Hi folks, I never was a great athlete, but I did pretty well as a scientist. I think the latter was a consequence of my interest in nature and a tendency to question the obvious, the importance of which was drummed into my head by some impressive minds. The problem comes when I'm training for races with friends, such as my cyclist buddy and unofficial coach, Rory, who was not impressed when I stopped ... Read more
What To Do If You Have A Workout Planned But You Feel A Bit Off
Hi folks, I hit the pool recently for a standard swim, but I felt 'not quite right' and my times were off, so what should one do in this situation? This is a critical question and here are your choices: Bag it! If you really feel that something is not right, seriously not right, just let it go and see how you feel tomorrow. Don't try to make it up by doing an extra workout tomorrow, which is the ... Read more
Why DO You Walk So Slowly?
Hi folks, People sometimes ask me, "You run marathons, do Ironman races, and yet you walk so slowly. Why?" This always strikes me as odd, but then I watch such companions a little more closely, and I realize that they aren't actually walking, they are hurrying. Then I fall in line, almost always having to shorten my stride and increase my cadence [exercise tip for faster running, cycling and maybe ... Read more
Why I Love The Liverwort And What Has That Got To Do With Safe Exercise?
Hi folks, Life is a series of branches, and each choice that you make will define your future, to a greater or lesser extent, for the rest of your life. This is what is so interesting about the all-pervasive presence of physical branching in nature, where life or death decisions are also made. I attended a lecture many years ago on the branching of the airways in the lungs of mammals, including ... Read more
Decrease Anxiety With The Aid Of Safe Exercise And A Little Mental Work
Hi folks, I look around and watch the world, and wonder about many things. I was fortunate to inherit an enquiring mind from my Mom (and maybe my Dad, but I never did meet him), and that is why I so much enjoyed my research career. One of the things that I wonder about is why people worry so much (hypothesis number one - neocortex too big to handle). I know people worry, because I've done my share. ... Read more
Fingers, Toes, Ironman Training, And The Power Of Human Imagination
Hi folks, We have many sensors with which to explore our environment, and now the Universe in general, including sight, sound and touch. We have extended our senses through the development of tools, which increase the reach of our bodies, from earth moving machinery to the Hubble Telescope. Feedback from these tools markedly extends the range of our minds, but once you start to train for an Ironman or other ... Read more
On Balance!
Hi folks, Just out on an evening run, cruising along a lovely trail, when a mountain biker, a guy about 45-years of age, pulled alongside and started chatting. It was getting pretty dark, so I wondered what was going on, when he mentioned that he had just had his second child. He needed to talk. Having three sons, I understand where he was coming from. I, on the contrary, have just lost my Mom, so ... Read more
Conditioning Versus Technique And Why You Need Superior Training Partners
Hi folks, Learning new skills always seems to be a kind of stepwise process, be it learning a foreign language, running a business, playing a musical instrument, or becoming an athlete. You reach a plateau, stay stuck for ages, have a breakthrough, and with your new found knowledge work towards the next sticking point. This certainly seems to be true of swimming. I've made major progress in the last ... Read more
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