Ultra Running,Obesity,Alzheimers, and Aging

Today is a good day. I am feeling recovered from Saturday’s difficult 50 K.  Run in Malibu. In yesterday’s blog, I commented on the lactic acid buildup in my legs. I received an e-mail from Janet from Australian Connection (aussiconn @yahoo.com). Get her equestrian and running catalog. She told me about the product Sports legs for lactic acid. She claims that since using that product the lactic acid build up in her legs lessened. This product can be purchased at the Auburn Running Store. Thank you, Janet for that information.

My recovery after a running event routine is as follows: keep moving and utilize walking, massage the quads, drink lots of water, and use the 4 foot cylinder for quads, hamstrings, calves, and the outer side of quads. I also have gone to the Monster of Massage in Newcastle for relief. I don’t remember if recovery time is slower today than 14 years ago. My guess is that it is. I know that I started running the first Tuesday after Way Too Cool and then left for Mexico on Thursday and ran every day there. When I returned home, I felt tired. Taking a few days off from running is probably the right thing to do. I just have to remember that. One’s thinking can interfere with reality. I have to keep on remembering to listen to my body and if I’m tired to back off. Easier said but it’s the right thing to do. Recovery time is very important. I plan to do more walking and call that recovery time. Another idea is to perform cross training during this time. Now that I have a kayak I can do that and work on my upper body while resting my legs.

The April 25, 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated under the Go Figure section told about Charles Chulada a 59-year-old Florida brick mason. This man played guard at the University of Syracuse from 1969-1973. Last week, he tried out for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Rough riders. Linda’s son Buck who is approaching 50 played linebacker for a few years at San Diego State until his knee injury. Buck eats healthy, works out, and spars with younger fighters. He keeps his body percentage of fat to a minimum. Keep it up Buck.

I mention these individuals as examples of those of us that employ “denial of aging.” We do not want to age and be like our fathers and other unhealthy elders. I’m referring to myself and to Buck. I do not know Charles’ story.  I would hypothesize that he might have a similar story and also   misses important elements from his younger years. He is likely to be in good physical condition and being a brick mason contributes to that. For me, age is a number and is a factor that affects who I am today. I want to continue doing what I’m doing today and do not want that to stop especially for reasons like health and illness. I like being around people with similar mindsets. The athletes that I interviewed in my book fit that same pattern. They don’t want to stop either. Being with Tony, Jonathan, and Penny is very comfortable. Eating healthy, incorporating exercise and finding passion are important variables to success. None of us are overweight. We all are competitive and enjoy what we do. I know they don’t want to stop either.

My mother lived to age 93 and said in her later years “I like to be around younger people”. I think that she was onto something very special. Thank you, Mom for your insight and your gift. Do I appreciate that now?  Developmentally, there are eight psychological stages per Erik Erikson. As a result, people have different psychological issues that result in thinking and action per their particular stage of development. For me, generativity, being healthy, being physical, being competitive, and having passion are important.

 The May 2, 2011 issue of Time under Health and Science said that one key to improve memory and concentration is to lose a few pounds. They quoted a study involving hundred and 50 overweight individuals. In this small population some lost weight as a result of bariatric surgery. This group improved their test scores on recall and attention when tested 12 weeks later. This research add this more evidence to the belief that obesity affects cognitive deficits, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and stroke negatively. These scientists are interested in seeing if cognitive benefits occur in people who shed weight through diet and exercise. I would predict they would. The problem of course is getting obese people to begin diet and exercise.  In other words change one’s lifestyle. Watch my blog and I will write about getting started.

What does Kobe have to do with Alzheimer's?

I can’t wait to talk to my buddy and ride and tie partner Jonathan Jordan after tonight’s LA Lakers basketball game. Jonathan can’t stand Kobe and the Lakers. For me it’s a different story. I became a Lakers fan when Magic Johnson was drafted by the Lakers. Being from Detroit, I remember Magic and all his” magic “when he played for Michigan State. I especially rooted for him when MSU played Indiana State and Larry Bird for the NCAA championship. I especially rooted for the Lakers when those two battled year after year for the NBA championship. What does this have to do with my blog?

In my book,” It Has Nothing to do with Age”, I provide seven prescriptions for implementing a better lifestyle in both attitude and behavior. Prescription number three: “enrich your life by making friends, sharing interests, learning about others by becoming part of the new group”. For me, that’s exactly what I did in 1997 by participating in my first ride and tie. I met many equestrians, runners, and competitive athletes as a result. For one, I met my current running and blog partner Tony in 1997 at Mount Hamilton during both an endurance ride and a ride and tie event.

From ride and tie to endurance riding to ultra running, I met many individuals and became part of each of these groups as the result of the commonality, interests, and goals of each of us. My circle of friends blossomed and I became part of the sub- culture of each. Read my book and you will learn about the athletes’ history from birth to present as it will enrich your life as well.

From the Harvard Medical School the following is from their issue # two titled “Focus on Healthy Living”. One 2008  study from the Health and Retirement funded by The National Institute on Aging  and The Harvard School of Public Health in a  longitudinal  study from the years 1998 and 2004 raised the question “does socializing with friends and family protect your brain and memory during aging”?  The researchers were looking for causality. Does being socially active protect against memory loss or do people who suffer cognitive decline tend to socialize less than average?

The results suggest that individuals who had higher levels of interaction with family friends and other people are more likely to retain cognitive functioning. They found that the people most at risk for dementia had fewer than 12 years of education, had high blood pressure, diabetes, or stroke. Another study at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California looked at subjects 78 years old who did not show any symptoms of dementia. These individuals were followed over the next four years and the researchers found that women with large social networks were less likely to develop dementia than were more isolated women controlling for age, education, depression, and other health conditions. Unfortunately the studies in question did not tell us how social interaction protects against cognitive decline. What is clear in my in -depth study of senior athletes ages 65 to 85 is that none of the seven or eight (including me), suffers from cognitive decline. Jack Scholl age 85 continues to give presentations to many groups about the American Revolution, and  gives Liberty Bell tours at America’s birthplace;  Physicist Lew Hollander age 80  gives scientific presentations and develops patents; Jim Steere, DVM  still  vetted into his mid-80s; and Doc Shay in her mid-70s  is an emergency room physician.

Read my book, follow my prescriptions and you can accomplish the unthinkable and become productive throughout your lifetime. Age is just a number for many of us and not a barrier. Incidentally, Tony, Jonathan, and I are meeting in Malibu this weekend for a trail run. Young Jonathan and I are running a 50 K. while Tony creeping on 60 is running the 20 K.