Denny, Jack and Warren

In thinking more about loss, my best friend Denny Ollerman came to mind. I first met Denny while we were both teaching an Introductory Psychology course for Oakland Community College in the late 1960’s.We also were pursuing our Ph. D’s in the Educational and Clinical Psychology Department at Wayne State University. Denny, being a good friend, was always and I mean always there for me over the years while in the Detroit area and again in California.

His kids Scott and Leah were very young when we first met. Denny subsequently divorced and married Maria. Prior to his marriage, Maria and I were faculty colleagues at Cal State University in San Bernardino. Eventually, I moved to the Bay Area and Maria and Denny moved to San Diego. Whenever, I traveled south to compete in a ride and tie, I stopped to see them both. In fact, Denny joined me when I competed in the Cuyumuca Ride and Tie in eastern San Diego County near Alpine where Jonathan resided. 

Denny and Maria bought a second home in the small fishing village of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Earlier, Denny brought his boat and become affiliated with the dive company there. Of course, visiting resulted in diving in the Pacific with Denny. We had many shared memories of growing up in Detroit. He played high school football for Mumford while I played for Denby. While in grad school, we both had ponytails and beards and were given a nickname by the faculty. I love Denny and miss him greatly. He was extremely intelligent and was a special human being.

Jack Sholl, I met, while researching “It Has Nothing To Do With Age.” Jack was a rower who grew up in the Philadelphia area. He was a real patriot as were his relatives. A distant grandfather, Peter Shumaker, was recruited by William Penn eight generations ago in the late 1600s or more specifically in 1695. Jack’s relatives fought in the American Revolution and another owned the tavern that was used for the Underground Railroad in the 1800s. Jack knew his history and was a volunteer for the National Park Service in Philadelphia. Incidentally, he frequently was asked if he taught American history in high school or college. He replied “no, I worked for IBM for 29 years.”

Jack invited me to attend a book signing for the Sons of the American Revolution in Palm Springs. There, I met Ronald Reagan’s pilot on Air Force One. He was accompanied by his friend one of the Buffalo soldiers that guarded the San Diego area during the Second World War.

 Jack married Joan and during the early years he worked for John B Kelly. Mr. Kelly was Princess Grace’s father. So, Jack and Joan became friends of the Kelly’s as well as Prince Rainier. Shortly after ,I had Jack on our TV show .He was a wonderful man, traveled the world and was blessed by winning 15 US national gold medals in rowing  while still competing well into his 80s. He liked competing-“it’s an ego thing. I can’t disappoint others or let them down……. I like the affiliation, and the bonding with others my age. It’s been a way of life for me. I want to live life to its fullest and I might be afraid to stop, afraid to retire.” I miss being around this humble, positive warm and sincere patriot.

Warren Hellman I met through ride and tie many years ago. I really got to know him as we traveled the last 50 miles or so during the 2000 Tevis Cup competition. Warren was extremely competitive, grew up in New York and was president at the Lehman Brothers while in his late 20s. Tevis Cup winner Cathy Perry once said something to the effect that “Warren has more money than God.”

Warren would come to ride and tie competitions, arriving by his jet. He would show up in a wrinkled shirt and wrinkled pants. He looked homeless and in interacting with him, one had no idea of his extreme wealth. In fact, he started the Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco held at Golden Gate Park. In Golden Gate Park, Speedway Meadow was renamed - Hellman Hollow. He played the banjo and got great satisfaction in so doing. Sen. Dianne Feinstein presented his eulogy at Temple Emanu- El in San Francisco. Warren and I share the distinction along with two others to have completed the Tevis Cup, Western States endurance run, and the 100 mile Swanton Pacific Ride and Tie. Warren was a real kick. Hanging out with Warren was very different.

At one of our Cool Ride and Tie’s, Linda and I presented Warren with an award. He didn’t have to achieve or earn that award. In fact, he was caught off guard and looked surprised when it was presented. The last time I saw Warren was when Tony and I attended Jim Steere’s memorial service. Warren didn’t look physically well at that time .At that service, he did not disclose the severity of his medical issues.

There are many losses during one’s lifetime. However, their memories bring a smile to my face. Knowing them has expanded, enhanced and enriched my world as well. Thank you guys.

Ride and Tie Memories Part 2

Early in 1997, I entered an endurance ride that was simultaneously held with Dan Barger’s Mustang Classic Ride and Tie. There, I met Tony Brickel and Jeff Windeshausen. To this day, Tony remains my trail running partner, pacer, man of all seasons and dear friend. 1999 at the Quicksilver Ride and Tie, I met Jonathan Jordan. Jonathan was a defense attorney living in the San Diego area. When I traveled to the San Diego area for a ride and tie, I stayed with Jonathan and his family. When he and his family traveled to northern California, they stayed with Linda and I. Jonathan and I came in first place at the 100 mile Swanton Pacific Ride and Tie in 2008. I also consulted with Jonathan on one of his murder cases in Redding, California.

 I retired in 1999 and moved to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada’s. I was assisted, mentored, and influenced by ride and tie competitors Tom and Laura Christofk, and Jerome Beauchamp to name a few. Through ride and tie friends, I learned about the Tevis Cup and Western States competitions. Living near the endurance capital of the world, I naturally had to be a part of these events as well. During my Tevis completion in 2000, Tony assisted my horse Raider and me at the Forest Hill vet check and then again at the finish line in Auburn. Unfortunately, a number of my ride and tie friends including Tony, Becky, Tom, Chris and Michael Shackleford didn’t complete that race because of issues with their horse.

Ride and tie competitor Linda Raposelli Rodgers was my training partner for the 2002 Western States endurance run. Also, I received assistance from Chris Turney and William Emerson winners of the 2001 Euer Valley Ride and Tie Championship. Ride and tie friends again assisted me by being pacers on the run. Chuck Mather paced me from Forest Hill to Ruck -A-Chucky. Bill Johnson then paced me to the Highway 49 crossing. There, Jerome Beauchamp accompanied me to finish while encouraging me to pick off runners ahead. Just before the finish, at Robie Point, I was met by my sister Bev, my girlfriend, Tony and Deb Brickel and another dear friend Bob Edwards. We all laughed and lollygagged our way to the finish line in Auburn.

In essence, around age 57, the ride in tie influence began. I have both sad and joyous memories in recalling Jonathan, Bud and Chris. Even though they are physically gone, their memories are as bright as the sun and bring a smile to my face. This post brought back many terrific memories of the numerous friends, and friendships for me. It may sound like a cliché, however the sport of ride and tie facilitated a smooth,  prosperous and fruitful  transition into a retirement that assisted in my becoming more physically and mentally fulfilled and healthy.

PS

Ride and Tie individuals are runners with varied equestrian backgrounds. Endurance riders have mostly equestrian backgrounds. So, not all equestrians can compete in ride and tie.

Ride and Tie Memories

While running this morning on my 10 mile training run, I thought about the loss of four men associated with the sport of ride and tie. Jim Steere died on August 3, 2010, Jonathan Jordan passed about six months ago while both Bud Johns’ and Chris Knoch died recently. I heard about Chris’s passing from ride and tie  Paul Klentos  a good friend and Bud’ s passing from one of  my ride and tie partner’s Susan Smyth .  My memories recalled many individuals including ride and tie partners Bob Edwards and Steve Anderson along with the monumental impact of this sport.

 Jim Steere DVM competed in the first ride and tie with partner Mary Tiscornia on Mary’s horse, Theban Prince, whose sire Swaps, had won the Kentucky Derby in 1955. He also competed in the 40^th ride and tie championship; and has the distinction of being the oldest to have completed the Tevis Cup. This Fulbright scholar had many stories including his veterinary experience with the Tevis founder Wendell Robie. Whenever, I had an equestrian question, Jim was there with an answer. I interviewed him for my book “It Has Nothing To Do With Age” just a few days before his passing in 2010. He was beloved by all as evidenced at his memorial service. Incidentally, Mary had a best condition or Hagen Cup award on one of her Tevis rides.

Thank you, and my gratitude goes to Bud Johns who has been called the Father of Ride and Tie. At one time, Bud was a freelance writer who came across a newspaper article about an incident that took place in the late 1800s. Briefly, a father and his son with one horse hunted and tracked rustlers who had stolen their horses. That trio was victorious and recovered the rest of the herd. In 1969, Bud, the communications director for Levi’s, came up with the idea of a horse, rider and runner event to promote the rough and tough image of Levi jeans. In 1971, Levi’s sponsored the first championship ride and tie event held in St. Helena, California.

Ride and tie attracted numerous and highly competitive world-class runners and world-class equestrians. Gordon Ainsley the first individual to run what is now known as the 100 mile Western States ultra run came in fifth place in the Alturas Championship 1972 Ride and Tie. Other world-class athletes that I met through ride and tie but not limited include Western States winners Tom Johnson, Jim Howard and Tim Twietmeyer; world-class runner phenomes Mark Richtman, Dan Barger.and Meghan Arbogast. Tevis Cup winners, included Cathy Rohm Richardson, Becky Spencer, Marcia Smith, Lari Shea, Kathie Perry, Julie Suhr, Jeremy and Heather Reynolds.

I met Chris Knoch, a two-time Tevis Cup winner, at the 1997 Fort Bragg Ride and Tie Championship on the second loop of a 38 mile competition. That race was won by Brian Purcell [a Western States winner] and Mark Richtman [came in third in 2002 Western States]. My partner was Paul Robinson who told me that I wasn’t going to get off as easy as I did on my first ride in tie held at Quicksilver a month earlier. At Quicksilver, I teamed up with Russ Kiernan known as the Dipsea Legend. Russ was a three-time winner of that race which is the third oldest trail race in the United States .Russ, did most of the running.

To Be Continued

Grief, Depression, Stress, Brain and the Heart

A mind-body association was depicted in the March 24, 2019 edition of The New York Times. The article was titled “It’s Not All in the Head” and highlighted a possible link between the heart and the mind in a study of the” Broken Heart Syndrome.” In a broken heart syndrome, individuals had different functioning brains and was referred to as the Takotsubo syndrome. Depression, grief and distress amounted to impaired functioning.

The Takotsubo syndrome is a condition that occurs after a stressor such as that experienced after the loss of a loved one. This condition mostly affects women, with a weakened heart, and the heart bulges occasionally. This condition can be fatal but often the heart adjusts over time. This is a condition in the brain and its control over how the nervous system handled a stressor. With distress, the sympathetic nervous system or” the fight or flight” of the hypothalamus is activated  ; the parasympathetic system calms things back down; and it’s up to the  limbic system to generate and mediate emotions. In other words, these three regions of the brain are responsible, when healthy {effective communication}, to allow the basic autonomic processes to function smoothly in a homeostatic state.

Swiss cardiologists recruited 15 volunteers that were affected with this Takotsubo syndrome along with another 39 unaffected individuals for the study. Functional MRI scans of each brain were employed. Their findings were that with the   healthy subjects, the parts of the brain associated with emotions and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system lit up in unison.  However the communication system among those areas didn’t work as well with the Takotsubo individuals. This suggested that depression, grief and distress were harmful variables on the heart.

Questions not answered in this particular research included the following: 1. Did stress change the brains that led to the heart damage? 2. Where these brains instead predisposed to handle stress poorly? 3. Does the disturbed brain remake the heart?  In conclusion, “In any event, stress hormones when released might affect a cardiovascular response” per Professor Christian Templin.

This particular study was interesting but does not answer definitively cause-and-effect of depression and grief as an ongoing stressor within the brain with its impact on the heart. However, we do know that stress or a stressor depending upon the degree or duration length is a potent activator of inflammation; creates a number of ailments; can wear down the immune system; and is harmful during the aging process.  Further, early life stress, which has a long-term duration, appears to be one of the strongest predictors of a lifetime risk for depression. It has been estimated that early life stress explains 20 to 25% of all mood disorders. Moreover, death of a spouse had the highest negative value on the External Stress Index. It’s obvious, a broken heart, loss from death, breakup or separation, and depression are powerful emotionally based stressors and not at all associated with a healthy brain or person. Instead, it placed a negative demand or hardship on the body’s physiological and psychological characteristics. Once again, one can’t have productive and effective living without positive emotional or mental health.

Canadian born Hans Selye’s research in the 1930s, popularized the concept of stress. He conceptualized stress “As a state of the organism following failures of the normal homeostatic regulatory mechanisms of adaptation. Later on in the 1950s, humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow believed that man, although was not perfect, could find his true self emotionally. Emotional well-being was described by Maslow as “ B-love, as an end in itself so that enjoyment, admiration, delight,  contemplation and appreciation are its characteristics while at the same time the individuality of the lovers is preserved.” Earlier Freud summed it up when he said something to the effect “to be able to love and to work were ideals that corresponded to a healthy individual.”

Food Choice, Excessive Exercise and POMC neurons

Many of us, in our country, are concerned with our health and our appearance as evidenced by various eating plans, influx of super foods, fitness aids and gym memberships in this billion dollar industry. Professional athletes are no exception as their degree of physical fitness is one important variable when it comes to their contracts. For example, Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots, is noted for his obsession with his dietary and workout strategies. Brady BMI’s index differs from his former tight end teammate Rob Gronkowski. The BMI difference for these two players has to do with their NFL positions, motivation, dietary and workout plans. Likewise, Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors has a different BMI index compared to teammate DeMarcus Cousins. Likely, their workouts, their player positions, motivation, and diets are also BMI related. Note, these professional athletes are motivated, knowledgeable, and consistent, with their health related behaviors and have healthy BMI numbers. They know how to manage their weight through diet, exercise and have healthy POMC neurons.

Unfortunately, regular folks do not have successful BMI numbers as a result of their health related choices. Many go on and go off and experiment with numerous diets and join various exercise facilities along with the many available workouts. What everyone realizes, at some point or the other, is that it’s not easy when it comes to consistency with diet and exercise. Some people that start an exercise program often over eat and gain weight. That can be troubling because many of us believe that regular exercise and diet is needed to regulate weight. There are many variables within different eating patterns and different exercise programs that effect one’s BMI range.

Another variable to consider, for regular folks, when it comes to exercise and eating behavior was found in the January 27, 2019 addition of Time entitled “Outrunning Hunger.” Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and other institutions conducted a study evaluating the melanocortin circuit [a brain network in the hypothalamus] related to metabolism change and how energy expenditure with exercise effects appetite strength.

Within the melanocortin circuit, there are two types of neurons. The neuropeptide Y [NPY] receptor cells relay signals encouraging food seeking. The other neuron, the pro--opiomelanocortin [POMC] cell receptors reduces food seeking. In other words the POMC neurons, if not healthy, are a significant health concern because they are found in morbidly obese humans.

In this particular study, healthy adult male mice either ran on small treadmills or were placed on an unmoving treadmill. The running mice [mice and humans have similar neuronal brain circuitry] spent 60 minutes of fast intense running broken up into three 20 minute blocks. Briefly the findings: the runners POMC neurons were much more active [less interested in food] than the idle mice even after a single work out for up to 48 hours. These mice also had less active [food seeking] NPY neurons although their NPY [food seeking] activity rebounded after about six hours. These mice also ate less after exercise than had been their habit before.

So perhaps, after an intense energy expenditure workout, one’s active POMC neurons [less interest in food] helps explain one’s appetite and /or eating behavior. According to one researcher, “continued intense training might remodel an individual’s neuronal circuitry.” If so, intense physical training might greatly assist with long-term weight management. On the other hand, increased food seeking behavior after intense exercise, suggests an imbalance in one’s melanocortin system and body weight regulation. If so, that imbalance might interfere with successful weight loss and/or BMI numbers. In essence, one important variable for good health might simply be found in your neuronal circuitry. Like everything else, it’s in your brain. Good luck with your central melanocortin system. In any event, keep moving.

PS

I have healthy POMC neurons. During ultra running events, I have little interest in food during and after each event. I have to think about eating at aid stations during these competitions.

Man's Dilemma Part 3

However, also deeply rooted, in males, is his fear of his mother caretaker?  She was the first to frustrate his physiological needs, to tell him no, to become angry with him, and even withdraw her love from him. The father caretaker can yell and spank but that does not compare equally to the more long-lasting fear effects of the mother figure withholding her love. Eventually, the male can challenge his father physically. However, there is no adequate defense or safety from a mother withholding her love. She is the most powerful female figure in the male’s universe.  The positive [love] and negative [fear] emotions related to this mother or Madonna figure, results in man’s unconscious search, drive and expectations or illusions for an unconditional loving figure. He is also afraid of losing her love.  As a result of these  unconscious vulnerabilities, man has to compensate by creating , establishing and implementing the tools of religion, government, politics, economics and psychology in an attempt to reduce or cope for his anxiety, fear, dread and inadequacy related to the female . Males have accomplished this compensation mission of keeping females fearful, subjugated and brainwashed. Man has been so successful that women have bought in and have become second-class, subservient, and dependent. However, during the last 50 or 60 years, we have witnessed a pushback. The “pill,” the American feminist movement in the 60s provided that impetus.

The male’s constant search for happiness propels him repetitively over and over with behavior that results in poor and limited outcomes when it comes to union with the opposite sex. He’s fearful and conflicted of submission or surrendering himself with her since he also is up against his self-preservation survival instinct. It’s no wonder and shouldn’t be a surprise, that man has a built in conflict dynamic. This brief and limited exposé only tells part of man’s story. Remember, there’s a female distrust story as well.

References

Erikson, Erik H, Childhood and Society, W. W.  Norton and Company Incorporated.

Horney, Karen, Feminine Psychology, W. W. Norton and Company Incorporated.