Glucosamine Chondroitin: Medicine or Myth?

Medicine or Myth?

Are there any runners who don’t complain about their bad knees?  It doesn’t seem so.  Knee pain is just part of the runner’s life.  We do exercises and stretches to try to avoid it and we use ice and creams and ibuprofen to try and alleviate it.  But it seems the number one “cure” used by runners is Glucosamine Chondrotin (GC).  The shelves at CVS and Rite-Aid are stocked full of various brands of GC.  The online wholesale Vitamin sites have more varieties than you could imagine -  GC MSM, GC Sulfate, GC Double Strength, GC liquid, GC Orange, and on and on.  So the stuff must work, right? Right?  Well, maybe.  There are research reports and case studies to support either side of this argument.  If you want to find proof that GC works, you can find it.  If you want proof it doesn’t, you can find that too.  The real proof, is in YOUR knees.  Does it work for you?

A few years ago my knees had gotten to the point that if I squatted down to get something from a bottom cupboard I could not stand-up without grabbing the counter-top and pulling myself up. I was icing my knees after every run.  Standing up after sitting was painful.  I read all the pros and cons about GC and then asked my doctor.  He said try it and see.  After a few weeks of taking the GC capsules my knees were not as stiff and painful.  The stiffness was not completely gone, but definitely better.  After a few more weeks, there was more improvement.  I wasn’t icing my knees or getting stuck in a squat in the kitchen.  A GC capsule became part of my morning routine (along with Fish Oil and baby aspirin).   Everything was fine until about a year later when I thought I had another bottle in the cupboard but didn’t and it took me over a week to get to the drug store.  During that time I wasn’t taking GC my knees started hurting again.  The stiffness and pain was back.  But when I got to the store and started on GC my knees were good again a few days later.  Was it real pain or just in my head?  Did I feel the stiffness simply because I knew I hadn’t taken the GC?  I don’t know.  But I know my knees don’t hurt as much now.  So, is Glucosamine Chondroitin medicine or myth.  You decide.     

Look Both Ways

Attention Runners: Beware of drivers making right-hand turns out of parking lots.  It seems about once a month I almost get hit by some knucklehead who is looking left while turning right out of a parking lot driveway.  I have learned to watch drivers to be sure they make eye contact with me before I run in front of a car even when it’s stopped.  Many people start to roll their car as they are looking left and more than a few times I was running directly in front of them at the time.  It’s only when I yell “HEY!” that they hit the brake and turn to look where they’re going.  This happened again Sunday.  If I hadn’t seen that this woman (no comment) wasn’t watching I would have been toast.  She was at a complete stop as I approached from the sidewalk to the right but then she began to pull out without looking forward.  I could tell my yell startled her becasue she jumped on the brakes.  She gave me that “I’m sorry I almost killed you” look as I passed in front of her car.  Hopefully, next time she’ll look left AND right before turning out of a driveway.  But don’t count on it.  You need to look for her.

How to Win in Las Vegas.

There are two sides to Las Vegas

There seem to be two kinds of people in this world.  Those who like Las Vegas and those who don’t.  I don’t.  Well, I don’t like what Las Vegas stands for and for the way most people act when they are there. 

Now, since I generally try to find the good in every situation, let’s focus on what’s good about Las Vegas.  The weather.  Leaving Detroit’s 15 degrees last week for a few days at a business conference, even in Vegas, sounded appealing.  Of course, at most conferences you spend the days staring at a large expanse of beige walls in nondescript meeting rooms so it doesn’t really matter what city you’re in.   And the evenings are for “networking events” which is the reason conference planners book Vegas.  So, my time to enjoy some warm weather was on early morning runs before balancing a plate of too-firm pineapple slices, small grapes, and dry muffins plus a plastic cup of watered-down orange juice at the continental breakfast.  (Okay, I don’t always try to find the  best of every situation.) 

The benefit of traveling west is that in the morning your body is still on EST so you can sleep in a little and still have time for a run before an 8:30AM PST breakfast.  As I headed south down The Strip at 5:15AM local time it was a warm but breezy 52 degrees.  The early morning sights on the Vegas strip are very different than what you see in the Convention Bureaus’ brochures.  Dozens of workers in safety-yellow vests trying to clean up the city before the next wave of tourists.  Sweeping up piles of discarded little cards advertising girls for rent, hosing down the gutters to wash who-knows-what down the sewers and driving what look like miniature Zamboni’s over the glossy marble and tile casino entrances.  I passed eight or ten other runners out enjoying this other side of Vegas.  I also got some extra cardio in at the intersections as I raced up and down the stairs to the crossing bridges that were built, I’m sure, to help reduce the number of drunks that step out into traffic as they stumble from casino to casino.  I ran down to the old, original (now cheesy) “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign that’s about a half-mile past the Mandalay Bay then turned around and headed back as more cabs and delivery trucks seemed to be filling Las Vegas Blvd.        

As I walked into my hotel after a nice 55 minute run in shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt I felt like a winner in Vegas.

Against The Wind

The start of Saturday’s run didn’t seem too bad.  Sure, it was only 22 degrees but the sun was shining and there didn’t seem to be any wind.  Until I got to the four mile mark and turned around to head back toward home.  Then it hit me square in the face – a stiff, cold wind.  No wonder the first half of the run was easy, I had a strong wind at my back.  The second half was a different story.  In fact, I changed my route and cut over a block and tried to zig-zag though side street and behind businesses to use buildings as wind blocks.  It worked a little in spots but overall it was a chilly return trip.

So, next time I’ll be smarter and start against the wind so on the return the wind will help push me home.