Cardio blast

I am thrilled that Quixote and I have been walking so much lately. I love walking. Sure, I might not consider it "exercise," in terms of a swelling heart rate, sweat dripping down my neck and huffing for breath. There does come a point though when duration trumps level of exertion. At that point, it's really exercise. On Saturday morning we took a new route all through parts of Northville that we had never seen before and we ended up walking for an hour and 40 minutes. On Sunday I took him for another hourlong walk. On Monday Jason and I both walked with him for more than two hours! We left the house in the daylight a little after 7:00 p.m. and it was night when we returned, complete with the crescent moon hovering above the line of the horizon. Then to top it all off, I hit the gym before work this morning and ran for 35 minutes straight. I've been slacking with running lately so it was a good boost to my self-esteem to just push myself and listen to some tunes. Here's a video for you, Ed. I couldn't find a decent video so this will have to do.

America dies on Dunkin: The controversy

I'm sure it's no surprise to my four readers that I think this doctor lost his job in a most unfair and egregious way. He's just pointing out the truth.

By Jacob Goldstein
Here’s a job-security tip: If you work for the county, and a county commissioner owns a doughnut store, you should think twice before you run public messages such as “Donuts = Diabetes” and “America Dies on Dunkin.”
We point this out because Jason Newsom, a public health doc in Bay County, Florida, was sacked after running these and other messages on an electronic sign outside the health department where he worked. Here’s the story from the Associated Press.
“I think he was somewhat of a zealot,” the county commissioner with the doughnut shop told the AP. “I don’t have a problem with him pushing an agenda, it’s the way he did it. People borrowed money to go into business and they are being attacked by the government.” In addition to the opposition from the county commissioner, two lawyers who own a Dunkin’ Donuts store had threatened to sue, Newsom says.
Doughnuts were not the sole target of Newsom’s campaign. Other messages included “Hamburger = Spare Tire” and “French Fries = Thunder Thighs.”
“I have never been known for my subtlety,” Newsom told the AP.
“Dunkin’ Donuts is pleased that the signs have been removed,” a spokesman for the company wrote in an email.
As of 2007, 39 percent of all adults in Bay County were overweight one in four was obese, the AP notes.

It only took two months!

I'm trying to hop back in the saddle even if my legs feel sort of rusty. I made it to a Bikram yoga class on Tuesday night for the first time since before we brought Quixote home. I think that takes me back to May. At the center, they told me my pass for 30 classes had expired and there were eight unused classes. Trying to entice me into more yoga, they said if I bought a new package, they would tack on those eight expired classes. So I bought a 15-class package for $175 and it expires in six months. Looks like I'll have to force myself into attending at least once a week into January to get my full money's worth. Don't think I'm just throwing my money around. I still have my 2009 athletic reimbursement to use up at my work. They'll pay for half that package and for half my gym membership fees for the year.

So, yeah, I am trying to make fitness a priority once again. Jason and I have been diligent about taking Quixote for daily walks, usually more than one a day. But at the rate we go, it's slow travel and it barely qualifies as an activity that raises your heart rate. He sniffs, we correct. He refuses to budge, we pull out the treats. At four months old, I'm not expecting him to be a perfect marathon companion on a leash, but we have to put in the work now, if we hope he'll be a great leash-walker in the future. I can't wait until the first day that he runs three miles by my side. That will be super exciting!