Hi folks, Training Tip: How to address an injury close to a planned race. In a previous post, I referred to that important book, 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert Pirsig, which addresses the issue of quality, using motorcycle maintenance as a metaphor. This is how I remember his story, which I read about 30 years ago. Robert Pirsig presents the relationship between two couples, who ... Read more
Train to Race or Race to Train, Lazy Bum, And Dropped By An 81-Year Old
Hi folks, Well! My son and I finished the Eagleman race this weekend. It was one of those races where you wonder why you are doing this to yourself, as it was very hot, lots of people had cramps, and both of our runs were a mess due to cramping. This is when I have to remind myself that I race to train, not the other way around. I enjoy the races, but I don't enjoy quad cramps during a run. This has only ... Read more
Is It Tendonitis Or Referred Pain, And Either Way What Can You Do About It?
Hi folks! Matthew, a friend and relative, asked me on Facebook about his running injury, as follows [with minor edits]: "after agreeing with your sentiments about barefoot running, I promptly picked up a foot tendon injury and haven't been able to run since. [ ] I can't for the life of me recall which tendon is damaged [ ] its outside the arch...possibly one of the peroneus tendons in this ... Read more
Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll, Shaking Hands With Death, And Embracing Your Climacteric!
Hi folks! I attended St. George's Grammar school in England in the late 1950s to the early 1960s. Here is picture of the school building as it was when I was there as a shy teenager who was definitely not part of the 'in set.' I did, however, love to study and learn new things. This scholastic edifice, which was very kind to me in many ways, exposed me to a range of interesting subjects including ... Read more
Talking To Your Inner Child, Creative Visualization, And Learning To Dance Through Life!
Hi folks! I reread this, as a result of the apparent interest it elicited, which I observed using Webmaster Tools, and decided to redistribute. It occurred to me that to be an athlete, or exercise for better health [spot the keyword and 'Hi! Bots'], you have to face yourself. Get ready for some ‘psychobabble,’ though I take it seriously myself. About 30 years ago I went through a major personal ... Read more
Zen And The Art Of Body Maintenance
Hi folks, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a great book. When I used to lecture to students interested in a research career, I would recommend reading this book, in addition to 'Arrowsmith' and 'Winning Games Scientists Play,' amongst others. There was a quote from Robert M. Pirsig's great book that I kept over my desk in my messy office at The Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology where I worked ... Read more
Beware Brad (Greeks?) Bearing Gifts, But Thanks For The Kind Gift Of Amby Burfoot’s Recent Book My Friend!
Hi folks! I am a suspicious person by nature (or nurture?), but I was very pleasantly surprised by a recent present from Brad. Now! I never seem to be able to predict or understand Brad. He just turns up! Sometimes he seems almost scared of me, but he is much bigger than I am so that doesn't make sense. But Deb likes and respects him a lot for all the help that he and his wife have given her with her autistic son, ... Read more
Joe Friel’s Site Is Really Useful If You Are Undertaking Endurance Training – If You’re Not, I Can’t Imagine Why!
Hi folks! I'm always looking for websites that help my training, so recently I put Joe Friels' Blog on my Google desktop to see what came by. Good stuff came by, such as his recent article on the effect of missing workouts, which included this fascinating table: The styrofoam cup 'meditation' that I wrote about ages ago, also came from a comment in Joe's book, Going Long, which I highly recommend! Thanks ... Read more
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