Enjoying Sex,Jed Smith,Way too Cool and Tappering

"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions."
– Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

On January 25^th, Tony, Chris and I ran the first part of a Way too Cool training run at the Olmsted in Cool. The distance was roughly 8 miles, and we covered that distance quickly. I am pleased about how I am running and I know Tony is pleased about his running as well.

  On January 26, we started celebrating Randall’s 59^th birthday with a trail run. The plan was to run from Cronin ranch to the Salmon Falls Bridge about 8 1/2 miles. Randall, Madhu, Farah, Chris, Tony and I started our run there. Since Tony and I are tapering for our 50 K ( Jed Smith  for me) (Orcas Island 50K for Tony), we didn’t push, to the limit, during that run. Diane met us at the Salmon Falls Bridge after the run.  Madhu, who is not tapering, ran back to the Cronin ranch. His brother asked him to join him in a 100 K Quicksilver run in May. Madhu, said he hasn’t committed as of yet.

This evening, we are having a birthday dinner celebration and will be joined by additional friends.

On another note, an article in the October 22, 2013 edition of the Wall Street Journal identified some reasons for having sex. The University of Toronto researchers identified the following: 1. Self-Focused Approach (to pursue a positive outcome for yourself, such as personal pleasure, or to feel closer to your partner) 2. Self-Focused Avoidance (to evade a negative outcome for yourself, for example, wanting to not feel guilty about saying “no” to sex) 3. Partner-Focused Approach (to achieve a positive outcome with your partner, like greater closeness or to make the partner feel good) 4. Partner-Focused Avoidance (to avoid conflict with your partner and prevent him or her from feeling angry or disappointed)

108 heterosexual dating couples completed a survey, and the results were as follows. On  days when a  person’s motivation to have sex is more positively oriented, he or she felt more satisfied-both in  the relationship and sexually-and had a higher level of desire. Conversely, on days when someone was motivated to have sex by more negative goals, he or she felt less satisfied and less desire.

Further, a person’s sexual motivation affected his or her partner’s gratification. When someone had sex for positive reasons, the partner felt more desire and relationship satisfaction. When someone had sex or negative reasons, the partner felt less satisfied in the relationship and less sexually satisfied.

Consider, checking out with your partner, motivation for having sex employing the 4 typical motivations listed above. And, in doing so, evaluate how that relates to the findings of the sex survey also listed above. Hopefully, you are on track for more and better sex. If so, you’re likely to be happier.

In addition, keep moving, laughing, smiling, deep breathing, bonding, loving and employing appreciation.

It Has Nothing To Do With Age Or Gender with guest Jack Sholl

It Has Nothing To Do With Age or Gender with guest Mo Bartley

Seattle Seahawks ,University of Michigan and Chris Turney

“ Character is simply habit long enough continued.”-Plutarch

On January 16, Tony and I interviewed our friend and running partner Chris Turney on “It Has Nothing to Do with Age or Gender.” Chris told us about how his running started at an early age. His running continued In college, and certainly after his college years. His running comrades , at the time, were world-class runners like Dennis Rinde, Jim Howard and others. In the early 1980s, things changed for Chris. At that time, he was introduced to a sport called ride and tie. In fact, he was crewing for his friend Jim Howard’ s team.

Chris was excited and wanted to participate in the sport. However, at the time he did not know how to ride  a horse. Luckily, he had assistance along the way from Dave Poston, Jeff Windenhausen , Pat Browning and others . Chris credits his  ride and tie experience as contributing, to his running improvement. This 2:26 marathoner also ran 50 miles of trail in 5:51. Chris also has two sub 24-hour Western states 100 completions. For more, see our interview : http://youtu.be/51PV9tsKECA

 

This past Sunday, Tony, Linda, Nails and I ran the Olmsted loop. Tony then ran back to his home; Linda put Nails in the horse trailer to take him home ; and  I  ran the trails home. I made it back to my home in time to catch the Broncos beating the Patriots. Then, Linda and I went to Lon and  Cheryl’s(along with Chris, Michelle and Rich ) and watched  the 49ers lose to the Seahawks.

So instead of getting to watch Tom Brady New England Patriots’  (former University of Michigan quarterback )compete against Jim Harbaughs' San Francisco 49ers ( former University of Michigan quarterback) in this year’s Super Bowl, I am  disappointed to say, that I’ll watch two other teams compete.

My current project is a book that comprises  mental toughness, bonding and a college football rivalry between the 1969  Michigan Wolverines coached by Bo Schembechler against Woody Hayes, Ohio State Buckeyes. In my book, you’ll learn about Mike Keller an NFL player who  helped build the Seattle Seahawks expansion team. You will  also learn about ex-Seattle Seahawk coach Chuck Knox, who brought  Reggie McKenzie(Buffalo Bills, all Pro) with him to play in Seattle. With Reggie, this expansion team made it to the postseason  for the first time game.

Those former University of Michigan All-Americans are part of the Seattle Seahawk history. In fact, Reggie informed  me that he is rooting for the Seahawks and I am rooting for the Seahawks in this year’s Super Bowl too.

In the meantime, keep moving, laughing, smiling, deep breathing, bonding, and loving and expressing gratitude as I recommend it.

It Has Nothing Top Do With Age OR Gender

Running Without Pain

"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

Last Thursday, on It Has Nothing to Do with Age or Gender, our TV guest was  none other than ultra runner Madhu Avasarala. Madhu, born in Bangalore, India migrated to this country in the early 1980s to complete a Masters degree in engineering at Howard University. At the time, he was running to stay in shape, and only ran 10 km road races. It was only when he completed his Masters and took a position  in the Bay Area, that he was introduced to ultra trail runs.

Upon returning to India for visiting his family, Madhu  created the first ultra run in Bangalore, India. This well read, lover of music is also a vegan. Being a vegan was part of his growing up in India, and he’s continued it since. Madhu , at an early age, was introduced to Americana through the movies. And once he arrived in the Washington DC area, he acclimated himself very well. To learn more about him and his lifestyle visit   http://youtu.be/wVPNMKeK3is  .

Sunday, Tony and I in preparation for our 50 km trail runs. Ran from my home to the quarry  trail, crossing Highway 49 twice, ran along the river, up  American River Canyon and returned back to my home. Tony was ahead of me and added additional trail totaling about 25 miles. I likely ran about 23 ± trail miles. About halfway, I met Linda, changed some of my clothes and got additional supplies. I told her  at that point that I was feeling great.

After my run, I was surprised about my energy level. I know that I’m running faster based on clock time than I have in a number of years. In thinking about my running efficiency, I believe some of the variables  that have contributed to my change include: I haven’t experienced Achilles issues; I’m now running the hills and not worrying about my Achilles; my expectations(positive feedback) have changed in a positive direction; and I’m increasing my weekly mileage to more than  50 miles per week.

If I really wanted to run a lot faster, I would do track work. For me, there too many trail hazards , so, I run in a more controlled manner. I am looking forward to my 50 km Jed Smith run and expect to run that faster than last year. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, keep moving, smiling, laughing, deep breathing, bonding, and pay attention to gratitude.

It has Nothing To Do With Age Or Gender with guest Madhu Avasarala

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment

Ruin and recovery  are found within.” -Epictetus

 

In the  December 24, 2013 edition of the Wall Street Journal,  there was an article about dealing with alcohol and drug addiction. As we all know, heavy use of alcohol and drugs affects the pleasure or reward centers of the brain which can lead to drive dependence. In the Journal of Internal Medicine, drug testing at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that other centers of the brain are chemically affected as well. It seems that anxiety and tension are also associated with heavy drug and alcohol abuse. Simply put, feelings of anxiety and tension produced by drug and alcohol abuse can only be eased by more consumption. So we not only have dependency issues, we also have anxiety and tension to compound the problem.

So it’s not surprising that many of the drug and alcohol treatment’s ; for example medication’s have  been unsuccessful. Currently,  the pharmaceuticals are coming up with new medications to affect these neurotransmitters. So this might mean better living through chemistry.

Of course with any medication treatment, it is recommended that counseling or therapy be added as well. I would suggest adding movement or exercise to anyone who has a drug and/or alcohol dependency problem. Yes, prescription medication has great benefits along with psychotherapy. But it  seems to me, the body and not just the mind should be treated likewise. My approach is that a sound mind can lead to a sound body and a  sound body can lead to a sound mind. And I talk the talk and walk the walk.

Yesterday, Tony, Carrie , Porter(the dog) and I ran down  Brown’s Bar and up Maine Bar  for about a 10 mile or so trail run. Whatever you do, do not forget to keep moving, smiling, laughing, deep breathing, bonding, and having gratitude in order to live happier and longer.

The Evolving Brain

"A person who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
– Albert Einstein

 

We all know that exercise is important for well-being. And , exercise and movement are necessary and   especially important in order for our brain to continue to evolve. It is clear that  neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine   and brain  opiates are influenced by exercise and physical activity. With that being so, without exercise, we increase the likelihood of a mood disorder, and/or  cognitive decline. So in order to reduce anxiety, reduce depression, elevate mood, improve memory and enhance your life, keep moving. Moving could consist of cardiovascular training and/or resistance training. And if you add proper nutrition to this formula, you’ll be able to do the unbelievable. In other words, you will surprise yourself.

On New Year’s Day, I ran my fourth consecutive 10 mile trail(Resolution) run in Auburn. And on the previous Sunday, I ran close to 20 miles on the trail and then I rested  Monday and Tuesday. For  the past 10 years or so, I started tapering 10 days prior to an event decreasing mileage on consecutive days. This time I deviated from my past routine. I didn’t know how the new training might affect my run on New Year’s Day. I am happy to say that I ran faster during this race than prior. You have to remember that I’m in the 70-99 age group.

Also, I am pleased to report that Tony also ran faster on race day.

I’m grateful that I have a good training partner to run with-that being Tony. Often overlooked as far as workouts, training , and exercise go, are  the psychological and social benefits of having an accomplice. With a training or running partner, it elevates competition, camaraderie, friendship and having things in common. And so what happens during training runs are movement, laughing, smiling, deep breathing, bonding, and even gratitude which all contribute to well-being. The secret is easy, it’s about the doing and that’s what happens between your ears.

It Has Nothing To Do With Age Or Gender with guest Jonathan Jordan

Gratitude Is Missing

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

 Yesterday, Tony, Chris ,Madhu and I ran the trail. We met at the fire station and ran the Olmsted and  the Coffer Dam loop. But first, Tony ran from home and joined us at the fire station in Cool. Chris told them to go off ahead and that he would run with me. So Chris and I ran that loop also. During our run, I told Chris that I would run back to his house where my van was parked. I must’ve totaled somewhere between 17 ½ to   19 miles or so.

On the first, or New Year’s Day, Tony and I are running(10 mile) The Resolution Run in Auburn. I’m going to rest on Monday and Tuesday to determine if Sunday’s run was smart. For the past  three years, my finishing time on the January 1 , run has been steady and consistent. I’ll let you know if I can keep steady and consistent with my running time in 2014.

An article in the December 24, 2013 Wall Street Journal got my attention. The article had to do with rearing children with a gratitude attitude. In my experience, I find that gratitude seems to be missing in today’s world. One researcher equated gratitude with  a muscle. Philip Watkins, a psychology professor believes that by taking time to recognize good fortune, feelings of appreciation can increase. There have been a number of studies with  having parents model gratitude behavior. Further, psychologist Robert Emmons believes that you can’t give your kid something that you yourselves do not have. So they suggest, teach gratitude by modeling.

A  study with 1, 035 high school students found that those students that showed high levels of gratitude for such things as thankfulness for the beauty of nature and strong appreciation of other people reported having stronger GPAs, less depression and envy and had a more positive outlook than less grateful teens. The study also showed that those students who strongly connected buying and owning things with success and happiness reported having lower GPAs,  depression, and more negative outlook.

 Unfortunately, another study that followed  355,000 high school seniors from 1976- 2007 found that the desire for lots of money has increased markedly since the mid-1970s, while willingness to work hard to earn it has decreased.

Of course, this statistic is not at all surprising, but is a sad state of affairs for young people and others in our country. In the old days, when I grew up, one way to earn money was to attend college in order to put yourself in a better position to open  more doors  for a career choice. Obviously, something negative has happened, in my opinion , with parental baby boomer child-rearing. What do you think about the changing attitude of gratitude?

Anyways, keep moving, smiling, laughing, bonding, deep breathing,  loving and teach gratitude in the process.

Is Menicus Surgery Necessary ?

"Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought."
– Henri-Louis Bergson

Did you ever have a surgery that you  didn’t need? If so, let me know. In the US about 700,000 people undergo knee surgery each year to treat tears in the meniscus. The meniscus acts as a shock absorber between the upper and lower portions of the knee joints. Doctors say that a tear/or lose pieces of cartilage interfere with the motion of the joints causing pain and stiffness. However, a study, by researchers in Finland found interesting results ( Wall Street Journal, December 26, 2013).

These researchers studied two sets of(146 total) patients. These 146 patients were between 35 and 65 years of age and suffered from meniscus tears, that appeared gradually over time. One group, received the meniscus surgery, while the other group(placebo ) were told that they would  received the surgery, or not. In other words, these patients underwent arthroscopic, but the doctor did not remove cartilage(fake knee surgery).  Findings within the first 12 months suggested that the surgery group reported a decrease in pain after exercise in some of the quality of life measures. However, after one year, the differences disappeared between the two groups.

More often, placebo research is used with drug(sugar pill)  studies , and  less often with surgical procedures. The use of a placebo in  this research helped evaluate the effectiveness of the surgery. One  excuse  for not employing more placebo surgeries is the possibility that making  an incision in the skin can cause infection or bleeding.

In the US, meniscus surgery can cost anywhere between $3-$6000 and therefore accounts for about $4 billion in annual medical  costs in our health care system . The article also pointed out that previous studies demonstrate  that physical therapy was just as effective as surgery for patients with both the meniscus tear and osteoarthritis. Make sure your doctor reads the New England Journal of Medicine to keep updated. Going to another orthopedic surgeon might not result in a good second opinion.

Do you think that these 146 Europeans were  more hardy and have a higher pain threshold, than we or do you think they are just more suggestible? In any event, do many of you believe that surgery is over recommended in our health care system?

On a personal note, my wife, Linda was scheduled for a knee replacement  about 2 to 3 years ago. However, Linda went to physical therapy to build up the muscles in  and around her knee. After physical therapy treatment, she did vigorous hiking and took fresh ginger to reduce inflammation.  By building up her leg muscles, and reducing inflammation, miraculously her knee issue was abated. She is not in physical therapy at present, nor has she had that surgery.

Keep moving, laughing, smiling, deep breathing, bonding, and loving to enjoy your life.

Birthdays, Health and Friendships

"Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought."
– Henri-Louis Bergson

Sunday, we had our annual birthday run at the Olmsted in Cool. Madhu, Farah, Susan, Barbara, Chris, Melissa, Robert, Kathie, Tony and I ran the trail, while another group, i.e., Tom, Laura, Scott, Chuck, Janie and Bill walked the trail. Unfortunately, Tom and Chuck were not able to run because of injury. This particular  birthday run started in the 90s and  still continues .

After the run, we had a potluck hosted by Linda and I.  Jeff, wife and daughter joined us among others at our home. I continue to blame Tony and Jeff for my involvement in endurance riding, ultra running and ride and tie. I could go on, but I’ll stop at this point. I had entered a  limited distance endurance ride held at  Mount Hamilton in San Jose. Also going on, at the time, was a ride and tie put on by Dan Barger. I happened to be camped next to Tony and Jeff who were competing  in the ride and tie. Those two friendly types introduced me to the sport In 1997. So, with this sport I became involved and met a  number of athletes who have become friends.

To learn more about Dan Barger, Melissa Ribley, Tom Christofk and Chuck Mather  find them on a previous blog, as they have been our guests on  our TV show “It Has Nothing to Do with Age or Gender.”  Incidentally, Chuck was one of my pacers when I  ran the Western States 100.

A few weeks ago, Dave Carder was a TV Guest. As a teenager, Dave from Plano, Texas was a teammate of Lance Armstrong’s. As  teenagers , 4 of  them rode in  a 500 mile relay bicycle road race held in Texas. Texas A&M, corporate world Dave is now on another journey. I think you’ll find his story and other stories by Lance Armstrong interesting:  http://youtu.be/W-DU0522hnE.

It Has Nothing To Do With Age or Gender with Guest Dave Cander

Treatment for Pre-Diabetics

"Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power."
– Alfred Tennyson

Last Saturday,  I ran a marathon in Fremont, California. That was my first marathon in a number of years. However, the first marathon that I ran was in Maui in year 2000. On Sunday, Tony ran a 50 K in Washington state. His last 50 K was in 1997. I told him that my marathon running time was faster in 2000. He told me  that his 50 K running time was  faster in 1997. We both joked and laughed  about our running. It just goes to show that it’s possible to reach a peak  , plateau, and then decline. Trust me, as at some point,  running does not get easier. I know  this from personal  experience. But, so what.  

From Tony: Frank left a little out here. Frank and I have a habit of stopping for ice cream after a race in fact we now know all the places. After his Marathon he did stop at Ghirardelli for Ice Cream. I also did not miss out. 

Post Race Ice Cream in Oak Harbor with Jennifer and Georgia

Our next scheduled trail race is for 10 miles to be held on January 1, 2014. Tony registered for a 50 K in Washington state In early February , and I plan to register for the Jed Smith a 50 K in early February. Also, in March, we both plan to run  the Way Too Cool 50 K.

Next Sunday, a group of us will do a birthday trail run in  Cool which will be followed by a brunch afterwards. This birthday run has been an annual event, starting in the late 1990s.

According to this  article,  in  Time , December 24, 2012, there is  about 25.8 million diabetics, and an estimated 7 million remain undiagnosed. There are 79 million people in the US who have pre-diabetes, a precursor condition which  puts them at the highest risk of developing the disease. About a decade ago, pre-diabetics who changed their diet and exercise regularly lowered their risk of disease by 58%. However, these people in the study , had intensive one-on-one sessions, in a lab setting.

In a more recent  study, pre diabetics took part in group sessions to learn about healthy diet and exercise habits. They also educated themselves by watching various strategies using a DVD, as well as emailing and online counseling. This group was compared to another  group that used basically, medication to control blood sugar and doctor weigh ins. Pre- diabetics taking part in group sessions lost considerably more weight than the medication group. Of course, a low-fat, low-calorie diet was also  part of the protocol.

Even if you’re not a pre- diabetic, exercise, and/  or  running can be good for you. One way to get started, If you have not already, is to check out a local workout facility , or a local running store. There are plenty of knowledgeable people that can assist. You don’t have to necessarily run the distances that  Tony and I do for your benefits. Yes, I realize that we are extreme and age has nothing to do with it.

In any  event, keep moving, laughing, smiling, deep breathing, bonding, and loving as it’s good for you.

Using Your Brain

"If we wait for the moment when everything is ready, we shall never begin."
– Ivan Turgenev

 

Some people may assume that experimenting with drugs and/or alcohol are related to poor impulse control. Certainly, saying no, thank you for trying a drug or drinking a beer is related to successful personal self control. On the other hand, drinking a beer, or taking a  drug seems to suggest failure to inhibit that behavior. Researchers, in a study involving 1,896, 14-year-olds found that the brain networks appear to be different in self-control problems related to substance abuse teens, compared  to those brains associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). Although both groups have difficulty with impulsiveness( a similar behavior),  there’s likely different brain regions contributing to that behavior.

The findings were published In Nature Neuroscience and are as follows: using a research protocol called the “stop-signal task,” the researchers identified  different neural networks. Even though both groups exhibited impulse control difficulties, the differences were as follows. 1. Those teenagers with a history of alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drug use had diminished activity in the brain region called the orbital frontal cortex. 2. These  researchers found an entirely separate set of impulse control networks in the brain connected with the symptoms of ADHD.  3. The researchers concluded that ADHD and substance abuse teens, although  both groups exhibit similar impulse control behavior, are linked to different neural activity in their brains.

At this point we don’t know why these teens are wired differently. However, likely at some point, much of our story, will likely be associated with all that neuron activity in the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, cerebral cortex another brain structures. Understanding the differences or  causes of behavior are important. But, the main task  or the ability to control the self-defeating behavior still remains. First, acknowledge there is a problem, and second, dos something about it. This article was found in the May 1, 2012 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

A cold front appeared along with rain and snow. Being in the foothills, there is still snow in and around my neighborhood. Because of the icy weather conditions, I changed my work out plan. Originally, a group of us were going to run the trails at the Cronin ranch on Sunday. Fortunately, I have an elliptical machine in my home. So for my work out, I did a short hike and spent some time on the elliptical totaling over 13 ½ miles. I must admit that it seemed easy. Until the snow melts, I’m likely to hike the trail and get on my elliptical , while watching a movie.

In the meantime, I recommend that everyone keep moving, laughing, smiling, deep breathing, bonding, and loving.

Birthday #74

 

 

 

"You will not find poetry anywhere unless you bring some of it with you."
– Joseph Joubert

 

I am pleased to report that for the past few months  I have  relatively pain-free during my conditioning trail runs compared to the last two years. Previously, I was being treated for issues with my Achilles.  Even though I still have some swelling in my Achilles, It doesn’t seem to bother me. As a result, I increased my trail running distance from around 50 miles per week to over 60-70 miles per week. So far so good.

My next scheduled competitive trail run is on New Year’s Day. The distance for that run is 10 miles. I plan to register for the 50 K Jed Smith run in February and the 50 K Way Too Cool In March. So within the next 3 to 4 months, I will have a pretty good idea of my running condition.

I have been blessed with my trail running experience. My  wife Linda accompanies me by riding her Arabian Nails. Also, I run with Tony about three times per week, and at times, we are joined by Chris. Another running friend Madhu has recently returned from India as well. Randall is starting to run again and I hope he joins us too. It certainly, in my experience, is more enjoyable to run and be  with others doing what you love.

On the other hand, I enjoy at times, the solitude of running by myself. It is during this alone  time that I get to think about issues connected to my interviews and my chapters for my upcoming book on “mental toughness, bonding, Bo-Woody, and the University of Michigan versus Ohio State University.” Just recently, I was writing  my conclusion to my interview with Reggie McKenzie. I was incorporating Carl Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious to explain in part Reggie’s drive for superiority , playing both college and professional football. While running, I was  able, to think more  clearly and  put together various ideas in a more coherent fashion. I’m grateful for having the ability to run with it’s many  benefits.

I just graduated to my 75^th year and expect to run for many more years. I will keep you  posted. In the meantime, keep moving, laughing, smiling, bonding, deep breathing and loving.

Ten Feet Tall, Still

"Facing it — always facing it — that's the way to get through. Face it!"
– Joseph Conrad

 

Tony and I had the pleasure of interviewing  the incomparable  Julie Suhr on last week’s TV show “It Has Nothing To Do With Age Or Gender.” Julie, a remarkable lady, has completed 22 Tevis Cup 100 mile endurance rides. She revealed some interesting aspects of her personality that pertain to her mental and physical toughness.

Julie began riding at about nine years of age on her families property. Neither parent, especially her mother was too thrilled about her wanting to ride horses. Despite potential getting in trouble , and parental displeasure, young Julie exhibited a rebellious streak and secretly rode anyway. It’s not clear whether or not, Julie’s mother knew what her young daughter  was doing behind her back. In any event, Julie made up her mind that she was going to ride no  matter what.

After getting married and rearing her children, Julie at the age of 40, experienced a midlife crisis and rode in her first endurance ride-the Tevis Cup. Although she did not complete that ride, that did not discourage her one bit. In fact, it only wet her appetite and she was introduced to  a brand new  sport of endurance riding. The sport also changed her world and her  life  view . The sport gave her a new purpose  and meaning. She also connected, at a different level with her daughter Barbara, and assimilated Barbara  into her mother’s  world. Further, this new activity, resulted in developing lifelong and solid relationships that she continues to cherish . The sport simply enhanced her psychological development and worldview.

To gain  a glimpse into her passion was revealed when she said something to the effect that  “ when completing a Tevis Cup ride, I don’t  want it to end.” Even after 30,000 miles, at age 89, Julie’s desire and emotion remains strong. In fact, when a doctor told her to discontinue riding, she found a different doctor that viewed and understood her world. Her drive and integrity remain unprecedented.

After the show, Julie emailed me some additional comments that I’m including “ I enjoyed it Frank. I could do a better job  another time, but one thing I wish I had gotten across about "Never Quit" is
that if common sense does not sometimes prevail, and you make a basket case of yourself, it can impact so many others
unfairly both financially and emotionally.  The demands of care giving by my children or grandchildren because I was foolish would
be unforgivable.  We have to think judiciously.”

Thank you Julie. She remembers to keep moving, laughing, smiling, bonding, deep breathing and loving.

It Has Nothing To Do With Age or Gender with guest Julie Suhr

Julie Suhr,Tevis Cup,Video Games Benefits

“One day in retrospect the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful."
– Sigmund Freud

 

On November  21, this coming Thursday, Tony and I are delighted to announce that Julie  Suhr  plans on  being  our guest on “It Has Nothing to Do with Age or Gender.” Julie is a Tevis Cup legend. This icon has a 2000 mile buckle and at this point , has more  Tevis completions than anyone except her daughter Barbara White. Not only that, Julie has  ridden more than 27,000  endurance trail miles, which is more than once around the world. To find out more about her , I suggest that you watch our show and/or read her book “ Ten Feet Tall, Still.”

 

For those  of you that are concerned about developing some form of dementia in your senior years, an article found in the September 5, 2013 edition of the Wall Street Journal might interest you. A study from the University of California, San Francisco Neuroscience  Imaging Center, suggested that the older brain is somewhat plastic(brain’s ability to mold itself with apparent interconnectivity of cognitive control functions). These researchers, in their study, found that older adults improved on multitasking and sustained attention by playing a specially designed video game. Not only that, they found the effects to be long-lasting.

 

In the study, participants, age 60- 85 years practiced the game for 12 hours during a month. In this video game , the participant navigated a race car along a winding track also hitting a button on a controller whenever a green circle appeared. Guess what? These older adults were able to perform better on this game and at a higher level than untrained 20-year-olds ,improved memory and the positive effects lasted for at least six months.

 

Generally, humans are increasingly affected by distractions and have more trouble switching between tasks during the aging process. The study suggests perhaps the decline of cognitive control isn’t fixed and that the brain can improve with the right stimuli. The video game used in the study is called The NeuroRacer. A start up company is working on developing a new version of the video game in question. Currently, they need approval from the Food and Drug Administration. They hope that this type of therapy can be designed and targeted to rewire the brain, assist in treating brain disorders and  used in lieu of medication .

Time will tell about the merit of specially designed video games. This of course would be an improvement over some of the  violent video games , that are associated with developing and/or expressing aggression as well as negatively affecting emotions. I am supportive of this type of positive research and keeping our government open, so the FDA can do it’s  job.

Yesterday, Tony, Chris and I ran the Coffer Dam-Olmsted loop while Linda rode nails. Tony’s getting ready for his 50 K run. He is  doing fine.

For all, keep moving, laughing, smiling, deep breathing, bonding, and loving.