Smile

Grinner’s Circle was the title of an article in the December 10, 2017 The New York Times. The article mentioned that Eliud Kipchoge periodically smiled during the final miles of his fastest ever two hours 25 seconds marathon. Researchers from Ulster University and Swansea University ran an experiment related to running economy, which is a measure of how much oxygen is used to stride at a given speed. 24 men and women volunteers were studied. They had to wear a facial mask that measured their respiration while they ran on a treadmill till they were exhausted. They then rated how they felt and described strategies they used to keep going, ignoring their bodies, discomfort. In a subsequent lab visit, each volunteer completed a series of four 6 minute runs during which they were assigned. 4 different approaches 1.smile continuously, but sincerely 2. Relax r upper body 3. Frown 4. Use their normal mental techniques. Findings: as a group, the runner’s economy was as much as 2.78% more efficient smiling than during the other trials. A disclaimer per the following commentary. I did not read the original study. Therefore, my critique may be suspect. 2016 Olympic marathon winner Kipchoge’s strategies, training, genetics, etc. would paint a more complete picture of perhaps the greatest marathoner in the modern area. Smiling for him, might be related to the fact that he was running the fastest marathon ever and he knew it. The variables, 24 volunteers was not a random sample, which limits the generalizations; running six minutes on a treadmill limits the findings to running six minutes on a treadmill; and the 2.78% differences may or may not have statistical significance compared to chance. As running performance varies day-to-day, the initial baseline measure of running on a treadmill to exhaustion may or may not be an accurate baseline measure. Further, running track or on the trail is significantly different than running on a treadmill. We can’t conclude that the six minute treadmill measure of running economy or efficiency equates to running any distance longer or shorter in time than 6 minutes. Performing running and smiling sincerely is artificial and difficult to achieve. For instance, when running on the trail, one has to be aware of tree roots, fallen trees, rocks and other hazards. These hazards tend to interfere with smiling. Setting up a field study is difficult, but would more likely lead to more sound conclusions. However, grinning during your runs certainly can’t hurt you. It may even work as a placebo. There’s nothing wrong with employing a placebo if it improves your running. God knows that we have many thoughts going through our mind when running at marathon or ultramarathon distances. Telling yourself to smile, if nothing else, makes you look like you’re enjoying yourself. Smile and keep moving!

Man's Inhumanity Part 2

Psychological understanding can explain, in part, why there is much variation in how man treats man. One explanation suggests that although man’s powerful sexual drive or impulses varies in degree from man-to-man, that it can be limited with a mature rational process within moral constraints. Briefly put, when dominant sexual and aggressive impulses are accompanied with a weak ego and/or poor impulse control {imbalance of executive functions within the cerebral cortex] structure, man’s immature thinking is further weakened with its defense mechanisms [repression, reaction formation, projection denial, etc.]. The result is the individual was not adequate in dealing effectively [inhibiting the behavior] within an exploitive and abusive situation. As an example, is when the perception of the perpetrator is totally false? Employing defenses of repression, denial and projection, the individual distorts the reality by acting as if the other was also sexually attracted [she likes me, she’s giving me positive signals] and very much wanted to engage [ her no really means yes, it’s part of the game she’s playing] in sexual behavior, even though it’s totally not the case. Add spiking hormones, previous and current history of reinforcement or consequences for inappropriate physical and sexual abusive behavior, seduction, temptation-flirtation exchanges, money in employment settlements, influence of alcohol, drugs, exploitation trappings, unresolved mental and physical health issues to the equation, and we are faced over and over again with one individual or individuals dominating and subjecting the other [persecutor- victim or sadomasochism dynamics] to its whims. It’s not very likely that man’s treatment of man is going to change, despite the teachings of religion, education or the rule of law. Paraphrasing Einstein “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is crazy.” Our culture emphasizes and idolizes beauty and power. And with beauty, the beast arises. Happy Holidays

Man's Inhumanity

There has been much recent “news” about discrimination, sexually abusive behavior, racism, and exploitation between people. We know that Homo sapiens can be classified as being sexual, aggressive, irrational and amoral. The hunters and gatherers demonstrated their sexual prowess and the fittest survived despite numerous external threats and obstacles. As we changed to a more agrarian society, religion was established. Wonderful and humanitarian ideas arose in an attempt to place limits or control man’s characteristics. Killing was considered to be bad and sinful. Within marriage, adultery, was punishable and prohibited along with incestuous behaviors and marriage between relatives. There were other moral standards established, regarding theft, dishonesty and coveting with various interpretations and traditions per religious groups. Because of limitations and the fact that committing a sin was not a powerful enough deterrent in the way that man treated man, societal rules of law were established with punishable and concrete consequences. In fact, in 1986, our Supreme Court ruled that sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Despite religious covenants and commandments, state and federal laws attempted to influence man’s treatment between human being. We have witnessed much abuse. From US presidents, US politicians, movie moguls, movie stars, media and sports celebrities, the examples of abuse and/or assault continue. Even with consequences like settlements, loss of employment, divorce, the negative behaviors are still expressed. To Be Continued

Keep Moving

An article in the November 26, 2017 edition of the New York Times titled “Stepping Backward” highlighted a study conducted by psychologists at Brunel University, London and the University of Birmingham. In this particular study, 100 healthy boys and girls ages 13 and 14 were employed. Apparently, these subjects were socioeconomically represented and incorporated a broad cross-section of adolescents. These young students filled out questionnaires about how they felt about their exercise and their fitness. Every subject was given an activity monitor as part of the program. The goal was 10,000 steps each day. These results were recorded on a “leaderboard” that highlighted the most and least active in the group. After two months, the students completed more questionnaires and participated in focus group discussions. The student’s interest seemed to diminish after about a month or so. They started complaining about the monitors and reported that it made them feel lazy if they didn’t manage the 10,000 steps each day. Many said they considered themselves more physically inept than they had before the start of the study. A fairly large percentage of the students reported that they felt less motivated to be active now than before getting the monitor. According to one of the psychologists “You can’t just give a child a fit bit for Christmas and expect him to be active.” This study was not about the monitor, but about physical activity. Linda just mentioned to me after her walk “I hate walking, it’s not fun even with the distraction of music.” Physical activity can be boring and difficult regardless of age. Psychologically, physical activity can be enjoying depending upon the meaning for that individual. Then, if one has a high need for achievement, that individual can find a sport in which physical activity plays an important part in its success. Or, if one has a high need for affiliation then one can find a physical activity that has to do with a partner or partners. Remember, Hamlet “there’s nothing either good or bad, but thinking, makes it so.” Recently, Thom Darden told me that he bought his mother, a gym membership because he was concerned about her lack of physical activity. He then accompanied her to the gym. When he returned home, he found out that she was no longer attending the gym. Like those teenagers having a gym membership or a fit bit does not translate into physical activity. Physical activity works best when it is incorporated and is a significant part of one’s psychological makeup {history, need structure, intrinsic, pleasure, fear of failure etc.}, gives or provides immediate and concrete benefits or results [not because it is necessarily good for you or would likely increase one’s lifespan etc.], and is in the here and now. In conclusion, “life is like riding a bicycle: to keep balance ,you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein

Kyle Busch, Move Over

I just returned from the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Las Vegas. According to the brochure, the school “offers high-performance driver training to improve driving technique, provide professional racing instruction, or simply enjoy the opportunity to drive one of America’s fastest production cars.” The brochure also said “participants are trained to test driver and vehicle limits on an exhilarating, purpose- built road course in a safe, controlled environment.” Further, “the racetrack offers an exciting combination of fast sweeping corners, quick esses, off camber turns, over 125 feet of elevation change and four high-speed straights with replicas of some of racing’s most famous corners, including Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 5a and 5b, the Watkins Glen “Bus Stop”, Road Atlanta’s Turn 1 and Laguna Seca’s “Corkscrew.” I was scared, impressed and had my adrenaline flowing during the two days of classroom and track experience. On that first day, I was intimidated and not sure that I could incorporate the eights steps to cornering along with launch control through the racetrack. On the second day, my confidence, driving ability, and muscle memory took over, especially after being a passenger with the pro-driver. He was fast, smooth as I experienced G force motion. I realized that the Corvette was not going to roll over going around those “S” curves at breakneck speed. Then I was the driver as the pro was now the passenger. I eventually learned that I was not going to roll over my Corvette either, as I became more efficient and faster over the racetrack. Then I had opportunities to show what I could do on my own. Linda was in the pace car with the pro-and I was in a group with three other Corvettes. The instructor would comment and give instruction to us rookies during our runs. Linda said that I was keeping up with the pro who was traveling 120 mph. I didn’t have time to notice the odometer as I was visually scanning ahead and downshifting attempting to make sure that the cars balance was appropriate as I was clipping the apex of the curve. By the end of the class, and my last track driving rush, I was thrilled by the experience. I now have a better appreciation of the amazing engineering of my Corvette and what that automobile can do. As far as I can tell, Detroit gets an A for its engineering. I am impressed. As I said before, keep moving.

Working for a Living

The article titled “Why the Pain Persists Even As Incomes Rise” found in the September 17, 2017 The New York Times explained the reality for many in our country. Per the article, the research team evaluated actual earnings starting in 1957, for working individuals ages 25 to 55. The findings were disheartening. Back in 1957, a 25-year-old with a high school education entered the workforce with the median income that we will call X. A few years later, a new individual with a high school education entered the workforce with the median income that we will call Y. The trend that was established until about 1967, was as follows. Each new younger worker{Y} entering the workforce would make significantly more money than the older worker {X}. Simply put, annualized lifetime income of men, adjusted for inflation, rose for the younger worker {Y}. After 1967, the median income for the younger worker{Y} entering the workforce declined. This now meant that the annual lifetime earnings of the younger workers decreased over a lifetime of working. In 1957 many of my high school friends entered the workforce. There were many opportunities with good paying employment back then. The so-called American Dream slogan was alive. It superficially suggested that one would get a job, get married, have children and buy a home. Nowadays, that idea is just an old idea. Some statistical figures illustrate changes. For example, the median income for a high school educated individual age 25 in 1967 it was $33,900. However, in 1988, the median income for a high school educated individual age 25 was $29,000. If your high school educated parent entered the workforce prior to 1967, then the male child offspring was unlikely to earn more than his parent. In other words, there were better paying jobs in our country over 50 years ago. Further, one didn’t have to attend college to earn a decent living. That is not true today. Another example of the stagnation occurring in Middle America is as follows. In 1973, the inflation-adjusted median income of men working full-time was $ 54,030. In 2016, the income was $ 51, 640. Doing the math, that’s about $ 2, 400 less. Now in the global economy, the individual has to have a marketable skill. If not, this reality results in doom, gloom and anger. It’s not a surprise, that we have opioid, alcohol, poor health, and suicide on the rise. Without a skill, one might attain a part-time job in large companies. Walmart and Amazon have positions available for part-timers. It’s not uncommon for the high school educated to have more than one part-time job. One alternative is to attend college and go into debt. A second alternative is to attend some trade, technical, or community college program. A third alternative is to become a part-timer and stay with that line of work in order to develop some specialized,-marketable skill, experience or other opportunity. This alternative is much more palatable for those men that disliked high school or had difficulty learning. If one found learning difficult during the school years, one certainly is not likely interested in attending school to experience failure again. PS A recent example of a marketable skill goes to college football coach Jimbo Fisher. Fisher left his coaching position at Florida State and reportedly signed a 10 year $75 million contract to coach Texas A&M.