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The Journey To 90 - Stronger Than Yesterday, Florence, TX (2026)

06/13/2026

The Fire Ant Tour is in the books. A great ride this morning. Lots of climbing. 50 miles and not once did I think about my knee. That is real progress!

This ride was special. Not that it was my longest event ride post TKR - but because I was born in Gatesville 67 + years ago. Woohoo get it!!

My new custom cycling jersey was made by Dan Bodan Rusch. Let me know if you desire high quality athletic jerseys and apparel. Dan is absolutely the best. And I know him personally - he is my friend!

06/10/2026

📊 A BOOKMARK IN TIME

I recently reviewed my May 2026 lab results.

The numbers were very encouraging.

My doctor’s recommendation was simple:

“Continue healthy lifestyle.”

As I reflected on those results, I found myself looking back.

December 2023:
A1c 6.8

May 2025:
A1c 5.7

May 2026:
A1c 5.3

December 2023 my fasting glucose was 138.

May 2026 it was 93.

The numbers tell a story.

But they are not THE story.

May of 2025 was an important moment for me. I was already making changes. I was already moving in the right direction.

But I wasn’t satisfied.

I was not content.

I knew there was more. I could be better.

The May 2025 results became feedback. An inspection of my expectations. Two months later, on July 16, 2025, I planted a flag.

I declared:
“This is where yesterday ends and right now begins.”

That was my “no more” moment!

No more drifting.
No more accepting average.

No more waiting for someone else to tell me what was possible.

My life took a new and very intentional direction.

Since then, each morning has become an opportunity.

Yesterday ends.

Today begins.

A chance to learn.
A chance to improve.
A chance to make better decisions.

Sometimes that means adding something.
Sometimes that means removing something.
Sometimes it means making a small adjustment.

Always it means moving forward.

These lab results are not a victory lap…they are a bookmark in time.

A moment to evaluate.
A moment to reflect.
A moment to confirm the trajectory.

I know that if I continue living intentionally, next year’s numbers will be even better than today’s.

Not because of luck.
Not because of perfection.

Better because the trajectory is set.

In my world I like to keep it simple:
- God directs.
- And I follow.

There is freedom in this.

The Journey To 90 moves forward…

06/07/2026

On the way back home today, I knew I was going to get on my bike and ride. But I didn’t go out trying to set records. I just wanted to wake the system back up after:

* Travel
* Hotel time watching it rain outside
* A canceled Tour de Tomato event
* Restaurant meals
* Less sleep than normal
* 3 days spent mostly sitting

Mission accomplished. System is rebooted and back on line!

How was your weekend?

06/07/2026

MICROPLASTICS AND NANOPLASTICS
—-A CLOSER LOOK

Last weekend I was visiting with my friend Dave. We were discussing microplastics, exposure, and some of the changes we have made over the past year. One of my very best friends just shy of 50 years.

We are very much on a similar journey.

He asked me how much of my lifestyle had I actually changed.

I replied with the obvious things.
- Filtered water.
- Glass containers.
- Stainless steel bottles.
- Organic Non gmo food.
- Loose-leaf tea stored in glass jars.

Then I asked him a simple question.

“You and I buy USDA Organic beef…how is it packaged?”

He laughed.

“Plastic wrap on a foam tray.”

I smiled. “Exactly!”

Not that it was a bad pick. The USDA organic beef is a great choice.

But most of us focus on the contents and never think about the package.

I mentioned all of these great supplements that we buy. We seek out the highest quality. We particularly look for those with third party testing results. They are shipped in a plastic bottle and transported in a heated environment (trailer or delivery truck).

Dave looked at me and said:

“Really! Wow. I never thought about all of that.”

Well honestly…Who does?

I didn’t either. Not at first.

That conversation reminded me of something I have learned throughout this entire journey.

Awareness happens in layers.

First we see the big things.
Then we begin seeing the smaller things.
Then we start seeing the connections between them.

I learned to read labels, choose certain foods, etc.
Now I look at what is touching my food choices.

My friends, it is difficult to get around it. But in order to minimize exposure, I transfer my USDA organic meat to glass for storage when I get home.

When I began The Journey To 90, I focused on the biggest rocks first

Food.

Water.

Movement.

Sleep.

Metabolic health.

As I learned more, I started asking different questions.

What about tea bags?
What about clothing?
What about bedding?
What about shampoos and deodorants?
What about the package touching the product?

I still do not have all the answers.

I am still learning.

Still adjusting.

Still improving.

The goal is not perfection. We live in an imperfect environment. The goal is awareness. Through awareness we can take action.

Because everything begins with a thought.

A thought that creates a decision.

A decision put into action that creates change.

And enough positive change can create an entirely new trajectory in life!

Believe me…that is exactly what happened to me.

The day we stop asking questions is the day we stop growing. We realize in short time that we are stuck. Not improving. Perhaps declining.

I say that for the most part, decline is optional.

Conversely the day we remain curious is the first day that the journey continues…every morning presents a new day to learn, to adjust, to live stronger.

The change in my life’s trajectory began with a thought.

Is that important?

Very soon I will share the results of my May 2026 labs and what my doctor had to say about them. Then I will let you answer that question for me.

The Journey To 90…where yesterday ends and right now begins.

Every day!

06/06/2026

Sometimes the rain wins…Tour de Tomato got cancelled. Found a gym and hopped on a stationary bike. Not the same as rolling hills but the legs were pumping. Oh well. Eyes are on the Fire Ant Tour next weekend now.

06/04/2026

MICROPLASTICS & NANOPARTICLES
PART 4: TAKING BACK CONTROL

Over the past three posts, we have explored:
- Where microplastics come from.
- Where they have been detected within the body.
- And what researchers are studying to better understand their potential effects.

Now comes the most important question:

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

The good news is that awareness creates options.

While we cannot eliminate every exposure, we can take responsibility for many of the factors that are within our control.

Consider these practical steps:

WATER

• Use a quality water filtration system
• Choose stainless steel or glass containers when possible
• Reduce bottled water consumption

FOOD

• Avoid storing or heating food in plastic containers
• Use glass storage containers
• Choose fresh whole foods when possible
• Be mindful of packaging

KITCHEN

• Wooden cutting boards
• Stainless steel cookware
• Cast iron cookware
• Glass food storage

CLOTHING

• Organic cotton
• Linen
• Wool
• H**p

HOME ENVIRONMENT

• Regular dust removal
• HEPA filtration
• Good ventilation
• Remove shoes indoors

SUPPORTING THE BODY

The body already possesses remarkable systems for protection, repair, and elimination.

Support those systems with:

• Adequate hydration
• Quality sleep
• Regular movement
• Sufficient protein
• Fiber-rich foods
• Nutrient-dense whole foods

One important point:

At this time, there is no proven method to completely remove all microplastics from the body.

Researchers continue to study how microplastics behave in human tissues and whether future interventions may help reduce what has already accumulated. For now, the most practical approach is reducing ongoing exposure and supporting overall health.

Another area of active research involves generational exposure. Some animal studies suggest that exposure to certain plastic-related chemicals may affect multiple generations. Scientists are still working to understand how these findings apply to humans and the extent to which microplastics or associated compounds may be passed from one generation to the next.

This entire series comes back to one simple idea.

INPUTS BECOME OUTPUTS.

Every choice may seem small.

A glass container.

A filtered drink of water.

A stainless steel bottle.

A better night’s sleep.

A healthier meal.

One choice will not change your life.

Thousands of choices absolutely can.

We have to acknowledge that the goal is not perfection.

The goal is progress. Continual improvements moves the needle and can change one’s trajectory.

Because better inputs create better outputs…and better outputs create a better future.

Where we have a choice, we can take control!

06/02/2026

MICROPLASTICS & NANOPARTICLES
PART 3: WHAT ARE THESE PARTICLES DOING?

In Part 1, we looked at where microplastics come from.

In Part 2, we explored where they have been detected within the human body.

Now we arrive at the next question:
What might these particles be doing once they get there?

This is where we need to be careful. It is a work in progress. Science is still working to understand the full impact of long-term exposure. But researchers are actively studying several areas of concern. These include:

• Chronic inflammation
• Oxidative stress
• Hormonal and endocrine disruption
• Immune system dysfunction
• Gut microbiome disruption
• Reproductive health concerns
• Cardiovascular health concerns

One thing many of these areas have in common is that they involve communication systems within the body. To get a better understanding of the “communication systems” take a deeper dive. It is worth the time it takes to see how the body works. It also opens one’s eyes to the possibilities that exist with those channels are disrupted.

Hormones communicate.

Cells communicate.

The immune system communicates.

The gut communicates with the brain.

The cardiovascular system communicates with every tissue in the body.

When these systems function well, the body adapts and responds efficiently.

When communication becomes disrupted, dysfunction often follows.

Researchers are working to understand whether long-term microplastic exposure contributes to some of these disruptions. Initial findings are leaning in the direction of confirmation.

I find this particularly interesting because many chronic health conditions share common themes:

Inflammation.

Oxidative stress.

Metabolic dysfunction.

Poor cellular communication.

Sound familiar?

The goal is not fear.
The goal is awareness.

The human body is incredibly resilient.
But resilience does not mean invincibility.

The question worth asking is not:
“Will one exposure hurt me?”

The better question may be:
“What are the effects of thousands of exposures repeated over decades?”

That is the question researchers are trying to answer.

Next time in Part 4 we will dive into what so many are asking…”What can we do to reduce exposure and support the body’s natural ability to protect itself?”

05/30/2026

MICROPLASTICS & NANOPARTICLES
PART 2: THE PLASTIC INSIDE US

For years, scientists asked a simple question:
Can microplastics enter the human body?

Today, that question has largely been answered.

The new question is:
What happens after they arrive?

Researchers have detected microplastics in places many never before imagined:

• Blood
• Lungs
• Liver
• Kidneys
• Arteries
• Placenta
• Breast milk
• Testicular tissue
• Brain tissue
• Digestive tract

Let that sink in for a moment.

This is no longer a conversation about plastic bottles floating in the ocean.

This is a conversation about particles that have been detected within the human body itself.

One discovery especially caught my attention.

Researchers have reported finding microplastics in meconium—the first dark stool passed by a newborn baby!

Think about that for a moment. What does that tell us?

For years the discussion was about lifetime exposure.

Now scientists are exploring the possibility that exposure may begin before life outside the womb even starts.

I am not sharing this to create fear. Fear rarely leads to good decisions.

Awareness does.

Science is still working to understand exactly what these particles may mean for long-term health.

But one thing is becoming increasingly clear:

The human body is being exposed to microplastics far more extensively than most of us realized.

Part 1 asked: Where are they coming from?

Part 2 asks: Where are they going?

The answer appears to be…Almost everywhere.

Next:
What are scientists concerned these particles may be doing once they get there?

05/28/2026

Here is an image from Head For The Hills a couple of weeks ago.

When I rounded the bend, the photographer was kneeling on the side of the road in front of me. I saw him dialing the focus in. I raised up and gave a peace sign for a moment. Unfortunately he took the shot as I was on my way back down.

Oh well, next time I will just ride through.

BUT…he did get a great shot of my left knee in the air! Zoom in on it and you can see the scar from the TKR. This is a real treasure for me now. New knee in action 4 months post surgery.

Every moment of every mile I feel blessed to be cycling, gaining strength and getting longer rides in. There is much gratitude in every pedal stroke!

05/25/2026

I was planning on a 30 mile two hour ride today.

The weather had a different idea. When I began climbing, I could see storm clouds brewing and a couple of downfalls around me. A few sprinkles found me.

I knew what was coming next and did not intend to be a party to it.

It was time to cut the climb short and turn back. I put the hammer down. Got in a few more miles heading south. So much fun racing the rain today!

Oh my goodness I am so grateful for this Journey God is leading me on!

This time last year, I would be soaked.

Stronger Than Yesterday indeed…

The Journey To 90 - Stronger Than Yesterday

06/13/2026

06/10/2026

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

06/06/2026

06/04/2026

06/02/2026

05/30/2026

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05/25/2026

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