MARATHON FOR MOTHER

Leah Ginn always hated running. But her motivation for competing in her first half-marathon was understandable.

“It had been a long time since I had done something for the first time,” says Leah, a 30-year-old Lady Lake resident. “Plus, I like pushing myself outside my comfort zone.”

Leah, who is director of operations at MVP Sports Club in The Villages, began training for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in July 2014. She had a wonderful training partner— her mother, Karen Danesky. Karen provided support by running with Leah and walking beside her on a treadmill.

“My mom was not a big exerciser, but she was always there to encourage me.”

Karen planned to be at the finish line of the marathon. Unfortunately, she died of a heart attack in September 2014 at age 54.

“I took two weeks off running because every time I ran I thought about my mom,” Leah says. “I even considered not competing in the race.”

Ultimately, though, Leah completed the 13.2-mile race held last november. Her mom’s indomitable spirit helped propel her to finish the race in 2 hours, 42 minutes.

“The last two miles were the hardest. My legs hurt and my hip flexors hurt. I was cold and wet. But I kept thinking about my mom, and there’s no doubt she carried me to the finish line.”

COPING WITH THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE “Find something that soothes your soul. I also recommend for people to work on themselves and become healthier. That’s why I eat healthy and exercise. I don’t want my mother’s death to be in vain.”

LEAH OFFERS HELPFUL MARATHON TRAINING TIPS:

1) Conduct research to learn how to properly train. The website Runners World is a great resource.

2) Get plenty of sleep.

3) Stay hydrated.

4) Properly fuel your body.

5) Get fitted for shoes. You need proper equipment just like for baseball or any other sport.

6) Set realistic goals when you begin training. If you rarely run, start with small distances and gradually build up from there.

GOALS LEAH WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH BEFORE TURNING 40:

• Ride in a hot-air balloon

• Ride a bicycle to see various California vineyards

• Buy a house

• Earn a master’s degree

• Scuba dive in open water

• Ride a gondola in Venice

• See the Aurora Borealis.

• Visit Las Vegas

• Visit the Grand Canyon

FORE on ree water Venice realis anyon

WHAT’S (HIC) CAUSING (HIC) THESE?

one time or another, most of have had the hiccups — or hiccoughs, if you prefer.

WRITER: FRED HILTON

An ill-timed hiccup can do many things, most of them bad. A hiccup can ruin a romantic moment, spook a 16-point buck or make you the object of hatred in a movie theater.

Hiccups are strange things. The experts know what hiccups are but aren’t sure exactly what causes them. “A hiccup, medically known as SDF (synchronous diaphragmatic flutter) or singultus, is a sudden, involuntary contraction of the diaphragm which occurs at the same time as a contraction of the voice box (larynx) and total closure of the glottis, effectively blocking air intake. The glottis is the middle part of the larynx, where the vocal cords are located,” according to Medical News Today.

Hiccups usually are triggered by minor stomach upsets. There are many conditions associated with a higher risk of developing hiccups. These include hot food irritating the nerve near the esophagus, eating too much food, eating too fast, a sudden change in temperature, fizzy drinks, spicy foods, alcohol, excitement, emotional stress and some medications.

Even though there’s no clear explanation on what causes hiccups, there are plenty of cures available. Many of these have been handed down from generation to generation and most of them actually work pretty well. Some of the more popular techniques include holding your breath, drinking a glass of water quickly, having someone frighten you, pulling hard on your tongue, biting on a lemon, gargling with water, drinking from the far side of a glass and placing one-half teaspoon of dry sugar on the back of your tongue.

You usually have hiccups only for a little while and then they go away; no harm done. On rare occasions, a person can develop prolonged hiccups and just keep hiccupping and hiccupping. There are a variety of possible causes of long-term hiccups. They can interfere with eating, sleeping and speech.

Before complaining about your hiccups, remember the sad case of Charles Osborne. Back in 1922, Charles fell down when he was weighing a 350-pound hog for slaughter. A tiny blood vessel burst in Charles’ brain, and he began hiccupping. He hiccupped day and night for the next 68 years. The hiccups started at 40 times per minute on average and later dropped to 20 per minute. It is estimated that he hiccupped more than 430 million times in his lifetime.

Somehow, Charles not only maintained his sanity, he also managed to lead a pretty normal life — other than the hiccups. He married twice and fathered eight children. For no apparent reason, Charles’ hiccups stopped about a year before he died. He lived to the ripe old age of 97.

Moral: Let someone else butcher your 350-pound hog. A BOUT is when hiccups last — on and off — for up to 48 HOURS last 48 HOURS TO 1 MONTH

2 MONTHS

MedicineNet.com, medicinenet.com/ hiccups/article.htm; “Hiccups, Diseases and Conditions,” by Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Clinic, mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiccups/basics/causes/con-20031

/29674/what-causes-hiccupsand-why-does-sugar-cure-them; “Charles Osborne Had the Hiccups for 68 Years, from 1922 to 1990,” by Daven Hiskey, TodayIFoundOu t.com, todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/07/charles-osborne-had-the-hiccups-for-68-years-from-1922-to-1990/ and intelihealth.co m/article/the-myth-andmystery-of-hiccups?hd=Medical PHOTO: Shutterstock.com

471; “What Causes Hiccups and Why Does Sugar Cure Them?” by Matt Soniak, MentalFloss.com, Jan. 6, 2012, mentalfl oss.com/article www.HippocratesInstitute.org

Brian Clement, PhD, LN, has spearheaded the international progressive health movement for more than three and one-half decades. By conducting daily clinical research as the director of the renowned Hippocrates Health Institute, the world’s foremost complementary residential health Mecca, he and his team have developed a state of the art program for health maintenance and recovery.

May 16, 1–3 pm ( Doors open 12:30 PM )