Running and your carbon footprints

So you think by running/walking and cycling to work help reduce pollution?

That’s what i think myself.  However recently I have been reading that running/walking and cycling produce more carbon emmission than driving a car or using public transpo.  Disturbing isn’t it (yes if you are concerned of climate change).  How could this be?

Since we think that because we don’t use gas and we use our own energy it is friendlier.  But we actually use energy.  Walking/running/Cycling to work uses energy from the food that gives us energy required to this activity.  Fossil fuel is needed to produce this food we need.  If you are a vegan from the water and nutrients and energy from the sun and the energy of the farmer that grows the veggies, to the energy to and from the grocery and your energy to prepare the food.  Same thing when you are a carnivore, whe the animal eats etc.  Wow I haven’t thought of this myself!  Thus for example, we do need more food when we need to run 10Km to work everyday, then our energy resource is higher.  The effort we exert is higher than driving or riding a public transpo and the Carbon dioxide we emmit while doing so, from breathing.

On the other hand on a public transpo/driving uses less energy since it uses less effort and time.  And the argument goes on that it is better that we stay at home not travel, and do nothing because it will emit lesser CO2 emmision.  What do you think?

However we should not think this way, if we eat local produce that does not require transport much, since Food are sustainable energy, specially if we are pro-organic, and the sources of our food use the right way of farming and livestock then it means balance.  Driving on the other hand use oil and gas that are energy that is very hard to sustain and could take million years to make if it runs out.  Only if their are more hybrid cars and public transpo.  Also maybe consider not taking your Ipod/mp3 when running because it uses energy? Funny I never realize this either as I don’t see the bigger picture of what little devices cause.

So the question is, do you agree what this this study/Research is saying?

Christmas wish

Few more days more and its December and 3 more weeks is Christmas!

Yes even I won’t be spending my Christmas with my family and my old friends this year, I still be happy as long as I know they are happy.  That is my first wish.

Aaaanddd so what’s next? I have a non-material and material wishes that might remain as a wish as they are impractical or just way too dear for my budget.

2. Vibram Five Finger
Running a marathon? yes i can be a looney, some are loonier that they run ultra marathons, well some also think that running barefoot is looniest!  ALthough there is a research and debate that running barefoot keeps a runner injury free.  A book Born to run where the author is a barefoot runner himself who does different marathons arond the world.  I see one or two barefoot runners in some races with the improvised sandals.  And now a new footwear called Vibram Five Fingers simulates running barefoot.  I have always been injure prone and I want it to end Now! I want to try this, yet just trying it at 200AUD might not be worth it.

3. Nike Lunar trainer/racer/Free

Alternative to the VFF is the Nike version of running barefoot.  I have been a fan of Nike’s for quite sometime now, because its light and comfortable.  I have been looking around for the women version of the Nike lunars but I couldn’t find one.

4. Running Books!

Marathon Woman – Bout the first female who ran the marathon which was very controversial when women were not allowed to do any Marathons before:


Born to Run - a Barefoot runner who does marathons around the world

5. Injury free, faster and good endurance

Yes, another one hopefully soon!

That by start of the race season on the new year, that I be injury free.  That the prirformis pain goes away and no more ITBS on both knees, and no new ones!  And If i get injury free I will be back doing proper training for speed and endurance.  Aside from the usual Sunday and social runs I regular do, wish I could do two marathons next year.  I don’t know which ones yet.  Maybe Canberra, Honolulu, Phuket, or Gold Coast.

Most searched keywords July 2009

most searchable keywords 2009free online pacebands half marathon km1 bedroom apartment for rent in makati allows pets balcony near waltermart flexor digitorum longus injury muscle foot

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Most searched keyword June 2009

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fun run menai 200) energize health club dolls point 10km race july12 colonial sydney half marathon 2008 resul bankstown half marathon entry form 2009 automatic fire
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Got a new job!

… not.  Its actually a new responsibility.  Additional responsibility away from what I really do as a career.  Starting June 2009, I will be working as the Editor of the Woodstock Runner’s Newsletter the “The Woodstock Runddown.”

To be a journalist was actually one of my dream jobs when I was in High school, amongst other jobs.  I love working for the school paper starting as a Feature Editor and I climbed the ladder up.  Enjoyed most the Press conferences we represent the school and win for the school.  Then in Uni days I contributed in the College’s newsletter if I can.  My parents just thought it is not a practical job that will make me “successful.”

I know I am not a perfect English grammar writer however I just like writing my thoughts.

Now being an editor for The Rundown, I never realized it is very tasky.  I get help from rest of the Woodies like Dot Siempmann collects the race results for me, Brendan who was my predecessor is my Adviser, Kerry Bray sends me regular contributions and Colin Townsend gives me bits and peices of Information I can put in the paper.  Thankful for the technoly today that yo can use publisher to lay out, copy paste and print to PDF! (edited 16/06/09 – forgot to include printing them out, folding, putting them to envelopes, stamping them with return address, labelling and mailing them! whooo! Brendan i know what you meant “pain” about this!) I can remember the days when we have to use dummy sheets , type articles on a typewritter, edit, proof-read, print for layout finding fonts whoo! it is much easier this days!

The lot on its way to the post office!

Anyway, I take this new role as a hobby tobreak the monotony of my techie task.

I am still learning but here is my “maiden” issue.

Most searched keywords May 2009

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half marathon thalia Anthony  http://witchkitty.wordpress.com i am happy Brendan i run 30km inferior  extensor retinaculum injury run iou a mothers day dinner iron cove fun run mothers day january race canberra kittyket blog magda karimali-poulos in canberra marathon plan melinda vernon + half marathon + 2009  melinda vernon,photos,smh marathon 2009 most searched blogs 2009 mothers day chairty run balmain mothers day fun run at gold coast mothers day run morning herald mothers day run, 2009 herald sun mothers day sale at rebel sport mothers day walk centennial park mothers day walk in the park fenway 2009 mother’s days banner funny patric+his loss weigth photovendo manila private swimming pool for rent in makati race pace band in km rebel sport roadraces and marathons in sydney2009 running superior extensor retinaculum pa september 20 sydney half marathon  smh half marathon 2008 results smh half marathon september 2009 smh half marathon taper stop4x sunherald half marathon 2009 results super marathon times superior extensor retinaculum pain swimming pools for rent in makati Sydney sydney 30km run sydney half marathon 20 september 2009 sydney herald half marathon camera finis sydney marathon 2009 may 17 winner sydney marathon pasta sydney morning herald half marathon sydney morning herald half marathon pics tendinitis hallux longus tenosynovitis of the foot training for north downs 30km training plan to run half marathon

March’s keyword search: Injury and human physiology

flexor hallucis longus flexor hallucis longus muscle tenosynovitis http://www.podiatrychannel.com/pod/image m. flexor  hallucis l. m. flexor hallucis longus ttp://www.podiatrychannel.com/pod/image Brendan Davies flexor hallucis longus tendinitis hallucis how do i go from being fit to lean inferior extensor retinaculum m. extensor hallucis longus superior extensor retinaculum ankle tenosynovitis pictures april 26 2009 marathon philippine pia ca ben m chan bridge marathon in australia, february 2 extensor hallucis longus extensor tendinitis flexor hallucis long muscle flexor hallucis longus pain fun run march 29, 2009 manila joar + rio

m. extensor digitorum longus penrith regatta funrun photos from energise fun run Belrose rebel sport easter sale sydney bridge run 2009 sydney marathon clinic sydney marathon clinic march 22 results tchcat tendinitis (foot pain + inferior extensor retinacul bay to bay” brendan davies + profile cats drinking cordial energize fun run Belrose energize fun run march 2009 energize fun run Sydney extensor digitorum foot tenosynovitis extensor digitorum longus flexor hallucis flexor hallucis longus injury flexor hallucis longus tenosynovitis flexor hallucis tendonitis hallucis flexor John dawlings mars red bar size mars red chocolate most searched for keywords 2009 most searched injuries on the internet photos from energize fun run belrose pia cayatano april 2009 marathon project a.b.s. rebel sport sale 26th march 2009 rebel sports sale Sydney rotary fun runs Sydney running Philippines running race sam erith fitness ltd smc race series canberra marathon sport tenosynovitis st marys fun run 2009 st marys high school nsw australia superior extensor retinaculum injury sydney marathon clinic 22/02/2009 sydney marathon, may 17sydney morning herald half mara tenosynovitis of the flexor hallucis lon ton concepcion what speed do i run to do 8 km in 40 min witchkitty www. tenosynovitis of the longus flexor

Top three keyword search are:

flexor hallucis longus – 6 hits, 4.545455%
flexor hallucis longus muscle – 5 hits , 3.787879%
Tenosynovitis – 5 hits, , 3.787879%

Hit rate for each keyword is lower than last month but a wider range of keywords has been seen.

Profile 5: Being fit and Weight loss – Witchkitty

I would have remembered to have written years ago bout my obsession of loosing weight myself in my other blog. And in relation to the series of the first 4 pieces I just wrote lately, I’d like to share my own experience on this topic of loosing weight and being fit.

Also surprisingly after my holidays of 22 days in Philippines for Christmas of 2008 recently which means lots of eating and just a few 30KMs a week of running, sitting all day, the day i arrived my flat in Oz the first thing I did is run to my weighing scale so afraid i gained weight. So I weighed after almost a month of not bothering to weigh myself, I still got the same weight of 43Kls when I got back!! So i think my metabolism is back to normal. Not that I stuffed myself with junk while i was on holidays too but i did eat more food than what i was taking. And so much deserts. Yum!

Anyway here’s y share:

My Heaviest weight: 2 years ago around end of 2006 I could have weighed 54 KLS (118.8 lbs) and according to Filipino Body Mass Index (BMI) at a height of 5 ft, I would be a first degree obesity. I put on some weight starting at 2005 with a very unhealthy lifestyle. too much alcohol, partying every night, eating too much, eating on the wrong time of the day, and involved in a career that does not much involve of physical activity but just sitting down staring at your notebook and rolling your chair next to your colleague! Then a year and a half later on, I was assigned in a project in Indonesia for almost 7 months and living a life in a hotel with an everyday buffet breakfast, a driver to pick you up at the hotel to work and not even have to make your bed when you wake up. Working late and having mackas at midnight for dinner almost everyday. I got spoiled with that life and obviously i gained weight heaps!

My current weight: I weight currently plays around from 41.5 – 44 Kls. Heaviest when i get bloated on the time of the month. And I go my lightest most of the time, it can say that I am underweight according to the BMI but i think I am still doing well and healthy with the measurement.

My lightest weight: I could have remembered that I did not even realize I was looking very very thin not until the day my sister and my friend visited me in Cebu while i was on project there, and according to them they swear that I do look so haggard like a drug junkie. I think i did weight myself at 41 KLs by that time and I was not doing any much weight training, but all cardio – bike at the gym and running and swimming.

After that, I promised not to ever weigh and look like that again like a drug addict.

What made you realize you need to get back on track and being fit and healthy? After that stint in Jakarta, I went for a short business/leisure trip to Oz. And this time i was doing lots of walk to and fro the apartment to the hotel, drinking lots of water because I was told that you get dehydrated easily down under. Then I got back home and I lost weight like 4 kls at the time and my friends think i look better. Also I got tired when people/friends would tell me: “you look so F-A-T”, “what hapened? why are you so FAT”, “Are you pregnant?!”, (i mean people really get so MEAN) and so I did got serious in running to keep loosing my weight and I did lost 12 KLS in a year from 54-42. And ever since I never felt better and not got ill so often so lately.

As a baby i was diagnosed to have primary complex, weak lungs so had bronchitis when i was growing up then became asthma then i get flu easily and skin asthma but eversince I was on the track it was so rare that these ailments came back. So i felt pleased.

Do you have a special diet? Kind of but I attribute it more on lots of discpline. The first few months I was determined to loss my weight, I was having the following.
Bfast: 3 glasses of water before i eat, low fat cereal with low/skim milk or 2 whole meal toasts and honey, 1 mug coffee w 2 tsp brown sugar
Morning tea: 1 large banana or slices of fruits
Lunch: 3 wholemeal slice bread of Veggie and fruit filling and or light cheese and tuna and sour cream instead of mayo or wholemeal pasta and tuna or 1 cup brown rice and veggies + tea no sugar
Afternoon Tea: slices of fruits or a box of raisins or dried fruits
Dinner: half cup low fat popcorn + 1 tub low fat yougurt or sliced fruits and yogurt + green tea
And i do drink lots of water in between meals.

When I reached my desired weight I changed my meals to:
Bfast: 3 glasses of water before i eat, low fat cereal (1 cup muesli or 2 brick weetbix) with low/skim milk and two tsp brown sugar or 2 whole meal toasts and honey, or two toast and two eggs , and 1 mug coffee w 2 tsp brown sugar
Morning tea: 1 cup coffee
Lunch: whole meal sandwich or wraps, or wholemeal veggie or tuna pasta meal or brown rice or couscous and veggies or veggies and tuna and mushroom, or veggies and meat or seafood + black tea no sugar
Afternoon Tea: slices or whole fruits or two chocolate biscuit or a bar of Mars or palmful of nuts or dried fruits
Dinner: meat (either red or white – bake or pan fried in light olive oil) or fresh fish + lots of veggies and fruits and or yogurt + green tea

At the end of the day, I try to have consumed at least 7 kinds of fruits and veggies. When I am out and i crave, i buy fruit juices, or smoothies. Or munch on Sushi rolls (2 piece max) which i have learned is a low Gi food (foods that suppresses your hunger pangs).

I still once and a while eat at mackas, i can’t resist eating chips (my fave!!), I still do eat out on weekends as my cheat days like i eat pizza or burger or rice meals. I was eating a 3 meal rice a day to almost none and i am fine with it. I don’t drink alcohol everyday and I try to eat my meals on time. And i still do eat potato crisps. I can do away without any softdrinks (coke zero if i wanted to), and no iced teas when eating out but just flat water. On Chocolates, I take dark chocolate as it has lower calories than the milk chocs, I like dark chocolate anyway. I found out after “rebooting” my metabolism, i am so hungry every 2-3 hours! amazing!

Current sports you do: Just running at the moment, but I am going to join Pilates soon in a months time to improve my running injuries, I cross train in the gym (treadmill, stationary bike, stationary weights) and in the lap pool and also have my free weights. I have my badminton gear but i havent found a convinient place and mates to play with at the moment.

heaviest me in one of the days in Indonesia

Fitter me

People I know, or friends at first always tell me they can not do what i was doing, eating the right food, they do not have time to do exercise. For me, its just WANTING and the WILL to make it happen. DISCIPLINE. I am not hard on myself on what I eat and not what i shouldn’t eat. I maybe do not have any family or kids to tend to that i get heaps of time to do fitness, but I do a full time job and I know people who do have kids but what they do is bring the buggy and run or walk with their kids on it, spending time with the kids and doing the fitness all together. Also it can get challenging when I travel but i always make sure to pack with my things my running gear and some swimming gear. Everything is possible if we want to.

Profile 3: Being Fit and weight loss – Tiffin Solis-Parco

When i came back for the first time of me being an “OFW” last December to the Philippines, I was surprised to see the first people that i will see in the airport are the Parco couple, Mark and Tiffany. First, I did not recognize them, but they do look familiar, Mark does look familiar, and the first word i said was “uy!” I can’t even remember his name! Not that I forgot his name, but they looked so fit and lost weight (both of them) since the last time i saw them.

We did not know we were on the same flight back from Singapore to Manila, and they were just coming back from the Singapore Marathon for Tiffin’s first half marathon.Anyway, because of this, I thought i wanted to write bout both of them on how they lost their weight, they do not awfully look overweight but they were fitter now. But Mark told me he do not keep track of his weight but Tiffin does.Well most of the females do keep track of their weight.

So here’s my “interview” with Tiffin, also one of the h@ppy feet runners. And just wanted everyone know that she is a mother of two cute kids, so it does not mean that if you are already a mother, you should not care bout how you look and weigh and your wellness.

me: What is your heaviest weight: Tiffin: 130 lbs
me: What is your current weight: Tiffin: 112 lbs
me: Lightest weight: Tiffin: 102 lbs
me: What made you realize you need to get back on track and being fit and healthy? Tiffin: the passion of running
me: Do you have a special diet? Tiffin: What is it? none
me: What are the current sports you do aside from running Tiffin: - badminton
me: What got you into running? Tiffin: Here’s a short history how I started running…
After I gave birth to our first born, Cassie, I had hypertension. It was not normal for my age that time ( I was 34 years old then ) that I would be a candidate for a hypertensive. Before we went back to Singapore, I had a hypertension work up and as per my Endocrinologist, I had Conn’s Syndrome. Just to give you a brief background about Conn’s syndrome, it is a one in a million case that’s why Mark was joking me that I hit the jackpot!! There was a nodule found on my left adrenal gland which caused the hypertension.

In Singapore, I was hoping that the nodule is just a post pregnancy situation and my blood pressure would improve but it didn’t. So, I consulted a Cardiologist and Urologist so I was into medication for a year.

We were planning to have another child. My Cardiologist gave me medicines that would not affect the baby( in case I get pregnant).. but my blood pressure got high. We told her that if that would be the case, it would be too risky both for me and the baby. And so, she referred me to an Endocrinologist. It was again confirmed that I had Conn’s syndrome thru blood tests and CT scan.

I used to going to the gym when I was single to release stress from work. I went back when Cassie was 6 months old. I had an injury in my arms in the dance class so I had to stop.. I asked Mark why I don’t loose my post pregnancy fats eventhough I was going to the gym. He encouraged me to run instead..

Mark instructed me to walk and run first then I ran with him by the river which I enjoy seeing Clark Quay, Boat Quay up to Padang Bridge.. He also taught me to do speed training..Running really helped me lower down my blood pressure then. After 4-5 months of running, my weight went down at 102 lbs which is my lowest weight but still had hypertension.

I had a laparascopic surgery in 2005. My left adrenal gland was removed and there were 3 nodules that were found. It was a blessing that my blood pressure got back to normal and I already stopped my medication. After about 3 months, I went back to running.

We came back to Manila in 2006 and still continued my passion for running.

We had our second baby, Carissa on July 2007 and got back into running after 3 months.. I gained a lot of weight since when I was pregnant, I was conscious about gaining but after I gave birth, I just let go and ate a lot. I was 130 lbs then. Because of the support of my coach/husband Mark and his encouragement to join the races, I became a Running A**ict! I joined my 1st half marathon in the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon last December 7, 2008 which I never ever imagined! I just used to watch Mark do the half marathons then and take pictures of him!

I get depressed when I can’t run or when I’m injured..

Thanks to my coach/husband Mark, who gave me all the encouragement, patience and support to run.. now, I’m a happy feet

Thanks Tiffin for sharing, hm it seem that she do not have any secrets on lossing her weight but from what I’ve heard she was bitten by the running bug and she is also doing serious coached trainings and that is paying off she is getting faster on every race . Good work Tiffin!

Before

After

Profile 2: Being fit and Weight loss – Brendan Davies

Brendan has been an inspiration to me eversince I have met him and I am sure a number of the Woodstock, non-Woodstock runners too and his fitness friends! He is so fit and runs so fast, and does lead and organized the Woodstock’s Thursday Night Training interval/speed run’s. Never have I thought, that once in his life he was overweight. I remember some days he was telling us bout it but i don’t really believe him not until I saw pictures of him in Facebook. Amazing! So I am writing bout his weight experience on this piece.

me: What was your heaviest weight? Brendan: My weight peaked at around 86kg from memory. Although I was very overweight, I was still reasonably fit…in saying that, I couldn’t run 10km in 35 minutes like I can now, but I could plod around in under an hour. I was playing squash 2-3 nights a week, but struggling through it!

In March 2007 I decided to take up running again. I have run on and off in my life, some competitive stuff but mostly just to keep the weight down and to stay (reasonably) fit. But these patches always seemed to dwindle out, or I lost interest. In my mid 20s I did run for about 6 months and was very fit and probably weighed around 73kg. Between 2003 – 2007 I would have put on about 15kg to that 86kg.

I am not tall either, 170cm, so very overweight for my height! (Short people get fat quicker and unfortunately more obvious too)

My main reason and motivation was that I turned 30 and looked at myself and realised that I was not a healthy person! I wanted to be healthier. I also happened to choose a sport where the weight just came off so quickly. People at my work thought I was sick, eg cancer etc so I had to explain to them all one day that I’m OK, it’s just that I have taken up running as part of my new goal! I didn’t start taking running all that seriously until I joined Woodstock. I wasn’t too concerned about the body shape, eg being fat, but I was concerned about the health aspect, so that was definitely my main motivation. The new body shape is a bonus!

me:so What is your lightest weight or Current weight? Brendan: My current weight is 62kg, it has mostly stayed around this since March this year. So in other words, in one year I went from 86 to 62kg in a year.

I think the lightest I have ever been is just before the M7 marathon this year (July) were I got down to 59kg. I was really trying to find my ideal racing weight. I think that was too light as my body put that weight back on quite easily after that just eating normally but decreasing the training.

me: Is there a certain diet you are in?Brendan: How??? Lots and lots of discipline to diet and exercise. I ran most days, started small and worked my way up to first marathon in September 07. Lost a lot of weight very quickly! I not only ran, but lots of mountain biking and squash. When it came to diet, I was very strict, no junk food, no chocolate, just good fresh food and lots of fruit and veg. I watched my portion sizes and made sure I never overate. It’s amazing that even now, I have relaxed a little on my diet but I still stay clear of take away or soft drink or anything that has little nutritional value. A normal days eating for me will be:

Breakfast: large bowl of cereal, usually weetbix and muesli, banana with skim milk and honey. Coffee and water.
Morning Tea: 2 pieces of fruit, muesli bar
Lunch: Large ham and salad sandwich on multi grain bread, water
Arvo (me, comments: arvo is evening in oz slang) tea: don’t usually have this
Tea: Various meat and 3 veg, pasta (spag bog), fish, chicken salad, etc, but I watch how big the serving size is.

I also take some vitamin supplements, glucosamine, iron, mulit vit

So it is not really a special diet as such. The biggest thing I cut back on was junk food and alcohol. I hardly drink now, I used to drink a lot more!

me:Is there any other sports you do aside from running? Brendan: Current sports, I try to run everyday at least 10km, mountain bike, pilates at the gym and rockclimbing sometimes. During squash season I play 2 nights a week for about an hour.

-end-

Mind you, eversince his first Marathon, Brendan seem to have been bitten by the Marathon bug, and he did number of marathons last year too since his first on 2007. And did adventure races and six foot track races. Just last January 10, 2009, he registered for his first Ultra Marathon in Narabeen, only having the 6-foot track as his longest races, running 100KM overnight was his first. So amazing for a first timer to have won the 1st place in the event, averaging below 5min/km pace and a max pace of of 5min/KM all through out the race.

Reading bout that one, well yes he is still human, talked to him Thursday after the TNT sessions and he says he do have tendonitis currently from the ultra. Yet that has not stopped him from doing his fitness routines.  More bout his story on his ultra here.

Thanks Brendan for sharing!

heavier Brendan

very fit Brendan