Quite some time ago I posted an article on my installation of a height adjustable, stand up desk in my office.  I still love it and typically start my day by standing up while working.  I think my still using it daily is a great indicator that there is value in standing while working, especially considering that I installed this desk over two years ago.

Further to my own experience, I happened across a Wall Street Journal article on standing desks being on the rise in the Silicon Valley.  Definitely worth a read, which is why I’m sharing it here.  The article mentions businesses, like Google and Facebook, who are supporting requests for stand up desks.  It also covers some of the statistics around the health benefits of sitting less during a work day.  So, do you think there was an intended pun in their article’s title, “Standing Desks are on the Rise”?

Here’s to everyone’s good health!

I actually wrote a review on a commerce site. Don’t think I’ve done that before but know I read a lot. Anyway, decided to share it here too since they made it pretty easy to copy the content.

Originally submitted at Road Runner Sports

Men's NIKE® ZOOM STRUCTURE TRIAX+ 13 :: Your favorite Nike® stability shoe is reborn in the men's Nike® Zoom Structure Triax+ 13 to give you more support, greater forefoot flexibility, a smoother, cushier ride, and more heel support thanks to a new heel strap overlay. All at …

Mens Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 13 Running Shoe

Can’t kick the habit

By Jeff from Castro Valley, CA on 11/11/2010

 

5out of 5

Sizing: Feels true to size

Width: Feels true to width

Arch Type: Average Arch

Pros: Good Traction, Cushions Impact, Comfortable, Durable, Good Arch Support

Best Uses: Trail Running, Walking, Mixed Terrain, All Weather Conditions, With Orthotics/Inserts, Wet Weather, Road Running

Describe Yourself: Avid Athlete

Was this a gift?: No

I’ve been running with this model shoe for many years now. I buy them in pairs and when I can pick up the last year’s model at a discount. They are quite affordable and just as good as any others I’ve used. The last pair (Structure Triax+ 12) did make the upper part of my big toe sore for a bit but think it was just me adjusting to extra miles, new shoes and running on the road more. After putting in 400 miles on one pair and over 300 on the other I decided to get a couple of new pairs. I don’t have enough miles on them to know how they’ll do but can only imagine I won’t be disappointed.

I plan on continuing to use this model shoe until they don’t make them anymore.

(legalese)

So, did Dannon read my post about Yoplait from September 10? Or maybe they just have a brain and understand making a difference is more important than making half empty promises like Yoplait seems to make. Dannon, through its Cups of Hope program, allows you to provide them with a code from under the lid of a product, online, which will result in a donation from Dannon. For each code you enter, 10 cents goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Dannon will donate a minimum of $500,000 to this organization and up to $1.5 million. Very up front details, very reasonable consumer action needed and much more commonsense than Yoplait’s program that requires one to mail the lids to Yoplait. Still drives me nuts that they make people go to that extent. Ridiculous. So, if you are buying a particular yogurt because of the donations to finding a cure for breast cancer, I’d suggest trying out Dannon.

Every time Yoplait puts on their support program for the Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure campaign I just get disgusted. No, I’m not against getting rid of breast cancer, quite the opposite. What drives me nuts is Yoplait’s tactics. I have no problem with a firm advertising the fact that they donate a portion of their revenues or profit to a charity. God Bless them! What I think is ridiculous is how their program works. To me it’s as if they are trying to sell yogurt and not donate to the cause.

To me it makes more sense for Yoplait to say they will donate 10 cents, or even 5 cents, for every item sold. My impression is they are banking on people not sending in lids but perhaps buying their product with that intent. I know I throw out my lids as it doesn’t make sense to collect them, put them in an envelope and then mail them. Not only is it a pain and costs me more money, but it also adds to the carbon footprint and is just wasteful. If they don’t want to donate straight out then another option would be to print a code on the inside of the lid and let folks enter the code online.

Come on Yoplait, show that you truly care more about helping cure breast cancer than selling yogurt.

Well, I’ve kicked off my start of the East Bay Regional Park District’s (EBRPD) Trails Challenge 2010 with a short and quick five mile run in Fremont.  The trail was actually 4.5 miles but I decided to get in at least five miles.  There is a longer route that takes you clear to the Bay and ends up being 12.3 miles.  And there also is a shorter course of 2 miles.  I selected this course because I first stopped nearby at Ardenwood Historic Farm to pick up our Trail Challenge t-shirts.  Last year’s shirts are definitely the best of the three years that I’ve participated but, hey, what do you want for free?

Alameda Creek Regional Trail - Fremont, CA

The trail I started with is the Alameda Creek Regional Trail.  They have you start at a staging area located at the end of Beard Road in Fremont, not too far off the 880 Freeway.  As I really didn’t have the time to do the 12 mile run, I pushed the five mile run at a faster pace to make it more of a speed workout.  I ended up getting the overall pace down to 7:13 min/mile.  It wasn’t too difficult as this trial is paved and flat except where you duck under freeways, roadways and train tracks.  I’d have to imagine that this trail gets pretty busy on the weekends.  I ran the trail on a Thursday in the early afternoon.  There were several bikers and just a handful of hikers.  I may have to visit again to do the longer route that takes one down to the Bay by Coyote Hills Regional Park.  Also, there was just a small stream of water in the creek bed but where I passed under the 880 Freeway you could see that the water can get very high as there was debris that had gotten caught up quite high on the support posts.

The EBRPD Trails Challenge 2010 consists of 10 featured parks located in Fremont, Lafayette, Antioch, Livermore, Walnut Creek, Castro Valley and Richmond.  For each of these parks there are three trails of varying lengths and levels of difficulty.  The trail I ran was considered “Moderate”.  This obviously was due to the distance and not the terrain.  The other cool thing the fine folks at EBRPD have done this year is to have mapped out the trails on Google Maps.

I’d definitely recommend signing up for this challenge and get out there and find some new favorite places to escape and exercise.  The trails and guidebooks from previous year challenges also are still available online, so, check those out too if you haven’t already.

Four more trails to go, or 22 miles.  See ya out there!

God bless this product!  Okay, this is a post where I won’t be shy.  I’m not a light person anymore and am getting older.  What does this mean?  It means I’m just shy of 195 pounds and will soon be 49 years old.  I’m also 6’ 2”, so, I’m not fat but I do have excess fat and it jiggles.

Even being relatively fit, age means the body is not as toned as when I was 18 and 153 pounds.  I’m sure there are folks that know what I mean.  I mean that if I don’t take direct precautions my nipples will get rubbed raw, sometimes to the point of bleeding.  Rather embarrassing to talk about but a hell of a lot worse to experience.  I’m being frank so that folks know exactly what I’m talking about and I can reach those that have the same issue.

I’ve tried different things in the past but all didn’t work or were messy.  These included mole skin, band-aids, Vaseline, bag balm and New Skin.  The most effective last resort had been pulling my shirt up over my head.  A great sight!  Well, from my vantage point but maybe not from someone whose head wasn’t attached to my shoulders.

One day there was a discussion on one of the running LinkedIn groups.  Someone was asking what folks do for “chafing”.  One response was that they use “Body Glide”.  Then another person mentioned the same product.  I’d never heard of this product before.  Maybe because I hadn’t been tied into the newer running products as I’m a bit old school and cheap.  Well, not anymore (the cheap part excepted)!  After my last product attempt failed I thought to take a look at this recommended product.  It definitely isn’t the least expensive thing out there but, as I’ve come to find, it does seem to be the best, and worth every penny.  Actually, it does seem to last a long time, so, the price really is not that bad.

Since picking up Body Glide I use it all the time.  I have yet to have a full blown issue.  In fact, only two or three times did I wonder if it was going to hang in there but it did.  It’s really quite miraculous, I use it religiously for every run, and I will never use anything else.

When shopping around the least expensive place I found this product was Road Runner Sports.  I recently purchased another to make certain I don’t run out and Road Runner Sports remains the least expensive place that I could find.  The added benefit of finding Body Glide was buying it from Road Runner Sports and finding out just how great they are as now I use them for all my running equipment needs.  Between just having good prices they also have specials running all the time and Free Shipping on All Orders.  I love them so much I signed up as an affiliate and recommend them to the other runners (walkers…) I know.  That’s why you see links in this post and in my sidebar.

So, if you have chafing, rubbing or get hot spots anywhere on your upper body, mid body or feet, then you definitely should give Body Glide a try.  You won’t regret it.

Gee, what shall I watch while I’m putting in five and a half miles on the treadmill?  Well, I haven’t seen the news for a while, guess I’ll catch up on things.  Damn!  Politicians!  Oh hell, I guess I’ll see what the President has to say.  After all, it can only make the effort of running worse.

First impressions?  What the heck is a State of the Union Address for?  Is he talking to the other politicians, who hopefully already know his agenda?  Shouldn’t President Obama be talking to the American People?  Why doesn’t he look at the camera?  If he isn’t talking to us then why is he on television?

Hey!, I’m over here!

These speeches really come off as a bunch of folks patting each other on the back and saying, “You’re great!  Keep up the good work.”  I was thinking this was a total waste of time as Obama didn’t start off saying anything new and it was just a constant round of cheering and standing ovations.  I really don’t have time for a pep rally.  Can we just disseminate the information?  Can you also maybe look at the camera once in awhile so the American People think you are speaking to them?  Oh, and while I’m on it, can you not have Boxer and Biden sitting behind you.  I know that’s where they belong when Congress is in session but it’s really distracting.

Okay, after about 15 minutes I was adjusting to the applause and standing ovations and ceremony and started listening to what Obama was saying.  Here’s my take on some of his points, and in no particular order:

Boxer, for God’s sake, sit down!!!

Health Care

I must admit, I’m not a big supporter of this, which I know it isn’t the most popular stance.  I just don’t get it.  Don’t we already have provisions in place to help folks with health care?  Can’t I, as an American, go to any emergency room and get assistance?  They can’t turn me away.  I suppose for chronic issues one would have a problem, and I understand that.  But there has to be other government programs that exist to help with this. Medicaid?  Medicare?  Sorry, this is where I maybe a bit naïve, or perhaps haven’t experienced the issue as I pay out of pocket over $1,000 a month to have health care.  And, folks, I was totally under employed in 2009, so, I’m not talking as someone who can really afford health care right now.

Anyway, as I heard Obama spout off about, “How are we going to curb insurance costs and rein in these health care insurers so that they are fair?” I was just thinking we don’t need a really expensive health care system to affect change.  Just enact laws that protect the general public from the sharks that swarm around in these companies working on ways to make money at the expense of people’s lives.  At least, in my opinion, this is a really great way to start the process.  And while you are at it, let’s look at health care product suppliers who overcharge for products because they can.  Maybe limiting medical malpractice cases to those that truly have merit would be a good idea too.  All of these efforts would be much less expensive, much less apt to step on everyone’s wallet and much less apt to go bad.  If this doesn’t work then you can start looking at other options but, hopefully, when the economy can better endure the expense.  Where are they getting the money for this anyway?  From Social Security?  Why not try and fix some of the inequities before trying to create a whole new system?

Lobbying

I’m all for controlling lobbying.  Of course, and I’m not saying it’s a bad thing,  this would likely help the President in the next election, provided he doesn’t screw something up in the next 3 years.  How?  Well, President Obama will be in a race with a pre-built fan base; folks he doesn’t have to sell.  He is only investing his dollars into incremental gain or, if he is wildly popular, he just sits back, saves his money and keeps quiet.  On the flip side, most contenders will be starting from scratch, given that most are only known by their “local” constituency.  This means they will likely need more dollars to win the election.  Something that always has been unfair.  I honestly don’t know if President Obama has thought of this.  I actually hope he is being genuine and understands that lobbying can cater to the interests of the few over the interests of the majority and, as such, needs to be more heavily limited and openly reported.  Anyway, I like this point and wish President Obama good luck as this has been proposed a lot but never really seems to win the favor of the politicians.

Job Creation

I still don’t know what to believe with regard to statements that the recovery act has created 2 million new jobs.  I hear it said but I also hear that unemployment is rising.  It is possible that 2 million new jobs were created, but this doesn’t necessarily mean a net gain in jobs overall.  Anyway, I’m all for creating jobs in positions that this country needs.  I just don’t want to pay to employ folks just to employ them.

I’m happy that the thought is to push this effort through the funding of small businesses as this really is the correct approach.  Over half of the jobs in this country are in small businesses.  These are companies that don’t have the same resources as larger companies but still impact our economy a great deal.  So, let the large companies manage their monetary and workforce resources as they always have and let’s help fund the small businesses such that they can add positions to the workforce.  The only statement I heard that I don’t agree with was that the recovery funding should go toward “adding new jobs or increasing current employee wages.”  Increases in wages should come about only if growth is a result of increasing the workforce and this increase leads to a more profitable firm and, ultimately, increased wages.  Otherwise, let the current employee’s wages increase by the company finding existing sources of funding and not recovery-based funding.

Executive Pay

Folks, we live in a capitalist society where the innovators and leaders make more than the rest of us.  To simply spout words to fire folks up because you know many will agree with you is pathetic.  How about instead of saying executives can’t pay themselves exhorbitant salaries and bonuses that you say something like, “If you are an executive, and perhaps more greedy than you should be, then you must limit your wages such that you are staying in line with those folks who also are instrumental in making your business a success?  Share the wealth a bit.”  Maybe a CEO can’t exceed 200% more in total compensation than the average total compensation of the top 40% of the company’s employees.  If they can make the company profitable enough to pay their employees more, then they can pay themselves more too.

Freezing the Budget

Funny, being in California, where there is a balanced budget requirement, this just seems logical.  It’s a big step, and there likely will be a lot of loopholes for getting around it, but it is a good idea if done honestly and properly. Yep, I think it is great if President Obama really freezes the budget for three years starting in 2011.  My only question, though, is at what level is he freezing the budget?  If it is at the 2008 level then that would be great but maybe 2005 is a better target.  If the budget freeze is based upon the 2009 or 2010 level of spending then this is an empty proposal and would just continue the upward spiral of our spending and the unchecked growth of our Country’s deficit.  So, this statement really meant nothing to me because President Obama didn’t say, “Starting in 2011 we will freeze the budget for three years at the 2008 level.”  Let’s hear what you really propose, not “This won’t start until 2011 because that’s how budgeting works.”

School Funding

I think I liked this part of President Obama’s speech the most as he’s totally right, the future of the United States will be determined by the investment we make in our children’s education.  What goes along with this, though, is instilling this belief in those parents who don’t parent.  There are plenty of kids who don’t go to school, or simply “attend” school, because their parents are “absent”.  We need to invest in our children’s education but we also must help those who could benefit by this spending but won’t due to their lack of family support.  Probably a different problem but worth trying to solve as this leads to uneducated adults who are more likely to not positively contribute to society and may find themselves in our criminal justice system.  I’d rather see the money go to saving these forgotten children as, in the long run, you will make America stronger and help future generations.  You also will lower the cost of housing a bunch of criminals and increase your tax base; and you may save a child that goes on to cure cancer or Parkinsons or the common cold.

Bipartisanship

Finally, if the President really believes in a bi-partisan approach to politics then he needs to stop adding to the divide and stop putting the onous of this on the Republicans, of which I’m not one.  His comment to the Republicans stating that they shouldn’t require 60% or more of Congress to be of a given party to pass something is inflammatory.  Here’s what President Obama should do:  Lead by example!  How?  Find a cause that the Republicans are really wanting support on and… support it!  As long as it truly is a good idea being proposed, why not show that you are bi-partisan.  That’s what being a great leader is.  By showing others how things should be done and that it isn’t about what party you are a member of, but what is best for America, regardless of who thought of the idea!  So, let’s make it happen folks as I REALLY am tired of paying for a bunch of malcontents that posture instead of representing those that put them in office.  Could you imagine how great the United States of America could be if the politicians did not participate in politics?

Okay, I’m good.  I know I may not have the most popular or fully thought out ideas but, heck, I was a bit oxygen deprived while running and watching the circus that is our US government.

Oh yeah, what the heck was meant by “We are working with Muslim communities around the world to promote science, education and innovation.“, especially as it was juxtaposed right along with “And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bio-terrorism or an infectious disease – a plan that will counter threats at home, and strengthen public health abroad.“?  Do I just watch too much television or haven’t most of the recent terrorists been Muslim?  I don’t know, it just caught me as a bit off and strange that a specific religion should be a point in Obama’s speech.

I’ve really been trying to get in at least 20 miles of running each week.  I’ve been pretty good at it and am motivated to keep things going.  Last week I was put to the test as I didn’t get my 3 to 4 runs in and come Saturday, the last day of my run week, I only had completed 5.5 miles.  Ahhhhh!

What did I do?  Well, I decided it was time to cowboy up, so, I got onto Buckeye Outdoors and plotted a new run.  I knew that running to the Rowell Ranch Rodeo grounds and back was 10 miles, so, figured I’d just extend it out another 2.5 miles or so.  Well, extending the outbound leg by 3 miles took me to the end of the line where Dublin Canyon Road intersects with Foothill Boulevard in Pleasanton.  Hmm, 16 miles… am I up for this?  I don’t think I’ve run 16 miles since I was training for a marathon about 16 years ago.  I knew I could do 13 as I pushed through a very hilly 13 with my good friend Anthony when he was visiting from Houston.  What the heck, tally ho!

Well, it had rained a great deal all week, so, I was quite happy when I saw a lot of beautiful, blue sky as I set out.  Things went pretty well for about four miles, at which point my body revolted with my lower intestines upping the ante.  After another mile or so I knew I’d need a stop somewhere before my 16 miles was completed and probably a lot sooner.  It dawned on me that there were a couple of hotels at the middle mark, so, I carried on and did my best to distract myself by focusing on the other pains.  Okay, I was otherwise feeling fine but did do my best to not focus on the potential impending doom.  Might I just say that the Marriot Hotel in Pleasanton has lovely accommodations?  Well, they do, and I’ll certainly keep them in mind anytime I’m in the area and need a pit stop.

The run was much more enjoyable, even after turning around and climbing back up Dublin grade.  However, when I passed back by the rodeo grounds it did start to rain.  This was at about 11 miles into the run.  Fortunately, it was a fairly light rain, but steady.  Think it all but stopped about one and a half miles later.  Didn’t really matter to me as by that time my thighs were feeling depleted.  The last couple of miles were making me wonder why I had done this.  The last mile is pretty much all up hill and not something I was looking forward to.  Needless to say, my pace at this point wasn’t my usual but I did persist and was truly happy to reach home.

Yay!  I got my 20 miles in and was astonished that my pace was 8:40 per mile.  And I got to try my new purchase, The Stick.  I don’t know if it was this little tool or not, think it was, but I was able to roll out my muscles and I didn’t get any debilitating muscle aches in the days that followed.  You know, those stiff muscles that make you go locked knee when you walk?  It actually was quite the opposite as the next day I did a fairly quick 5 miles followed the day after that with 7.75 miles.  Thought I’d need a break.  Not to say I shouldn’t have taken one.

Run on!