Thursday, August 25, 2005

Hey Coach!

I recently had the opportunity to visit with my high school track coach after not seeing him for almost 30 years. It was a great deal of fun. We reminisced about old times, caught up on each other, and talked a bit about running and coaching. He has more coaching experience than most, having been at it for over 30 years.
One of the more interesting things I found out was that one of the members of the girls team when I was in school (and that goes back to the very early post-Title IX period) became a great runner in college and is today a collegiate coach.
It was interesting to see his attitude, much more laid back that most of the younger coaches. In the world of coaching, that's a mixed blessing, because while it often means a more enjoyable experience for the athletes (less pressure, etc.) and less encroachment on academics. It also often means less athletic success, less opportunity for scholarships, and arguably, a willingness to accept mediocrity.
I wonder if his attitude is one of the reasons I'm still finding joy in running today? I'm not sure if it made a difference, I suspect not, as I see a fair number of higher level runners still at it, along with a lot of hackers like me.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Hot Summer!

The weatherman said this morning that we've had 17 days of 90+ degree weather so far this season versus only two all of last year. My last few races hadn't gone very well, and I think the reason is two-fold: the hot weather has caused me to reduce intensity of my training; and I lack the guts/drive to race really hard in the heat. I think there's also a third factor, but it's unrelated to heat and I'll discuss it separately.

To be able to race hard, you must train hard, but if heat causes you to take it easier, especially on a regular basis, you don't gain fitness. It matters little if you're a fitness exerciser, but it makes a big difference when your desire is to race. For those of you who are out there for fitness, it's probably actually better to take it easy. Your risk of heat related issues, like heat stroke, dehydration, etc. are much less when you go even just a little easier.

When you are out in the heat, be sure you can sweat by drinking lots of fluids, wearing lightweight, loose fitting clothing, when possible, keeping out of the sun. (Simply dodging the sun's rays can have a big effect on how comfortable you are - move to the shady side of the path or street when you can do it safely.) Also, protect yourself from sunlight by wearing a hat, especially near midday and covering up your body with light colored, and light weight clothing. Note that many technical fabrics are porous enough that you can get a sunburn through them, so be cautious with them, also white fabic, especially when wet with sweat does a bad job of blocking the sun, so colors, but light ones are better choices. It may look goofy, but if your activity doesn't make it impossible, carrying an umbrella is also helpful.

Keep cool!

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Dana Reeve has Lung Cancer

I found out about this from someone telling me that it was "all over the news." I hadn't heard a word about it. As you may guess, I'm not big on watching the "soft" part of the news. The news of this broke right after Peter Jennings died of lung cancer, so probably got more play than it otherwise would.

Reeve is an unusual case, having never smoked, but cancer isn't always predictable or controllable. Generally, lung cancer risk is attributed to smoke exposure (either one's own, or second-hand), radon gas, and genetics. Aside from saying, "Don't Smoke (and avoid second-hand smoke when you can)" and "get your home tested for radon (if you're in an area where it occurs)," there isn't much you can do to control your risk.

Some authorities, like Dr. Kenneth Cooper, believe that anti-oxidants can help to reduce cancer risk. I haven't yet signed on as a believer, but have learned not to dispute Cooper because he's usually been proven right.

I also wonder whether living in NJ (as do I), because of automotive and other pollution, increased her risk. I wish her the best in her battle with this insidious cancer.

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Personal Records All Around

Last night, my family competed in a local race series. My son ran the 1500 meters, and in trying to chase down another kid, set a big PR, running a 7:34 - almost a minute faster than his previous best. The other kid held him off at the line, but I'm sure having each other there helped them both.
My wife ran the 5K "featured" race and ran a 28:44?, her best time this season. She doesn't run a lot. As a personal trainer, she's in great shape. We debate about her aerobic capacity - I claim that if she did more long duration exercise, her aerobic capacity would go up and her times would come down. She's happy doing things as she does, and not going too hard when she races. The choices are hers to make.
I racewalked the 5K. I should say that my club is a competitive racewalking club, so we take it seriously. I broke 32 minutes for the first time this season (and was trying hard to maintain good form). I found myself beside an older (70ish) acquaintance who was running. We each pulled the other, neither wanting to give in, and so we both PR'ed (OK - I guess technically SR'ed - season records). In the end, because of the need to maintain form, his top end could beat mine but we both finished around 31:15.
It was raining lightly for much of the evening and that helped to cool it down a bit and make better performances easier.

Monday, August 08, 2005

Good Judgement

I've run and biked a lot over the years. This has meant getting my fair share of close calls with vehicles and occasional falls. I've been fortunate to not have had any serious incidents, and for this I am grateful.
I spent this past Saturday going to a race out of my area. While there, I met an acquaintance (from the web) for the first time. He was reminiscing with an old running friend about a mutual friend who'd been hit by a car and killed. Unfortunately, this is not a terribly unusual story. While I wasn't close to anyone killed by a car, I know many cyclists and runners who have lost close friends to these kinds of incidents.
When I bike I wear a helmet. It certainly doesn't make you invincible, but it goes a long way to improving the odds of surviving a serious crash. I've seen some of the helmets of people who've cracked them in two, and you know a lot of energy was absorbed by that helmet as it broke, and that energy was spread around the skull, and the skull was not fractured. It also prevented the brain inside the skull from being pulled or twisted as severely, thus reducing the likelihood of a serious brain injury. The standard comment when you see this is, "Imagine if your skull had been hit directly." Those of us who have been through this conversation know what the consequences would have been.
A few months back, I was in a Starbucks, and made a bit of conversation with another customer. The upshot was that he'd just returned from visiting his father in a hospital out of state. His father was doing some work on or near the roof, and his ladder tipped. He'd suffered a serious brain injury and it was unclear how fully he'd recover. At the time, he was still hallucinating some of the time and, as a result, had to be restrained for both his safety and that of others.
I'm a big proponent of helmet use on bikes (and motorcycles). I think we should all make reasonable choices to limit risks we take, but none of us can (or should) lead a risk free life. It's both impossible, but it can also prevent us from truly living. So, try to manage risk - as the cyclists say, "It's not, 'if I fall', it's 'when I fall'." You can't avoid all the accidents, but you can limit the damage when they happen.
Whatever you do, be safe!

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Are Physicals Worthwhile?

We have a new debate - are physicals worthwhile? According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), they aren't. Many doctors say they are. I also think they are. They have a different feel from a "sick visit," and are one of the times that most patients are comfortable asking a doctor questions of a general nature. National Public Radio's story on this is located here, and includes a link to the audio story:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4781138