health

Mastering Manoa Climb: My Personal Victory Over One Steep Hill

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There are steeper hills.

For me, though, Manoa Climb has been torture.

I’ve done a lot of biking over the last couple of years, almost 500 miles this year. I struggle with a few hills and often walk, but none has been more frustrating than Manoa Climb.

It’s a roughly 5% grade covering a half-mile. I have started and finished this hill, but have never completed it without walking at least part of the way.

The hill is always at the end of my rides when I am most tired, especially after a long ride.

I did 20 miles today, pacing myself in the hopes I would finally conquer this hill.

The base of the hill is especially steep and usually where I run out of pedal power. Today, I pushed hard up that base, motivated by a few walkers. It’s always more motivating when there’s an audience. I knew in my heart that getting halfway up the hill was key.

When I got to the bend in the road, about a third of the way up, I felt the momentum. I knew I had finally overcome my physical limitations to reach the top without stopping.

So whatever hilltop you are trying to reach, I hope my little story inspires you. Keep climbing!

The PSA Test may have saved my life

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Life will throw you curveballs.

I learned over the course of recent months that I am one of the 270,000 men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Without the PSA test, I might be walking around with a ticking time bomb. On Thursday, I will have surgery to remove this uninvited visitor.

Cancer is a scary word because it’s too often wrongly associated with the final chapter. While some cancers are aggressive, others are slow-moving moving like sloths. My point of view is cancer is another of life’s many challenges just like heart disease, diabetes, COVID, and many other illnesses.

I’d be lying if I wrote that this diagnosis did not raise awareness of my mortality. Every breath we take from the moment we are born takes us a step closer to the final destination, but awareness of the journey is most apparent when one can see the end of the road.

For me, that view is still on the horizon. Far enough away that I know I still have time, but close enough to heighten my senses not to waste a minute. I do not fear death but I love life. I have had a wonderful life.

But, I do not want this news to be about me as much as I wish to elevate awareness of the PSA Test. It is as valuable to men over 40 as a mammogram is for women.

Prostate cancer is the second most deadly to men, but it’s also the most survived — if it’s caught early. An annual PSA test makes that possible because otherwise, you might not be aware what’s happening on the inside. Like so many others, I have no major symptoms and am generally in good health.

I have been an advocate for PSA testing since my friend and WPVI colleague Gary Papa was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003 and a careful watcher of my own prostate health as my dad is a survivor. His diagnosis likely raised my risk of getting it.

While my prognosis is good, I want to stress without the PSA test, I would be unaware that I had anything growing inside me. Ben Stiller, who was 48 when diagnosed, has a similar story and shared how the PSA saved his life.

Please help to spread the word and encourage men in their 40s and older to get this test, even if the doctor says they don’t need it.

I was reminded why awareness is so important after one person recently asked me after learning my diagnosis, “What’s PSA?”

Good question. It’s prostate-specific antigen — a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate.

A test measures how much PSA is in your blood.

Normal PSA ranges by age, but in general the number should be below 4.0.

My PSA rose over the course of the last year from high 3s to 4.7. Once it’s over 4, your doctor may want to do an MRI to take a closer look.

If the MRI shows anything, then a biopsy is ordered, and results determine your course of action or treatment.

There is debate over who should get a PSA test. My feeling is all men over 40 should get the test at least to know their baseline but also because they could have cancer without any symptoms. Prostate cancer grows slowly and silently, and eventually can metastasize.

You can learn a lot more about the PSA test and prostate health by visiting the National Cancer Institute.

Raise awareness about this important test and make the world a better place.

10 effective tips to help you lose weight

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How I lost almost 40 pounds after the pandemic

It’s taken almost 13 months but I have cracked 200 at last.

The pandemic led to bad habits and a ballooning of my body. It has not been an easy road, something of a rollercoaster, but here are 10 tips that might help you on your journey:

1) Read a lot about how others lost weight and got into shape. I don’t mean the gurus of diet and fitness books, but average people. Medium is a terrific source to understand what works — and there are many different methods. Find the ones that fit your personality.

2) Track what you eat. My go-to is MyFitnessPal. It’s a habit you must create to understand how what you are eating impacts you. Eating bad food adds up quickly. Know your calorie limit and stay below it, but also pay attention to other important areas like carbs and sugars.

3) Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Lots of fruits, vegetables, and proteins (limit red meat to no more than once a week).

4) No soda. I have never been a big soda drinker. It’s really bad for you. Water and green tea are much better options. I still drink coffee too with skim milk but no sugar and only in the morning. I also opt for tomato and orange juice as an alternative.

5) Avoid alcohol. I have not been a drinker since I was 25 outside of an occasional glass of wine at a social function.

6) Walk daily at a pace that gets your heart rate up. I walk 2–5 miles per day. Thanks to my family, I have a treadmill under my desk that I use daily (even during Zoom meetings).

7) Resistance train at least every other day. You don’t need dumbbells. Invest $20 in resistance bands or at very least do push-ups and planks.

8. Be consistent and persistent. It’s easy to put it on, especially as we age. Hard work is required and you will have days when you say why am I bothering?! My trend line has gone down, up and down. Don’t give up.

9) Invest in a scale where you can track your weight and other body measurements. Weigh yourself daily and don’t be discouraged if the results take time, because they will. A pound or 2 a week is a positive trend.

10) Invest in an Apple Watch or Fitbit to track your overall health. I also have a low-cost blood pressure monitor, which is also helpful.

Please add your own tips in the comments below!

Wake Up and Fight

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I see so many people posting about how awful 2020 has been, good riddance, and all of that. Yes, a lot of bad has happened, but there’s always a bright side to life.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent more time with my family this year than I have in the last ten. I feel fortunate to know my kids a little bit better especially as we approach a time in their lives when they will be moving to the next stage. It’s also a good sign that my wife hasn’t killed me yet being home for almost a year.

Together, we made a difference in the lives of many dogs and families by fostering. I’ve lost count how many dogs have passed through these doors this year, but I know all of them have found loving forever homes. We also welcomed an abandoned, half-dead puppy named Bailey into our lives in the middle of the pandemic. She’s a healthy and happy dog now, and the best ballplayer on four legs that we’ve ever had.

Believe it or not, I’ve made more friends this year. I’ve met more people this year than I otherwise might have never met thanks to Zoom. And I probably communicate more and better than ever with my co-workers. How is possible to be so separated by distance yet feel so close? It’s a question I ponder.

Come to think about it, I never would have been hosting trivia nights had this pandemic not happened. That’s been a lot of fun for me and I hope for everyone who has played.

And when you really think about it, technology saved thousands of jobs. How many of us are able to work remotely? Imagine the impact if this pandemic happened in 2010.

I’m thankful every day that I am able to work and grateful for the senior leadership at WABC-TV and the Walt Disney Company trying to guide us through this nightmare. It’s not easy, I know. They’ve had to make some really hard choices and sacrifices.

2020 has been good for learning. I’m reading more than ever. I’ve also spent hours on YouTube learning new Powerpoint and Excel skills. I know a few people who have gotten certificates or started pursuing higher degrees of learning thanks to the remote availability of education. That’s so incredible!

None of this is written to minimize the horror and anxiety of 2020. It’s been awful. I haven’t seen my dad in a year. I’ve seen my mom only a couple times. I know friends who’ve lost 4 and 5 loved ones to COVID, others who are out of work, and a few who stopped talking to relatives and friends over politics. Admittedly, I’ve unfriended a few people out of pure frustration. I probably should not have done that, but all of us make mistakes.

2021 like all years begins with hope. A fresh start. None of us, though, should be fooled into thinking tomorrow will be better than today because the year changed. I was reminded this morning of Woody Guthrie’s resolutions. The last one – “wake up and fight” – seems as meaningful as it was when he wrote those words on New Year’s Day 1943.

When tomorrow comes, wake up and fight. Fight to make the world a better place. It’s up to us to make tomorrow better than today.

Happy New Year, friends.

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