Just one last checkup before turning the key.

Ready to start this puppy up
(Courtesy Chris Campbell @ Flickr)

The timelapserunner's Louisiana Marathon training program begins in earnest this Monday, July 9th. However, Galloway would not be the only running coach to advise even an experienced runner determined to undertake a rigorous exercise program to get medical clearance before starting. So, against my natural inclination but within my better judgment, I scheduled my annual medical examination for today.

Being of the male gender there was of course no need to see a doctor about such things. In fact, doctors are largely superfluous, surely. The only thing they can really do is find stuff wrong with you and then inconvenience you as they try to figure out how to fix it. I guess that's why they call their business a 'practice.' (This last paragraph was in jest.)

All joking aside, it is tough for some of us to make the decision to schedule an appointment to see our doctor (and then not cancel it). This time was a bit easier for me because I absolutely wanted to get my doctor's clearance to tackle this strenuous marathon training program, and I also wanted to see if the last 15 months of exercise had made me fitter in the general sense.

Discounting the bout with cancer the timelapserunner shared with readers early on here, I've had some issues with hypertension in the past few years. I've fought the overweight battle that many of us struggle with as we get older, and my cholesterol had risen along with the weight. Regular exercise is supposed to help in all those regards, but our health is a complicated multifaceted issue. Still, I was hoping for good news on all fronts, especially as a motivator to continue running.

How to raise my diastolic by 14+ points
(Courtesy Cult Gigolo @ Flickr)

No sooner had I arrived at the doctor's office, the nurse ushered me into his examination area, gathering weight and blood pressure data in rapid succession. When she informed me that my blood pressure was "130-something over 96," my spirits sank a bit. I've been measuring my blood pressure at home for several years now and am very familiar with the numbers, usually seeing between 78 and 83 mm Hg for the bottom number - the diastolic pressure. I knew that when the doctor saw this he'd wince - and he did. When he retested later in the visit, however, he got 82 mm Hg which offered us both the chance to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

He did all the other usual stuff he does (e.g., hitting various body parts with the little rubber hammer), then we discussed the other vitals. Seems my weight is down 23 pounds in the last 2+ years, my total cholesterol is down about 50 mg/dL to a nice 125, and my LDL - the bad stuff - is at 69 mg/dL, a reasonably nice finishing touch to the whole data set. So, not exactly in his words though, I'm fit as a fiddle, not counting all the broken and missing parts.

A new health food?

( Stauffer's® Original Animal Crackers )

Hmm, maybe exercise does pay off. Or perhaps it's the new health food I've discovered this past year: animal crackers. At least one evening each week, the family dog and I sit down and consume a cup of these babies. The dog doesn't look any worse for the wear and my numbers speak for themselves, yes? However, after each such indulgence, I would usually walk around mumbling something about swearing off this addiction, promising to stop eating those little cookie creatures - after the current 78-ounce container from Sam's is emptied, of course. But maybe I've been too hasty in my judgment. Maybe the dog and I are onto something. I mean, wouldn't you prefer to go on an animal cracker diet than a cabbage diet, or an egg diet?  Now, wouldn't you?