Jeffrey Reynolds, Author at Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds Page

Top 10 Things I Learned From This Year’s New York City Marathon

November 11, 2019 by Jeffrey Reynolds Leave a Comment

On November 3rd, I ran my 4th NYC Marathon and no matter how many marathons you race, you always learn something new. Here are some my key takeaways from this year’s race:

The New York Road Runners pre-race dinner at Tavern on the Green is well worth it. It’s buffet style, but the food is decent and you get to check out the NYCM finish line before 53,000 other people cross it the next day.

Taking the Staten Island Ferry to the start line is much more scenic than taking the bus from the NY Public Library. Both the ferry terminal and the ferry are well heated, spacious and alive with energy. You get a great view of the Statue of Liberty and once in Staten Island, it’s just a quick bus ride the start line. The trip takes about 90 minutes.

Daylight savings time on marathon day is a blessing. Spring ahead. Fall behind. An extra hour of sleep; enough said.

Porta-Potty lines were an hour long. This wasn’t the case in year’s past and it’s not the case at other races, but plan accordingly.

Peeing off the side of the Verrazano Bridge will get you disqualified from the race and banned from future NYRR events. These announcements prompted chuckle in the crowd each and every time and generally seemed more directed at the men than the women. It made running on the lower level a little more pleasant.

The “wall” is moveable. There’s a well-documented physical and psychological “wall” that greets most marathoners at the 17-18 mile mark and it’s a dark place. You just keep putting one foot in front of the other and generally by mile 20, you’ve adopted a “just 10K to go” mindset and you are fine. This time, for me, the wall came early – probably between miles 14 and 15. It also stayed longer, but I adapted, pushed through and finished strong.

Nothing new on race day. You should never try anything new on race day – shoes, nutrition, socks, etc. We all know that, yet a found myself tempted by the huge BioFreeze stations set up along the final miles of the marathon. Big signs and helpful volunteers promised immediate relief from muscle soreness and a strong finish. I resisted, but it was tempting.

Drink at every aid station. The weather was perfect last Sunday and it wasn’t hot by any stretch of the imagination, but I and many other runners had salt stains on our clothes signaling the need for steady hydration. Always drink water or sports drink before you are thirsty and drink twice as much as you think you should.

The NYC Marathon is amazing, but they still haven’t figured out the post-finish line logistics. You finish 26.2 miles and a super-helpful volunteer puts the medal around your neck, while another gives you one of those silver space blankets and a goodie bag with water, Gatorade, an apple, etc. Then you do a death march with thousands of other people through the park up to 80th Street, across to Central Park West and then back down to 61st. Why? None of us are looking to sit down, but finding a shorter, easier route out of the park would probably reduce the demand for post-race medical attention.

You don’t have to PR to have a great race. With a 4:37, I didn’t break any course records and didn’t score a personal best, but still enjoyed the training journey, the race itself – which is more like a block party – and a weekend in NYC with my girlfriend, Sue Moller.

Until next time, NY, thank you for a great race in a great city!

Here are some products I used during the marathon:

Feds Re-Launch National Addiction Treatment Locator Website

November 8, 2019 by Jeffrey Reynolds Leave a Comment

There’s been a lull in national discussions about America’s opioid crisis, but last week, the federal government – in a largely unnoticed move – relaunched FindTreatment.gov – a national substance used disorder treatment database. The online treatment locator is boldly marked as “An official website of the United States government” to reassure visitors who have become wary of online addiction marketing gimmicks that collect and broker potential patient information.

Addiction treatment facilities can be sorted by the type of treatment they offer, including treatment for co-occurring mental illness and substance use and telemedicine care that can be accessed via phone, tablet or desktop computer. The new locator also allows searches of programs based on payment option, age, languages spoken, and access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. FindTreatment.gov is a reboot of a SAMHSA website that had fewer updated resources, less robust search functions, dated design and dated terminology.

More than 13,000 state-licensed facilities are included in the database and a routine search of several local zip codes and towns returned solid, accurate results. FCA’s Hicksville Counseling Center, for example, comes up at the top of the list for treatment options in Hicksville.

New York State OASAS has operated its own statewide treatment locator for several years and the new federal website mirrors many of its features. Critical to both websites is the fact that only state-licensed treatment facilities are including the directory and while licensing requirements vary by state, New York’s are strict.

FindTreatment.gov is an important tool for families and patients looking for help and offers a meaningful alternative to the thousands of worthless online treatment directories that promote substandard treatment centers, blast the reader with pop-up ads and lure unsuspecting and desperate visitors into disclosing personal information.

Election Day: It’s Your Turn!

November 5, 2019 by Jeffrey Reynolds Leave a Comment

To all those candidates for public office…thank you!

Putting yourself out there came with risks and personal/professional sacrifices, including time away from your family, friends and other matters as you worked tirelessly towards a singular goal.

Win or lose, look back over the past few months with the confidence that you ran a fair, respectful, honest campaign that focused on the issues, advanced civic dialogue and encouraged “we the people” to become more engaged in our communities.

To the thousands of Long Islanders who worked behind the scenes making calls, stuffing envelopes and working events, we see you and appreciate your quiet contributions to democracy.

If you’re on the ballot today or part of a campaign team, take a deep breath and know that your work is done for now. You gave it your all.

If you’re not on the ballot and wondering whether you have time to get to the polls today, stop it! Democracy works best when we all do our part.

It’s your turn. Polls close today at 9:00PM

As Illnesses & Deaths Surge, Health Officials Say “Stop Vaping”

September 7, 2019 by Jeffrey Reynolds Leave a Comment

As of last night, more than 450 cases of lung illnesses and five deaths tied to vaping have been reported to federal and state officials. The numbers continue to grow nationally and two teens on Long Island were hospitalized this week for vaping-related illnesses. One of those teens reportedly had to be placed in a medically induced coma and the other had tumor-like nodes covering both lungs.

The New York State Heath Department is investigating the outbreak and has issued a public health advisory as have the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Of particular interest to health officials are reports that many of those who have fallen ill used black-market vaping products that contained cannabis oils and/or vitamin E acetate.

In a bulletin issued yesterday, the CDC wrote, “While this investigation is ongoing, people should consider not using e-cigarette products” and went on to suggest that “people who do use e-cigarette products should monitor themselves for symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever) and promptly seek medical attention for any health concerns.”

Addressing the issue of vaped vitamin E acetate and THC oils, the CDC warned, “people who use e-cigarette products should not buy these products off the street and should not modify e-cigarette products or add any substances that are not intended by the manufacturer.”

The CDC also reiterated its warning that “E-cigarette products should never be used by youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products,” yet some are criticizing federal health agencies for not taking a stronger stand.

In a letter yesterday, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin from Illinois called on Ned Sharpless, the acting head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to resign if he won’t ban e-cigarettes. “It is my strong belief that, if you do not take decisive action within the next 10 days, you should resign your post,” Durbin wrote to Sharpless. “If you continue to refuse to do your job — which is to protect the public health — then it is time to allow someone else to take the helm.”

In addition to immediately seeking medical attention, consumers can use the FDA’s online Safety Reporting Portal (SRP) to report unexpected health or safety issues with vaping products.

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