New Years Day. The venison chili is on the stove, football is on the TV and it’s snowing – it doesn’t get much better.
The Michigan – Florida game is on TV. As a Penn State graduate, I am obligated to despise Michigan for 364 days a year (365 in the leap years). That being said, today I can root for them as they are fellow Big Ten members playing against a hated SEC opponent. For anyone who follows college football, this is a classic Big Ten vs. Southern Speed game, but Michigan is up by 7, no, make that 14, in the 3rd quarter. No, my beloved Nittany Lions did not get to a New Years Bowl Game this year, but they did beat Texas A&M on Saturday night.
Later today, we have USC and Illinois, and on January 7, the championship between Ohio State and LSU. I have to admit, I don’t like the idea of having to stay up to watch a game during a week night – I have to work in the morning! But sacrifices must be made. How about the NFL? The Giants actually showed me something on Saturday night. I didn’t think Eli had it in him. I will not be at all surprised if someone beats the Patriots in the playoffs. Watch out for the Jags – they’re playing like the Steelers are supposed to.
I generally don’t make New Years resolutions – too much pressure. However, there are some things, in no particular order, which I would like to see in the next few months – MAU basketball, boys and girls, to win a state championship. Cambridge boys basketball, led by my nephew Shea, to win a Section II championship. Cambridge girls basketball (my niece Amelia this time) to win. Penn State basketball to compete in the Big Ten. One day without hearing anything about politics. One day without hearing anything about the New England Patriots. Lot’s of snow. An accurate snowfall forecast. My dog, Duncan, to stick around for a little while longer – we still have things to do, buddy. My kids, Ben and Stasia, to continue to amaze and delight me everyday. Good health for my friends and loved ones.
Look at that – Michigan just upset Florida
That’s it. Happy New Year
Nothing is worse than cold feet. Whether you’re skiing, hunting, snowshoeing, or whatever, cold feet can ruin your day.
So what’s the best way to keep your feet warm? First of all, never, never wear cotton socks – cotton and cold do not go together. The problem with cotton is that it does not dry. When your feet sweat, the cotton gets wet and then the feet freeze.
This is a trick I learned from an experienced winter camper: wear a wicking layer next to the skin, such as a polypropylene sock. Next, put a plastic bag on your foot. Over that, wear a wool sock. Sometimes it feels a little strange with the bag on, but it works.
Now that the weather is turning cooler, you may be planning to start or resume a fitness program. Starting and sticking with a fitness program is a good way to improve your health, increase your energy, and manage some health problems. Here are some things to consider:
- Should I be doing this? Talk to your doctor before beginning any fitness program. This is especially important if you have any medical issues.
- Is this supposed to hurt? It is common for fitness activities to result in muscle soreness, especially early in one’s program. However, if you find yourself crippled for days after a workout, you probably did too much. Similarly, joint pain during or after a workout is a large red flag, telling you to back off and possibly seek the services of a medical professional.
- Where are those 18” biceps and the 32” waist? Be patient — actual physical, observable change is not going to happen for at least 4 weeks. Find some comfort in the fact that you are benefiting your body in ways that cannot be seen.
- This is boring — Part I: Find a partner to workout with — you will be much more likely to stick with your program.
- This is boring — Part II: Vary your program — use different machines, different exercises, swim, take a class, bike, strength train, etc. Cross training like this can get you in shape, keep things interesting, and give parts of your body a chance to rest.
- I weigh more now than I did when I started this program!! Fitness programs are not about losing weight — they are about losing fat and gaining lean muscle mass. You may weigh the same, but you will look better and feel better.
- I’m working out now, so I can eat anything I want. Maybe, maybe not. Just try to eat intelligently — you need to feed the machine, not break it.
Just to repeat — talk to your doctor prior to beginning any type of fitness program. If you have any exercise related questions, talk to a PT, trainer, or fitness professional.
Have you ever seen a kid standing at a bus stop wearing a backpack that’s almost as big as he is? Sometimes I wonder how they keep from falling over backward. I don’t remember ever carrying that much stuff when I was in school, but, of course that was the old days. Anyway, “backpack safety” has become a concern in recent years, as carrying too much weight can lead to injury. It is estimated that more than 40 million students carry backpacks, and over half of these children regularly carry more than the recommended safe weight in the backpack. Here are some tips to avoid problems:
- Choose a backpack that has straps which are wide and well padded. A waist strap can also help to distribute the load.
- Make sure the backpack fits snugly — a loose backpack can put a lot of strain on the upper back muscles.
- Wear the backpack correctly — do not sling it over one shoulder.
- Weight — the loaded backpack should not weigh more than 15 percent of the body weight of the wearer. Heavier items should be packed first so they sit closer to the body.
With a little effort, you can avoid big problems.
So is it just my imagination, or are backpacks and books are heavier now? Readers, use the comments button below to tell me about stories that prove me right or wrong.
Update — Mount Anthony, Hoosick Falls, and Cambridge football all won last weekend. On Saturday Hoosick Falls goes to Cambridge, and it should be a great one.
Sneakers. Ever find a pair of perfect sneakers, only to have them discontinued? I hate that. I live more than half my life in sneakers, and I am constantly in search of the perfect shoe. Over the years, I have developed an almost pathological obsession with the comfort of my feet – I don’t really have feet, I have paddles and I practically walk on my ankles, so I need orthotics and really good sneakers, or I am not happy. Actually, I’m miserable if my feet hurt. I used to buy only black sneakers – they make you look fast, you know. Recently, I started broadening my horizons a bit, much to the surprise of my co-workers (they loved the new opportunity to give me grief). 
Three pairs ago, I got a sweet pair of ASICS in blue and silver. After that, I had a very bad experience with a brand I shall not mention – they felt great at first, but after a week, I knew I had made a horrible mistake. The latest pair is black, but has a lot of silver trim – kind of flashy, but I still keep my speed, imagined though it may be. I am truly stepping out! Anyway, I usually get a new pair about every 2 months. That’s probably a bit more frequently than most of you do, but I tend to be very hard on sneakers and am not exactly the lightest guy in the show.
The thing with sneakers is they don’t last nearly as long as most people think. The lifespan of a sneaker is dependent upon your activity level, your weight, and how you use the sneaker. How old are your sneakers? Chances are you may need to buy new ones. Should you get running shoes, cross trainers or what? Should your new pair be a cushion, stability, or motion control shoe? I think a problem with sneakers is the huge variety out there. Remember when you only had 3 or 4 pairs to chose from? Those were the days – you had to make do with what you got. I still remember my father’s circa 1955 Chuck T’s… in the 1970’s They were in the garage, but they were still serviceable. That was a man with a reliable pair of sneakers.
So what kind of sneaker should you get? Running shoes are generally comfortable and lightweight, but wear out faster than some other kinds of sneakers. Cross trainers are generalized athletic shoes which provide more lateral support than running shoes, at the cost of greater weight. Walking shoes are met to provide comfort and stability for the recreational walker but are not necessarily good at absorbing the forces encountered when running. Once you figure out what kind of sneaker to buy, you should think about whether you need a motion control, stability, or cushion shoe. In general, people with high arches should wear a cushion shoe, those with flat feet should wear a motion control shoe, and people in between these extremes should wear a stability shoe. So there it is - more than a lot of you probably want to know about sneakers. I’m still confused – just make it mostly black and comfortable.
All this talk about shoes reminds me – we have a new doctor at SVMC! Dr. Deborah Henley has joined Taconic Orthopaedics. She is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in feet. Wonder what she wears? Welcome, Dr. Henley, and I look forward to our discussion about the finer points of athletic shoes.