The Aging Brain

"Don't let other people tell you what you want."– Pat Riley

There is plenty of information and knowledge regarding health and well-being, the amount of health care costs, and US health care ranking. We constantly hear reports of unsustainable health expenditures as related to GDP. Yet, our country is not making significant strides in either increasing longevity or becoming a healthier nation.  This problem is not the result of ignorance regarding health care. Plenty of information is available, about what to do, via the Internet, television, radio, printed material and from your doctors and other health care professionals. In thinking about this serious problem, perhaps, employing a   developmental approach might suggest or give an understanding of the “why.”

Science told us that it is not unrealistic to become a centenarian. Remember, the oldest female lived to 122 while the oldest male to 115. W e know that the brain  reaches maximum maturation typically around 20. And, by the time we are in our 60s, mass and volume reduction as a result of atrophy plus death of brain cells has significantly occurred. Not only that, if we have experienced a neurodegenerative disease even more abnormalities in the white matter has occurred.  And age-related changes in the white matter have been associated with micro vascular disease.

Developmental and critical periods can be applied to the aging brain and provides a clearer understanding of this health issue. This and subsequent trauma to the brain can explain cognitive, emotional and behavioral impairment.   For example, such things as drug, nicotine and alcohol use, poor nutrition, psychological stress etc.  significantly affect and harm prenatal brain development. And these factors affect neurons and neurotransmitters with the unfortunate impairment with potential consequences. If damage to the prefrontal cortex, often referred to as the executive function of the brain, occurs, then memory, higher cognition, abstract thought, comprehension of language, social behavior and decision-making making is put at risk. So perhaps future, inappropriate behaviors, poor judgments and choices have already been compromised and put in motion during brain maturation. And if that is so, we can expect crises and impaired brain development and function to take place during the many critical periods necessary during and post brain maturation. To make matters worse, poor decisions, trauma, accidents and lifestyle choices during one’s life cycle just exasperate the issue further and consequently make things worse. Remember, we can’t get a brain tune up or replace defected parts. As a consequence, learning, acquiring information, vocabulary, memory, intelligence, emotions etc. is compromised and impairs the ability to make proper decisions   regarding self.

So maybe it is not surprising that  poor lifestyle choices( from birth to 60) that include  alcohol, drugs, smoking ,what and how we eat , inability to manage stress, difficulty with sleep  to name a few results in  being vulnerable in acquiring such health issues as depression diabetes, heart disease, hypertension  etc.  Remember, in normal aging, blood flow, in the brain, is reduced by 15 to 20%. Also, the remaining or healthy neurons require mental stimulation. You heard the expression “use it or lose it” fits here. Not only that, it is apparent that physical activity is necessary as well. So at this point, we understand why dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is on the increase as well.

 There is no simple approach for optimum brain development. Protect the brain or suffer the consequences. Source: Institute for Natural Resources.

This past week a touch of bronchitis   interfered with my trail running. In other words, I didn’t do much moving.

Motivation and Food

"When a man is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself."– Sir Alexander Paterson

As far as eating less goes, Jack La Lane who died at the age of 96, supposedly said “if man made it, don’t eat  it; and if it tastes good, spit it out.” Jack just might have a clever way of remembering what to do about eating. One quick way of assessing if you weigh too much is to measure your waist from above both hip bones and around your belly button. If you’re a man and your waist measurement is greater than 40 inches you’re in trouble. If you’re female and your waist size is greater than 35 that’s not good for you either. Did you know that roughly half of the men in our country have a waist measurement greater than 40? And, 70% of women ages 50 to 79 have waist measurements greater than 35. Not too surprising that we have this tremendous health issue and climbing health care costs in our country.

Two other points about food and eating. You might want to look up the DASH diet if you’re having difficulty with these numbers. This diet is very similar to the Mediterranean diet which we know works. Also, we know that individuals need 500 mg of sodium to stay alive and if you’re ingesting more than 2300 mg a day that is too much unless you’re exercising in hot weather. By the way 2300 mg of sodium a day is equal to 1 tablespoon of salt

According to Bottom-line, February 1, 2013, reported that one study found that about 82% of heart attacks and other coronary events were not linked to high cholesterol. According to the study, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, a lack of exercise and poor diets were the culprits .Further, the ratio of small to large LDL molecules seems to be more important than the total cholesterol -200 mg/dL. The article went on to say that saturated fat in red meat, butter and eggs do not increase your risk for heart disease or stroke. However, the risk for heart attack was higher for patients who replaced their saturated fat with refined carbohydrates. Healthy carbohydrates are whole grains, legumes and vegetables. Stay away from the refined carbohydrates in white bread, white rice and desserts. Sugar is bad because it increases arterial inflammation, insulin levels and blood pressure. It also elevates triglycerides one of the main heart disease risk factors.

According to the Wall Street Journal February 7, 2013, reported good news. With an analysis of 21 fast food restaurant chains between 2006 and 2011, the following was reported: people are placing fewer orders of French fries and sugary drinks. In fact those restaurants that increased lower calorie servings experienced an average of 5.5 increases in same-store sales, as compared to 5.5% decrease among restaurants selling fewer lower calorie servings. So, be smart, check out the calorie counts and menus featuring smaller portions and continue to make good choices.

Remember, keep moving and run for your life.

Exercise, Health and the Super Bowl

Part 3   continued:

Choices are the hinges of destiny."– Pythagoras

 These 12 lifestyle patterns appeared in studying the generation of 100 –year-olds: 1.Don’t smoke or stop 2.Drink less alcohol 3.Keep weight steady 4.Eat fewer calories 5.Eat fruits and vegetables 6. Take your vitamins 7.Exercise regularly 8.Sleep well 9 Challenge your mind 10. Stay positive in attitude 11. Don’t let stress get you 12. Stay friendly and social. Remember, about 70% of our health can be attributed to   your  lifestyle choices Further, the   unfortunate, deadly  health consequences  for men include the following::heart attack, cancer ,accidents, stroke   copd and diabetes . For women heart disease, cancer, stroke, copd, diabetes and Alzheimer’s are leading causes of death in the U.S.

Which of these lifestyle changes are the most difficult to follow and why is that? If you can assess the answer, then you have an opportunity to change and are more .likely to live longer than the current mortality rate in the U.S.  I recently thought about living longer and the number of people that I would more than likely out live.  I, unfortunately, know a number of individuals and friends that might not be around.  For me, making friends with younger people is not a bad idea. Both my mother and Alpha’s and Penny’s told us that being around younger people was a good thing. At times, more so than not, older folks seem to talk about their poor health, aches, pains, medications, what they can’t do, not feeling well or illness. Believe me, if you’ve experienced that or been around old or ill people, in your life, that’s a negative because it’s an energy drain. My father was a juvenile diabetic so I know.  Remember number 10 “stay positive in attitude.

For me, number one is not smoking is easy since I haven’t smoked since young adulthood and at the time I did not do much of that either. Number two drink less alcohol is easy for me also. For the last 5 to 10 years, I have been drinking less and less alcohol. And even when I was drinking alcohol   I only drank it sporadically. Currently, I may take a sip of beer or wine from Linda’s glass and that only happens once in a very great while. I can’t remember the last time I had a bottle of beer or a full glass of wine.

I’ve talked with Alpha about longevity and told him that expect to be running with him when we get old. Last year, he started saying no to drinking a beer after our trail runs. In fact I can’t remember exactly when he actually stopped having a beer after our trail runs. More recently, he’s even given up drinking a Coke which he initially substituted for the beer. On top of that, I’ve seen him eating a nutritious health bar, fruit or drinking coconut water. Lately, I kid him about getting healthier and of course offer him some sweet thing like a cookie after our running.

Good luck Alpha on your 21 mile trail run Saturday. Unfortunately, I’m resting. Remember, keep moving and run for your life.

Exercise, Health and the Super Bowl

"Your life becomes the thing you have decided it shall be."– Raymond Charles Barker

 Did you know the lifespan for the ancient Egyptian was 43.5 years? The lifespan in the United States in the 1900s was 47.3 years and the lifespan in 2007 was 77.9 years. There’s another statistic about the amount of money spent on health and in the US we spend more than any other country or culture. However there are 50 cultures that outlive us.

The “rule of six” is a formula to determine roughly maximum lifespan. For instance, in most mammals if you multiply the time it takes for the animal to reach neurological maturity, and then multiply that number by six.  It takes, in humans, about 20 (the brain size then begins to shrink) years for the brain to reach neurological maturity. So multiply 20x6 to get the approximate maximum human life span of 120 years. The oldest recorded lifespan for a woman was Jeanne Calment, She was French, and died in 1997 at the age of 122. The oldest recorded lifespan for men was 115.Also; more women become centenarians by an 8 to 1 margin compared to men. However, if a man becomes a centenarian he is more likely to be healthier and have fewer issues with dementia compared to women

.About 50% of 100-year-olds still live independently   although many of them have multiple medical conditions they are still mentally and emotionally healthy. Growing old and functioning relatively well is partially a genetic causation however mostly due to common lifestyle characteristics. Remember the statistic; about 70% of what happens to you in your body is a result of your decisions, your attitude, and your behavior or lifestyle characteristics.

PART3 continued

Exercise,Health and the Super Bowl

"Be happy. It's one way of being wise."– Colette

 I have some thoughts and ideas about exercise and food intake. I just read some statistics regarding the ingestion of food during the Super Bowl. I didn’t write them down but the numbers were huge as far as snacks etc. it is no wonder why many corporations want to advertise during this event. And further, they know that some people care more about the special and unique advertisements than they do about the actual game. Are you one of them that would rather watch the commercials rather than the game itself?

I recently heard these statistics regarding exercise and health in a continuing education class I took last Friday. The instructor stated that 30 minutes of brisk daily exercise benefits health. 60 minutes of brisk daily exercise is necessary to prevent weight gain while 90 minutes of brisk physical activity will keep the lost weight off. Once again, that doesn’t seem like an inordinately amount of time to spend on oneself.  Notice, brisk daily exercise can be walking at roughly a 4 mph pace. For those of you concerned about distance, check out this website: map my run.com to assist in miles covered. Remember, one doesn’t have to run to accomplish brisk exercise. I get it and I realize that running is difficult and that there are a number of other substitutes that can be used instead. In any event, the activity that you take must number one1. Have a perceived benefit.  2. The activity should be fun, safe, cheap or inexpensive and fit into your busy schedule 3. Walking can be used. Check out this website for assistance: shape up.org.  Don’t forget to include flexibility or muscular strength training as well.

Part 2 to be continued

Saturday, I ran the Jed Smith 50 km race( I medaled).  I have been running this race for the past decade and use it for training for my next ultra which Is Way Too Cool.  Per the good news, I was a little under trained as far as distance is concerned but my time was faster this year than last. Also, my Achilles didn’t bother me. I was fortunate enough to have my friends Alpha, Madhu and Chris run with me. Of the six loops Alpha ran 4, Madhu ran 3 and Chris ran 2. However on the last loop, I was accompanied by everyone.

I ran the first three loops well but then started to tire. Chris was especially helpful in the last loop reminding me to keep my head up to assist in relaxing my neck and shoulders. He also reminded me to keep my arms moving. There was one man who passed me on the last half of the last loop. I mistakenly thought he was in my age group but later learned at the finish that he was in Alpha’s age group. After the event, we stopped for treats at Starbucks and Baskin-Robbins for our awards. It is so neat to have good friends who enjoy similar activities. I am lucky.

On Sunday, Linda and I hosted the Super Bowl. We had a potluck celebration with many friends. Too bad the 49’ers lost. I’m tired from Saturday’s run. Today, I’m off to a continuing education class.

Short Bursts of Exercise--U.S. Guidelines

"There ain't nothing from the outside can lick any of us."– Margaret Mitchell

Guess what I found in the January 8, 2013 edition of the Wall Street Journal? Get a load of this title: “Exercise in Short Bursts Is Effective.” A study in a sports and exercise journal  had  the following: U.S. guidelines :  It recommend  that Americans get 150 minutes(2 1/2 hours) of physical activity a week, with the activity accumulated in bouts of at least 10 minutes.

Boston researchers tracked the physical activity of 2,109 men and women enrolled in a larger long-running study of cardiovascular risk factors from the years 2008 to 2010. These individuals were 47 years of age on average-more than half were overweight and were tracked for eight days. On average, these individuals engaged in a half an hour of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise a day of which involved short bursts of activity totaling around 10 minutes. Moderate exercise was defined as walking briskly, heavy cleaning, badminton and golf while vigorous exercise included hiking, jogging, farming, shoveling and competitive sports such as tennis and soccer.

10% of men and 15% of the women met the US guidelines of at least 150 minutes of exercise in bouts of 10 minutes or more. When all the physical activity was both greater or less than 10 minutes in length was considered 56% of men and 47% of the women were compliant with the research guidelines.

.Compared with non compliant subjects all those that met  the US weekly exercise guidelines regardless of how  the150 minutes were accrued had lower triglycerides,  waist circumference  loss, lower  BMI’s  and  improved cholesterol scores. Exercising, the researchers found, had a stronger impact on the cardiovascular risk factors in women compared with men.

So once again it pays to exercise especially if you are female. Let’s do a little math. If you divide 150  minutes  by 7 days you get approximately  21 minutes per day; if you divide 150 minutes by six days you get  25 minutes per day; if you divide 150 minutes by five days you get  30 minutes per day.

Do you know of anyone who would have difficulty complying with the” moderate or vigorous definitions” used in current US guidelines for 150 minutes a week? If you know of somebody that would have this difficulty, I would like to hear about it and about their circumstances. Remember, exercise can be as little as 10 minutes per episode. I’m sure that most of us have the time to exercise. More than likely it’s not about” time “; it’s likely about will, desire, motivation and fortitude. If you can’t find the time to exercise now, I’m sure you shall find the time when you are ill and uncomfortable.

For those of you that are on the couch, I suggest you consider starting with a 10 minute walk per day. In seven days you will have totaled 70 minutes and well on your way to meeting this guideline. I’m sure you know someone that can benefit from exercise so don’t forget to let them know.

Tomorrow, Alpha, Chris, and Madhu are joining me for the Jed Smith 50 K. run in Sacramento. Super Bowl Sunday, Linda and I are hosting it. Keep moving and run for your life. Your health depends on it.

Atrial Fibrillation and Running

"Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own instead of someone else's."– Billy Wilder

According to an editorial in the British Journal Heart, the author suggested that running can take a toll on the heart that essentially eliminates the benefits of exercise. Some of the information stated that running too far, too fast for too many years may speed one’s progress towards the finish line of life. In a study of 52,600 people followed for three decades, runners had a 19% lower death rate than non runners. But among the running group that ran a lot-(more than 20-25 miles a week) ,this group of individuals lost the mortality advantage.  Further, in another study, the authors found that for those runners who ran faster than 8 mph did no better than those who ran slower as far as mortality was concerned.

Some of the problems or potential causes, of these runners, mentioned included:  extreme runners had cardiac abnormalities like coronary artery calcification, and/or increases in arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation. Apparently chronic extreme exercise appeared to cause excessive wear and tear on the heart. Notice, I used the word apparently.

There are critics of this new research’s methodology. They pointed out and criticized the statistics and the population size studied. They stated that associations (correlations) do not measure cause and effect (there could be other variables not studied) and that the number of these high mileage and speed athletes may be too few for statistical significance.

For those extreme runners that are concerned, I suggest that you go to the December issue of the journal in question and look up the original research. This article was found in the November 28, 2012 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

I was once on medication for atrial fibrillation for a few years. This medication  regulated my pulse rate while running. In 2008 I was planning on competing in the Swanton Pacific 100 mile ride and tie with Gypsy and partner Jonathan Jordan. Prior to that event, was the world championship ride and tie (Jonathan and Gypsy were my partners for that as well). I talked to my cardiologist about discontinuing the medication. I didn’t want to be on that medication when doing the 100 miler. So, Dr. Fischer had me do some trail running, come to a complete stop, and then evaluate my pulse to clock the amount of time it took to fall back into the 90s. I did that procedure numerous times, passed that test and discontinued the medication. Since 2008 I’ve not experienced any cardiac issues. I am not running 8 mph but I do total about 50 miles per week of running. At this point, I’m not planning to shorten my running distance. However, one change that I did make is that I’m now using an elliptical machine at least one day a week. I incorporated that machine to reduce trail pounding. Hopefully, that cross training will result in a benefit.

Today I plan to use the elliptical; tomorrow I have a continuing education class and Saturday have entered the Jed Smith 50 K. running race. My running friends Alpha and Chris Turney are joining me. Later this evening, Matt and Farah are going to be calling about their availability too.

My advice to you is keep moving and run for your life.

Stretching: Part 2

"I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes."– Sara Teasdale

The Niners beat Atlanta and the Ravens beat the Patriots (you do the math). Perhaps, stretching was one component of their success. Several 49er players claimed they do a lot of old-school stretches-heavy, heavy squats with chains, a lot of flexibility and a lot warming up. One sports physiologist claimed that stretching was considered a much lower priority in the NFL compared to diets, weight training or warming up. One example of the 49er philosophy is that before lifting a single weight, a 49er must get on a cardio machine for 10 minutes for a muscle warming up tactic. On the field the team has simple but crucial periods of basic stretching before and after practice. Again in the locker room, hard-core stretching begins such as deep squats with as many 45 pound plates as possible. The player has to squat low enough to lightly touch the seat of the chair and raise again as many times as possible (some stretch). This stretch builds muscle and also increases flexibility and range of motion and assists the player by increasing agility and speed.

 There many testimonials by the players that includes:  Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Chris Culliver,  LaMichael James, Clark  Haggans  and Donte Whitmer to name a few. Even Tony Martin, creator of the P90X workout videos said that “stretching requires patience holding the same pose for five breaths, and men are impatient, they like to keep moving.” He added “women enjoy stretching, generally speaking…..” “But in any work out the payoff comes when you do the stuff you don’t enjoy and aren’t good at. “

In an earlier post, I gave examples of various stretches. See post:  December 5, 2012.  Further, I stretch religiously for my Achilles before my trail runs and after them (sometimes during as well). All in all I stretch my Achilles about three times a day. If my lower back is sore, I also stretch that during the day. I’m going to consider stretching more often. A good reference to consider for stretching is Bob Anderson’s book “Stretching.” I consider it the Bible of stretching.

In any event, keep moving, keep a running and do with friends if you can.

Stretching

"The moment of enlightenment is when a person's dreams of possibilities become images of probabilities."– Vic Braden

How many of you exercise and fitness participants have experienced an injury at one time or another? My guess is that if of you been doing this long enough, you know injury. Injury can be a friend if you learn from it. If you don’t learn from it then it can be your nemesis. In years passed you probably heard the expression “run through it.” Today’s thinking is that you do not run through your pain. Pain or discomfort is your signal to stop, back off or even rest.  Resting is difficult for me to accomplish (for many of us), I employ ice, ibuprofen, hydrotherapy and foods like ginger and pineapple to reduce my inflammation. For those of you that watch professional basketball, it is not unusual to see a player or two stretching out on the floor or applying an ice pack to one’s body. Some people like to use heat as therapy for their injury .Geno, a massage therapy teacher and instructor, told me a few years ago to just watch what the pros do. Since listening to him and his advice, ice has become my friend.

A suggestion to assist in reducing injury  was  found in the Wall Street Journal on January 16, 2013 and can be considered. In this article, the technique of stretching was used and even suggested that this procedure has given the players of the San Francisco 49ers their edge over other teams. Of course, there are other factors as well. However, the article emphasized that the 49er players believed in stretching. Coach Jim Harbaugh has made it clear that stretching isn’t for sissies. Research showed that stretching can dramatically reduce the risk of injury. And since Harbaugh took over as coach two years ago, his players have missed 159 games due to injury-and this is defined as one player missing one game... According to the statistics, over the past two years, the Atlanta Falcons have missed 29% more games, the Baltimore Ravens 94% more games, and the New England Patriots 176% higher( more games) than the 49ers.

To be continued:

Friends

"The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative, the second is disastrous."– Margot Fonteyn

In, “It Has Nothing To Do With Age” I gave seven prescriptions for creating a better lifestyle by adjusting one’s attitude and behavior. I stated in prescription # 3 “enrich your life by making friends, sharing interests, learning about others by becoming part of a new group.” The importance of this prescription cannot be overstated.

For me, discovering the sport of ride and tie allowed me to become part of a new group. The people in this group were both runners and equestrians. This common interest facilitated many new friendships for me. In fact, I credited moving from the Bay Area to the foothills to a few of these people in the sport even though I was first introduced to the foothills by a horse event called NATRC (competitive trail riding).  Then again, through ride and tie I was introduced to the foothills area by people who lived there. In fact my first introductions to ride and tie were partner’s Alpha and Jeff. So of course, I’m going to blame Alpha for my relocating to the Cool area.

Being in this area since 1999, I met a number of people/ friends involved in either or both equestrian and running activities. Now I’m in my seventh decade of life and am fortunate to have friends, in the 3^rd, 4th, 5th and 6^th decade who also share my passion. My life has certainly been enriched. Further, I’m fortunate to be around people younger than me. I remembered my mother saying that she liked being around young people and I now know and fully understand what she meant by that.

Erik H.  Erikson theorized from a psychosocial framework regarding the development of man that included mastery of crises, that confront us all, at various developmental stages. In his stage # 5 “identity versus role confusion” he addressed the importance and ability of making quality friendships. I agree.

Recently, in the January 19-20, 2013 edition of the Wall Street Journal, a study regarding happiness was found. In this particular study, a survey of 5,025 Canadians were chosen from a pool of Internet users. The researchers focused on “subjective well-being” and they found that the biggest gains in “happiness” resulted from:  1. Increasing the number of real world friends from fewer than 10 to 10 to 20. 2. Real-life friends were a lot more important to people who were single, divorced, separated, or widowed compared with   married or cohabiting couples.

 If you are happy then you have a good chance of being healthy as well. So take my advice-prescription n # 3 and begin your journey to happiness and well-being.

On Monday’s trail run, Chris and I ran the 5 mile loop. Alpha was given a choice in a challenge. He could choose to run the 6 mile loop and see if he could catch us or not. Of course we were waiting for him at the end of the trail. One of the first things he wanted to know was how long were we waiting. The second thing he wanted to know was how hard or fast that I ran. I told him that I wasn’t pushing at all.  For Tuesday‘s run, the three of us ran together. Of course we were still laughing about Monday.

Take my advice, keep moving and run for your life with friends.

Who Is The Real Lance Armstrong ? Part 2

"I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character."– Theodore Roosevelt

On the positive side, we know that Lance was a  fierce - win at all costs competitor, goal oriented, compulsive about his training, highly focused, disciplined , aggressive and perhaps the greatest bike rider ever.  We also know that he overcame testicular cancer, was a tremendous ambassador for the sport, inspirational, was a terrific role model, had top-notch sponsors and raised mega amounts of money for charities. He was the spokesman.

Now we know a more complete the picture of Lance. He is a liar, is ruthless- cut throat  toward his former friends or anyone else that got in his way, is  cold and calculating, neither  thinking about nor concerned with  the total picture  or  carrying about the consequences of sadistically and ruthlessly  hurting so many including friends. He employs denial, rationalization, compensation as some of his defense mechanisms .He has superego deficits and difficulty feeling emotions like guilt. Now as more emerges about him he seems to have many negative , common  neurotic and human frailties. However, like so many other notables (sports figures, politicians) he also shares in the same character   traits- lying. One can also add cheating to his list of behaviors.

 I’m afraid that his Tour de France legacy has been tarnished and likely forever. I don’t think a PR campaign of a book, a documentary or the television interviews are going to fully overcome the public’s loss of trust in him. We know that not everyone dopes in sports. However, in our sports, money, and in the culture of success complex it’s not uncommon to cheat and doping behavior has been going on for quite a while.

The public is likely partially responsible for its idol worship-looking for heroes to fawn over culture. And then the corporations, like vultures, jump in  and over indulge with all their promotional carrots.  It is obvious that sports, entertainment, movies and TV are big business in our economy. Even one of our TV programs “American Idol” is symptomatic and a good example of instant fame, money of our hero worshiping culture. And certainly don’t forget that his “team “facilitated and implemented a very sophisticated program of (cheating) doping .

Likely, for the rest of Lance’s life he is going to have to deal with the “shame “that he brought on himself. Will he ever resolve this psychological issue?  Have we seen the real Lance?   He is young and probably will be able to reconstitute an authentic self. Hopefully he’ll learn to be true to himself, to develop real friendships, give back to society and become more human. There is more to his story.  I hope he is able to change.

Likely, Lance will do better than Joe Paterno the former football coach at Penn State. In his scandal, Joe’s statue was toppled; he was disgraced and was shamed. Joe obviously didn’t cope very well with the distress in his ordeal and died shortly after the scandal broke in the news.

Be prepared for documentaries, books and interviews in an attempt to restore the public Lance .Let’s see just how successful that turns out for him. Maybe his lifetime ban, in sports, will be lifted and he’ll be able to compete in triathlons. As he runs a 2:45 to 3 hour marathon coupled with his biking ability he should do very well.

The moral of the story- man is imperfect so be careful of your gods and idols.  As you know, the Old Testament addressed this issue a long time ago.

On Saturday, Matt, Alpha and I completed the 23 mile Way Too Cool training run. We were joined by Farah, Diane, Randall and Chris as well. I was pleased that my Achilles held up and I was able to get in my ground time. The weather was very cold at the beginning; the trail had spots of ice but otherwise was in good condition. Alpha complained of tightness in his shoulders due to the cold. Matt and Farah just returned from India and felt the jet lag effects.

Yesterday, Lon, Cheryl, Randall, Diane, Madhu, Farah, Chris, Michelle, Sharon, Tony Linda and I are heading over to Alpha and Debbie’s for a potluck and watch the 49ers( in 3 D) in that order.

Today, we are running on the trail since moving and running are good.

Who Is The Real Lance Armstrong ?

just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is, why did other people stop?"– William Stafford

Lance Armstrong what have you done? You were once a hero to all. Now things have changed. I remember years ago my sister Beverly talked about reading one of your books. She told me how terrific you were and how your story was so inspirational. She encouraged reading it because she enjoyed it so much- but I didn’t. I’ll have to talk to her now about her opinion of Lance. It is clear that most of us admired him and some even put him on a high pedestal. People wrote about him, companies sponsored him; he was interviewed by sports writers etc. Even his divorce and relationship with Sheryl Crow made the news. In fact, Lance was the news.

The California Amjen bike tour likely happened largely in part because of Lance’s sterling reputation. Riding a bike became more popular and still is. It is pretty common to see all the Lance look-alikes riding their bikes on our public roads with their state of the art two wheelers and fancy professional like clothing. You could pick up a triathlete magazine and likely see either Lance’s picture or an article about him in it.

Penny

Bike riding is a terrific cardio activity and loved by many. In fact Alpha’s sister Penny participates in century and double century competitions. She is a personal trainer as well. Occasionally, I encounter a biker on the Western States Trail. That disturbs me because the trail is used by hikers and equestrians as well. Bicyclists are not allowed because of the danger to horse and rider. The bicyclists that I’ve encountered, on this trail, unfortunately ignore the rule which is upsetting to say the least. However, I want to make it clear that when I met bike riders on common trials, such as the Omstead trail, they have been friendly and courteous.

Back to Lance and his recent confession. For years I have wondered if he was doping, ingesting HGH or performance enhancing drugs etc. to account, in part, for his tremendous success in the Tour de France. I knew that he trained hard, had the right physiology, and top human resources to aid in his success. But I was suspicious and even asked Trent, a retired professional bike competitor, if he thought Lance was doping. Trent pretty much evaded my question. It didn’t help that Lances response to doping was always the same and something like “I never tested positive.” He simply stated a lie of omission over and over. Now we know pretty much why he always tested negative as he had assistance.

More to follow about Lance.

Saturday, is a 23 mile training run for the Way Too Cool 50 km in March.  Alpha and I will look for you on the trail. In the meantime, keep moving and running.

Treating Achilles and the Unconscious

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."– Ursula K. Le Guin

In 1996, at age 44 Secretariat entered a 30 km trail run  called  Run on the Sly . During that run, Secretariat was running with a group of runners one of which was   Mo. They were running together until they reached   this steep Hill. Secretariat continued running while Mo’s group stopped to walk it. At that point she called out to Secretariat and called him “Stud Muffin.” Incidentally, Stud Muffin went on to win that race. Currently, he told me that he can’t find that trophy because it’s somewhere in his house. If anyone knows about the whereabouts of the trophy please let us know.

This past Saturday, Secretariat and I ran about a 14 mile trail run in preparation for our 23 miler this coming Saturday. What was different about last Saturday was that my Achilles remained in my unconscious for the most part. I ran the hills and did not worry about “saving” myself during the run. So that   trail run was significantly more enjoyable.

 For the past 2 ½ years or so I was unconsciously caring around a burden or anchor that weighed me down. It is now clear how much of an anchor it has been. The weight now seems to be off my shoulders during my runs. It just goes to show you how issues that are in your unconscious can affect you in a negative way.  I continue to stretch, employ hydrotherapy and ice to my Achilles but it does not seem to be as big a deal as it was. This trail run next Saturday will be interesting as I will know quickly about my anchor.

On the left Tony (AKA Secretariat, Alpha , Stud Muffin and Sadist). Call me want you want beat me if you can!!! Frank's on the right.

 On another note I’m going to change Secretariat’s name to Alpha. Alpha was his father’s name. Tony is like his dad during competition. He hates to lose regardless of the physical sports activity. As a consequence, he is tough and does very well. However, he has this sadistic quality of teasing and making fun of his friends. During our run he told me that I was “soft” so I called him Alpha and we both laughed. Later that evening at our NFL football pot luck party, I told the story to Debbie and she agreed that Alpha is a good description. Randall and Diane joined Lon and Cheryl, Chris and Michelle and Linda and I at the party. After the food and the 49er game, we did some cross training by dancing the cha-cha. Sunday, Alpha and Debbie are hosting the 49er and Atlanta Falcon game.

This week, the plan is for Alpha and I to do   short trail runs in preparation for Saturday’s 23 miler. Incidentally, Tony a.k.a., Secretariat a.k.a., Alpha a.k.a.,   Stud Muffin are names that fit this athlete very well.

Take my advice, keep moving and run for your life as its good for you.

Treating Achilles and the Unconscious

 "Pain is a part of being alive, and we need to learn that. Pain does not last forever, nor is it necessarily unbeatable, and we need to be taught that."– Harold Kushner

Roughly 2 ½ years ago, I sustained an Achilles injury. At that point I consulted Jim my physical therapist. For the first 2 to 3 weeks or so, I bicycled in the pool and went to physical therapy. I then started on a treadmill, running on the flat and avoiding the hills. The therapist recommended that ideally I should just rest the Achilles but I couldn’t totally do that. After 6 weeks or so, I discontinued physical therapy even though the issue wasn’t totally resolved. I thought I would “protect” my Achilles by reducing my trail running mileage. In fact I discontinued running 50 mile event’s since I had too much discomfort during and after the events. I was even taking ibuprofen on a regular basis. So my running changed to what I would call a guarded approach. I rationalized thinking that by not running 50 mile events and taking it easy running up the hills, I would somehow not make matters worse.

It was obvious that I was spending a lot of time thinking about my Achilles during training runs and other running events. Taking ibuprofen, stretching, applying ice and using heel lifts became the norm. It became clear that my Achilles wasn’t getting better but I was still competing.

About three or four months ago, I began physical therapy again and continued treatment until the end of the year. My Achilles became less sensitive to the touch and the inflammation seemed to be reduced. During the last month or so, I began thinking less about my Achilles during training runs. In fact, at the Resolution Run on New Year’s Day I didn’t think much about my discomfort at all. Although occasionally I think about my Achilles, the amount of time (consciously thinking) has been significantly reduced. Incidentally, my time for this year’s 10 mile run was one minute and 10 seconds slower. However, the race distance was increased by first running the circumference of the parking lot which suggests that I actually ran faster this year. On a side note, one outstanding female runner named Mo complained and her running time was approximately 2 minutes slower this year.

To be continued:

Using Your Brain

"None will improve your lot if you yourself do not."– Bertolt Brecht

It seems clear that exercise affects both the structure and function of the brain per research studies. In fact, studies (animal and human) have shown that a few months of moderate exercise can create new neurons, lift mood and affect memory and thinking.

What do you think would happen to your brain if you stopped exercising? Do you think that this stoppage would affect your brain? Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario asked this very question.

The Brazilian researchers placed rats in separate groups. One group of healthy adult rats was allowed to run on running wheels for a week. These rats and a control group were injected with the substance that marks newborn neurons in the hippo campus-the memory center of the brain. The scientists were then able to track how many new cells were created compared to the control group (without a running wheel).

After a week, both groups of rats completed a memory test. Then again another group of animals completed the same memory test either three or six weeks later. The findings were as follows: 1. After week of inactivity, the running rats have better memory scores and at least twice as many newborn neurons in the hippo campus. 2. After three or six weeks of not running there were insignificant changes as far as newborn neurons and memory scores .3.in conclusion, exercise induced benefits were transient / they didn’t last.

In the McMaster University study, rats were placed in either an enriched environment (running wheel, toys) compared to a control group. in this experiment, serotonin which is a neuro transmitter involved in anxiety were measured. After several months of exercise, these animals became noticeably less anxious and more resilient to stress during the testing. However, these benefits dissipated rapidly when these rats were removed from the running wheel and toy environment.

In another experiment, researchers compared one group (exposed to 10 weeks of running) followed by three weeks of inactivity versus a non- running group. Once again, brain – exercise benefits seem to evaporate with non- use which is very similar to what happens to muscle or heart rate.

In other words, if you’re a rat you better keep moving since it’s good for you and your brain. This article was sent to me by Dr. Wayne Fisk and is found in the January 9, 2013 New York Times.  Wayne and I attended Denby High School and graduate school at Wayne State University together. Thanks’ Wayne for sending me this timely article.

Girls putting up with football playoffs

Last week, we had a NFL football playoff potluck and will do the same this Saturday at Lon and Cheryl’s. However, the plan for that morning is to do a trail run.

My advice to you is to” keep “moving or running as it’s good for you.

Are We too Similar to the Chimpanzees?

"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind."– Henry James

Guess what, we humans are not the only ones, on this planet, that act aggressively toward our own. We are not alone in that respect. In fact, Lions, chimpanzees, spotted hyenas and wolves also have no difficulty killing their own.  So, aggression is common to us all.

 Jane Goodall, in her Tanzania research, made these observations in her study of the chimpanzee. Likely, there are some similarities that will get your attention. In fact, you might think that these observations pertain to the human race and not the chimpanzee: 1. Their killings are mostly carried out by males. 2. Their killers tend to be part of small gangs attacking the more vulnerable .3. They often, when encountering a stranger who is vulnerable, attack them. 4. The bigger or larger groups seem to dominate the smaller ones 5. They seem to attack others to acquire more or extra territory. Source: Wall Street Journal January 5-6, 2013.

It is difficult to argue that humans do not have the potential to be violent animals. Just    put an automatic assault weapon in our hands and look out.  It seems to me that some or additional gun regulations might be a step in the right direction as far as reducing human death. I agree that gun regulations, by itself, are not the sole answer to this problem. Thank goodness that human qualities and institutions have the potential to quell the violence among the governed. Hopefully, this Congress will do the right thing as far as the assault weapon is concerned .if that happens, would it not suggest that we humans have evolved?

As far as health is concerned, Olympic medal winners live an average of 2.8 years longer than the general population according to a study that researched the games going back to 1896. In fact those sports with high cardiovascular intensity such as cycling lived longer than those in sports with low cardiovascular intensity such as curling.  Also an 11% higher risk of death was found among those who competed in contact sports such as boxing or rugby.

If it’s too late to be an Olympic medal winner, not all is lost. Do you have the potential to engage in physical activity? If you do, then by all means pick your activity carefully and begin.

Remember, to run for your life because it’s good for you. I’m sure if you asked Secretariat he would agree.

Goals,Implementing Intentions and Success

"Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence."– Lin Yutang

 Additional thoughts about   proper goal setting and expectancy for success. First and foremost it is very clear that goal importance is primary. That means one has to properly assess and evaluate the importance of the goal as it relates to self. How one goes about this assessment proves to be difficult. How can one really assess its importance? Just by saying the goal is important does not make it important nor by thinking that I hope to achieve will it make it happen.

Some questions that one can ask himself are as follows: 1. How does this goal relate to my core essence? 2. Will completion make any difference, to self, in either the short or the long term? 3. And if so, what is that difference? 4. Will my life change in any way (i.e. feelings about myself) and if so how? 5. Will I be able to assess a noticeable or significant difference in my life? 6. Would the completion of the goal be important to anyone else? 7. Am I trying to please anyone or affect anyone else by the completion of my goal?  8. Can I put in the necessary time necessary for successful completion?  9.   Do I have the necessary persistence in my makeup for a goal completion? 10. Do I have the proper information, tools, equipment and time in my life for successful completion? 10. What are the sub goals necessary for completion? 11. How much of the variables are under my control? 12. How will an unsuccessful goal attempt  affect me (positive or negative feelings) and /or others? 13.  What are the rewards and / or incentives for goal completion  14.If I’ve been unsuccessful in the past what were the contributing factors and/or barriers that led to my failure ?These questions can be addressed by  the individual  by writing down the pros and the cons to each question. Hopefully, the motivational intention (the degree) can then be assessed. If you are still unclear, that suggests a problem exists.

Part 1

PS

Chris and I hit the trail yesterday and plan to do it again today. Incidentally, Chris is a 2:26 marathoner; and by the way I won the gold at the Resolution Run.  Also, Chris and Michelle are hosting Sunday’s NFL‘s football game. See you there or on the trail.

 Remember to keep moving.

Goals,Implementing Intentions and Success

Part 2

"Believe that you can do it, under any circumstances. Because if you believe you can, then you really will. That belief just keeps you searching for the answers, then pretty soon you get it."– Wally "Famous" Amos

Another idea  for goal success is related to expectancy .Expectancy is associated with  one’s aspiration level. And, aspiration level  is  connected  to  one’s history of success or positive or negative reinforcement  with  the task at hand. For example, let’s say a walker  wants to compete in his first 10K trail run (6.2 miles); but has only walked down the trail six times for about 30 minutes each time.  This would suggest that this individual has limited conditioning. As a result, it would likely be difficult for this person to run the entire way. So, a more reasonable approach would be to  set  a goal of walking the entire 10K.

 If there was an absence of running history, at this point, it would be foolish to expect to run 6.2  miles on the trail. It would be much better and smarter to start with a  success  experience. A more realistic training would be to do a walk- run for 30 minutes (keeping track of walking time) on the trail, evaluate, and go from there. one can always increase the amount of running as well as the running speed by keeping a journal of the experience. No one really knows how quickly the individual would be able to go from walking 30 minutes at a time to running for 30 minutes of time. What is important is to begin. Remember, it is not what you hope to do; it is what you expect to do.

Remember to set realistic or achievable goals. Having a positive expectancy helps. Put goals and expectations to work for your success. If you do, I guarantee   success.

Chris Turney (the one with horse)

Today, Chris, Secretariat and I had a great time running  at Cronan Ranch. We did 14.5 to 15.5 miles we were tired but overall felt great.  Remember to keep moving

New Year's Resolution Run at the Overlook

"The great man is he who does not lose his childlike heart."– Mencius

From left to right Tony (AKA Secretariat) Debbie, Frank, Randall and Diane

Yesterday at the Overlook, Randall, Diane, Secretariat, Debbie, and I were getting ready for our resolution run. The Secretariat had been whining for the last week or so about this race and other things. He remarked that last year, during this race, he couldn’t catch Herb. We talked about how Herb appears to run slow but in reality he doesn’t. Guess what? During our conversation, Herb ran by.  I mentioned to Secretariat “now you have a goal which is to beat him.”

That was all Secretariat needed. He now had his clearly defined goal that was measurable (to beat Herb). The goal was realistic based on history and Secretariat was highly motivated. The goal was perfect for Secretariat.

 Secretariat was smiling after the race as he came in front of Herb. In fact all of us were smiling after the race since we all ran well especially Debbie who completed the 10K. It was her first race in quite some time. After leaving the race site, we all showered at my daughter Sidne’s. From there we were joined at Chevy’s by Chris, Michele, Linda and Sidne for an enjoyable dinner celebration. This Sunday we plan on doing a long trail run and then meeting at Chris and Michele’s that evening to watch the NFL playoffs.

The rest of this post is related and continued from Monday’s.

If you haven’t been successful with your weight loss then you may have to be clearer about the amount of calories or the portions you’re consuming. You may have to re-evaluate the foods that you are eating and/or the foods to be eliminated. Further, your cardio or exercise program (sets, weight, repetitions, time rested) might also have to be adjusted. Perhaps three sets are not enough or 12 to 16 repetitions needs to be raised.  What about cardio as that’s a very important factor.

Also important, is how you think about your success or your failure. One way to think about not meeting the goal is simply “this is my best educated guess; the fact that I didn’t lose 4 to 6 pounds is not terrible in the short or long run; just think of all the new information I am going to learn; and if I lost 1 pound I consider that a step in the correct direction.”

Notice having positive thinking is very important because we want to remove the negative thoughts that are replayed in our head. Having a clearly defined important goal that can be objectively measured, able and realistic to be attained is most critical. My guess is that if you follow these steps your intention will be met. If you run into trouble, contact me for additional input.  Incidentally, I don’t do or have New Year’s resolutions. I prefer to set up goals during the year. One example of that is that each training run or competitive entry is thought of as training for the next event. In other words, there is always an upcoming or future event. If I decide to do a training run or enter a competitive event, then I always do it. This helps to meet my realistic goals on a yearly basis.

Remember to keep moving and run for your life because it’s good for you.