Race report from Xterra Beaver Creek and This Week’s 1-Page Health News

I (Glenn) raced in the Xterra Beaver Creek off-road triathlon (sport distance) this past Saturday. I had a good day, knocking 23 minutes off of last year’s time to finish in 2:19. Not bad.

Here’s me on the bike:

My kids then lined up for the kids race, and my 4-year-old Jason almost won the 4 & under category.

Next up for me is a return to the Xterra off-road tri at Eldora, where I finished last by over 30 minutes in 2008. I’m hoping the improvement continues.

And here’s this weeks 1-Page Health News

Mental Attitude: Appreciation! People who appreciate what they have are more likely to live happy, satisfied lives. Personality and Individual Differences, March 2012

Health Alert: Life-Threatening Accidental Acetaminophen Overdosing In Children! Acetaminophen, a widely available over-the-counter medication, can cause liver toxicity in children if recommended doses are exceeded. Clearly, more public education is needed to warn of potential adverse effects. Repeated supratherapeutic dosing (above the recommended dose), accidental overdose (due to error) and intentional ingestion can all result in acute liver failure and even death. 11% of children who are given pharmaceuticals experience a medication error such as an incorrect medication, incorrect dose or method of administering. Acetaminophen overdose is the most common agent responsible for a life-threatening event, longer-term illness or death among children. Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 2012

Diet: Tart Cherry Juice. Drinking tart cherry juice two times per day for three weeks resulted in considerable reductions in vital inflammation markers. This is good news for arthritis and join pain sufferers (and athletes).American College of Sports Medicine Conference, May 2012

Exercise: Improved Health With Less Training? The new 10-20-30 training concept consists of a warm-up at a low intensity followed by 3-4 blocks of 5 minutes running interspersed by 2 minutes of rest. Each block consists of 5 consecutive 1-minute intervals divided into 30, 20 and 10 seconds of running at a low, moderate and near maximal intensity, respectively. Runners were able to improve performance on a 1500m run by 23 seconds and almost by a minute on a 5km run, despite a 50% reduction in their total amount of training. The runners also had a significant decrease in blood pressure and a reduction in blood cholesterol. Journal of Applied of Physiology, June 2012

Chiropractic: The Rusty Gate! A gate is a good analogy for understanding bone joint degeneration. A new gate moves free and easy, much like healthy joints. In time, as the joint and gate hinge begin to breakdown or rust, movement becomes restricted and slower. With chiropractic care, your joints can maintain proper motion. For the gate, try WD40. ☺

Wellness/Prevention: Brush Your Teeth! People who receive regular teeth cleanings had a lower chance of heart attack and stroke. American Journal of Medicine, June 2012

Quote: “A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” ~ Albert Einstein