Running in the Rain and other News from the past month...

February 24th, I ran in my first 5K race. It was exhilirating. Well I didn't run the entire way but I finished in about 43 minutes. Not bad for my first time, huh? It was the 20th annual ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run. There were over 7,000 people participating and it was raining for pretty much the entire time. All the money raised goes to support scholarships.

I guess this is also from February, but we (a charity orginization at COP) had its annual Chili Cook-Off. It went really well and was a lot of fun. As you can see from the above picture, I was on a team "The Mad Cow Chili Chefs". Don't ask how we got someone to dress up in a cow costume but it did get us an Honerable Mention for Theme.

In the weeks since that time things at work have been very busy. I think this month is probably the most extreme. I will be away from home for some period of time every week this month. Yikes... at least I am earning some miles for most of the trip. Some highlights so far....

Amarillo: I was in the Panhandle for a few day and I was supprised that there is a canyon that is actually quite pretty. Also, most of the towns were bigger than I expected (bigger than Yale for the most part). We made sure to stop by the Big Texan but no one attempted the 72 oz. steak.

Oklahoma: I just got back from Oklahoma, for the most part its the same as I left it. My flight was 3 hours delayed because of bad weather in Houston. Its the state's centennial this year so that was neat. Plus is was good to see some friends and family.

Up for this week is Dallas and Austin for work related stuff, and then back to Oklahoma next week for some new hire training. I think that is all that has been happening recently. Oh, I did move to a new apartment, only its the one next door to my old one. Its a long story but basically the complex is remodeling and now I have a remodeled apartment.

How Well Traveled are You?

Your Travel Profile:

You Are Very Well Traveled in the Southern United States (62%) You Are Well Traveled in the Middle East (50%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Scandinavia (40%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the United Kingdom (38%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Western Europe (36%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Southern Europe (33%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the Northeastern United States (29%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Africa (25%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the Midwestern United States (25%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Eastern Europe (20%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Latin America (7%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in the Western United States (5%) You Are Untraveled in Asia (0%) You Are Untraveled in Australia (0%) You Are Untraveled in Canada (0%) You Are Untraveled in New Zealand (0%)

How Well Traveled Are You?

National MS Awareness Week

Its National MS Awareness Week this week (March 5-11). So in to raise awareness here are the basics on MS (FYI... I did plagarize this piece from the National MS Society so if you want more info be sure to check out www.nationalmssociety.org).

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord. It usually strikes adults in the prime of life, between the ages of 20 and 50. It is a disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord. One new case of MS is diagnosed every hour.

What Is Multiple Sclerosis?

• MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. Surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers of the CNS is a fatty tissue called myelin, which helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses.
• In MS, myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken.
• Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted, and this produces the various symptoms of MS.
• People with MS can expect one of four clinical courses of disease, each of which might be mild, moderate, or severe.
• MS is a chronic, unpredictable neurological disease that affects the central nervous system.
• MS is not contagious and is not directly inherited.
• Most people with MS have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.
• The majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled.
• There are now FDA-approved medications that have been shown to "modify" or slow down the underlying course of MS.
  

Relapsing-Remitting Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience clearly defined flare-ups (also called relapses, attacks, or exacerbations). These are episodes of acute worsening of neurologic function. They are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions) free of disease progression. Frequency: Most common form of MS at time of initial diagnosis. Approximately 85%.
Primary-Progressive Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience a slow but nearly continuous worsening of their disease from the onset, with no distinct relapses or remissions. However, there are variations in rates of progression over time, occasional plateaus, and temporary minor improvements.Frequency: Relatively rare. Approximately 10%.
Secondary-Progressive Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience an initial period of relapsing-remitting MS, followed by a steadily worsening disease course with or without occasional flare-ups, minor recoveries (remissions), or plateaus. Frequency: 50% of people with relapsing-remitting MS developed this form of the disease within 10 years of their initial diagnosis, before introduction of the "disease-modifying" drugs. Long-term data are not yet available to demonstrate if this is significantly delayed by treatment.
Progressive-Relapsing Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience a steadily worsening disease from the onset but also have clear acute relapses (attacks or exacerbations), with or without recovery. In contrast to relapsing-remitting MS, the periods between relapses are characterized by continuing disease progression. Frequency: Relatively rare. Approximately 5%.