We Can Change Self-Destructive Behavior

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
– Samuel Beckett

 

With soaring health costs,  obesity levels increasing, more unhappiness during aging and greater monetary expenditures on alcohol, prescription and nonprescription drugs, it is clear that irrational and self- destructive forces play a major part in man’s search for happiness and contentment. If man was a totally rational human-being, he would not continue to make  self destructive choices over and over ? Man continues to make self-defeating decisions that are clearly not in his self-interest repeatedly. Perhaps, in part, because man is irrational, he continues to chase illusion’s and/or deny the many subjective realities of his existence.

It seems important, to recognize, that we   become the choices that we have made during our lifetime.  It may  not be enough to simply acknowledge our choices. We all realize and acknowledge that changing behavior is  extremely  difficult to do consistently. The task at hand is to make significantly more positive life decisions than negative ones. Our batting average needs to be much higher than 500 to reach the golden years  Simply. satisfying one’s physiological needs and hoarding more and more things does not seem to be the answer either. Do not lose sight that less can be better than more.

What seems to assist  or work for many individuals is finding an activity that provides meaning within their existence. With having meaning, often comes resilience, passion and major life  changes. Sometimes it takes a personal crisis  to occur before any positive or significant  change can be made. In my  book, It Has Nothing To Do With  Age, there are many examples of  men and women experiencing personal hardship before they were able to obtain and then reach new positive and healthy heights. Discovering or finding a new experience -an activity that resulted in personal  meaning was the impetus. More often than not, athletics or sport provided the spark so to speak and gave special meaning  to the individual. When that happened, life seemed to change for the better as new heights were attained.

 So do not discount the power of sports. With athletics comes discipline, resilience, passion, goal seeking ,self worth ,mastery and belongingness. Discipline helps to provide structure and ability to practice.  And, according to Arnold Palmer. “More I practice, the luckier I become.” With goal seeking, thinking about the future is paramount. Having a future, looking forward to the future results in a more contented  individual. Without a future, comes despair, doom ,gloom and dread. Picking self up after a disappointment or failure results in self respect along with increased self esteem .Being part of a team provides support and reduces  a sense of isolation and loneliness.

I am pleased to announce that Dan Barger is tomorrow’s TV Guest. Dan has mastered many sports and has assisted employees to  come together  to function as a team. I’m sure that you’ll find Dan interesting and will learn about his passions. Incidentally, he ran in this years    Western States 100 endurance run.

When you keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep breathing life is more better.

It Has Nothing To Do With Age Or Gender with guest Tom Christofk

Finding Meaning,Passion,Mental Toughness,Tom Christofk and Reggie McKenzie

"Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last Thursday’s TV show featured Tom Christofk. http://youtu.be/E7pVe44sqSA The show was a blast to say the least. Tom  revealed how important sculling was to him and in fact changed his life. Once again, the importance of sports was demonstrated. Although Tom  didn’t know anything about the sport of sculling, he became quite proficient and was heading in the direction of the 1972 Olympics. He lost  approximately 60   pounds of body weight (a slug) to become someone mean and lean. This adolescent, with raging hormones, discovered that sex and food did not solve his condition. The change he talked about was that he essentially found meaning, passion, and discipline  in the sport. Also important, was his interpersonal relationship teammates and its coaches. It is clear that finding meaning in  life and passion propels us to new dimensions or different equilibrium’s.

Tom also talked about his most dangerous ride and tie experience as well as his running of the Catalina Marathon with Tony. It was acknowledged that Chris Turney, in the audience, finished in front of them. Learn more about Tom by watching the show.

I began interviewing Reggie McKenzie for my next book with the theme of mental toughness. Reggie came from a large family in Highland Park, Michigan and played for that special 1969 University of Michigan football team that beat number one -ranked Ohio State at the time. How did this young African-American football player, from a working-class family, achieve All-American and All-Pro honors ? Reggie’s  father, born in Georgia, had to withdraw from  school, at  the youthful age of 13, to help support the family by farming. Trust me, Reggie’s father was mentally and physically tough.

Reggie’s mental toughness started as a young boy. He did not ask  for money ; he knew that if he wanted money, he had to work for it. And of course, when he played for Bo Schembechler, he learned more about himself, about his teammates and his passion. Reggie, while young, started a foundation to assist the disadvantaged. I’m excited in learning more about him. At this point I know he is a tough, loving and giving human being.

Last Saturday, Tony and I ran a 30 K in the Sierra mountains. Our run started about 5700 feet above sea level and then climbed to about 8200 feet. This particular run was called “Lovers Leap of Faith.” It wasn’t until last week, that Tony told me he needed a harder challenge. I told him, “thanks.” As it turned out, this run was more difficult than he expected because of the elevation and its changes, as well as the technical aspects of the trail.

During his run, he worried that I would be unhappy with this choice of a running event. However, that didn’t stop him from setting the course record.

My reward was being treated to ice cream  at the Original Mel’s in Placerville by Tony. I thanked him for the run as well as the ice cream. Some of you may not know that Placerville was originally called “Hangtown.” That’s progress say the least.

Our TV guest on Thursday is Dan Barger. You will hear more about him. In the meantime, keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep breathing.

Golden Years,Male Fertility, and Tom Christofk

"Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over."
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

I am liking my Golden years and feel very fortunate. Yesterday, Chris ,Carrie , Tony and I ran the trail. Tony and I are tapering for Saturday’s 30 km run in the Sierras. It is super to be able to run and play in the mountains. Being in the fresh air in gorgeous physical settings is an unbelievable experience. To take advantage of what nature has to offer is very special. Being healthy requires a will, dedication, knowledge and effort. Taking a pill does not do the job.

Unfortunately, the number of friends who are injured at the moment is saddening. For example, Chuck Mather had to cancel because of his undiagnosed injury. Tony was disappointed for a number of  reasons. Other running friends such as Farah, Randall and Diane round out today’s list. Get better my friends so you can join us on the spiritual trail of health.

An article in the Wall Street Journal , dated  July 16, 2013 was titled “the decline in male fertility.” According to the article, there is a decline in sperm counts. Some of you may say so what. However, sperm count has been linked with life expectancy. Of course, like other health conditions, sperm counts are likely related to critical periods perhaps even in the womb. Anyway, some of the threats to sperm counts include the following: maternal smoking ,Phthalates(shampoo) found in plastic bottles, sedentary jobs like sitting over two hours at a  time, frequent hot baths,  high fat  diets and even marijuana use. Once again, these factors are associated sperm issues and can affect sperm count. Once again, critical periods such as between eight and 14 weeks of gestation can have irreversible effects.

Tom Christofk

There are likely critical periods that interfere with taking advantage of the Golden years. Perhaps it might be important to do a self-evaluation and determine where you stand. It might be good for you.

I’m delighted to announce that Thursday’s TV Guest is none other than Tom Christofk. A glimpse about Tom  can be found in “It Has Nothing to Do with Age,” Chapter 8. To set the stage for this next section, I was competing in my second endurance ride of the year. I was competing in the Whiskey town 50 mile ride. “Michael and I rode until we reached the last vet check. I was in front of him and stayed in that position until the last vet checkpoint, about 44 miles into the ride, where ultra  runner Tom Johnson(three-time winner of the Western states run) was assisting. I didn’t realize it that Tom Christofk  and Tony were only a few minutes ahead of me; I used Tom and Tony as my yardstick for speed !Raider and I were in about fifth or sixth place at the time and  I was surprised Raider was that fast! Unfortunately ,Raider  clipped his rear hock and was sore. This resulted in us being pulled from the race, which was a huge disappointment. There was one more endurance ride before the Tevis. My  spirits were  still high at  that  point, but I was in denial. With Raider pulled, it was unclear what that meant for the next race.” 

To find out more about Tom, watch the show. Remember to keep moving, smiling, laughing, and deep breathing in the process.

2013 TEVIS & HAGGIN CUP WINNERS Gold Country Videos

Rusty Toth, Tevis Cup, Suzane Hedgecock,Haggin Cup 2013

"To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle."
– George Orwell

 

Last Thursday’s TV show with Merv Pyorre was fun to say the least. This man, although you would not know it, could not speak English when he initially  entered school in the Fort Bragg area. He was part of a close net family with origins from Finland. His father was called “ Vinegar Slim” and introduced and prepared him for the love of the outdoors. To make a long story short, it was of no surprise that Merv competed in ride and  tie, endurance and the  Tevis Cup. He told one story about the difficulty of that one ride and tie that started at Forest Hill. In fact he said that was his toughest competition.

On Friday, Linda rode Nails and I ran the trails. From start to finish,  we were out for about three hours. Part of that time, was stopping at Chris and  Michele’s for ice and water. I got my heat training  that day.

Saturday, former Dallas Cowboy Mike Keller joined us as we spent our morning at Robinson Flat. Although Mike knew about the Tevis, this was his first encounter of this historic event . Mike informed me that he’s taking this event off of his bucket list. He was first introduced to quarter horses by his Cowboy teammate bronco busting  Walt Garrison. He also told me about his trail rides in the Bay Area, especially riding up to the top of Mount Diablo. At the moment, he is looking for another horse.

 In Mike’s car trunk, I saw a set of golf clubs. He told me he used to have a handicap of 2 and that he has won a couple of pro-amateur golf events. Look out Tiger Woods. Unfortunately, Tiger faded somewhat in the last day of that Open in Scotland.

It was good to see smiling faces during the day and good-looking equines.  Not to be forgotten, Tony was wearing his “Elite” hat  answering questions from the overflowing and his  cheering crowd. After leaving Robinson Flat, a group of us, including Steve Elliott had lunch at Warton’s in Forest Hill. It was a good way to end this early afternoon with friends.

Congratulations go to  Rusty Toth  for winning this years Tevis and Suzane Hedgecock & Julio  for winning the prized Haggin Cup.  Over 160 riders started the ride and 75, finished. It’s one tough ride.

Sunday, our running group consisted of Chris Turney, Tony and I .Remember, to keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep breathing.

It Has Nothing To Do With Age or Gender with Guest Merv Pyorre

It Has Nothing To Do With Age and Gender with guest Meghan Arbogast

It Has Nothing To Do With age or Gender with guest Cathy Rohm

Johnny Depp, Tonto ,the Lone Ranger, Tony and Tevis

"The power of imagination makes us infinite."

– John Muir

Last Saturday, while Tony was resting. I went on the elliptical machine to do interval work. Tony made a better decision since Sunday’s run was long. Even though we(Chris, Tony and I) started at  7:30 AM, the temperature rose and it became hot.

On Tuesday’s run, Tony was dressed as Tonto like Johnny Depp. He placed feathers in his running cap Instead of the  dead crow.  He called me Kemosabe -the wrong brother. I laughed and told him I wanted to take a picture of him. He declined. I now have to see the new Lone Ranger picture.” Hi Yo Silver and Away.” Does  anyone know what kind(breed) of horse Tonto rode in the old Lone Ranger stories?

This coming Saturday is the  historic  Tevis Cup ride . More about Wendell Robie taken from Chapter 6 in “It Has Nothing To Do With Age.” “Robie realized that he had started an event that would likely continue as long as men bonded with her horses. He believed that this event was too much of a real challenge for super horsemen not to participate. This was a ride of a lifetime, following the historic Western States Trail over the Sierra.  This trail  varied in  elevation from 8,774 feet at Emigrant pass to 1,200 feet at the finish line in Auburn.

Robie wrote letters to newspapers, magazines, and Congressman, and gave public talks everywhere. He made arrangements with the school of veterinary medicine at UC Davis and had veterinarians  at the ride to protect the horses. To combat criticism from many riding groups and the Humane Society, he had his head veterinarian, Dr. Richard Barsaleau ,  counter their arguments.

The ride, even though its official name is Western States 100-day 100 - mile ride is commonly known as the Tevis, and the award for the first-place winner is the  Tevis Cup and was first awarded in 1959 ,( the first ride was  in 1955). The cup was named in honor of Lloyd Tevis,  an adventuresome pioneer who came to California in a covered wagon in 1849 in search of gold. In  true entrepreneurial spirit, Lloyd became president of Wells Fargo and Company from 1872 to 1892. The Tevis Cup was established as a perpetual trophy by his grandsons Will , Gordon, and Lloyd  Tevis.”

This week’s( Thursday) television show features  Merv  Pyorre and his thousand mile buckle.

On a sadder note we lost one of our friends this week, Sue Walz, who passed away after a long struggle with ALS this past week. Sue was an incredible woman, full of life. Unfortunately in Jan 2011, she started noticing symptoms of the devastating disease ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease. Sue passed away in her sleep on the afternoon of July, 11th, 2013.

"Great minds have purposes, little minds have wishes."
– Washington Irving

 

Thursday was a blast interviewing the lovely Tevis and Haggin Cup winner Cathy Rohm. Not only was she perky, she was also a fun loving spirit. Cathy talked about her successes as well as her losses. She was divorced, lost a  younger  alcoholic  brother and a supportive mother within a few years. This mentally tough, young lady openly discussed her difficulty in coping and working through her grief. Be sure to  catch  her  TV  interview with Tony and me. http://youtu.be/2lhgMEn7ltw

What is wrong with people in United States? Didn’t somebody coin, the Golden Years? I’m going to re-name the Golden Years and call them the “Disability Years .” All right, it’s a fact that since 1990, the longevity rate the United States has increased from 75.2 years to 78.2 years. However, don’t start applauding just yet. Even though we are making headway against issues of strokes, certain cancers and the HIV virus; the death rate associated with obesity, diabetes, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s are on the rise. So you may say, so what.

The amount of expenditures or the healthcare outlay in the United States totals nearly 18% of the gross domestic  product(GDP). Not only that,  but the number of years of living with chronic disability or the loss of quality of life for the average American increased. This means that in 1990 , the average life expectancy in the US, of an individual would live about 9.4 years with disability. In 2010, even though life expectancy rose so did years with disability. You can now expect to live 10.1 years with disability. In other words, even though your living longer, you are potentially living longer with a chronic disability.

People, can’t you get it  ? What don’t you understand? Can’t you employ self-discipline, good judgment, or do you have to self-destruct? Simply put, by making and continuing lifestyle changes, much of our health problem could be alleviated. Don’t you know that a better diet, smaller food portions, physical activity, quitting smoking and better management of stress are the keys?

We have a variety of diets, numerous apps, and many opportunities for physical exercise. How many of you can stick with the program? Unfortunately, your self-destruction affects us all.

Tony and I must be freaks. Today, the 12^th, he’s doing speed work at the track in Auburn. For me, I ran the trails for about two and half hours , running up and down hills. There must be something wrong with us (Tony’s 61 and I’m 73) since we are healthy. I’m enjoying my golden years, how about you? Source: the Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2013.

For next Thursday’s TV show, Tony and I are going to interview Merv Pyorre.  I’ll bet you’ll enjoy his story. In the meantime, keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep breathing.

It Has Nothing To Do With age or Gender with guest Cathy Rohm

Jim Steere DVM, Cathy Rohm and the Tevis Cup

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
– Marcel Proust

This year’s Tevis Cup is scheduled on July 20. For those of you who are interested, go to www.Tevis Cup.org to follow this year’s race. Some of you may remember Jim Steere, DVM. Dr. Steere first started his Tevis endurance ride in 1967. Although his horse was lame, for the rest of the race, he helped out by being a drag rider. The next year, 1968. Jim completed his first Tevis and 37 years later in 2005 at the young age of 80, he became the oldest rider to ever complete this historic event.

The next few paragraphs were taken from “It Has Nothing To  Do With Age.” These paragraphs describe, in part, Jim’s first endurance ride. “Jim’s father decided that Jim should return to Los Angeles to finish junior high school. Jim asked his parents if they would allow him to ride lady from the ranch to his mother’s home in the Hollywood Hills, 90 miles away. They both said yes, and Jim spent weeks planning the route. He needed to make sure Lady had new shoes, the  tack  was in good shape, and that both he and  Lady had enough food for this long adventure. He also packed the sleeping bag and cooking utensils. His parents instructed him to call his mother in Los Angeles, whenever he found a phone along the way. This was going to be a three- day horseback trek-his first three day endurance ride.

 

By day one, Jim and Lady reached the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains just short of Soledad Pass. On day two, they rode through Soledad Canyon past the little towns of Saugus and Newhall. The duo then reach the San Fernando Pass followed by the town of San Fernando . Eventually, Jim arrived at the Porter Ranch, where the Porter family was expecting him. Lady spent the night in a box stall bedded with straw while Jim gratefully ate a home-cooked meal of meat, potatoes and milk.

Day three found Jim back on the trail with  Lady, and by 8 o’clock in the morning, they headed toward the Hollywood Hills. They traveled through the towns of Pacoima and Sun Valley. In Burbank, he crossed the Los Angeles River on his way to Griffith Park. Then it was a climb up 1800 feet to the top of Mount Hollywood, and down to the planetarium to his home, a half a mile away. When he arrived at his mom’s house, his dad greeted him with, “good ride, son, welcome home.” Thomas shook Jim’s hand, gave him a hug and said, son. I am proud of you.”

For additional information about this renaissance man,   athlete extraordinaire, and my friend, I refer you to chapter 7

Tomorrow’s television talk show will feature Cathy Rohm. This special lady was the winner in the 2005 race. Be sure to catch her story.

Until then, don’t forget to keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep breathing.

Cathy Rohm,Tevis Cup,Sleep Patterns, and Kayaks

"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are."
– e. e. Cummings

On 4 July, Tony, Debbie, Linda and I went kayaking on Loon Lake. This was our first of the year. Coming home, that evening, I decided I wanted to go to a hard shell kayak . The plan  for the weekend was to try out hard shell kayaks. Yes, Linda bought a  hard shell kayak and we bought a new kayak trailer. We decided that a kayak trailer was more practical than a roof carrier.  I’m still looking for my kayak. I will keep you posted.

On July 6, Tony and I went to Dru Barner. The Gold Country Endurance Riding Association  was putting on an endurance ride along with a ride and tie. Going there , gave the both of us a chance to see friends that we haven’t seen for a while. While there, we ran a 10 mile loop along with the 10 mile ride and tie  entrants. On our run, Tony was passed by Jim Mather’s ride and tie  team. As Jim passed Tony, he replied, “I finally passed an old guy.” Needless to say, that motivated Tony.

 On Saturday, I also had a chance to talk to future guests on our TV talk show. I talked with Jim Mather, Langdon Fielding ,Kathy Perry and Dale Lake about their interest and availability .Our next TV show on the 11^th, will feature Tevis Cup winner Cathy Rohm.

 

The November 14, 2012 edition of the Wall Street Journal had an article pertaining to NFL teams and player sleep patterns. Sleep is a big problem for many of us. The NFL is not immune to this problem either. These professional teams travel between time zones and that can complicate sleep cycles. Going from the Eastern time zone to a Pacific time zone causes problems for most teams. So one thing that the teams are doing ,for the players, is setting the temperature at 68° in the hotel rooms. We know that it’s easier to fall asleep when it’s cooler. Just by going to bed earlier doesn’t always work.

This past week, the temperatures soared to triple digits and did not cool off enough during the night. As a result, it was difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Some of the side effects of not getting enough sleep, for me, include being short tempered, tired and grouchy. So consider setting your temperature for at least 68 during evening, and hopefully that will help with your sleep cycle.

Remember to keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep breathing.

Wendell Robie,Tevis Cup and Cathy Rohm

We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality."
– Iris Murdoch

Well, the month of June, has  passed  and  we  are now into July. The month of July is synonymous with the Tevis Cup. This event, is a 100 mile one day endurance ride that begins at Robie Park near Truckee, California and ends at the fairgrounds in Auburn.

In 1955, the Reno Gazette Journal had an article describing, “Some gentlemen from Auburn are attempting a one day, 100 mile ride out of Tahoe city.” Five riders; Nick Mansfield, William Patrick, Pat Sewell, Richard Highfield, and Wendell Robie said they could ride over 9000 feet of Summit, go through deep canyons, and follow a trail that no other horsemen had traveled on such a ride. This ride had a lot of unknowns. One major question was, could a horseback rider travel and cover 100 miles in a day?

Robie claimed that organizing the event would bring new home and property owners to Auburn and give valuable publicity to the town (Robie was a businessman in Auburn-he was into lumber, real estate, and later started a bank). He quoted the Vermont organizers of 100 mile Green Mountain trail ride, who claimed that people keep fit by riding horseback. He also quoted Winston Churchill’s famous phrase, “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.”

Robie was influenced by pioneer Bob Watson, who was the last constable of Tahoe city. One of Watson’s missions in life was to re-establish the original Emigrant Trail over the Sierra crest. Long-lost overgrowth and lack of use, the trail was used by Native Americans as part of their seasonal migratory route, as well as gold miners in the late 1840s and early 1850s that traversed this rugged trail in their search for instant riches. Later on in the 1850s, the trail was also used by those leaving California in search for silver in the Comstock Lode in Nevada. Watson’s quest to redefine the trail was a good endeavor, and he enlisted like-spirits in finding the trail, including Wendell Robie, and a group of Auburn men who belonged to the Native Sons of the Golden West. This information was reprinted from “It Has Nothing to Do with Age.” Also, in this chapter are tales about Robie told to me by Fred Jones .Jones ran the California State Parks system at the time.

 I  was  a  young  60 when  I earned my buckle on this ride( Chapter 8). Tony started endurance riding when I was just a kid. He earned 10 buckles by the time he was 50.

By the way, we will not tape our TV show on July 4. Our next scheduled TV interview  will  feature  Cathy  Rohm . Cathy won the Tevis in 2005. You will find out more about her on July 11.

Enjoy your 4^th and don’t forget to keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep breathing.

Meghan Arbogast,Timothy Olson,Pam Smith and Western States 100

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
– Mahatma Gandhi

Last Thursday was a real treat, as Tony and I had Meghan Arbogast as our guest. http://youtu.be/bgKMyPbkJJg Meghan, age 52, has entered this year’s running of the Western States 100 mile endurance run. She is quite the competitor and a truly outstanding runner. Meghan talked about her childhood and the early influences of both of her parents. She also talked about the difficulties she had with her husband’s Brian illness that led to his death in 2010. She was open, friendly and revealed her pain.

As far as this year’s run is concerned, she’s shooting for 18 hours and of course would like to win in the female field. She claims she runs well in the heat and believes she’s well prepared for the run. As we talked, we acknowledged the triple digit temperatures with high humidity. Tony and I wished her luck on Saturday.

On Friday, my computer crashed after running with Chris Turney. Chris and I ran Saturday morning as well. During the day, Linda and I followed Meghan’s progress with updates from Tony. He was at Michigan Bluff and Forest Hill, encouraging her.

Linda and I went down to the aid station at the 85 mile marker. There I met up again with Margaret Branick-Abilla the Aid Captain. I had met Margret earlier at the Memorial Day Western States training run. We were expecting Meghan around 9:00 PM or so. Sure enough, there she was. However, minutes before, I began talking to a runner that came in before Meghan. As it turned out it was Dan Barger. Dan, I had met in 1997 at Quicksilver, my first ride and tie event. It was probably 14 or 15 years ago that I last talked with him. I wished him luck and he was off.

It was good to see Meghan.  Although it was dark, she looked good. On Sunday, I was pleased to see that she finished. She was the fourth female and came in 18^th place overall. We did not go to the Sunday awards as I was involved in computer stuff.

Timothy Olson was the winner and

Pam Smith was the first female. And on Sunday, Chris and I, before our run, saw Margaret leaving the aid station. She was there from 2:00 P.M. Saturday to 8:10 A.M. Sunday. Good job you all.

Don’t forget to watch Meghan’s interview as she went into considerable depth, as far as training was concerned. In any event, keep moving, laughing, smiling and deep  breathing . They are all keys to success. http://youtu.be/bgKMyPbkJJg