sliding with jiji
Originally uploaded by renfield
brick-laying!
Mirror Image
Mirror Image
Originally uploaded by Mari3922
Big Newman and little Kaito -- one of these gents is quite surprised to be seeing the other...
decisiveness
Finally motivated myself to get up at 5am (like I did consistently for months, until I went on vacation a few weeks ago and got fat-n-lazy), sat for a bit, then went on my "long" run, about 7 clicks.
I have been going back-and-forth about being uber-anal and recording everything I eat and all the exercises I do, replacing the battery in my pedometer and carrying it everywhere, loading up my iPod Touch with useful fitness tracking software...and basically not worrying too much.
On the one hand, it's extremely geeky-satisfying to have all the data, nutritional and caloric, so I really know if I ran off that chai latte or not.
Then again, one of the core PCP principles is to simply know what I want and need, intuitively. It's actually a very zen concept; intuitive understanding, as opposed to intellectual analysis ("I am allowed 325 more calories today") or emotional response ("Must. Have. Chocolate!")
So after tracking everything, every bite of food and every minute of exercise, I have stopped.
I am attempting to regain that awareness I had right after PCP, when I was very much in-tune with what I needed versus what I wanted. I discovered that the key to "will-power" is actually just understanding and separating what is necessary from what is merely wanted.
Yes, I still pigged out on pizza at lunch yesterday, and had a soy chai latte after lunch today. But I also got up and ran this morning, and had a truly sensible, delicious (and cheap, 480 yen!) lunch in the cafeteria. So it's all about balance.
I will start Kung Fu Body next week, and though I don't expect the miraculous changes I achieved on PCP, I do think it will give me the structure and routine I need to get back in better balance. Plus I really, REALLY miss my six-pack!
I have been going back-and-forth about being uber-anal and recording everything I eat and all the exercises I do, replacing the battery in my pedometer and carrying it everywhere, loading up my iPod Touch with useful fitness tracking software...and basically not worrying too much.
On the one hand, it's extremely geeky-satisfying to have all the data, nutritional and caloric, so I really know if I ran off that chai latte or not.
Then again, one of the core PCP principles is to simply know what I want and need, intuitively. It's actually a very zen concept; intuitive understanding, as opposed to intellectual analysis ("I am allowed 325 more calories today") or emotional response ("Must. Have. Chocolate!")
So after tracking everything, every bite of food and every minute of exercise, I have stopped.
I am attempting to regain that awareness I had right after PCP, when I was very much in-tune with what I needed versus what I wanted. I discovered that the key to "will-power" is actually just understanding and separating what is necessary from what is merely wanted.
Yes, I still pigged out on pizza at lunch yesterday, and had a soy chai latte after lunch today. But I also got up and ran this morning, and had a truly sensible, delicious (and cheap, 480 yen!) lunch in the cafeteria. So it's all about balance.
I will start Kung Fu Body next week, and though I don't expect the miraculous changes I achieved on PCP, I do think it will give me the structure and routine I need to get back in better balance. Plus I really, REALLY miss my six-pack!
o sola mio roofless hato tour bus
o sola mio roofless hato tour bus
Originally uploaded by renfield
o sola mio means look @ the sky! nice pun
the great cali family vacation 2010
Went to SF with the family, then I popped down to LA for the West Coast Taikai, then back up to the bay area for a night before coming home.
Kids are still jet-lagging; waking everyone up at 4:30am!
But a good time was had by all and the strong yen contributed to plenty of shopping (yeah Old Navy!) and too much eating (burritos and froyo!)
Many photos here and here.
Kids are still jet-lagging; waking everyone up at 4:30am!
But a good time was had by all and the strong yen contributed to plenty of shopping (yeah Old Navy!) and too much eating (burritos and froyo!)
Many photos here and here.
health check results
[added cholesterol info as requested by dad; not something I am terribly concerned about given my largely Japanese and vegetable-heavy diet]
Let's begin at the end, with a nice, fat WTF?!
Total score: D.
Now let's break it down:
Height/weight: A
I seem to be shrinking about a centimeter a year. Was 168.1 in 2008, 167.3 in 2009, and 166.8 in 2010. I know for a fact my posture is getting better, so I can only assume that I have successfully managed to reduce inefficient and unnecessary extra space in my body, thus making me more compact, dense, and as a result shorter.
Blood work: A
Huh? This is attributed solely to something called bilirubin, which was 0.2 mg/dL higher than normal: "The total bilirubin level was noted to be just midly elevated in the blood test. Since no other abnormalities that go along with it were noted in the liver function test, it might constitutional, i.e. of a genetically-determined trait. No harm will be done at this level of abnormality, and there is no need for you to be nervous about it."
OK, so how about at least a B then? Damn, can't a guy get a break?
Renal function/urinalysis/electrolytes D
Damn! "Blood urea nitrogen, one of the parameters that reflect kidney functions, was noted to be elevated in the blood test. However, the extent of the abnormality at this level may just reflect the fact that food and fluid intake was restricted on the day of the examinations. In other words, mild dehydration might have been the cause of this mild increase in blood urea nitrogen."
Well yeah, I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since 6pm the previous day, a good 15 hours before, as instructed. So I do what I am told, they know that can screw up the results...and I get a D? No love man, no love.
Lipid Metabolism: A
Circulatory System: B
Every year the doctor takes a look at my ECG results and my blood pressure and pulse and says two things:
Upper digestive tract: C
For the first time I did the drink-barium-and-ride-the-roller-coaster-x-ray-machine. I actually kinda enjoyed it, but the results: "Findings suggestive of chronic gastritis (chronic inflammation of the stomach mucous membrane) were noted in the upper gut barium swallow X-ray."
I suspect that is left over from my history of "stomach problems", which thanks to PCP I have largely solved, merely be eating real food that is non-surprisingly easy to digest.
And every now and then, just to remind myself, I binge on greasy, fried onion rings and then feel utterly miserable with multiple trips to the toilet.
So I'll take this C as a legacy issue.
Overall, I am quite happy with the individual results.
Numbers going down (good or bad!):
Let's begin at the end, with a nice, fat WTF?!
Total score: D.
Now let's break it down:
Height/weight: A
I seem to be shrinking about a centimeter a year. Was 168.1 in 2008, 167.3 in 2009, and 166.8 in 2010. I know for a fact my posture is getting better, so I can only assume that I have successfully managed to reduce inefficient and unnecessary extra space in my body, thus making me more compact, dense, and as a result shorter.
Blood work: A
- Cholesterol
- total = 184 mg/dL
- LDL = 91 mg/dL
- HDL = 84 mg/dL
Huh? This is attributed solely to something called bilirubin, which was 0.2 mg/dL higher than normal: "The total bilirubin level was noted to be just midly elevated in the blood test. Since no other abnormalities that go along with it were noted in the liver function test, it might constitutional, i.e. of a genetically-determined trait. No harm will be done at this level of abnormality, and there is no need for you to be nervous about it."
OK, so how about at least a B then? Damn, can't a guy get a break?
Renal function/urinalysis/electrolytes D
Damn! "Blood urea nitrogen, one of the parameters that reflect kidney functions, was noted to be elevated in the blood test. However, the extent of the abnormality at this level may just reflect the fact that food and fluid intake was restricted on the day of the examinations. In other words, mild dehydration might have been the cause of this mild increase in blood urea nitrogen."
Well yeah, I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since 6pm the previous day, a good 15 hours before, as instructed. So I do what I am told, they know that can screw up the results...and I get a D? No love man, no love.
Lipid Metabolism: A
Circulatory System: B
Every year the doctor takes a look at my ECG results and my blood pressure and pulse and says two things:
- "You have a VERY low heart rate...you a marathon runner?" I got the low pulse from my dad, and now that I am actually running 3-4 times a week, it's even lower. My typical standing heart rate is in the low 50s.
The comment was, again: "sinus bradycardia" - [looks at ECG results...scratches chin...looks at me...looks at results again...] "You...ever been diagnosed with or treated for a heart condition?" When I was in high school I was told I had nonclassic mitral valve prolapse. I was also told there wasn't a damn thing to be done about it, and it would either kill me, or it wouldn't.
I guess I went for option #3: confuse my health check ECG results every year.
Upper digestive tract: C
For the first time I did the drink-barium-and-ride-the-roller-coaster-x-ray-machine. I actually kinda enjoyed it, but the results: "Findings suggestive of chronic gastritis (chronic inflammation of the stomach mucous membrane) were noted in the upper gut barium swallow X-ray."
I suspect that is left over from my history of "stomach problems", which thanks to PCP I have largely solved, merely be eating real food that is non-surprisingly easy to digest.
And every now and then, just to remind myself, I binge on greasy, fried onion rings and then feel utterly miserable with multiple trips to the toilet.
So I'll take this C as a legacy issue.
Overall, I am quite happy with the individual results.
Numbers going down (good or bad!):
- Blood pressure: 108/57 (128/68 last year, 137/72 the year before that)
- Weight: 64.8 kilos (73.2 last year)
- Height: 166.8 (167.3 last year, 168.1 the year before that)
obon weekend
Took Friday off and got on the Tsukuba Express with the posse to jiji and baba's for a weekend of non-stop eating, with the occasional break to pay respects to dead ancestors.
Mighty Mo picked just the right weekend to master the word "jiji" so he had grandpa at his beck and call all weekend. Ton got to play with Hana-chan across the road and managed to survive getting absolutely eaten by mosquitoes all weekend.
Highlight was definitely the awesome old-school shaved ice at Yamagen.
Bummer was my hay-fever / allergies catching up with me, sneezing/sniffling through Sunday and skipping the visit to the Tsukuba graves. Also bending my thumbnail whilst unfolding the stroller sucked, too, but at least the searing pain made me forget about my nose for a bit.
And it was the last time we would ever ride in jiji's old & busted. The New Hotness is being picked up this week, so when we are back from SF in early September, the next time we head to the homestead we will be cruising in style!
Mighty Mo picked just the right weekend to master the word "jiji" so he had grandpa at his beck and call all weekend. Ton got to play with Hana-chan across the road and managed to survive getting absolutely eaten by mosquitoes all weekend.
Highlight was definitely the awesome old-school shaved ice at Yamagen.
Bummer was my hay-fever / allergies catching up with me, sneezing/sniffling through Sunday and skipping the visit to the Tsukuba graves. Also bending my thumbnail whilst unfolding the stroller sucked, too, but at least the searing pain made me forget about my nose for a bit.
And it was the last time we would ever ride in jiji's old & busted. The New Hotness is being picked up this week, so when we are back from SF in early September, the next time we head to the homestead we will be cruising in style!
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