20th Houston Marathon - 5:15

Well - let me start by saying that this year's highlight was that a local radio station called and interviewed me about running and celiac. I managed the 20 second plug about celiac being an underdiagnosed condition that people should look into. They also asked me about my 20 year streak and the problems I've run into - training in a cast, breaking a rib one year and so on... Hopefully, they'll send the tape, but it's been a week since the marathon and I'm starting to have doubts.

I was fit and ready, but I think I psyched myself out on this one and went out too fast. I just could not slow down for the first 14 miles, and then I cratered and the next four miles were a misery of walking. Then the nausea lifted and I held pace into the convention center. People tell me that it is unusual to "come back" after a bad spell, and I have to say I'd agree.

I think I've "noted" a few things:

• Must - Lose - Weight -- My Wii Fit even mocked me this morning by telling me my ideal weight for my height was less than my college weight when I was not absorbing food.
• Must - Follow - Pace - Band -- I was wearing it - just didn't follow it.
• Must - Not - Drink - Endurance - Didn't train with it, so why did I go stupid on race day?
• Must - Do - More - Base - Miles - I've become a master of the "just finish" and this year it really irritated me

The best part is that I finished my 20th consecutive Houston marathon, making me the youngest (I think) double-veteran. I can't wait to order the shirt!

20th Houston Marathon - 5:15

I think I psyched myself out on this one

Does Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO have Celiac?

I saw a post on the Motley Fool site about Steve Jobs. Mr. Jobs has lost a lot of weight recently. He is CEO of a major company, and Apple doesn't have much in the way of a succession plan, so even the Wall Street Journal is interested in his health.

It is not a stretch from a numbers perspective. One has to figure that there are probably four to seven CEOs of Fortune 500 companies having to work with the issue, whether it is known by them or not. (It may be that the effects of being an undiagnosed Celiac keeps people from the top job).

There were two things that I thought were interesting about the article. One was the "oblique" reference to Celiac. By "oblique" I mean that Celiac was mentioned, but it wasn't the focus of the article. It was mentioned as an aside, and I think that is a great development for Celiac awareness. The second item of was and continues to be Steve's struggle to maintain his medical privacy in the face of legitimate investor concerns. Can anyone imagine how difficult a situation it would be where you didn't feel comfortable telling your co-workers you have Celiac? Personally, I made the decision a long time ago to tell everybody. But what is good for me and what is good for Steve Jobs are two different things. Sometimes it is hard to be a celebrity.

Wednesday Update. A Time magazine posting mentioned Celiac as a possible cause.