My second half marathon

This past May I ran my second half marathon. As I did last year, I ran to fundraise for the organization I work for which serves youth experiencing homelessness.

For those new to this blog, I have not been running for long. I began last March (of 2013) when I decided to try the half marathon portion of a local race in Denver, The Colfax Marathon. For me it was all about fundraising, a way to support a cause I believe in so strongly (young people living on the streets).

This year my training was a little different. Winter seemed to go on and on here in Colorado, and although I am good running in cool temperatures I don't like running in freezing temperatures. So my training was affected, or some might say I chose to train less.

I finally got some good runs in, paid attention to some vegan athletes I follow through social media, and started to build my confidence for the upcoming half marathon.

Since last year when I began running, I sure have begun to enjoy it. At first it was a task, a tough one at that. Now I feel in my comfort zone when running, a chance to think or not think, to just be and breathe. It's a pretty good feeling. I also feel, no matter the distance of a run, that I am doing something good for myself, my physical being as well as my mental being.

May 18th came quickly this year and before I knew it I was at the starting line. A cool morning, and I was super excited. A co-worker of mine ran with me, and that made a huge difference.

The 13.1 mile route is rather flat. All the better for me. By the fourth mile I felt rather good. As I pass each mile I do a check of how I am feeling: breathing, good; feet, good; legs, good. Up until mile 9 or so. By then the sun was in full force, I had to go to the bathroom really bad, and I felt that my whole body was giving up.

At the mile 10 station there was no line at the port-a-potties so I could finally go. I covered myself with water and drank water and Gatorade. I felt refreshed. After a good start from that station I felt better, back to being energized and excited.

At mile 12 some Colorado firefighters from the annual calendar were in the middle of the street shirtless and giving hi-fives, that was nice!

After 2 hours and 41 minutes I crossed the finish line. My goal, a goal I had though of at the race last year, was 2:30. Yet I beat my 2:55 time from last year.

And I had a blast. Not just with the race itself but with everything I did before the race to train.

It is quite a shock to me that at 48 I love running.

If you are interested in running, a great website and a great support system I have found is here: VegRunChat . I've met many wonderful people here and gotten some great inspiration.

If you are interested in just getting more active, perhaps doing something other than running or in addition to running, No Meat Athlete is a great resource. Of course both of these sites honor my plant-based life, and if you are not veg or vegan I think you could still get a lot out of them.

Thanks for reading!

An 18-year vegan

At 47, it's difficult to believe that it's been 18 years since that amazing day when I was 29 and decided to no longer participate in all of the cruelty that was happening in order for me to eat meat. I became a vegan.

I have never really looked backed.

No, it hasn't been difficult.

Difficult is being tortured, living in fear, being constantly abused and beaten and then eventually slaughtered just so someone can eat.

In the last 18 years veganism hasn't changed at all. It still is the simple notion that I can be healthy and live an amazing life without having to consume meat or animal by-products. If you are just learning about veganism, it means no meat and also no dairy, eggs, honey, etc. For me it also means that I do not wear animals, products like leather or even silk.

It is super easy.

My annual physical with my doc has  become a testament to what veganism, and paying attention to putting good things into my body, means to my health. Uber-low bad cholesterol. Great numbers when looking at protein, B12 and other things that tend to be a concern for people who are not vegan. My doc even tells me now that there is a huge difference between blood tests of someone who eats meat and someone who doesn't. As in those who do not eat meat get better results.

Kale? Yep. I love it. I also love dates, blueberries, Swiss chard, collard greens and dark cherries.

Miss cheese? No way. To me dairy cheese means cruelty. It means veal calves and inhumane actions that I just can't support.

Last year I did my first half-marathon. I'm not saying that if I ate meat I couldn't do it, I'm simply saying that as a 47 year old vegan I did it.

Vegan athletes are everywhere. The strongest dude in the world is vegan.

And so are elephants. Yep. And rhinos.

Thinking about veganism? Go for it. There are a ton of helpful links right here on our blog page to help you out. And we would help you too.

Thanks for reading!

Back to the gym

Mike and I ran our first half marathon back on May 19th. I have run a couple of times since, no long distances just enough to get my heart rate up and get a good sweat.

I haven't worked out in the gym in a long time. Life gets busy. Work gets crazy. I'd rather come home after a long day and just relax, maybe watch a couple episodes of a past season of Dexter.

I don't get any healthier or any more fit if I don't exercise. At 47, I'm not really interested in the perfect body. Don't get me wrong, I want to look good, I just don't want to be in the gym every day for a couple of hours. A good physical week for me is three times in the gym for an hour or so.

The biggest reason I like working out is because of health. I feel better and I know that I am investing in my lifelong health savings account. Being vegan is a huge start. Not smoking and not drinking certainly helps. Continuous exercise is what wraps it all up and gives me a better chance of being as healthy as I can be.

Yesterday I went back to my gym after being absent for a  few weeks. The excuses mount: terrible allergy season that has not only affected my sinuses but also my lungs and breathing capacity; twisted my foot a week ago and it is still a little painful; and I'd much rather take a nap or lay on the couch and work on my blog.

I am SO glad I didn't. What an amazing workout! I felt awesome! Strong and ready to rock it. I am so glad I went and am ready to get back to a regular schedule.

I have gotten a lot better with what I eat and having a regular workout schedule is going to be a great addition to that.

It is all a process. My veganism only takes me so far. I realize when I am in a solid pattern of working out that I feel better physically and my body is only going to thank me in the future.

Off to drink my kale - spinach - blueberry - protein smoothie! Thanks for reading!

Bacterial meningitis killing gay men

I just read a story about a gay man in West Hollywood, CA who contracted meningitis and is now brain dead. He was fine one day, then became ill, hospitalized and now will most likely die.

I have read similar stories about gay men in New York City, as recent as last week. After looking up some information, seven gay men have died of meningitis since 2010. There are 13 reported cases of meningitis just this year in New York City. There seems to be an out break right now.

There is a vaccine.

"Although the vaccine can help prevent the disease, it is not used to treat it. Even if diagnosed early and treated with antibiotics, the disease can still sometimes cause permanent brain damage, hearing loss, kidney failure or even death." From an article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

I am not a doctor. And I am just learning. But I feel I need to do my part as a gay blogger to get this word out.

If you are sexually active and not in a monogamous relationship, please read more about this and consider getting the vaccine.  The vaccine is 80-90% effective and in most cases one dose works. Those with HIV and some others may need two doses, over a period of a couple of months.

From what I have read, this can be spread through sex or even kissing.

In New York City, the city's health officials recently put out a warning. They have urged men who "regularly have intimate contact with other men" to get vaccinated for meningitis. 

This brings back memories of the 1980's to me. The difference is that for the cases reported, the cause of death is known. And most importantly, there is a vaccine.

This may just be a small outbreak. The fact that deaths have now occurred in areas with big gay male populations may or may not end up being very relevant. Yet, I just had to write about this.

Again, no medical background. All I have presented here came from reading articles online for the past hour or so. We must get the word out.

Please spread the word.

Thank you for reading!