ronnie's Diner on Culver Blvd., near Marina Del Rey. We then all climbed into Nancy's SUV (thank you Nancy for driving!) and slowly made our way out to Anaheim. I was in charge of the navigation and, well, we hit traffic. But, we arrived by 10:30 AM or so.

After our race bibs were collected, the goodie bag and t-shirt pick up were next.

Then, a little shopping at the Expo vendors.

Alice, Mary and Nancy

More shopping.....

Tara and Alice

Next, it was off to see Jeff Galloway of Run/Walk/Run fame and my running mentor.

Alice took this photo for me.

Olympic runner Jeff Galloway and me

Jeff gave a nice 45 minute presentation that was a summery of run/walk/run and an extended question and answer session. My question was answered on marathon training and missing a long run after 20 miles.

Off, we went for a little more shopping and then lunch at the ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney.

Before we left the Expo area though, I caught a photo of this shirt which struck me funny.

Tomorrow's race is early for us at 6 AM. We will leave Thousand Oaks around 3 AM for Nancy's (who is again driving - thanks Nancy!)

I will have a race report then.

Disneyland Half Marathon Pre-Expo Report

Preparing to start the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon

As most of you readers know, Alice, my wife, and I will be running the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon this Sunday. We signed up for this race early, after enjoying ourselves running the 2010 race. The race was sold out early in the year. I believe there will be over 15,000 participants - a big crowd.

Tomorrow we will head over the Ronnie's Diner in Marina Del Rey (Culver City, California), collect our friends Nancy, Mary and Tara and head over to the Disneyland Half Marathon Expo in Anaheim. We will pick up our race credentials, our race tracing bib, visit our favorite running/health vendors who will be hawking their wares and listen to my running prophet, Jeff Galloway.

Jeff Galloway will be speaking at 11 AM. I have a few questions for him after his presentation.

We may meet up with some of our other running friends as well, like Bob and Carmen (from Alice's work). Then, a light lunch.

I dont want to have a dilemma during the race, like I had during the Kaiser Pasadena Half Marathon in May.

I will post the photos from the Expo here sometime tomorrow afternoon/evening.

To say the race is a treat would be accurate. I am a Senior Citizen now, running from the reaper, so to speak and not ready for Medical Alert Companies - at least not yet.

I will have some more tomorrow.

The Morning Drill: September 1, 2011

A collection of dentistry and health related links/comments for your day.

Cavities ache many in the Latino community

Do you know what is the most chronic infectious disease among children in the U.S.?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is tooth decay — what most of us call cavities. More than one out of every four children aged 2-5 years and half of those aged 12-15 years have tooth decay.

The problem is even more prevalent in the Latino community.

According to government statistics, 40 percent of Mexican-American children aged 6-8 years have untreated tooth decay. Amongst Mexican-American adolescents – those aged 12-19 years – one in five suffers from the same condition.

If left untreated, tooth decay can snowball into much larger problems that permeate various aspects of a child's growth and development, says the CDC.

Teen Boys Drink a Whole Lot of Sugar

Average daily sugar consumption among male teenagers in the form of sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened fruit juices was more than double the government's recommended limit for all added sugar in the diet, a large national survey found.

Among boys and young men 12 to 19 years old participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2008, so-called sugar drinks accounted for a mean of 273 calories in their daily diet, according to data compiled Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD, and colleagues at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended daily limit for added sugars in all forms -- including candies, baked goods, ice cream, and other foods in addition to drinks -- is 128 calories. The "DASH" diet for reducing blood pressure has an even lower limit of about 50 calories in sugar daily.

Findings from the NHANES analysis appeared in NCHS Data Brief No. 71, released this week.

Men in their 20s and 30s were not far behind their teen counterparts, with an average daily intake of 252 calories from sugar drinks in the NHANES data.

More Runners Are Going Bare

Barefoot or minimalist running is on the rise. To assist runners with their transition, the Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) is hosting a public education program designed to help "safely" transition runners who want to move toward minimalist or barefoot running.

Seminar participants will learn the benefits of barefoot running, gain valuable injury prevention information and techniques to assist with their transition while gaining insight from experienced barefoot and minimalist runners.

According to the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 70 percent of traditional runners experience some level of injury. Presenter, Dr. Candace Salmi, says, "Barefoot running, when done correctly, can be energizing while having a positive impact on the body."

Silicone Breast Implants Will Stay on Market

An FDA official said silicone breast implants made by Johnson & Johnson’s Mentor and Allergan will stay on the market, and that the agency will work with the companies to increase participation in post-approval studies, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Companies have struggled to maintain follow-up on the 80,000-plus women originally included in those studies, originally planned to last a decade, with Allergan tracking about 60.5% of them for two years and Mentor following 21% for three years. If more women aren’t tracked, the studies won’t be able to detect possible long-term health issues.

Enjoy your morning!

91 Year Old U.K. Dentist/Athlete Seeks Olympic Bid

Dentist Tony Chivers

How cool is this?

A dentist who scooped a bronze medal at the British Empire Games back in 1950 is making his own Olympic bid for 2012.

Vice president of the BDA Benevolent Fund, Tony Chivers, has been nominated by the charity to be a torchbearer in next year's London Games.

The former athlete and dentist is now 91 but back in 1950 bagged a bronze medal in the three-mile run at the Empire Games held in Auckland in New Zealand.

Really cool.

I hope to be alive at 91, but to be an Olympics participant?

Guess I better to continue to run and diet.

Cows, Running and Enjoying the Sport of Running

Lucky for me, I was extremely obese and could not obsess about a really fast race.

What’s running rock bottom? For me, it was being passed by a cow in a half marathon. The cow was ambling beside a fence, and she outpaced me on only about 100 meters. Still, she did it.

Until then, I’d been running for about five years. I was an O.K. runner, better than most. I didn’t expect to be offered a Nike sponsorship anytime soon, but I usually placed in the top three of women in my age group for local races. Prizes included a gift certificate to a taco joint called Macho Taco, a pair of Vibram FiveFingers Shoes and a gaudy trophy with what looks like a man on the top. Nothing fancy, but validation that I was doing something right.

But I let those items get to my head. If I could win those prizes in my first few years of running, what was to stop me from coming in No. 1 for my age group? My times were dropping with every race. I’d never run a marathon before, but I set out to qualify for the Boston Marathon first time out.

Then I got injured. Running — the thing that had been my daily salvation and the only pocket of time in my overscheduled day when no one else could bother me — became a chore. A painful, stabby chore that ended with me eyeing the tail end of a cow.

I thought about quitting. Maybe I’d take up biking. Maybe I’d become one of those power walkers with the bright white shoes who did laps around my town’s park.

I was very lucky that my wife Alice found The Extra Mile Podcast, Kevin who is the host, and the Run/Walk/Run Running guru Jeff Galloway.

Now, I have reduced my obesity some (I continue to diet and wish to reduce another 50 pounds) and enjoy running - but in moderation and according to a Galloway Run Until You Are a Hundred Schedule.

Disneyland Half Marathon: A Little Over Two Weeks to Go

Alice and I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon again this year. In fact, we have been looking forward to this race since the end of last year's race.

Yes, we enjoyed this race THAT much!

This year we will be running the course with our friend Nancy and sadly without Cleave and Maria Elena who have decided to rest that weekend (just kidding).

Alice has been struggling a bit while recovering from a pulled calf muscle, but we have been good about our training and regardless of our pace will enjoy our time on the course.

And, I will especially enjoy the Expo the day before the race which will feature run/walk/run guru, Jeff Galloway.

I will probably have a question or two for Jeff.