Hi folks, I'm working on setting up a business for the first time in my life. It is registered as Old Dogs in Training LLC and will be based on my sports training experience, amongst other things. During a recent conversation related to @BillVick's video, I received this advice from my brother, Trevor, which sounds logical to me, except I do like to be rational. Here is what Trevor said: "Finally, ... Read more
What Is The Real Deal When It Comes To Training?
Hi folks, My all-time favorite movie is 'The Princess Bride.' I especially like Fezzik (Andre) the giant. But once again the book (by William Goldman) is better than the movie, except in one respect, Peter Falk was great as the granddad reading this fairytale to a disinterested young grandson. I was sad when Peter Falk died. He was perfect as Lieutenant Columbo. To return to The Princess Bride, as ... Read more
Should The Presence Of Your Competitor Make Any Difference To Your Pace?
Hi folks, One of the coaches who had the greatest impact on my Ironman and marathon performance is Chris Haute of The Advanced Ironman Training Program (AIMP). Every now and then he would come out with a comment or observation that would markedly change my performance for the better, but one comment had me bemused. I said to myself, is Chris talking about real humans or idealized paragons, like ... Read more
Mental And Physical Awareness Training For The Older Athlete
Hi folks, I recently introduced my 'FitOldDog Training Wheel.' It is not pretty, but I suspect that it presents an effective means of reducing exercise-induced injuries and optimizing enjoyment of the process. You will note at the top of the wheel lies awareness. But what exactly do I mean by this apparently vague term? I mean many things, which can be divided into three lists of things of which you ... Read more
Safe Exercise For Better Health Is The Way To Prepare For An Active Old Age
This post presents an overview of the FitOldDog Training Philosophy or Training Wheel, which guides you through the process of developing improved mind and body awareness before you embark on an exercise program. The goal is to learn to train safely, and thus reduce risk of exercise-induced injuries. One of my favorite books is 'Lord of the Rings,' By Tolkien. This mighty tome treats the females in a strange way, ... Read more
Feldenkrais Session: Getting To Know My Spine A Little Better
Hi folks, I experienced an interesting and educational Feldenkrais session today, which was initiated by my mentioning that I had a tight muscle in my back. The exercise was simple in principle but mentally challenging (for me at least, not for Karen, my instructor). Our spine consists of a bunch of bones stacked one on top of the other, with a tube down the middle in which lies our spinal cord. These bones ... Read more
Thoughts On Training At 50+: ‘Not Going Slower’ Versus ‘Going Faster’
Hi folks, The power is back on, hurricane Irene is leaving and in spite of blustery winds Rory and I went for an easy spin on our bikes. During the ride we were comparing our ride times (speed) over the years for certain routes and we agreed that we were definitely slowing down. It then occurred to me that a training program designed to make you faster might not be optimal for older endurance athletes. Your ... Read more
Power’s Out And Off For A Run
Hi folks, Hurricane Irene getting in the way of blogging. Power lines down. I'll go for a run, while I can. Then a nice cup of tea using my 43-year old Chez Ollie stove. All well, otherwise. Glad I've got my iPad and that we aren't any closer to the coast. Exercise advice: just train anyway, if you can, and make sure you have your Colman stove handy. -k Your Medical Mind ... Read more
Recent Comments