Hi folks, The other day I was listening to one of my favorite programs on National Public Radio, This American Life, when I heard for the first time about Steve Blass Disease. In fact, Steve Blass talked about his story during the program, attributing his late career problems as a baseball player to thinking too much. He also said that he wished that people would focus more on his previous great ... Read more
How To Zero In On Perfect Biomechanics To Minimize Injury And Optimize Performance
Hi folks, After years of training, plenty of injuries, and extensive (but always incomplete) study of the way my body works with respect to locomotion, I think I finally get it. Unless you are one of those rare people who naturally have perfect biomechanics, if such a person exists, which I doubt, you will struggle with tight muscles, sore tendons and ligaments, and repetitive injuries from training (or ... Read more
What Should I Advise Larry To Do? To Train For An Ironman Or Not?
Hi folks, You never know what is around the next corner, and here I am wrestling with the problem of giving advice to Larry, whom I have never met and who contacted me recently via the abdominal aortic aneurysm awareness Facebook page, with the following message (Larry said it was OK to talk about this on my blog!): "Kevin! Hi my name is Larry. I joined the AAA facebook page not too long ago. I too ... Read more
The Human Body And Psyche Are Fragile Machines That Respond To Load
"Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear. What does it mean that success is as dangerous as failure? Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. When you stand with your two feet on the ground, you will always keep your balance. What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear? Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the ... Read more
Compliance, Running Socks, And The KISS Principle
"Men are born soft and supple; dead, they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail." From: Tao te Ching, by Lao-tzu, translation by Steven Mitchell Hi ... Read more
Using A Video Camera To Fix Your Swim Stroke – What’s Your Diagnosis?
Hi folks, As Rick Fee has improved my swim performance by focusing on conditioning, rather than technique, we noticed that my pull boy times are much better than when I swim without. The difference can be as much as 11 seconds over 100 yards, taking me from a 1:28 to 1:41. I hate that, and I wondered why it was happening. I feel the same, either way. But as we say in Feldenkrais, "Just because it feels ... Read more
Think Globally But Eat Locally Because Quality Nutrition Is Important For Exercise And Health
Hi folks, My online work is nicely complemented by involvement in the local grocery store, coffee shop and general hangout, Johnny's Gone Fishing, in Carrboro, North Carolina, USA. The advantage of this business activity includes meeting lots of interesting people, whilst one disadvantage is the fact that emergencies happen, and then you have to deal with them NOW! Such an emergency occurred a few ... Read more
Conversation With A Tick About Enjoying One’s Place In The Universe
"The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It is content with the low places that people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao. In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. When you are content to be ... Read more
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