KaBlog

The Team Challenge half marathon is one week from tomorrow.

Today was our final long training run and in the past week I’ve completed two runs between nine and ten miles in length. I feel comfortable with my training runs and am confident I’m ready to complete the full 13.1 miles in San Antonio. In a validation of Murphy’s Law, however, participating in this half marathon continues to be a real uphill battle right through these final days before the race.

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Thanks to the recent financial crises in the mortgage industry and investment banking, Americans are now being treated to a high volume screaming match over how much the US government should regulate Wall Street, and what role the government should play in the bailout of companies and individuals hit by the current financial firestorm. As I listen and the dull pain in my head grows, I keep asking why the US government repeatedly believes it can predict — and hence manage — complex chaotic systems. Why does Smokey the Bear suddenly think he can put out the fires in our economy?

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Since the first years of this decade/century/millennium, there has been a fairly steady stream of research discoveries showing connections between specific genes and the occurrence of Crohn’s disease. But this month saw the release of research study results that up the ante for genetic discoveries related to Crohn’s.
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Last Saturday I ran 4.2 miles! (See map at right.)

First off, let me acknowledge the fact that for millions of people, running four miles is no big deal. But for someone who has battled a chronic illness like Crohn’s* since childhood, four miles feels like a giant accomplishment. And making that accomplishment all the sweeter is that fact that I had surgery on August 12th and have been in post-op recovery mode for the last few weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

Since I started my Team Challenge training effort, a number of people have asked me whether there is place where they can publicly post comments and words of support (almost like a Facebook “Wall” for my half marathon pursuit), Well — here it is. Please use the Comments box below to post your words of support. Feel free to also share any thoughts, comments, feedback or suggestions you have related to my participation in Team Challenge and the overall goal of curing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Finally, if you’d like to make a donation in support of this effort, please click here. Thanks! Read the rest of this entry »

A number of small items from NASA’s public relations efforts have caught my attention in the last several days, and — like pieces of a puzzle — I’m beginning to suspect that they all fit together in a way that points to a major upcoming announcement about Mars. But unfortunately I also suspect that announcement will disappoint those who champion the idea of a Mars that once (or even still today) harbored life.
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