Time to really get on track like everyone else ...

Since I got home at 12:30, spinning at 6:15 just did not happen. And I don't feel all that bad about it.

And since we did not run in California, I was really wanting to run. So after work, I ran my ~30 minute course up the Trolley Trail to Volker and back. Actually it's usually less than 30, but I rarely even wear my watch on that run. However, today it was at least 30 minutes. It was mid-80's and steamy! And the sun was out. Not quite acclimated to that yet, to say the least.

Then I rushed off to yoga. Monday night yoga is a really good post-run activity. It's slow paced enough for after running yet always has some good stretches for the legs and hips. Tonight was especially good, like she'd planned it for apres-run. We did alot on the floor, which is good because it doesn't stress my knee like alot of standing postures can do.

So now that little sis has discovered the joy of swimming, I fear she is going to kick my ass. I have to get serious about two-a-days I think. At least now, there will be good bike weather, so that is an evening opportunity.

Oh I got my numbers back from last week's doctor appointment. Now I am often a little obsessed with my scores and numbers of any kind: SAT scores, GRE scores, jeans sizes, cholesterol levels, IQ tests, etc. I was a little disappointed with these. I think they reflect the less than optimal diet that I have had for the last year to 18 months, which is slowly improving but that won't show up in the blood for awhile. Or maybe this is just life after 40 ...

Total cholesterol: 182 (should be < 200)
HDL (good cholesterol): 72 (should be > 45)
LDL (bad cholesterol): 95 (should be < 100)
Triglycerides: 72 (should be < 150)
Cholesterol/HDL ratio: 2.53:1 ( Optimal is 5:1 or less - I think the office screwed this up on the report, so it makes me wonder about the rest of these ...)

Now ... why would I be disappointed? Well my cholesterol was 170 last year and 160 the year before. Of course, 10 years ago it was slightly over 200. So I think diet has alot to do with it. Because mine has not been nearly as good in the last year as it was the previous year. We have some genetic predisposition to high cholesterol in my family and it is only one risk factor and mine isn't even high, so it's not worth working up the blood pressure. Which also was not quite where it had been previously.

I am happy with the good cholesterol level. Supposedly aerobic exercise really helps that and that appears to be true for me.

Apparently my beer drinking has not affected my triglycerides negatively. Or my allegedly "high carbohydrate" diet. They did not test for glucose (blood sugar) or it was not on this report. Last year it was fine and I'm really not predisposed to diabetes so that's not a big concern for me right now.

And if you don't believe me about the optimal numbers ... http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=183