Making Progress

Sometimes it's hard to see the forest through the trees. I think anyone who undertakes a large project experiences this feeling. And I rarely take on small projects.

I can happily report that my Nike Zoom Nucleus MC+ and Nike+ wristband have escorted me through 200 miles already. They are "misplaced" at the moment so I ran this morning with my secondary pair of Asics. I am still on the fence about Running Through Redlands this weekend because I haven't been doing the long distance training and I feel like I have no time.

My dissertation is progressing although still not fast enough. Just like I wish I could run 8'30" miles, I wish I could write 830 words per day. It just doesn't work out like that. The good thing about writing is that I can really take a look at the "forest" and see my project from different angles and it makes the lab work run more efficiently because I see how each experiment fits into the larger picture.

This is also why I normally enjoy long-distance events. Good for building perspective about one's place in the world and the amount of energy we expend in getting ourselves around in it. Getting around on foot on bicycle is a direct use of the energy we put into our bodies. Better to fuel ourselves with healthful sources of energy and then burn it off doing fun stuff (like running) instead of jumping in our cars and driving to McDonald's... Not to be hypocritical so I have to admit I do both. But getting groceries on foot or spending the energy to garden, cultivating one's food in the backyard, really relates to sustainability and health. This is my spinach & chive patch. It's been producing for over 6 months now. I strongly encourage backyard/balcony farming.

Another topic of note: medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Perhaps these have been written about before or someone told me about them, but I am discovering them anew by reading a book I borrowed from UCR's science library. MCTs are abundant in coconut oil, are more soluble in water than long-chain triglycerides, and can be broken down in the mouth, stomach and intestines. Research studies involving this class of molecules have proven that MCTs can be used by the body as supplemental energy for exercising endurance athletes. In addition to carbohydrates, the incorporation of MCTs in sports drinks increased performance in a 40 km timetrial by about 2 minutes over a control group using only carbs. This got me thinking about fats used in all types of cooking and pre-packaged foods. I vowed to myself to try to improve the quality and variety of triglycerides I will include in my diet.

Additionally, I have given in to the pressure of medical advice. I now take vitamins. Since I hate taking pills (because I doubt the bioavailability of nutrients delivered by them) I got instead these chewable gummies. I take one in the morning and one at night. I still hate the idea of overloading my body with unnatural amounts of one nutrient or another. I think it might be as stressful as it is helpful. Just because scientific studies show that a particular nutrient is correlated with a beneficial outcome doesn't mean I have to take 400% of the recommended daily value of that chemical. So we'll see how this goes.

Topics for the future: dietary fiber!