Gluten-Free lawsuit was just a matter of time...

Over the long term, there was a very good development for the Celiac community. A maker of gluten free mixes sued their supplier when they tested the supposedly gluten-free flour and found 60+ ppm gluten in it, prompting a recall.

The good news is that the gluten-free business is big enough now that real money and reputations are at stake. With this lawsuit, manufacturers also have real choices to make.

• Do I process gluten-free goods in their own dedicated facilities?
• Do I exit the gluten-free market?
• Can I effectively mitigate risks if I choose the middle path?

Just so you know, manufacturers -- Celiacs, given the choice between two products, are going to choose the ones made in facilities that do not process gluten as well.

Annual Goal Setting today

Usually toward the end of the year, I tend to get a bit contemplative and evaluate my life. The idea is that I just want to make sure my Christian values are lined up with what I am doing on a day to day basis, and that I am doing the things I love.

This year has been quite odd in that the mood struck me much earlier than the usual Christmastime/New Years. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the new job(s). Or it might be that we just came off our family vacations (Disneyworld!). Or that my training is ahead of schedule and I am doing the mileage now that I would normally be doing in December. Or perhaps it is because we successfully completed another Celiac Awareness Run/Walk a few weeks ago.

Whatever the reasons, it is a very good exercise to be clear about what one wants to do and what one does not want to do. I have found it especially useful to have priorities about those "to-do's." The biggest differences between this year and those prior are the sharpness of focus and priorities. I also have fewer specific goals and more goals focused around process. This year, I hope to think (and analyze) less and do more.

Cedric Benson, QB move up depth chart after diagnosis

These kinds of stories never get old to me. Athletes suffer from Celiac disease, find out, and then improve once they start the gluten-free diet.

Here's a story that features Cedric Benson and his Celiac challenges prior to his current Pro Bowl caliber season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Here's another great story about a celiac quarterback who moved up the depth chart and started against Alabama.

Revisited Soccer Last weekend

When I was in high school and college, I really loved the sport of soccer. I haven't played hard for a long time, until last week. Our church put together a festival for the Hispanic festival and I signed up. Fun.

Of course, the next day, I found muscles that I hadn't used in a long time. Still fun.

Yesterday, I made sure I took my first opportunity to get a flu shot -- not the swine flu one, just the seasonal one. It always knocks me back a step, but I figure it is good insurance against something worse, especially around race time. I was feeling a little bummed lately that I've been pretty distracted and my training has suffered, but my wife pointed out that I am well ahead of schedules from previous years, when I haven't been nearly as serious. That made me feel better.

Celiacs - check your freezer

I just saw this voluntary recall of Van's Pancakes. I keep telling my wife that just because it says wheat free on the box doesn't mean it is really gluten free. Now I can say that just because it says gluten-free on the box, it doesn't mean that it actually gluten-free, either.

Bruise count

Training is going really well for me right now, but I've had some of those "out of training" accidents. I was moving the woodpile (for the third time!) to get it away from the house. The exterminator recommended it because a woodpile basically invites termites. So I trenched around the house and moved the woodpile. One of the pieces hit my foot and caused a big ole bruise on my foot/ankle. It doesn't hurt (much) and I can run on it, but it could have been worse.

That makes about three bruises (new and/or healing), plus the ones I haven't found yet.

Why bring this up? Well, training for big long distance events is different than shorter ones. With shorter ones, you get injured and say, "Oh well," you rehab, and you do an event a few weeks later after you heal. Big long distance events are riskier. They usually involve a lot of training time and some travel expense. If you miss one of these events due to a freak injury, you may have to wait a month or even a year to try again. "Moving the woodpile" should be added to the list of "don't do this right before a marathon/big tri."

Reading around the web, now this Celiac has a reason to avoid remodeling projects, too - possible gluten in the drywall! Thanks for sharing that one.

Adjusted to the heat

My body has finally adjusted to the heat. It's still blasted hot to go running here in Houston, but at least the sun plays less of a role. This morning I did four miles with some hill work in the middle. Although my shirt and shorts were soaked through by the time I got home, at least it was a reasonable round trip.

I have a small swimming success to note. Yesterday at the pool, I did a push off and went nearly the length of the (25M) pool, underwater using a dolphin kick. I was on my side and noted that I was passing people. It's definitely faster than swimming on the surface. There is so much about swimming that is completely counterintuitive. I don't do every push off that well, but I figure if it happened once, it could happen again.