The last time I visited my doctor here in Los Angeles was August last year before I ran the Bulldog 50K. Not that I prefer to have my annual medical check-up here abroad but I have the privilege to be included in the medical insurance of my family plus the fact that there is better service/attention and efficiency of the physicians here (no red tape and so much waiting long line and time).
It was a quick and simple visit which included an extraction of my blood sample into 2 big vials/tubes; got a sample of my urine, took my blood pressure and weight by a lady medical assistant. Finally, the doctor and I had a conversation while he updated my medical file with his laptop computer with a touch screen monitor and finally took stethoscope to hear my heart beats on my breast and back. The doctor said that I have a healthy and athletic body. Of course, the doctor, who is a Filipino, knows that I run marathons and ultras as he is also a runner. The doctor had been our family doctor for almost two decades.
The results of my blood tests will be known next week. The results will show everything to include the condition of my prostate glands. I don’t want to be in the situation of Dr George Sheehan (old runner & writer) and General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr (Military Commander) who had cancer of the prostate gland. Well, this is an advise to the older male runners and maybe, retired generals or officers in the military service, to have a regular check-up and PSA test to their prostate glands. If the ladies have their breast and cervical cancers, the men have also a prostate cancer as an equivalent illness. As for the Hardcores, you have the option to better start having this test. There is no truth to the “hearsay” that you can get a prostate cancer if your manliness is “overused or underused”. You must be within the average or moderate user! ha! ha! ha! Seriously, you can get it through the food you eat & your kind of lifestyle, hormonal imbalance, age, and due to race (Blacks are highest victims, whites as moderate, and Asians are the lowest victims). Please don’t depend to the idea that since you are an Asian, you will be least susceptible to prostate cancer.
While I will get the results of my blood test next week, it will be my schedule also to have my X-ray examination. The visit to the doctor was done in less than 30 minutes! I went home immediately for my brunch. I did not eat any food since midnight before my visit to the doctor. Finally, I suggest that runners above the age of 40 years old should have their annual medical check-up. If you regularly change your running shoes to a new one, it would also be better to have your body for a medical check-up on a regular basis. Just think of yourself as a sleek. shiny, and fast Sports Car, its powerful V-8 turbo-charged engine is your body and the tires are your running shoes!
Yesterday, I recalled the comment of Rick Gaston aka 365Ultra in one of my posts last month when Ronnie aka Runner For Christ asked me what is inside my legs; where Rick was asking me about the food I eat. I answered Rick’s comment that I am an Ilocano who is fond of vegetables and meat recipes from the North until I had an attack with “gout”. For one year, my diet was limited to vegetables, fish & limited seafoods, chicken, eggs, tofu, pasta/noodles, and fresh fruits. However, I had to take supplementary drinks from Ensure and multi-vitamin & mineral tablets for me to sustain my training/preparation for the BDM 102K and other long distance races.
Starting today, I will be posting my daily “fuel” to support my training for my incoming running adventures. By the way, my weight before the 2009 LA Marathon was 138.6 lbs, however, at this time, my weight had increased to 140.4 lbs. I hope to maintain the 140-lb weight as my running average weight.
The following was the composition of my meals and supplements yesterday, 02 June 2009:
Breakfast: Coffee with Milk; 3 pieces of Ube Hopia; and Cereals with Milk
Snacks: Lots of Water
Lunch: Pork Adobo; Salmon’s Head Sinigang with Bitter Gourd (Ampalaya) and Steamed Rice
Snacks: Lots of Water
Dinner: Bacon & Swiss Burger with French Fries & Coca-Cola
Before Going To Bed: Vitamin C (1,000 Mg) & 3 tablespoons of Organic Honey.
Bald Runner 
Sir Jovie, I hope all goes well with your annual! 🙂 ALso, I agree with the “underused” and “overused” myth hahaahah 🙂 Moderate lang? lol 🙂
Regards,
Luis
http://gingerbreadrunning.blogspot.com
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sir,for us all runners(males),i think that the better terms to use are “high-mileage or low-mileage” usage.
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anyway, that is a myth!…i am on a “high-mileage” mode here right now! hahaha!
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hi sir jovie, thank you for sharing with us your passion in running & health. reading your blog inspired me to go the distance, and be part of your 1000km finishers. i’m also looking forward to qualify for the bdm (3rd, 4th, or 5th siguro), donate my shoes in the future, and join the runs in the USA, particularly LA.
you’re a very nice guy sir. i greeted you last time in market! market! and you were all smiles greeting me and my friends back. see you again in the future runs here in manila, and i’ll make sure i have a camera for picture taking (sana hindi obvious na fan ako hehehe).
enjoy the rest of your trip! ingat sir!
jetpaiso.blogspot.com
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just take it easy in your running and be moderate in your training. build-up those mileage and be patient. those weekend races are just part of your training for a bigger event & you must have a decent goal to be attained. i don’t want runners to be injured and later stop and forget about running. good luck on your runs & hope to see you soon!
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LOL@”underused and overused”, and “high mileage and low mileage”
This post is really inspiring as I am soon due for prostate cancer check I think. With a grandfather who’s a prostate cancer survivor, I really believe we can’t take this disease for granted. Thanks for the much-needed reminder, Jovie-san!
P. S. Wow! I just noticed you’re over 5,000 K now! I have a long way to go at 1,582.2 K. Congrats!
Alfred/Elkyoshi
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fred. it is not enough to be strong and healthy, you need to have a regular medical check-up from the doctor and have those medical tests just to be sure that your body is functioning well. “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. alfred, don’t worry, i’ll award your “1,000-Km Club” Finisher’s shirt soon! good luck in your future races..mizuno this sunday, right?
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You’re right, nothing beats a regular check up!
Yup, Mizuno this Sunday.
Like you, I’m starting to be a “bad influence,” as more friends and my two sisters have been running and are joining their first race this Sunday.
Thanks in advance for the shirt!
And congrats on the “high mileage mode”, too! Ha ha…
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well said sir jovie. prevention is always better than cure, and an annual physical check-up will be a big help for us. thank you so much for your insights and hope everything will be well with regards to the result of your laboratories. always stay safe and healthy. God bless po. 🙂
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let, that’s true. make it a point to have an annual medical check-up on your birth month. you might think it is expensive to have this medical check-up but in the long run, it is the cheapest and don’t wait until you have the disease or illness. thanks & good luck!
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Hi Sir,
Isn’t 1k of Vitamin C might cause damage to kidney o oks lang? I tried 500mg vitamic C for 1 week and it causes weird feeling on my stomach. Anyway, its good thing you care for your body…
I just hope the entire Filipino will have a similar health check once a month courtesy of our government..but for now, we can only dream on.
Sam
The Running Ninja
therunningninja.com
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if i take these anti-oxidants, i usually see to it that i drink a lot of water and let my body system excrete whatever “wastes” that are in my system. if Vit C tabs have a reaction on your stomach, try taking fresh calamansi juice with honey. the insurance system in the USA is efficient and very effective. if you are under the coverage of a medical insurance, all you have to do is to go to your doctor of your choice and ask him for a medical check-up & the insurance company will pay the fees for the payment of your lab works & other tests. as a consultation fee for the doctor, you pay the doctor a fee from $25-35 during your visit.
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Hi Sir Jovie,
I hope you get great results from your blood test, which I’m pretty sure you will because of your healthy lifestyle. 🙂
Btw, ang sarap ng lunch niyo ah. 🙂
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