It Was Not Just a Name, and You are More than Just a Man

A brief stop on my early Sunday morning run with Riley.

Riley and  I paused at the Vietnam Memorial to take a picture of a name,  not just a name, and not just an ordinary man.  A few days later, on May 7th, 2014, Riley along with 235 other men and women finished the Marine Corps Officer Basic School training. It was my honor to witness their graduation before they go across the world to carry on the legacy that has been loaned to all of us in America for a small time.

A strong sense of privilege, honor, and legacy, overwhelmed my wife Ruth and me during the weekend before  the graduation while in the nation's capital. Our privilege to see Congressional staffers take a break from the daily bickering Saturday night to poke fun at each other at the Capitol Steps performance. My honor to jog, with Riley, through the City before it awoke Sunday  morning as we experienced the long legacies of those great men who made our freedoms possible. These men include Madison, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, King, Lincoln, and Lee to name a few. Our jog took us down Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues, to the steps of the Supreme Court, the Capitol, and to the gates of the White House. We paused at the World War II, Korea, and Vietnam memorials. 

Sunday, after church, the three of us spent the afternoon where men gave their lives during the Battle of Chancellorsville. The gifts given by each of these great servants and their families seem so under-appreciated and taken for granted. Wednesday, Riley showed us why he was interested in the name of Terrence C. Graves, the name listed at the Vietnam Memorial. Lt. Graves is a Congressional Medal of Honor winner who served and was killed in action at Vietnam on 16 February 1968. There is a dormitory at Quantico which carries the name of Graves Hall. Riley remembers.

Thank you for your willingness to serve. It is our privilege to pray regularly for each of you that the Lord:

• fill you with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 
• that you walk worthy of the Him unto all pleasing, that you be fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of Him; 
• that you are strong with all might according to His glorious power, but with all patience, steadfastness, and joyfulness; 
• that you always, no matter what happens, give thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. . .

It’s No Accident Who Your Friends Are

No longer a beginner, I just “welcomed” my first newcomer to the Young Onset Parkinson’s team.  I am giving advice that I received two years ago, but with my own style.  

Don't Be Passive with Parkinson's 

1)  Read, Parkinson's Disease (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)William J. Weiner, Lisa M. Shulman, Anthony E. Lang

2) Serve in simultaneous roles as coach, principal player, cheering section, and strategist.  Remember that PD impacts your family too! You need to be positive and know that depression is part of the game plan.

3) Be purposeful; resistance is not an accident. Benchmark your abilities now, plan out what you want work on in 2014, and measure again a year from now.  Be multi-dimensional; measure your ability across several areas, e.g. spiritual growth, physical, finance, work, family, relationships, aspirations

4) YOPD for you is different than for someone who gets PD later in life.  Plan on being very active. Anecdotally, I believe that the training has helped me greatly to resist PD so I recommend lots of exercise to others with PD.

Maintain Balance

5) One additional goal is to maintain balance (pun intended).  Too much emphasis in one dimension such as physical fitness, while a priority, will detract from finances / work, or relationships. Time management is a key.

Adapt 

6) Parkinson's has blessed my right dominant side with micrographia, cramped handwriting or the progression to very small handwriting.  The first sample to the left is that of an average person's handwriting.  The second is mine on a good day.

The IPad tablet has saved me.

What is the Perfect Cannonball Splash?

Only 24 days to go!  Do I really need to get a back wax or a spray on tan cover up my farmer boy look?  No!  I just purchased a tri-top to wear when I splash, spin and sputter.  What was silly is now span(dex)-tastic!    

But, back to the cannonball splash............

What, if anything, does the perfect cannonball splash have to do with there being only 24 days left until my event?  Well, everything.  

As soon as a body hits the pool's surface, water is displaced to make room for the plunging object. Since that water has no other place to go, it shoots upward and outward. In the case of a spheroid entering, high-speed cameras capture an image of a crown-shaped ring of splash surrounding the border of the object. This initial splash, sometimes called the radial jet, is very fast—it leaves the water at 20 to 30 times your impact speed and, hits the people on the deck. The splash also makes waves.

Yelling "C A N N O N B A L L!", provides some warning to the reluctant bystanders who have a chance to get out of the way of the oncoming spray. For others bystanders, that spray is a cooling and welcome surprise, causing them to break out in a smile, which you see when you emerge from the water.  Now that is the perfect cannonball splash.


Isn't calling out "Marathon!", "Triathlon!", or even "Ironman!" at the start of a training season the same?  Many folks simply get out of the way and watch you do your thing.  Others not only watch, they support the hours, the pain, the highs, and the lows.   After you regain your breath, you see a smile on their faces at the finish line.  Now that is the perfect cannonball wave!


I need your help to make a big splash in the fight against Parkinson's! 

1. Read about Davis Phinney Foundation.
2. Consider being my sponsor as I participate in the Austin 70.3 Ironman Triathlon to be held on October 27th. The donations go directly to the Davis Phinney Foundation and whatever amount you can donate would be appreciated.
3. Share this with others who might want to be a sponsor.

Read more: Physics of a Cannonball Splash - How to Make the Biggest Splash - Popular Mechanics 

Giving Back by Fun! (d) Raising for Davis Phinney Foundation

'A string of good moments makes a good day and 7 good days makes a week and suddenly you realize that you have a good life, filled with Moments of Victory.' - Davis Phinney

My diagnosis in 2011 with Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease is not a curse, rather it is a challenge to resist struggles, be positive, search for golden nuggets, exercise, help others, and live.    "Live" is the sum of successes measured in daily increments.  It is cumulative.

I am raising funds for the Davis Phinney Foundation’s that has a mission is to improve the lives of people living with Parkinson's disease today and in the future.

The Davis Phinney Foundation has personally inspired me in my daily living.  While it's critical to find a cure for Parkinson's disease (PD), they feel strongly that people with Parkinson's also need information and ways to live better “today”. The DPF sponsors programs and symposia that provide the information and actions that can be used today to live well with Parkinson's disease.

Here is how you can help:
1) Read about Davis Phinney Foundation.
2) Consider being my sponsor as I participate in the Austin 70.3 Ironman Triathlon to be held on October 27th. The donations go directly to the Davis Phinney Foundation and whatever amount you can donate would be appreciated.
3) Share this with others who might want to be a sponsor.

Many Thanks,

Bob

The Water Run Cycle Makes me Bonk

Yesterday my heart beat faster, I was writing a number for every day in ascending order on the desk calendar  from the October 27th Austin 70.3 Ironman to now.  This is work!  My thoughts are all about it.  Run 13.1 miles, bike 56 miles, swim 1.2 miles,  nutrition, and hydration.   Bigger thought, Tuesday is a holiday in Texas for LBJ's birthday.  Good time to do a brick workout.

A brick workout consists of combining at least two events. In this case the two will be swimming and running.  Previously I have done swimming and biking or biking and running. (Swimming should always be first in the combination of events because the athlete is fresh and not as likely to get cramps or drown from exhaustion.)

My problem  lately is that I have been running out of energy during the brick workouts, particularly the bike / run combination.  Eating and drinking is a big problem.  Simply put, during the next 60 days I have to practice the correct way to eat and drink before, during, and after my training or I will continue to bonk.

Big breakfast on Saturday morning before a six mile group run chased down with a PBJ sandwich, followed by a planned 55 mile ride.  Ooops, not enough water for entire ride. I only had two 20oz bottles of water and a salt tablet which is only enough to complete half the distance, particularly on a hot day. Great news, I did not bonk. Bad news, I needed more hydration along with sodium and magnesium supplements because my calves later in the day looked like they had snakes crawling around inside of them.

Today, I woke up to a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast,  a 1.4 mile swim, a PowerBar after the swim, and a 12 mile run.  Midway during the run I had another PowerBar followed by Honey Stinger Chocolate carb gel 3/4 into the run. No bonks and no snake crawling calf muscles today.  Hydration is still an issue. I consumed 80 oz (26 oz per hour) of water during the training and I still had a net weight loss of 4.8 pounds.  On average a person needs 32oz of water each hour during training.  Based on my numbers, I need at least 40 oz for each hour.  Sixty days to go.

I feel fabulous and I am challenged.

The New Kid, Well I Guess Not So New Anymore

What do I Say to the Next New Kid

After 18 months into this journey, it is not nearly as bad as I originally thought.  

 

Love and Sex

First, see how this sexy story ends with  Love and Other Drugs staring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal. Two people fall in love despite the challenges when PD strikes an early blow. The movie excites you at first (watch without kids), then it will scare the hell out of you. PD is a highly individualized disease where each person can heavily influence their own outcome. 

Hope

Second, some hope with an easy to understand explanation.  Andres Lozano: Parkinson's, depression and the switch that might turn them off. Maybe deep brain stimulation is in my future, but just not yet.

Exercise

Third, exercise, exercise, exercise.  The next clip by ABC news shows what happens when a person with advanced PD rides a bike.

 Patients Pedal Past Parkinson's by ABC News.

• time seems to be our worst enemy so the motto is "do it while you still can"
• greater physical activity seems to have a beneficial impact

Austin, Texas is a fantastic place to make healthy life style changes because it is one of the most physically fit cities in the country.  No excuses here for someone with YOPD.   I recommend that you get more information on exercise and nutrition at Davis Phinney Foundation and look over their videos.

Lets have some fun with Dance Walking Fitness Ben Aaron. Time to Dance Walk Baby 

Knowledge

Finally, be informed.  It is worth the money, buy an IPad.  One of the apps that you need is Flipboard. This is a PD friendly content delivery tool that is particularly useful to someone with PD.  I use it to keep up to date on a variety of topics including Parkinson's Disease.