Crossing Over The Mighty Mississippi…Just as we encourage others about crossing over to get fit!

Kevin paused at the top to view the plendor of the new bridge over the Mississippi River

Along with my early breakfast in the morning of egg whites and oatmeal, I also make sure to keep some healthy quick snacks around as possible. Being on the road, it is hard to eat healthy. My wife tries to cook as many healthy meals as she can and keeps as many healthy snacks around. This allows me to have the energy to get my job done for the day and helps my metabolism stay consistent.

You want to try and think ahead so you do not eat the wrong foods. This was especially difficult while on tour because we did not know what these little towns had in terms of a grocery store. So when we would go through the bigger towns and cities, my wife would make a stop at the local Wal-Mart and pick up the bare essentials, i.e. eggs, oatmeal, fresh fruits and vegetable.

My wife Dora, tries to cook the meals a few days in advance and put them in small containers to freeze them for later. Also something else that we have found out is when you set a schedule for your day it allows you to help regulate what you eat. For instance, we have a set time to wake up, we have allotted time to exercise, we know what time the meetings are going to be at, and I usually average 50 miles per day pushing my racing wheelchair down the road, etc. With all this planning it allows me to stay on track with my eating habits as well as making sure I get the appropriate amount of sleep. Some additional tips that help me stay on track are: 1) Staying on schedule, 2) Avoiding alcohol, 3) Eating healthy, 4) getting the correct amount of sleep (about 8 hours).

Below are some nutritional tips the day, courtesy of The Cooper Institute, http://blog.standupandeat.org/post/2011/03/Busy-Work-Day-Try-These-Tips-For-Healthy-Eating-On-the-Job!.aspx

Here are some healthy food combinations that are relatively easy to throw together even when you are short on time.

• Oatmeal and fresh fruit
• Sandwich with whole-grain bread and lean meats
• Whole-wheat pita with hummus, avocado, lettuce, and tomato
• Whole grain cereal and low-fat milk with fresh fruit
• Vegetables with cottage cheese or yogurt dip
• Fruit with low-fat cheese
• Peanut butter with fruit, vegetables, or whole grain crackers/bread
• Nuts and seeds with dried fruit
• Hummus with raw vegetables or whole grain crackers
• Whole grain tortillas with low fat cheese
• Low fat Yogurt and fresh fruit
• Green leaf salad with tuna or boiled eggs on top with light dressing
• Egg White Pancakes or muffins

KEVIN’S PERSONAL JOURNAL
Total miles pushed: 57

110, Temperature 98 degrees.

With the temperature that high, I continually push fluids. In the case for this massive push, the nutritionist who works with athletes that participate in iron man events, etc. prescribed half water / half Gatorade mixture to ensure that I am always well hydrated.

Yesterday, we did a practice run of my entry into the park. Because I was going downhill and having to exit the first exit off the bridge, I had to be very careful because my speed could have gone up to 60 or 70 mph so I needed to control it to make sure I made the exit. With the racing wheelchair I was pushing, I also needed to be careful to keep my speed constant because the front wheel of the chair is so pressure sensitive that any minor movement could send me and the chair flying in another direction. The front wheel is like the rudder of the rear of a sail boat, helping control the way it moves.  The ½ of pressure is great for controlling your racing chairs direction with a slight turn or shift of the body. It can also be extremely dangerous if you are going really fast.

Kevin pushing over the Mississippi River on Cape Girardeau's new bridge

9:30 A.M. Pushed from the junction of highway 3 and highway 146 over the Mississippi River via the new bridge in Girardeau, MO. It was 4 miles from the junction to the MO side of the bridge. We met up with a Cape Girardeau police escort on the bridge at the MO state line.

I pushed another half mile to meet with Mayor Kundtson and the community leaders in Cape Girardeau, MO. Here I gave them a presentation on proper health and fitness, something we now call the ‘Health and Fitness Summit’.

Kevin receiving a proclamation from mayor of Cape Girardeau

The citizens of Cape Girardeau were so welcoming. They were cheering and clapping as I made my way in to the park. The community really came out to support the ‘Big Push’ across America to spread the word of proper fitness and nutrition. Everyone on hand really embraced our message of trying to get all youth, parents, teachers, community leaders, and city and state officials involved in creating a healthier community while promoting proper fitness and nutritional choices for meals or snacks for all citizens in the Cape Girardeau area.

We told the community to “Never Give Up because There is Always a Way!” Tracy Glen, the public relations officer for the City of Cape Girardeau did a great job in organizing the event. Several health professionals from Cape Girardeau were on hand, including: Dr. Bill Logan from the fitness facility at Southeast Missouri Hospital, Sandy Duncan from the St. Francis Health Center, and Maryann “Miki” Gudermuth with the Southeast Missouri Alliance for Disability Independence Inc. It is nice to see the support of local health professionals, it makes the community aware that there is an epidemic happening and we need to do something about it.

Kevin presents sculpture to Mayor Kundtson of Cape Girardeau

There was a lot of Media Present including Wendy Ray reporter with KFVS a CBS affiliate in Cape Girardeau. Also on hand was Hunter Johnston from KRCU 90.9 FM a NPR affiliate, David Bloom from the Cash Book Journal Weekender, and Toby Carrig for a newspaper interview for the southeast Missourian.

Wheelchair Athlete pushes across the Mississippi River with Healthy Message

Mayor Kundtson presented me with a Proclamation declaring July 13, 2004 as Kevin Saunders’ Day in the City of Cape Girardeau. I presented Mayor Girardeau and the City of Cape Girardeau with a sculpture and challenged him to help make the city a healthier place for all citizens by the time I return on the “Fitness 4 All 50 State Tour”.  Cape Girardeau was sure taking the steps to become eligible to win the “Wellness City of America” award from the Wellness Council of America http://www.welcoa.org/ . This was something that I had the honor of giving out as a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports to cities that met the highest standards of wellness.

Cape Girardeau proclamation

Immediately after the meeting with the Mayor and community leaders, I pushed off with the help of police escort through the city. I pushed through the hottest temperatures of the day, but I made sure to keep my intake of water and Gatorade high.

Kevin follows the police car through Cape Giradeau

It took a total of 16 miles to reach the city limits of Cape Girardeau. It was H-O-T, HOT!! Here the heat index again approached 120 degrees Fahrenheit off the black pavement which I am only inches away. Pushing the racing chair with the hot air blowing in my face felt like a steaming hot furnace air blowing in my face.

12:30 – 1:30 PM- I took a break from pushing for food and hydration. Man, this stuff tastes so good when you’re really hot and have been exercising hard.

I pushed from Cape Girardeau to Delta, MO approximately 18 miles. Then I pushed on for another 19 miles from Delta to just past Advance, MO. On the outskirts of the city, I chugged a full bottle of half water and half Gatorade mixture.I finished my push at 4:00 PM in Advance, MO. We loaded up and returned to the hotel in Cape Girardeau.

4:45 PM- Media interview with local newspaper reporter Toby Carring of The Southeast Missourian.