Make Sure Your Perception Fits Reality Especially When Running Trails

  Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! We look at the world, but we don't always see what is actually there. This is because, for efficiency's sake, the brain fills in a great deal of information to make things fit. If it collected and processed all the visual data you'd get nowhere. For instance, when you see a house, your mind creates a 3D image in your mind of the house as a box, even though you can ... Read more

Lance Armstrong And Roman Versus Napoleonic Law

"She trusts people who are trustworthy. She also trusts people who aren't trustworthy. This is true trust." Tao te Ching, Lao-tzu, translation by Steven Mitchell "In America, a person is presumed innocent until proved guilty. Unless, that is, he plays college sports." [or competes in triathlons, it would appear] Joe Nocera, The New York Times Hi folks, Ayn Rand sure got it right, for all her ... Read more

If Your Health Status Has Changed Don’t Live In The Past, Embrace Today While You Can

  Hi folks, As life goes by we encounter changes in our health status. You can resist for a while, but you'll eventually be forced to accept this reality. Better to learn to live well with your issue sooner rather than later, I say. For instance, if you have a heart attack, followed by coronary arterial angioplasty, you are now different. If you are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type II, you are a ... Read more

You Don’t Have To Walk Like An Old Person However Old You Are

  Hi folks, I was just reviewing an interesting book handed to me by my Feldenkrais instructor, Karen. The book is about rolling on a ball, and more specifically, 'The Ultimate Body Rolling Workout.' I think Karen gave me the book because of my recent interest in the use of rollers to fix tight muscles and, in my case, cure my plantar fasciitis. This book contains elements of Feldenkrais ... Read more

Retirees Could Put Americans Back To Work By Creating One Local Job At A Time? FitOldDog Is Trying Anyway!

  "All we have to fear is fear itself" Franklin D. Roosevelt Hi folks, I had two fortunate experiences in August, 2010, an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which came close to finishing me off (thus this blog), and termination from my lucrative job as a research scientist. The aneurysm was fixed with a rigid stent graft (Thank you UNC Hospital), and losing my job was softened by a generous severance package ... Read more

Colder Older Ironman Training

  Hi folks, The other day I had arranged a ride with my biking partner, Rory, but the weather was really cold, not much above freezing. This kind of weather didn't bother me in the 'old days,' but as I age I find it harder and harder to deal with the cold, especially on the bike. In part, this is due to my having Raynaud's syndrome, which can induce intense pain in my fingers in cold weather, but this ... Read more

You Should Age-Adjust Your Training Portfolio As You Would Your Investment Portfolio

  Hi folks, Setting up your investment portfolio as you age is quite complex, especially if you do it yourself (the only safe way, in my opinion). The first thing to do is decide your 'risk averseness level,' your need for cash flow, desired growth rate of your portfolio, level of required stability of your funds, the security of your investment instruments, and the ethics of your strategy. You achieve ... Read more

Are High School Athletics And Academics The Road To A Life-Long Love Of Learning?

I am fortunate in that our mother encouraged us to gain an education, leading us kids to a love of learning, with foreign languages and music being a constant accompaniment to our teenage existence. I took up photography and water polo in order to seek respite from the household clamor, because it is quiet in the dark room and there is little talking in the pool. My childhood homelife experience, however, taught ... Read more

Disclaimer: As a veterinarian, I do not provide medical advice for human animals. If you undertake or modify an exercise program, consult your medical advisors before doing so. Undertaking activities pursued by the author does not mean that he endorses your undertaking such activities, which is clearly your decision and responsibility. Be careful and sensible, please.