Carolyn
One of the best things about the Affordable Care Act is that you can no longer be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, which my DH has benefited from. When my hours at work were cut in July, we had to find our own insurance because I wasn't covered at work any more. We went through the Colorado exchange, and despite numerous website issues, ended up with affordable insurance with a big government subsidy to pay for it. With the subsidy, we pay much less than I used to pay for my employer-sponsored plan, so we're among those that are happy with the Act. But yes, it mainly benefits the insurance companies, and doesn't lower the cost of health care.
Leslie, I wonder if you could find insurance for Shorty through the CA exchange? It's my understanding that you have to have insurance now, or pay a penalty.
Happy holiday partying to Stumpy and Mike!
Dave, you Michiganders really know how to live on the edge!
Twocat, hope you feel better!
I need to do more speed work if I want to get faster (or not continue to get slower!). I read the following article from a friend of mine:
https://runuphillracing.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/how-to-run-fast/
I did some striders yesterday, and it was actually fun! I have no idea of the pace because I was running Garmin-less, but it was all on hilly snow covered roads so I don't think the pace is that important, just the effort.
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
I don't tell a lot of people this, but I have to put on my left shoe first. I can remember, even before I could tie my own shoes, I would have my mom tie my left shoe first.
I went back to "left shoe first" when I changed into running shoes. Didn't want to be too crazy today.
I have always done "left first" because my left leg behaves better. I can't pick up my right leg very well. As far back as when I was kid I remember my right leg not having the same mobility as my left. My parents told me a story about how I fell down the basement stairs when I was about 2 and they had me in one of those baby walkers. So I always blamed that for my leg problems. I would tell them that if they watched me better I could bend my leg better. (In a joking way.)
The ACA really raised my wife's insurance rates by almost 50%. If you're eligible for a subsidy, it's a really good deal. Not so much for her, and she has a number of years before reaching Medicare age.
How'd it get to be 4PM already? Did a fitness "tri" this morning, going to the rec center and running on the indoor track and TM, then to the weight room for a workout, and finally a session in the pool. Set me up for the rest of the day.
I just got an email from REI offering a $20 coupon if I spend >$100 within the next few days. So looks like I'm pulling the trigger on a Garmin 920XT (replaces the 910XT that they used to carry). Overkill for what I do and the direction I've been headed in, but it sure has a lot of neat features to play with. And besides, I have to top Dave :-).
I hope to get out for some sort of run on the weekend, weather permitting. Have a good weekend, everyone!
Doug, runnin' cycling in Rochester, MI
"Think blue, count two, and look for a red shoe"
Our family has coverage through work so the impact of the health care act is minimal. It did help us cover our daughters on our employer plan between finishing college and getting a job because part of the law is allowing coverage up to age 26 even if you aren't a student. That was a good deal. Of course, everyone has to pay more so people with kids like that can keep them covered.
I work in the health care claims payment area and I swear I spend two-thirds of my time programming to meet new regulations (federal and various states) and I don't come cheap, so that accounts for some of the increased cost of coverage.
Bad faerie
Aamos, it sounds as though we are fighting the same krankle ailment. I am slowly recovering but know I am one rolled ankle from starting over from scratch. I'm now able to run painlessly in Brooks Ghosts with my orthotics (yay!) but deeply mourn my ban from trail running for the time being. But it just isn't worth annoying that tendon just as I'm on the mend. Physio has me doing lots of hip strengthening and some core work and I'm avoiding bare feet and cute little flats until it doesn't feel, well, fragile any more.
Roch: Before you pull the trigger, have a read of dcrainmaker's overview of the new Garmin Fenix 3 and go touch a Fenix 2 in person... I was all ready to go 920 but now am not sure. I think they're almost identical inside but have different outsides. (Fenix 3 is due for release this spring) They're all still mighty klunky on a female wrist.
I've been puttering along but am now going to spend the next 9 days participating in the Tour of Sufferlandria, the stupidest thing I've agreed to since the Ragnar Relays. In short, it's a "Grand Tour" stage race of an imaginary country, executed on trainers in thousands of pain caves around the world, all spinning to the same stupid, sadistic, high-intensity videos for an hour, or two, or more, every day. I'm planning it as a winter camp-like-thing, since I'm not getting to Tucson this winter and will keep running and swimming to short technique sessions during.
Wish me luck.
Blogjoy
Sayhey! MM#130
Mustang Sally, do you have heel inserts or something else for your orthotics? I know that feelilng; I wore my lace up black brace at the marathon Sunday, yig, but what you said about one rolled ankle away......speedy healing to you!
https://agratefullifedotnet.wordpress.com/ (for a piece or two of my mind)
(Wow, lots of posts since I started mine) Remember, the "Affordable" part refers to the subsidies available to lower income folks. Leslie, that's definitely something you should look into. Carolyn and Dave are living proof of other benefits of the act. As for the employer side of things, I get frustrated by the fact that we're required to cover so many more things now (preventive care at no cost, etc) and prohibited from pre-existing conditions exclusions and limitations on cost sharing (maximum out of pocket costs), yet we get penalized if our plans are too "rich" by the "Cadillac Tax" and believe me, those limits are pretty darn low in a high cost state like Alaska. But, we're moving forward with figuring out how to make it work.
Holly, I just lubed my TM belt and cleaned the motor housing, etc. I'm concerned it might be related to corrosion from spending last summer out in the driveway (even covered in lots of visqueen it still got filthy and it was a very wet summer!). But, it seemed fine before and after, just a sudden stop with no noise (no clunking or anything) and the timer kept going. Weird. Hope it doesn't happen again.
Re: Wellness and tobacco: yes, we're discriminating against smokers. Don't like it? Don't smoke. We're also going tobacco free as an institution later this year. That will be interesting to pull off.
Tet, I didn't realize you're an Alaska retiree (PERS?). And true, no preventive benefits but you've got a $250 deductible so I wouldn't complain too much.
Dave is our resident wild and crazy guy!
Amy, I would think after all your years of running (and running well) that trying to change your foot strike pattern would only lead to trouble. Why mess with what works? Everyone's mechanics are a little different. I remember an analysis of a photo of leading women in the NYC marathon a few years ago, namely Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe. Kara's posture much more upright and a total heel striker, Paula with more forward lean and a forefoot stride. I know our own CNYrunner is a heel striker and happily so. Hard to say which is "better" than the other if it doesn't work for how you're put together. I have transitioned from a heel striker to a mid-foot runner over time just as my running has progresses. But I remember consciously trying to forefoot run when I was told it was "better" and developed chronic metatarsalgia shortly thereafter. Just do what feels most natural for you!
Ok, enuf from me. I'll run a few miles on the TM after work. We've got a forecast for a LOT of snow this weekend, and a LOT of cold coming our way right after. Fun, fun, fun, just in time for the weekend! I'm still very happy it's Friday!
Trails are hard!
Erika--I'll offer a theory for you. Many single phase motors (like the one in a TM) have thermal overloads in them that will shut them down if they get too hot internally. I would be willing to bet that the TM doesn't know how to deal with this and thinks the motor is still happily running (along with you). the overloads reset automatically when they cool. it's not a great theory, however, as I would expect that it might happen again and again. free advice--worth every penny.
Need a fast half for late fall. Then I need to actually train for it.
Thanks Stumpy, and I thought of that but overheating is not real likely because it's on a concrete garage floor where the room temp is mid-50's and the floor temp is colder than that. But... It had been running over an hour at some pretty good (IMO) speeds, so maybe. I just hope it doesn't happen again anytime soon. Stopping that fast is hard on the back!
Busy day here. One more thing about my group health insurance plan is than we have to choose a primary care clinic. Each clinic is assigned a cost level from 1 to 4 . Co-pays go from $30 to $55 and coverage percentage gets worse as you move up to level 4. Of course our clinic went from 3 to 4 this year and I will have to change doctors or pay an extra $3000 out of pocket max if we have claims. We need referrals from the PCC and all claims are paid at the primary care clinic's cost level. Uff da!
I went to the Y to swim but my goggles and cap are lost for good so I came home to run outside. Sunny and 36*, woo hoo! My longest post-surgery run to date, 3.5 miles with the first mile at 11:55. My foot started hurting at 2 miles but managed to run the whole way. It is tempting to take a pain pill before I run, but I want to know if it is hurting, I guess. I am happy with the progress so far. A friend told me about the Okoboji Winter Games this weekend. The have a 5k /10k that would be fun to do sometime. There is a bike ride too, it must be warmer down in Iowa.
Wild, it is going to be a while before I can do speed work but I will check out the link. We have not had snow here since Monday so that is nice. The roads are completely free of ice and snow. I love that it stays light out longer now too, spring is coming!
“Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, but by those who fought, fell, and rose again.” — Adrienne Rich
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
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Insurance talk makes me crazy,
Amy - if he can do it for murders, maybe twocat can make an insurance graph so it doesn't look so bad.
.
erika - yep, I'm PERS which, except for cutting out the frame/lens coverage under the supplemental DVS I have, tripling the supplemental life insurance, and not giving us a booklet any more so I didn't even know about the $250 deductible, it's not that bad, . . but I hate it anyway.
MikeE/Dave - I did not know how much left/right trouble I've been spared for these last 23 years by mostly running bareoot.
jay/starr - the wonderful people I love for bringing me to japan decided to tell me today (SAturday) how much I would like working with them on Sunday instead of running the Oyama Marathon. However, they not only promised another midweek day off for the Joyful's weekely Wednesday Marathon but a famous sushi restaurant Sunday evening too. I'll have to get over later to let ilene know.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
I've been puttering along but am now going to spend the next 9 days participating in the Tour of Sufferlandria, the stupidest thing I've agreed to since the Ragnar Relays. In short, it's a "Grand Tour" stage race of an imaginary country, executed on trainers in thousands of pain caves around the world, all spinning to the same stupid, sadistic, high-intensity videos for an hour, or two, or more, every day. I'm planning it as a winter camp-like-thing, since I'm not getting to Tucson this winter and will keep running and swimming to short technique sessions during. Wish me luck.
Wishing you luck, sistahhh....
You are my idol!
You can do this
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Tet, just know most retirees in the nation would love to have that plan and pay a lot for it, and you get it for free. Just sayin'.....
Came home and ran 5.2 pretty easy miles on the TM. No issues with the TM except it always seems slow to "warm up" and is squeaky and feels like a little belt slippage when it's cold. I always walk 5 minutes at 4 mph before I start running, and that seems to help.
Go Mustang Sally! Sounds like quite the challenge. And the thing about these things that gets me is... you suffer through it and it's all self reported. But usually, nobody even thinks of "padding" their performances. That's pretty cool. And if you ever do think of doing a Ragnar again, that would be fun to do again with you. Wouldn't that be fun to have a reunion team?? I wonder if Mike is still running? Hmmm....
Marathon Maniac #957
Re: Wellness and tobacco: yes, we're discriminating against smokers. Don't like it? Don't smoke.
Oh, I agree, and it annoys me that I no longer get points for being a non-smoker because all the smokers complained about discrimination. Why should I have to pay more for people who are deliberately doing something that is going to cost so much in health problems? Add to that the people who are morbidly obese. I'm not talking about chubby or even fat, but rather the folks who are really over-the-top, 350 lbs. or more. We seem to have a huge number of county employees in this range. There is a woman DH works with who is so fat, instead of walking at the facility she works, she scoots in her wheeled desk chair down the corridors.
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."