Vigorous Physical Activity Modestly More Protective Than Moderate Activity !

New study shows that we are not crazy! Running is better than walking!

For complete study click here

A recently published study predicted that the rate of diabetes in the US will double by 2034 while the rate of obesity will remain steady. Steady at a pathetic one third of the adult population! The discrepancy takes into account the aging population and how more fat Americans will become diabetic as they age. What does this mean for our country? It means a lot sicker, older population; and a trillion dollars in health care costs that we cannot afford as a country. Our only hope as a society is to start losing weight!

It has been estimated that while one third of the US adult population is obese (greater than 30 pounds over a healthy weight); almost 70% of the adult population is over weight (one to 29 pounds over a healthy weight). This means only 30% of the population is actually close to their ideal weight! Sadly our kids aren't fairing much better. The obesity rate in children is around 20%. This isn't changing much either because of the habits of most kids parents. Fat adults have fat kids. Like begets like.

So what can we do as a society to change this alarming trend? We need widespread lifestyle reform. We need to put the population not just on a quick fix diet, but on a life changing health regimen. Perhaps we should start by making all the kids walk to school. Oh yeah, there aren't enough sidewalks in many towns. Perhaps they can ride their bikes? Oh, same problem; no bike paths. How about increasing physical education in the schools? Darn, there isn't any money for that. And those standardized tests show kids need more classroom time. We've already tried improving the cafeteria food to much healthier choices, but most kids either won't eat it or bring junk food from home.

I've got it! How about an obesity tax that goes straight to public health initiatives? We can fund community health reform with a fat tax. Every time you buy a bag of potato chips or soda, you have to pay an extra sales tax. Maybe we can add a weight column on your income tax forms. No, most people would lie. I don't see the IRS going around weighing people. I think the junk food tax is our best bet. An extra little tax on everything from fast food hamburgers to candy bars. Then we can write a curriculum for adult education on healthy cooking, eating and exercise. Start a community walking program. Start a stress relief support group. Community health clinics focused on weight loss. A real health reform could sweep the nation.

Let's face it. The US cannot afford to continue to allow the majority of the population to be so fat! We spend most of our current health care dollars on chronic disease. Most of these diseases are caused by obesity and smoking. Think about what the US would look like if we lost weight and stopped smoking as a society? We wouldn't need this insane form of health care reform that Congress is trying to pass. The money would be so much better spent on real health reform!

I know we can come up with a plan to decrease the weight of the population. We have to! Our own overindulgence is killing us slowly but surely. Be part of the solution! Encourage better eating and exercise habits with your friends and families. Let's change America one family at a time. Remember that if we fail and this alarming trend continues, this will be the last generation that will have a life expectancy longer then their parents.

The 38-year-old Austin resident was targeting the 2011 or 2012 event in Kona, Hawaii, depending upon whether this year or next will be his final Tour de France.

"I will be in Kona 15 months after the final Tour," Armstrong said Friday. " I'm not saying that with any expectation; it will require months and months of getting back into swimming and running. But I want to just do it, just for fun." Strange definition of fun.

A swimmer as a child and promising national-level triathlete in his late teens, Armstrong has also run in marathons. The Ironman event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike leg and 26-mile marathon.

"I don't know I could be top three, top five or top 10, but anyway, I want to come and finish," Armstrong said.

Ambitious goal, but he will probably do it. It takes the average runner at least 3 years to train and compete their way to an Ironman. Most people never get to Hawaii unless they get in through the lottery; but knowing Lance Armstrong I'm sure they will find a spot for him just for the publicity. What he doesn't fully realize is the carnage that is seen among the best athlete's in the world at Kona. Even the tough barely survive.

My hat's off to you Lance. Ambitious goal and a "no quit" mentality are needed to survive Kona! Who knows, maybe I will get in through the lottery and see you there!!

Run Happy! Keep Triing!

If you are like most women (and some men), you have at least 50 pairs of shoes in your closet and can't or won't wear many of them. They feel great or look awesome in the store, but by the time they get home and you pull them out to show all your friends or for an event; they hurt! Why is this? Why can't most women find a comfortable shoe? A better question maybe is, what really constitutes a comfortable shoe?

Wow! Didn't realize this was a difficult question, but after discussing what makes up a comfortable shoe with hundreds of women, it turns out there is no one criteria that makes a shoe comfortable. In fact, the "comfort" of a shoe has even been measured in a 16 step process by SATRA (Shoe and Allied Trades Research Association). Are you kidding me? Sixteen steps to determine the comfort of a shoe? As much as that is a valid scientific way to assess shoes, it has to be easier than that!

Let's discuss this a little further. What are we looking for in a comfortable shoe? I think it comes down to correct size, shape, stability and whether we like to admit it or not....style.

Size: Our feet are often different sizes and widths. The size you measure doesn't always fit the best. Shoes of the same size and width also can vary substantially due to manufacturing and materials. You want to allow 5/8" room between the end of the longest toes and the end of the shoe (one thumb width). This is often the 2nd toe, not the great toe. Also, try on shoes at the end of the day. Your foot does swell and it is bigger I the afternoon than in the morning. Note: Most people are wearing their shoes too small. If your feet are truly different sizes, buy the bigger pair. Better to add a filler to the smaller side than to try to stretch the larger one. If you are going to wear socks with your shoes, have them with you when you try them on. Don't guess that the nylon sock thing available at the shoe store is the right thickness. When in doubt, buy the wider shoe. Most people in the United States actually need a wide not just because of the width of your foot but the thickness of your foot.

Shape: The only people I know that look at the shape of a shoe are podiatrists or runners. A shoe is made on a distinct last. This determines the shape of the shoe. A shoe can be curved, semi-curved, or straight lasted. Determine the shape of your foot then try to find a shoe that is made off a last that is the same shape. A straight foot in a curved last is like putting a round peg in a square hole. Not comfortable!

Stability: How rigid is the shoe? How rigid is your foot? If you have a wide, flat foot; then you need a stable shoe. If you have a high arched, rigid foot; then a more cushioned flexible shoe will be more comfortable. A great way to determine if a shoe is stable is to look at the rigidness of the heel counter (the rear end of the shoe) and also to do the twist test. If you can make a shoe pretzel, chances are it is not a stable shoe.

Style: This is the zen factor. It doesn't matter how well a shoe fits if you can't stand what it looks like and won't wear it. Choose a style you like to look at and all of a sudden it is instantaneously more comfortable. Funny how the power of suggestion works that way.

So, what have we learned? Shoes that are comfortable happen to fit well, be relatively stable and stylish are our favorites. There is no one factor that determines the comfort of a shoe. The last question to factor into comfort should be for what purpose is the shoe going to be worn for? A fuzzy bedroom slipper is comfortable around the house, but not at a ball or a tennis match.

Truthfully, the question of what constitutes a comfortable shoe really doesn't have one answer. If it did, then the shoe industry wouldn't give us so many choices. Take my advice ladies, clean out the closet. Get rid of the shoes that do not fit, never fit and never will fit. Remember to measure your feet every time you get a new pair of shoes and keep these tips on comfort handy for your next shopping trip. Stop buying shoes that aren't comfortable! Your checkbook and your feet will thank you.

Run Happy! And walk around in comfortable shoes every day!

Plantar Fibromatosis. Wow, that's a mouthful! What is it? A lump in your arch that is firm and doesn't move. They usually start out as a very small pea sized nodule that increases in size over time. Most people don't even notice them until they get big enough to be annoying in your shoes or when walking barefoot. They can happen to anyone, but are most commonly seen in middle-aged to older patients and are much more common in men than woman. It is also more common in the Caucasian population than other ethnicities.

Most people come into the office complaining of a painful lump in their arch and are very concerned it is cancer. It is actually just an exuberant growth in the plantar fascia (a.k.a. the ligament that holds up your arch) or extra fibrous tissue. We really don't know why they occur, but it is thought that some kind of trauma plays a role in the formation of the nodules. I often see them in pilots and runners who have constant repetitive trauma to this area. Family history is also a factor. As many as 50% of patient with plantar fibromas also have nodules in the palm of their hands known as Dupuytren's contractures. There has been some correlation with medications like beta-blockers and anti-seizure medications. One study even linked an excessive amount of vitamin C with fibrous disorders. Patients with a history of chronic liver problems, diabetes, seizures and alcohol abuse seem to have a higher rate of plantar fibromas.

Treatments vary, but fall into three categories:
1. Do nothing: the nodules are annoying but usually self-limiting. They do not grow indefinitely, so if you can put them down as life's minor annoyance, most patients choose to just leave them alone.
2. Conservative or Non-invasive: Vigorous stretching, accommodative orthotics, physical therapy, and topical transderamal Verapamil.
3. Surgery: injections with a corticosteroid can be helpful to decrease the inflammation around the nodule, but if they are large and painful; most go on to surgical excision.

What should you do? A personal question, that only you with the help of your doctor can answer. In my opinion, if the nodule is small, leave it alone. If it is increasing in size, then it should be addressed.  If the nodule is of moderate size, with no intrasubstance calcifications on x-ray, and is annoying; a three to six month trial of transdermal verapamil coupled with an accommodative orthotic and physical therapy can be helpful. If it meets these criteria and is a little soft, then a steroid injection may also help decrease the size. If the lesion is large, painful, or has intrasubstance calcifications on x-ray; then excision is most likely your best option. Simple excision is not enough with these lesions, removal of not only the lesion, but a large margin is necessary to decrease recurrence rates.

If you have a painful lump in your arch, seek the advice of your podiatrist. Help is only a phone call or mouse-click away!

Wow! We were blessed with a great day for racing on Sunday. Slightly overcast and chilly at the start. The elite wave went off just after the sun came up over the water. What an amazing sight. They are so very fast!! I got in the water on the 5^th flight (old ladies ha ha) and spanked the swim! It took about 5 minutes for me to get comfortable, but given the water was 70 degrees I was happy to have my wet suit on. Steady rhythm and out of the water in 44 minutes. 

Transition was hilarious. The wet suit strippers unfortunately stripped off the bottoms of the girl next to me (so much for public nudity being prohibited) so she was mortified and I couldn’t stop laughing. I had trouble finding my bike in the sea of bikes but then got changed and off I went. I had to keep a steady heart rate during the bike so I would have something left for the run. I also had to make sure I took in enough nutrition and drank enough so I wouldn’t be dead before I started to run. Rolling hills are your friend, but some killer turns were nasty. I only passed 4 people that were actually moving forward. The other 12 or so were either crashed (sorry Diesel) or were somewhere between throwing up or passing out. Being the stellar cyclist I am (NOT), I think at least 2000 people passed me on the bike.

Oh well, I still got through faster than my goal and after a smooth transition started to run. Well, you may call it running but it was more like a slow crawl at first. Then a walk. My stomach was in knots. After a quick trip to the port-a-potty and a little vomitus, I was feeling much better. Guess I actually ate too much on the bike. I was 4 miles in and started to actually run. The run was three loops so I got to see my awesome cheering section of sherpas three times. They reminded me on the last loop that I would make it under 7 hours if I just kept a steady pace (which at this point was 10 minute miles). Boy did it get hot on the run. Thank God for the cold towels, wet sponges and water stations about every mile. It was amazing to me how many people were walking and crawling at the end. Some were even staggering. I finished with a strong charge and made it in at 6:57:59. Yea! An hour faster than I predicted, and under 7, so Janet’s prediction came true. All weekend she was chanting 6, 6, I know you can do it in 6.

A cold Shiner was my reward after the finish line and a good time was had by all. Worst part of the whole weekend was the drive home (and the sunburn)…Thank God Janet was on sherpa duty and loves to drive! What did I learn? Patience and perseverance mixed with a little stubbornness will get you through, but a few more long bricks probably would’ve helped me take an hour off my time. Off season a new bike is definitely in order and oh yeah….wear sunscreen!

A great first Half-Ironman experience! Funny thing, I hurt a lot less the next day than I did after my last marathon. Guess I will have to try another one next season…who knows maybe even a full in 2011!

Run Happy my peeps!