Hi folks, welcome! I was a biologist at heart from an early age, owning a pretty nice microscope at the age of twelve. I found this wonderful device by chance (was it chance?), hidden in the back of a 'junk shop' in Bristol, covered in dust and badly neglected. A few years later, I discovered an old Villiers motor cycle engine in a similar way and it took me on equally exciting adventures. This little ... Read more
Running Man, Predator-Prey Relationships, And Learning From The Great Runners
Hi folks, I was looking out of the kitchen window early this morning, and there, just a few feet away, was a female white tailed deer with two fawns still covered in spots. Pity I didn't have my camera ready! They looked just like the picture on the left. Whilst admiring these beautiful animals, my mind drifted to thoughts of how well they run, the fact that they look beautiful to me right now, ... Read more
A Masters Degree In Science! In Defense Of My Colleagues In PHARMA.
"But is it true that they [The Pharmaceutical Industry, PHARMA] bribe/encourage doctors to prescribe certain medicines?" Well, yes! They do! But that doesn't mean my friends are bad! I like what Shane has to say. I don't like the way he says it. I worked in PHARMA (GSK then Sanofi) for 12 years. They both treated me well. I think I was hired to piss people off. I did that! I have friends in PHARMA. Great ... Read more
How To Exercise Safely? A List To Consider, Especially For Older People!
Hi folks, Having studied one sport after another and injured much of my body through foolishness, with additional injuries that I attribute to 'bad luck,' it appears to me that there is an optimal way to train or exercise, irrespective of your age, skill, or athletic goals. I actually scratched out a diagram of my thoughts, ... Read more
Solving The Money Flux Equation, And What If Tim Ferris Is Right?
Hi folks, A while ago I wrote a post about good pain versus bad pain. Well, there is good crazy and bad crazy, too. Tim Ferris is definitely good crazy. As I approach the end of another year of training, and my income is about to drop dramatically (on September 24th, in fact), I am considering self-coaching for my next season. Generally this is a bad idea, and I may live to regret it, but the experience ... Read more
Don’t Let Your Mind Psych You Out During A Race
Hi folks, Exercise has a significant mental component, which is considerable for endurance training. As my Ironman (IM) race appointments approach, my mind starts to go over mistakes and lessons of the past. It is easy to forget those lessons and repeat the mistakes. During one race several years ago it was clear that my mind lost confidence. I was riding the last 20 miles of the bike course, ... Read more
The Evolution Of This Blog, Unlike Biological Evolution, Is Goal-Oriented
Hi folks, This morning I was completing a two hour run on the road, having ridden my bike for about 120 miles in the last 36 hours, with most of this training undertaken at >90°F and high humidity. The usual pre-taper stuff one does for Ironman training. My mind was wandering, maybe because of the relentless heat. I started to think about where my blog is going. Is it evolving, I wondered? I tried to ... Read more
Luck, Chance, Or Sensitivity To Initial Conditions?
Hi folks, An important aspect of endurance races is the fact that you really cannot predict what will happen out there. You can weight the dice in your favor by training, amassing good equipment, and developing the best mental attitude. The problem is that things happen. A hard hit to a critical muscle by one of those crazy people in the swim, equipment failure on the bike, or muscle cramps on the run? ... Read more
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