Milk - it does a body good

"And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know"
- Al Green (and countless others) "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone"

Weight: 154

Weight is a little low today/this week, because I stepped on the scale after running, and before eating today. but still, not too shabby. Maintaining it this early is a good sign for later.

Ain't no sunshine... in Buffalo for most of the winter. But I think compared to most, I do pretty good about getting outdoors and getting a little fresh air and sunlight. My runs are when the sun it at it's peak (more or less), and it takes quite a lot before I wear more than shorts on my legs.

So I was thrown for a loop last Saturday when i got a letter from my doctor's office. I had some blood drawn for an upcoming physical, and the results were sketchy enough they couldn't wait until I go to the office... they wanted me to get a prescription... NOW. For vitamin D

Yes, even though I am outside more than anyone else I know, and even though I drink a glass of milk (at least one) after every workout, and even though I am a cereal eater... I am vitamin D deficient. I have spent a lot of time searching the internet for information, and truthfully, I'm a bit fascinated by this... and by these numbers:

The 'normal' range for vitamin D in your blood is 40-70 ng/ml. 30 ng/ml would be considered 'minimal'... my number is 17.

Depending on the source or study, it is recommended that an individual consumes 400-1000 IU (international units) of vitamin D a day. An 8 ounce glass of milk has 125 IU of vitamin D.

The older you are, the more you need. Additionally, the less sunlight you get the more you need (sunlight helps with the whole vitamin D process). But even then, 2000 IU would be the high end of required intake and/or supplimentation. In fact, I was talking to a co-worker in his 60's. He takes 1500 IU a day.

My levels are so low, that with the letter the doctor sent, was a prescription for vitamin D... for 50,000 IU a week! that's more than a whore on dollar night! I am to take 50,000 units a week for 12 weeks, at which time I will drop to 1000 units a day (over the counter supplement) until my next blood test. This just seem like an insane amout of... well... anything to take. But there you have it. My levels are so low the doctor wants me to take over 7 times the 'regular' amount for 3 months.

What is TRULY insane, is that my prescription is for 1 pill a week. 50,000 units, one pill. So I go and pick up my prescription... and it contains 4 pills. What?!?!?!? I have to pay for this 3 seperate times? They won't give me all 12 week's worth now? It's not a barbituate, or opiate, or pain killer, or something with street value, or even anything I could OD on! but this is just the insurance companies screwing us. They want their extra $14 (the cost of 2 extra prescriptions).

*sigh* So it will be interesting to see how this translates into my running and working out. It will be interesting to see if maybe this is what made last year, overall, a bit of a disappointment performance-wise. I mean, major symptoms are bone pain, muscle weakness, and fatigue. That's pretty much how I've felt for a year now. And pretty much why most of my races last year went worse than planned, and my training went all haywire.

The important thing is to get it fixed. While vitamin D deficiency doesn't seem to CAUSE serious health risks, it is ASSOCIATED with a lot of bad stuff. Cardiovascular disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Cognitive Impairment.

And I'm a bit curious as to what may have caused it. Is it just a weird 'blip in the Matrix' from when I was violently ill? Could one week of horrible health knock it down that low? Do I have kidney issues? After last year's Country Music Marathon that would not suprise me. I think I got dehydrated to the point they started failing... maybe I did some damage. Who knows?

It will be an interesting physical next week. But I am getting all my runs in. They aren't all as long or fast as they should be, but hey, I have a vitamin deficiency, give me a break.