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THIS WALKING, RUNNING, CYCLING, OR AQUATIC-WALKING CHALLENGE HAS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH BACKING! What’s the definition of a sports championship series sweep? It’s one team winning the first 4 straight games of a 7- game series, without a loss. Because the team that first wins 4 games total goes on to the next step or takes the championship outright, it’s the shortest path to the top. The longest toughest battles for supremacy in a sport occur when each team has 3 wins apiece, and the 7thgame will decide the move up or champion.
Why is this summer challenge called the “Series Sweep”? It starts with science. In 2004 Dr. Hiroshi Nose at the Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Matsumoto, Japan led a team of researchers who studied the effects of a 5-month long high intensity interval walking program on the fitness and health of older adults. There were 3 groups, averaging 63 years in age, comprised of 60 men and 186 women: 1) non-walking, 2) walking at a continuous moderate level 5 pace (on a scale of 1-10 in intensity), and 3) an experimental high intensity interval group walking at a level 4 pace for 3 minutes, followed by 3 minutes of a harder level 7 pace, for 5 or more cycles. Each group was instructed to walk at least 30 minutes, in total, during these sessions and to do so at least 4 days each week. In the high intensity walking training (HIWT) group there were significant increases in isometric knee flexion and extension (measures of thigh muscle strength) and in peak aerobic capacity for cycling and for walking, as well as a reduction in resting systolic blood pressure. These were the findings when results for HIWT group were compared with those of the moderate intensity continuous walkers. In 2016, Dr. Nose and his group (S. Handa, S. Masuki, T.Ohio Y. Kamijo, A. Takamata) published the results of a similar study, in which middle-aged and older women who performed HIWT in WATER for only 8 weeks were compared with women who performed HIWT on LAND. The water-walkers were “able to perform exercise at a higher metabolic rate than on land due to improved subjective feelings, which for these women resulted in greater gains in physical fitness.” The AQUATIC fitness gains were the same as measured in the 2004 study: peak aerobic capacity for cycling and for walking, and isometric knee flexion and extension (measures of thigh muscle strength). Taking the findings of this research into account, the SUMMER CHALLENGE IV was constructed for people who enjoy moderately easy walking, running, bicycling, or aquatic fitness sessions for exercise. It copies the Japanese research study protocol that led to walkers’ improvements in aerobic capacity, thigh muscle strength, and blood pressure. In it, challengers are invited to change their regular routine of continuous movement at a moderately easy pace to a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, over at least 30 minutes each day, for most days of the week. Committing to this SUMMER CHALLNGE IV can provide motivation to work towards a goal that helps aerobic exercisers become stronger and healthier. To SWEEP this ‘championship series’, by Earned Runs rules, means committing to the minimum 30-minute HIIT protocol on at least 4 of 7 days of the week, EACH WEEK from May 28 to September 5 without any ‘losses’ (skipped weeks). That’s only 14 weeks*. Land walkers, as well as runners and bicyclists and water walker can participate. It’s a matter of spending 3 minutes moving at a moderately easy level of intensity followed by 3 minutes at a more vigorous intensity and repeating the 6-minute routine at least 5 times to reach at least 30 minutes of total effort. By the way, the original research paper by Dr. Nose and his research colleagues was published in 2007. A follow-up paper in 2014 showed that middle-aged and older persons were able to adhere to this protocol successfully for 22 MONTHS!!! Although the Earned Runs SUMMER CHALLENGE IV requires several months commitment, it is do-able by young and old, and a reasonable goal, proven by scientific research! REQUEST FREE EARNED RUNS BIBS NOW; you’ll receive 4, which allows you to ask someone in your family or at work to join you. Or, keep all 4 yourself and encourage the others to request their own free bibs. Keep track of the days you followed the protocol on your bib. SUMMER CHALLENGE IV: SUMMER SERIES SWEEP Perform the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Protocol 4 of 7 days each week, from May 28 to September 5. HIIT PROTOCOL: Warm-up: 5 minutes easy walking, running, bicycling, or water-walking Cycle 1: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) First 3 minutes: move at LEVEL 4 PACE, on a scale of 1-10 in intensity, 10 being highest intensity Next 3 minutes, move at a harder, LEVEL 7 PACE REPEATcycle 1 at least 4 more times (for a total of 5 or MORE cycles), to equal at least 30 minutes HIIT Cool-down: 5 minutes easy walking, running, bicycling, or swim-walking You can do this! Try for every other day at first, as your legs may be a bit sore afterward. A calendar and protocol are available for download, and also on the RESOURCES* page. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *NOTE: The original Japanese study continued about 22 weeks; Challengers can opt to add an additional 8 weeks to this summer program by finishing on October 29, 2018, to parallel the 2004 research study protocol that ran from May 18 to October 15. The water-walking extended only 8 weeks, so a shorter course may be adopted in that exercise, as desired. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/walk-hard-walk-easy-repeat/?mcubz=0&_r=0 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17605959 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25539937 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26400416 (updated from June 24, 2017)
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FASTEST 5K OR ‘SUMMER OF FUN 5K’S. OPTION ONE: Consider making your summer challenge all about being FAST. Spend these next few months training to turn in a personal best finish time in a 5K race near summer’s end. At least a PR in your own version of 'modern history,' This is not a challenge to recreate the glory days of high school cross-country team fame.
Why try for a PR? Because it’s difficult to IMPROVE on a previous best in so many other areas of life, that being able to do so in running would be monumentally uplifting and encouraging. Well, maybe at least a confidence booster. Chances of success in this challenge are greater if you have not previously incorporated speed work, hill repeats, tempo runs, or long runs into your training plan for this distance race. Come to think of it, if you have never specifically trained for a 5k you have the potential to be faster. Adding strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility work will likely contribute to a speedier you also. “Fastest 5K” plan:
Learn from my mistake! If over 40, add extra days to the training week, like champion, now retired, marathoner Meb Keflezighi advises, who stretches his to 9 days. Don’t double up on workouts if you miss a day. If you begin to hurt, stop running, re-evaluate, and take sufficient time off to prevent further injury. OPTION TWO: “Summer Full of Fun 5ks” plan: This is for runners and walkers who are regularly covering training distances over 4 miles. Identify races all through the summer that you wish to walk or run just because they promise to be enjoyable: the theme is fun or has meaning, the location is unique or amazing, the date is one of general celebration, or others are available to join you, etc. Continue to practice safe running and walking training. The object is to finish not punish, to fill the summer months with personal or organized fun 5ks. Earned Runs will post items that offer training advice that for faster running and walking performance and highlight fun races when possible. REQUEST Earned Runs bibs to plan and custom design your own 5k's. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *Hal Higdon offers these options: Intermediate http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50934/Intermediate-5K-Training Advanced http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50935/Advanced-5K-Training https://www.runnersworld.com/newswire/how-meb-keflezighi-trained-to-win-the-boston-marathon http://www.earned-runs.com/resources.html RUN/WALK/BIKE ACROSS AMERICA FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
Start: Memorial Day, May 28, at Astoria OR Finish: Labor Day, September 3, at Portland ME Rather not train all summer for yet another a long-distance race in the fall? Bored by running without a purpose or destination? Hoping to involve your friends or children in running, walking, or cycling with you, and sharing a goal? Take a VIRTUAL journey ACROSS AMERICA on foot or bicycle, approximately 3,730 miles long, in this challenge! Enjoy the ‘sights’, learn the geography and history of parts of America you’ve may never have visited. Use this challenge to hold yourself to a fitness schedule of RUNNING, WALKING, and/or CYCLING all through the summer months. Earned Runs has created a calendar adapted from a bicycle tour (see *acknowledgment) that involves committing to 2 to 3 sessions/week. Participants will choose how they wish to “scale” the miles (1 real mile run/ walked = 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 100 miles on the map). There is an itinerary chart that shows the distance to be traveled for each of 39 segments over 15 weeks by each scale calculation. The scale system was created so that each person could run/walk/bike the entire ‘distance’ according to their fitness level. Persons of different abilities can participate in the challenge together, by each using a different scale. Example: Segment 1 takes travelers from Astoria OR to Portland OR. The actual distance on the map is roughly 100 MILES. The distances participants can choose to run/walk on this segment are: - 10 miles (10:1 ratio; for every 10 miles on the map, you run/walk 1 mile) or - 5 miles (20:1 ratio; for every 20 miles on the map, you run/walk 1 mile) or - 3.3 miles (30:1 ratio; for every 30 miles on the map you run/walk 1 mile) or - 2.5 miles (40:1 ratio; for every 40 miles on the map, you run/walk 1 mile) or - 2.0 miles (50:1 ratio; for every 50 miles on the map, you run/walk 1 mile) or - 1.0 mile (100:1 ratio; for every 100 miles on the map, you run/walk 1 mile) Use Earned Runs bibs to record completion of each segment! Each Sunday there will be a BLOG post about that week's segment, providing a bit of information on the ground to be covered. If you know the part of the country the challenge will be moving through, please COMMENT, sharing your knowledge and expert insights with everyone else. If not, you might be inspired to research more deeply into the sights, topography, environment, people, and culture of that part of the trail. Hopefully this challenge will work well for families, with children using a different scale than adults, as needed. Children of various ages can run/walk/bike distances best suited to their fitness and ability to focus on the day’s goal. It may be that in some families it’s the parents who require the highest handicap! This challenge is a simple way to track progress made exercising over the entire summer. The cumulative miles will allow ‘travel’ from west to east across the broad expanse of the northern United States, through different regions. It’s a fun way to learn more about what’s there! Having a planned ‘itinerary’ provides structure to the summer’s running, walking, or cycling fitness activity. The scale system makes it possible for each participant to choose how strenuous this ‘trip’ will be. The ACROSS AMERICA Calendar and Itinerary drafts ARE POSTED on the RESOURCES* PAGE for you to preview. Check out the SEGMENT MAPS for weeks 1-3, also posted there, and free for download. My experience: I took up this challenge in the summer of 2016 and started by running all my miles on the 10:1 scale. I was training for a race as well and doing the STREAK running. Eventually I found it easier and more enjoyable to walk some miles, if I could not get them covered by running, on certain days. This was true for 2017 too. This year I plan to cycle some miles on my fat tire bike. It’s all about the JOURNEY in this challenge. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! ACROSS AMERICA Itinerary 2018 ACROSS AMERICA Calendar 2018 ACROSS AMERICA Segment Maps: WEEKS 1-3 NOTES: 1. Change the mile ratio as needed, adjusting the scale you as you go. Start with one ratio and drop down or move up to another if the effort is harder or easier, respectively, to fit into your schedule than first imagined. 2. Cover the miles running, walking or biking (on the road or in a studio), or a combination of both. or a portion of them (see my experience above). 3. The Calendar schedules the segment runs/walks/bike-rides Monday through Friday, to avoid taking up family/friend time on precious summer weekends. 4. Take as much time as you need to complete each segment. Even if you fall behind, finish as much of the journey as is possible. It will still be fun. and possibly educational too. Pick up next summer where you stopped. AKNOWLEDGEMENT: The route is an itinerary for a bicycle tour that’s been publicly posted on the internet. The TREKTRAVEL company worked to develop it, and hosts the tour and many others. In 2016 and 2017 Earned Runs contacted the company through email every year to provide notification of our use of the plan. Check out their site, especially if the real trip is something you are interested in completing! http://trektravel.com/trip/cross-country-usa-bike-tour/ ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A PHYSICAL GOAL TO ACHEIVE THIS SUMMER? One that doesn’t involve training for a race, because it’s what you do all other months of the year? A challenge that doesn’t require learning complicated workout routines? An activity that won’t strain your exercise budget? A commitment that transforms you from being a ‘sometimes’ walker, jogger, runner, or cyclist, into a disciplined daily exerciser?
Streaking could be the challenge that encourages a summer of regular exercise for you without consuming all available time for fun. Earned Runs suggests you try walking, jogging, running, or bicycling 1 mile, without breaks from Memorial to Labor Day, on each day of summer. The distance can be longer, but must not be shorter than a mile. In 2016, Streak Running was introduced as the very first Earned Runs Summer Challenge. In researching the topic, Earned Runs discovered there are global organizations that register and keep track of people who have completed at least 1 year of running, 1 mile each day. The official website of the Streak Runners International, Inc. and US Running Streak Association, Inc., defines a running streak as the running of “at least one mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day. Running may occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill.” To become a member of this organization, a runner must have a streak of one year and pay a $20 fee. If you extend the challenge beyond the summer and streak for a full year you are eligible to have your name placed on the SRI/USRSA running streak list. And then on the retired list once you stop. The groups sell singlets and T-shirts through the website link. The website also links to an article by co-founder and member John Strumsky, “Caution: The Dangers of Streak Running”. It defends the activity, provides an opinion on minimum fitness requirements, and offers advice on how to remain a healthy runner despite the absence of running breaks. (The article link cant be found on the official website, but the link takes you to the article!). Streak running was one of my summer challenges in 2016 and 2017. I did it to experience what Earned Runs was asking of others the first year. Initially I did not like this daily run at all, and whined about it in blogs. The most difficult aspect was fitting one running mile in on travel days. An early flight could mean leaving for the airport by 3 or 4 am. Upon arrival at my destination it might be late afternoon or evening before a change into running clothes/shoes was possible especially if a meeting was scheduled, and a run managed. One night, after returning home from a trip, I finished my mile just before the chime of the clock at midnight (we actually have one that chimes). Then started the next day’s run because of a full schedule and more travel. It was weird. BUT, when one of those travel days was my undoing and I missed a run, thereby ending my streak weeks before Labor Day 2016, I was so disappointed in myself. I had not anticipated receiving a daily boost of pride, a sense of accomplishment, when that single goal was met. I very much missed it when my personal challenge was busted. In 2017, I again took up the SUMMER CHALLENGE I: STREAK RUNNING, this time resolving at the outset not to complain and to look forward to this activity every day. It started 2 days after the spring/vernal equinox because I wanted to go extra-long, over the entire astrological summer season to the autumnal equinox on September 22. My streak was again busted before my private goal finish and even before the official Challenge Labor Day finish on September 5, 2017. It ended on July 11, because of an injury. This year I will walk a mile each day. The Atlantic.com ran an article, “People Who Can’t Not Run” by Katherine Dempsey in 2014. Dempsey recounts the experiences of long-term “streakers”, and raises the question of whether such a goal is a good thing. Whether maintaining the streak rules or enrichers lives. She leaves it up to the individual to self-assess. Streaking for only a defined period of time, like in the Earned Runs Summer Challenge I, doesn’t seem to be likely to drive someone to physical or emotional ruination. But keep in mind there is risk of overuse injury without a rest day. Possibly a safer streak can be undertaken when the 1 mile each day is covered alternately by walking, running, or cycling? The point of this streak challenge is to enjoy summer in an active but not excessive way, and to perhaps re-capture the carefree days of our younger years in the process. Not to risk injury. My previous two Summer Streaks were very fun and rewarding in spite of each ending prematurely. Hopefully I’ll do better in the Summer of 2018 than 2016 and 2017. RUN AND MOVE HAPPY! [Updated from 2017] http://www.runeveryday.com/ www.clearlybranded.com/showrooms.htm http://www.runeveryday.com/news/TheDangersofStreakRunning.htm https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/streakers-in-sneakers/371347/ INTRODUCING THE LINE-UP OF SIX 2018 EARNED RUNS SUMMER CHALLENGES. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, is the unofficial holiday date that bookends the start of the summer season in the USA, which closes on the Labor Day Holiday, the first Monday in September. There are potentially 14 weeks to unloose an inner carefree spirit and disrupt the rigid schedules that traditionally anchor the rest of the year to school and work.
Yes, ‘summer’ is a state-of-mind, a mostly mythical period of imagined golden fun, the reality of which can never measure up to the magical experience we want it to be. However, with planning, the likelihood of actively enjoying the great outdoors, in ways that differ from what we do during the rest of the year, can be increased. If summer is going to be a memorable one, we must work a bit to make it so. Until the end of this month Earned Runs will be introducing and explaining some physical activities that are designed to fill the summertime weeks and make them special. Alone or with others. There won’t be an excuse that no one else wants to “come out and play”. [This was a childhood lament when my mother would ask why I wasn’t outside doing something fun.] Having a formal ‘play-date’ or a group of like-minded, similarly available buddies isn’t a requirement. You might entice others to join you eventually, when they notice how much you’re enjoying this summer! Check out the options below, briefly explained. Each of the five challenges will be detailed, featured in a separate later post. Initially, each challenge only involved running; then walking challenges were added. This year each challenge has been re-worked to involve running/walking/biking as options, when possible. SUMMER CHALLENGE I: STREAKING The original summertime challenge, it is also the easiest. Run, walk, or bike a mile every day of the summer, rain or shine. This challenge requires the least amount of mental energy. You know what is required, and you must do it every day. Record each effort with a tally mark on your Earned Runs bib or another log. It’s amazing how much satisfaction can be derived from this simple activity. It also is a very easy challenge to present to others. SUMMER CHALLENGE II: RUN/WALK/BIKE ‘ACROSS AMERICA’ Want to complete a virtual trek across the North American continent on a trail that extends coast to coast from the U.S. Pacific Northwest to New England? Adapted from a TrekTravel bicycle tour route, this 3,730+ mile journey requires following a weekly distance schedule that is determined by the participant’s choice of mileage scale (map miles ratio to actual miles run, walked, biked = 10 to 1, 20 to 1, 30 to 1, 40 to 1, 50 to 1, or 100 to 1). A higher or lower number of miles can be covered by each participant. Even after starting, the scale ratio can be adjusted to fit the desired level of effort, easier or harder! There will be BLOG posts describing nearby “sights”. This challenge can provide an opportunity to learn about the geography, history, and scenery along the cross-country route. Family fun! SUMMER CHALLENGE III: FASTEST 5K OR SUMMER OF FUN 5K’S This challenge is for those who like to compete. Running or walking. Organized official races or custom designed personal events. For a break from preparing for 10K or longer distance competitions all fall, winter, and spring, think about taking a break and only signing up for fun 5k’s, or training to set a personal best in one special short race. It could be a ‘miler’ (1 mile)! SUMMER CHALLENGE IV: SERIES SWEEP Introduced last year in mid-summer, but only for walkers, the ‘Series Sweep’ involves following a 30-minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) routine: 5 cycles of 6-minutes (3 minutes easy-moderate pace, followed by 3 minutes of moderate to vigorous pace) when walking, jogging, or biking, on 4 days of each full week (7 days) all summer long. This activity encourages the kind of higher intensity physical effort that has been shown to increase aerobic capacity, build thigh strength, and lower systolic blood pressure in older adults. Without a specific plan, just walking, running, or biking might be performed at a level too low to yield health improvements. It’s for those who wish to ‘up’ their usual aerobic exercise efforts. It can be performed on an elliptical, stationary bike, or other gym equipment. NEW TRIAL! SUMMER CHALLENGE V: BUDDY-UP Obtaining ‘in-person’ contact time is the objective in this activity, which is being ‘trialed’ this summer. It’s intended to be a hedge against the development of loneliness for those who tend to spend more time than desired exercising alone. The concept is simple but the reality is a bit more difficult. Syncing up with another person such that an in-depth conversation is possible while walking, biking, or running is the activity. The other person can be beside you, in person, or on the phone (if done safely). Each activity performed while reaching out to someone is tallied on a bib or other log. At summer’s end challengers can hope to have developed stronger relationships and a page/bib full of marks for their efforts. NEW TRIAL! SUMMER CHALLENGE VI: OBSTACLE COURSE TRAINING Entering and competing in an obstacle course competition is NOT required!!! When resistance training is combined with aerobic exercise the health dividends are increased. A 6-week obstacle course training plan will be offered for those who are looking for a structured approach to incorporating strength work into aerobic sessions. It can be performed outdoors. Earned Runs will use a plan developed by Pete Williams released in 2013 by womensrunning.competitor.com. Potentially 2 six-weeks sessions can be scheduled in one 14 week summer period, between Memorial Day and Labor Day. NOTES: Memorial Day doesn’t need to be the kick-off date. Plan your own schedule such that chances of persevering and completing a goal challenge are highest. Work around your vacation, weekends; don’t allow anxiety about a challenge ruin these most important times. If you have not yet requested FREE Earned Runs Bibs (you’ll receive 4), do so soon. Bibs can be used to run/walk personally designed races, for training purposes, and for charting progress toward a challenge goal. Look for more explanation during this week. Special bib stickers are being developed as well as and a plan to offer them free. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! PROFESSOR LUPIN'S CURE-ALL. FANS OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES learned in Book 3, “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” that chocolate was the favorite remedy prescribed by Hogwarts’ Defense Against the Dark Arts course teacher, Professor Remus J. Lupin. Chunks of chocolate administered by Lupin helped Harry recover from his encounter with dementors while riding the Hogwarts Express train to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the beginning of the semester.
The Professor does not specify whether milk versus dark chocolate is better for fighting off the effects of dark magic. However, reCently, scientists seem to have been busy working to investigate the differences. One optometry study noted that dark chocolate helped improve some aspects of vision shortly after ingestion. Another group of scientists reported on two small studies that showed it improved brain function and blood markers of immunity. Why study chocolate? Previous research suggests that chocolate rich in cacao bean flavanols may enhance blood flow to the nervous system (brain and nerves) and functioning of the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), slow memory loss, and retard the signs and symptoms of degenerative brain conditions, such as Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. Mood and cognition (thinking) have been helped too. Cacao bean flavanols are known to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. [Note: Oxidants are molecules, often composed in part of oxygen atoms, which are highly unstable and thus quickly and easily can react with and damage nearby tissues. Oxidants are produced in the body in the course of normal functioning, but the presence of endogenous (natural, in-house) antioxidants prevents damage from occurring. In the face of an oxidant/anti-oxidant imbalance, either too much oxidant is produced or not enough anti-oxidant is available, tissue damage can result. The body’s usual response to damage, either from anti-oxidants or other causes like infection, trauma, etc., is inflammation. Anti-oxidants help prevent this oxidant type of damage and thus inflammation as well. Biological pathways that lead to heightened inflammation can be dampened by anti-inflammatory agents too. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5075620/] DARK CHOCOLATE & VISION Researchers at the University of the Incarnate Word, Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio TX found there were “small enhancements in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity” and after subjects ate dark chocolate with >70% cacao compared with milk chocolate. The effects were noted within 2 hours of chocolate consumption. The 30 research subjects, 9 men and 21 women with a mean age of 26 years, were without known eye disease. Each was randomly assigned to eat the milk or dark type of chocolate at different times during the study and underwent vision testing about 1.75 hours after ingestion. Testing of each participant with the other chocolate type occurred after at least 72 hours had elapsed, with a range of 3-21 days between each type of chocolate testing. To assess the outcomes, “within-participant, paired comparisons“ were made. . The chocolate bars were commercially available Crispy Rice Milk Chocolate (40 grams) and Trader Joe's 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate. (47 grams). The amount of flavanols was about 8 times less in the milk chocolate than in the dark. Participants were not aware of the chocolate bar name or type or the purpose of the study, but taste differences could have tipped them off as to the kind of chocolate they were eating. investigators administering the tests were not masked however. The scientists admit that the duration of these improvements, probably related to enhanced retinal blood flow, and their significance to real-life functioning will require further research. DARK CHOCOLATE & IMMUNITY, BRAIN FUNCTION Participants in an 8-day study, conducted by researchers from California’s Loma Linda University Allied School of Health Professions, were first asked to eat a 48-gram bar of 70% cacao dark chocolate over 10 minutes, and then had blood tests drawn after 2 hours. They were instructed to eat 48 grams of 70% cacao dark chocolate/day (2 pieces per hour, while awake for 14 hours), with blood tests drawn again after 1 week. The tests showed changes in gene expression and increased numbers of infection-fighting cells and anti-inflammatory activity. There were 4 test subjects (2 females and 2 males, aged 25-50 years) and one control (female, 28 years). The dark chocolate used was Parliament Chocolate from Redlands CA. A separate investigation by the same group showed brain electrical wave, gamma-frequency responses (assessed by EEG-electroencephalogram at 30 minutes and then 120 minutes after ingestion) which suggested brain functioning could be helped as soon as 2 hours after eating dark chocolate. In this case 5 healthy subjects aged 22-40 years were involved. The lead scientist, Lee S. Berk was quoted in a ScineceDaily.com article, “These studies show us that the higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the impact on cognition, memory, mood, immunity and other beneficial effects." The results were to be presented in poster sessions at the Experimental Biology Conference 2018 in San Diego and abstracts were published in the FASEB Journal (there is no full text available). EARNED RUNS: Our attempts to become fit, healthy individuals with exercise and diet might be helped by small daily doses of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents like dark chocolate. To know that it might also enhance blood flow to vital tissues like the retina and enhance brain cardiovascular and endocrine function pushes it higher on the list of nutritional aids to try. As with all other foods known to have health benefits, there is the trick of not overdoing a good thing that will add pounds and increase the risk of obesity. Very dark chocolate, with a high percent cacao and low sugar content might not have a taste or mouthfeel that appeals to all. It can be bitter and hard. Not everyone will wish to spend calories on dark chocolate (170 calories per 30 gm, Trader Joe’s; 72% Organic Belgian). The Loma Linda team seems to be working to determine the lowest dosing regimen that will provide brain benefits. I hope to taste test the Trader Joe’s and Parliament brands (nutrition information not found) used in this research! The chocolate with the highest cacao content is the winner in these few studies it seems and maybe this is good news for milk chocoholics. Perhaps we won't be tempted to overdo eating the dark stuff. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321618.php https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/04/26/dark-chocolate-good-mood-memory/553460002/ “Effects of Milk vs Dark Chocolate Consumption on Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity Within 2 Hours” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/2678792 “Dark chocolate (70% cacao) effects human gene expression: Cacao regulates cellular immune response, neural signaling, and sensory perception” https://www.fasebj.org/doi/10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.755.1 “Dark chocolate (70% organic cacao) increases acute and chronic EEG power spectral density (μV2) response of gamma frequency (25–40 Hz) for brain health: enhancement of neuroplasticity, neural synchrony, cognitive processing, learning, memory, recall, and mindfulness meditation” https://www.fasebj.org/doi/10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.878.10 https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/trader-joes/fair-trade-organic-72%25-cacao-belgian-dark-chocolate-bar http://www.parliamentchocolate.com https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/04/26/dark-chocolate-good-mood-memory/553460002/ TIME TO PLAN EARNED RUNS 2018 SUMMER CHALLENGES. The last Monday of May is the Memorial Day holiday, which marks the unofficial start of summer vacation season. The Northern Hemisphere is beginning a wonderful period of long and bright daylight hours and warm weather.
Now is the time to plan your summer physical activity schedule. Schools have or soon will be dismissing students for summer or an inter-session break. Workplaces may be putting off regular meetings that interfere with weekends or noon lunch hours until after Labor Day. It’s perfect for adopting a more relaxed and fun approach to exercise. Why stick with a year-round workout, running, walking, bicycling, or swimming routines? Challenge yourself to try something new. It needn’t be the most physically demanding feat.. Just different and a bit adventurous FOR YOU. Ideally your challenges should take advantage of the great outdoors and the 'socialize-ability' (made-up word) of the season. This week Earned Runs will be highlighting some activities in which you may be interested in participating. Memorial Day, falling on May 28 this year, is identified as the kick-off day. Plan an alternate start if this doesn't fit your schedule. Here’s a draft preview; the first 3 on the list were activities first introduced summer of 2016. The last activity in 2017. There might be two other challenges added or which will replace 1 or 2 of the others. The final Summer Challenge line-up is still in development. - Streak running or walking - Run/walk Across America - Run Your Fastest 5K (or a string of 5Ks) - Walkers Series Sweep If you have not yet requested FREE Earned Runs Bibs (you’ll receive 4), do so soon. Bibs can be used to run/walk/cycle personally designed races, for training purposes, and for charting progress toward a challenge goal. Inspiration too. Look for more explanation during the coming weeks. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! CREDIT CARD-SIZED PHONE COULD WORK WELL FOR DISCONNECTING WHILE EXERCISING, without going completely bare. The title of Avery Hartmans article for BusinessInsider.com, sums up the excitement generated by a new device. “This beautifully designed 'dumb phone' can only make calls and send texts — and it might be the key to curing our addiction to apps”.
Hartmans’ piece was an installment in Business Insider’s series. “Your Brain on Apps” which “investigates how addictive apps can influence behavior.” She explains that the start-up company Light, based in Brooklyn, was launched after its two founders decided NOT to design apps for a Google incubator and instead create a phone “intended to be used as little as possible.” They created an initial product, the Light Phone, and now have a second –generation improved version on the way, Light Phone 2. The first version could only be used to make calls and tell time; it was only intended to be a companion to a smart phone that could be left at home for short periods of time. The Light Phone 2 upgrade will be capable of making calls, receiving and sending texts, getting directions, calling a ride, and keeping contacts. Possibly it could be more fully functional, however won’t be available for shipping until April 2019. There are quite a few details that seem yet to be finalized on the new version. Pre-orders are being taken on Indiegogo.com.; the price has been variously discounted over time (first $250 and now $300 on the $400 full price). If interested, read Hartmans’ article and check out the company’s information and that from Indiegogo.com. Earned Runs doesn’t want to keep readers on their devices for longer than necessary! At the very least, let the home page slideshow of silent, beautifully shot videos play on your device screen. The land-and city-scape scenes are sure to inspire thoughts about how life might be without constant distractions from smartphones. Looking up from device screens could be just what we need to restore personal-life balance some of the time. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.thelightphone.com/home#lightphone http://www.businessinsider.com/light-phone-2-cure-for-app-addiction-2018 http://www.businessinsider.com/what-your-smartphone-is-doing-to-your-brain-and-it-isnt-good-2018-3 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/light-phone-2-design#/ WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON YOUR SUMMER VACATION? The 18th and last week of the Half Marathon + ‘SAINTS DAYS’ Training Plan, which spanned January to May, has been completed. Participant runners have accomplished their long-distance goal race and are in recovery mode for 2-3 weeks.
. WHAT’S NEXT? I tend to feel happy but a bit let-down after finishing such a long training plan. The feeling is comparable to the famous “show-hole” that’s was made fun of on a TV ad in 2015. ‘Show-holes’ don’t seem to exist anymore. There’s always one more series to become engrossed in and to binge-watch once you’re hooked. Training-holes can occur, however, with the completion of huge, multi-month efforts. I’ve never trained for a marathon, but this post-race period would seem to be the perfect set-up for a let-down. Both show-holes and training-holes and are nothing to laugh about (well, maybe just a little). They are periods of time in which our schedules are perhaps uncomfortably wide open and there isn’t a programming slot or a daily workout to which other weekly activities are anchored. As much as there was to complain about getting in every weekend’s long run or walk, not having to it do now creates a void. Many elementary school children and their parents must deal with a wide-open summer annually. Some elect to register for summer music, sport, or theater camps to help break up the long stretch between June and the end of August. And enjoy a family vacation. High school and college students take summer classes, enroll in travel-abroad study programs, or find jobs to earn extra spending money. Remember that feeling when your friends had plans to go away or were lucky enough to be occupied with fantastic activities, and your entire summer promised to be a boring blank? The problem with training- and show-holes is that they may both appear just as the summer begins, a time many of us associate with fun and enjoyment of the outdoors. That’s not to say we shouldn’t be happy to relax and not have every day booked up weeks in advance. Lack of planned fitness activities can lead to anxiety about exactly how to enjoy these “carefree” days. It’s an effort to come up with novel recreational opportunities daily/weekly on the fly. Without a plan, at summers end, there’s potential for disappointment when, in retrospect, nothing fun, exciting, or mildly awesome took place; nothing that would help write that elementary school report about summer’s happenings. Although adults may no longer worry about summer schedules, it might be a good idea. There are opportunities to sign up for organized league sports like softball, baseball, kick-ball, volleyball, and golf. What is available those who enjoy other athletic activities such as running, walking, and fitness training? Are there any special summer adventures to enjoy that are different from what we’ve been doing all year round? Earned Runs suggests that to fill a ‘training-hole’ you consider planning activities that represent ‘challenges’ to your usual routine. For example, if summers are usually spent training for a yet another long-distance goal race that’s months away in early fall, use 2018 instead to run/ walk frequently in a series of fun vacation-style 5Ks and 10Ks. Train just hard enough to be prepared, after summer, to build-up to that longer goal race in the mid-to-late fall. Follow a relaxed schedule that allows you to compete at those short race distances and enjoy the special places you visit. Search for scenic small town events with fewer rather than larger participant numbers. Or, train for a middle-distance bicycle tour or hiking adventure. Attempt to become a morning runner, if night time, after- work or school runs are becoming difficult to make. Join a running group that regularly holds social runs. Take strength workouts to the beach or park, in the hours of the day before the crowds arrive; bring a few different weight dumbbells and use benches and picnic tables to perform various exercises. To simultaneously fill a reading-hole’, try audible books. You can listen as you run, hike, cycle, or exercise. The “Game of Thrones” books by George R.R. Martin contain so much more intrigue and detail than the HBO series; it will prepare you for the new season that starts in July. Let the famous reader Jim Dale take you through all the Harry Potter books. “Read” the classics of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Twain this summer. Just as in your exercise life, you can challenge your entertainment routine as well. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTE: Earned Runs will highlight several 2018 SUMMER CHALLENGES that might appeal to the kid in you that still wants summer to be special and magical. There will be posts soon to help start your planning. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/Aw_U/amazon-fire-tv-show-hole POST HALF MARATHON RECOVERY PLAN (updated from 2017) If you are following the Earned Runs Half Marathon 2018 Training Plan, you will need to think in advance about RECOVERY after running the 13.1mile distance race.
There is wonderful advice on this topic, provided online by very experienced trainers and coaches. Some comes as math-style calculations demonstrated with graphs. Other advice calls on runners to listen to their bodies. There are various articles describing 7 tips, or 3 steps, or several stages of recovery. It’s a bit confusing if you rush through the titles and paragraph headings only, and don’t read the details. Most of the advice is similar and common sense. But it doesn’t come automatically to runners, and only seems ‘common’ to you if you have experienced a few races and recovery periods. At the end of this discussion there are links to the articles used for this post should you want more details from a particular expert. The advice generally covers 2 PERIODS of time after the race: 1) Immediately after finishing and later the day of the race 2) Days and weeks later IMMEDIATELY AFTER CROSSING THE FINISH LINE: Your thoughts should be centered on hydrating and eating something (a mix of protein and carbohydrates) to replenish fuel stores and help begin the process of healing damaged muscles and soft tissues. It’s best to prepare something before the race and keep it in a car or a checked bag. Leaving this to chance or to race organizers has resulted in disappointment in some instances in my experience. Earned Runs suggestions:
Shortly after eating, an easy cool down run is recommended. Other measures that can be taken a bit LATER IN THE DAY include: - “Cooling” with ice baths or refreshing cool pool as needed, - Massage or yoga session offered at the race, - Foam rolling, - Compression apparel The remainder of the day should be restful; use this time to celebrate your achievement and critically assess your performance in a positive light to help with future training and races. Kristin Gustafson advises runners that they might experience an emotional reaction, which has a physical basis (post-endorphin release); a feeling of let-down is not unexpected at this time. Sleep is also an important component of recovery, and a little extra the night of the race and over each of the following days is a good idea. Try to skip the anti-inflammatory medications. Amanda Loudin has put forth the idea that recovery should be more “holistic” than it currently seems to be, that runners should EXPECT TO FEEL THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS of their effort and accept that discomfort as sign that progress will be made. She incorporates advice from Steve Magness, author of The Science of Running and cross-country coach at the University of Houston. “If you look at how the body works, you realize you need to stress it to where it’s almost embarrassed,” he says. “The stimulus caused by damage allows the body to repair and adapt. This is where it makes its gains”. Hence, he caution, dosing yourself with pain-blocking anti-inflammatory medications or ant-oxidants may subvert the natural healing that is meant to take place. DAYS AND WEEKS AFTER THE RACE Take it easy. This advice concerns when and how to start training again after the race. A general rule of thumb offered by several sources recommend not returning to HARD workouts for a time period that equals 1day/1mile of race distance. Roughly that translates to 2 weeks after a half marathon and 1 month after a marathon. Easy short runs are not a problem. However, Coach Jenny Hadfield cautions against following a calculated return to regular training and hard workouts. Without using the word ‘holistic” she recommends following body and life signals rather than numbers. Hadfield QUALIFIES the 1day/1mile rule, indicating recovery needs can vary by race. Runners must be flexible, she advises, and base a recovery plan on “the flow of life and your body, not the calendar.” “Recovery is about healing from the overall stress in your life, not just from training or racing.” The coach provides personal examples and a couple case studies in her article. Age is another consideration in planning your recovery according to these sources. The older you are, especially after age 40, the slower you might wish to go in recovering from a big race, especially a marathon. Rather than 1 month, Pete Magill quotes champion marathoner Tracy Lokken as saying it should be 45 days. You may wish to take that into consideration for your half marathon recovery time if you are over 40 years old (45 days for a full marathon x ½ = 22-23 days for a half marathon). Remember that if you don’t do a good job of scheduling an adequate recovery your body is likely to help you correct your mistakes. You may find yourself with more unscheduled days off than you planned, due to a sluggish return, or worse yet, an injury. Matt Fitzgerald recommends swimming for a faster recovery. He discusses the results of a research study that looked into this activity for recovery by triathletes, who train for their event with swim workouts! Nine triathletes initially completed an interval run then either lay down to rest or swam 2,000 meters (40 lengths of a 50 meter pool). In addition to demonstrating better performance on a test run after recovery than triathletes who simply rested, those who swam were found to have lower blood levels of a marker of body inflammation 24 hours after that run. It’s crazy to think that active recovery will be difficult to master, when over the past months you have driven yourself to follow a tough training plan. But it might. To preserve your ability to get back on a training schedule for another run in the fall, plan and follow a smart recovery. RUN HAPPY! “7 Post-Race Recovery Tips by Kristin Gustafson for Active.com http://www.active.com/running/articles/7-post-race-recovery-tips “Re-thinking Recovery for Runners: Adopting A More Holistic Approach” by Amanda Loudin for Competitor.com http://running.competitor.com/2016/04/training/rethinking-recovery-runners-adopting-holistic-approach_147849 “What’s The Best Post Race Recovery Plan?” by Jenny Hadfield http://www.runnersworld.com/ask-coach-jenny/whats-the-best-postrace-recovery-plan “Faster After 40: Master Your Recovery” by Pete Magill http://running.competitor.com/2014/09/photos/fast-40-master-recovery_113985 “Want to Recovery Faster From Running? Try Swimming” by Matt Fitzgerald http://running.competitor.com/2014/05/recovery/swimming-for-post-run-recovery_22631 ![]() WEEK 18 HALF MARATHON 2018 TRAINING PLAN STARTS This is the very last week of the full plan. Congratulations to everyone who made it to this point or who ran their race yesterday, today, or the previous weekend. You committed to train for a long period of time, and persevered! YAY FOR YOU; WAY TO GO! If your race is this weekend, make final nutrition, gear, and travel preparations for the upcoming event and be sure to develop and follow a recovery plan. If you'd like to run instead of walking the day before the race, do so, but keep it short (20 minutes) and moderately intense, not race pace. Have fun and be confident. You can do this. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! FOR SOME, JUST WALKING AND RUNNING MOST DAYS of the week is the best that can be mentally and physically mustered to maintain fitness. The thought of adding floor exercises or weight training workouts is a turn-off. And scheduling complicated speed or interval drills would seem to require too much concentration and effort. Forget about cross training; a gym membership or purchase of additional equipment is likely to be necessary.
After all, a ‘pure’ running and/or walking routine without a strategy is our escape; it’ serves as a form of healthy and active relaxation. Complicating it with other forms of fitness work would turn it into, well, work. Needing to think while walking or running is the issue. We just want to ‘do’ our exercise, not plan and execute a set of maneuvers. Our lives are becoming increasingly stressful, and we definitely don’t want exercise to follow the same trajectory. The problem is that we may want to be getting something more from the ‘pure’ walk/run workout, as long as we are spending time at it. Each year, in spite of maintaining or even slightly increasing our ’pure’ effort, we seem to be losing ground. Perhaps putting on a few extra pounds, rounding off what was a defined muscular profile, or expanding the horizontal dimensions of torso, arms, and legs. Marc Lindsay, in an excellent article for Under Armor’s MyFitnessPal blog, “7 Walking Tips to Lose Weight Faster” is also providing simple tactics by which ‘pure’ walks or runs might be easily adjusted to build overall fitness, and assist with weight control. The tips are paraphrased below by Earned Runs: Add walks; more but shorter Be intense; include bursts of speed at regular intervals Perform hill work; don’t let geography stop you, use treadmill incline, stairs, ramps* Involve your upper body & core; pull elbows back Steps are important: set goals Decrease calories; a must if weight loss is a goal Bundle strength training into walks Lindsay’s piece is focused on weight loss and walkers, but contains elements of a plan that can lead to improved health, endurance, and strength for those who wish to maintain essentially ‘pure’ running and walking routines. Fully read his article to best understand the thoughtful advice. Runners can follow the same advice as is given to walkers, by adding distance/steps, increasing and varying speed in workouts, including hills/inclines, incorporating bodyweight moves, and engaging the upper body and core by pulling elbows back while moving. Mindfulness in calorie consumption is a must for every person who is no longer growing taller. Attempt to follow one tip/tactic at a time, except for the calorie intake part. Over this summer it should be easier to do than during the colder darker months. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *Ramps: don’t forget that a mall or building parking ramp can function as a wonderfully convenient hill. If the parking structure is covered, a ramp session will allow for a risk-free workout on rainy and especially stormy days. See the OH THE PLACES YOU”LL GO! page for more Earned Runs insights on locations to run, walk. https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/7-walking-tips-to-lose-weight-faster so THE CIGNA U.S. LONELINESS INDEX ‘Survey of 20,000 Americans Examining Behaviors Driving Loneliness in the United States’ reveals a side of us that we may be reluctant to acknowledge.
In a May 2018 report, the global health service (insurance) company described how, when it partnered with Ipsos (a research company) to conduct an online survey using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, it found that MOST AMERICANS WERE CONSIDERED LONELY! The introduction explained that Cigna regularly undertakes projects to evaluate specific aspects of health and wellbeing, with the intent “to identify any gaps in the health care system, and address emerging issues that affect the people we serve”. Loneliness was studied because it is a condition commonly shared by persons with mental health issues, “a consistent part of the pathology”. The report references a British publication which states that, “mental illness is now a leading cause of both sickness absence and incapacity benefits in most high-income countries”, with attendant “rising economic and social costs.” (from Lancet article) One in 6 Americans suffer from a mental health condition, the report says, making loneliness a potentially huge problem. Being lonely is more dangerous to health than obesity Cigna claims, with “the same impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day”. The research on which this statement was based is a 2015 meta-analytic review of the medical literature from 1980 to 2014. A meta-analysis attempts to analyze and collate the findings of other previously performed and published research work, which in this case resulted in the examination of 70 reports. The conclusion of the meta-analysis was that, similar to predictions of the current obesity epidemic 30 years ago, their findings warn of the future increased risk of mortality from loneliness and social isolation. And that these risks to health are “greater than that from obesity”. The following is an excerpt from the free downloaded PDF: “The study revealed:
The total average loneliness score for Americans, which could range from 20-80, was 44. A score of 43 and above was rated as LONELY in the Cigna survey, thus a higher score suggested a greater degree of loneliness and possibly social isolation. Roughly 54% of the national American population was considered to be lonely through this survey. In those who were lonelier, compared with those who were less lonely, certain traits emerged. The lonely had less in-person interactions. They thought their social skills /relationship statuses were not good, felt their overall and physical and mental health was fair to poor, and that their life had less balance, for example, when considering sleep (not having enough), work (not having the right amount). Among generations there were differences. The total average loneliness scores were: Gen Z (ages 18-22) 48.3; Millennials (ages 23-37) 45.3; Gen X (ages 38-51) 45.1, Boomers (ages 52-71) 42.4, Greatest (ages 72+) 38.6. There were other specific survey details that suggest the origins of loneliness, including:
Social media use was shown NOT to be a predictor of loneliness, however those who never used it (41.7) or were light users (42.6) were slightly less lonely than moderate (44.3) and heavy (44.5) users. Those who reported very heavy use were in the middle of the two groups. But all groups were in a fairly close range. It is possible that people who use social media to reach out to others may differ from those who passively check it. (NPR). There were geographic regional differences. Persons living in the Houston TX and Austin TX areas were loneliest (60% are considered to be lonely compared with 54% of the national population); younger and single people were lonelier than older and married. Those in Tampa FL were less likely (41%) to be lonely compared with the national population. Los Angeles CA, Orlando FL, Nashville TN, Phoenix AZ, Hartford CT, Baltimore MD, Denver CO, San Diego CA, and Memphis TN metropolitan areas were close to the national average. In each area, certain groups showed higher loneliness scores, often the young (18-34 years) and those with lower incomes (<$75,000 annually), and sometimes the unmarried. EARNED RUNS COMMENTS: If you would like to look at the UCLA Loneliness Survey to check out the types of questions asked, follow this link. Those already aware of the results most likely won’t be able to provide responses and score it honestly. I tried! Not wanting to see myself as lonely, I couldn’t help fudging answers in my favor. Of course, I scored well below 43. However, the attempt alerted me to that fact that social media might have influenced my perceptions. Possibly, awareness of what others post about doing allowed comparisons with my own situation that otherwise might not ever have been made. I’m a light user, but still am affected. Deeper reflection, while trying to avoid earning the ‘lonely’ label, forced me to recognize (and appreciate) the strong social connections that do exist in my life. And resolve to nourish them and create others. That being said, since Earned Runs is concerned with exercise and fitness it was interesting to learn that the survey showed spending too much time exercising pushed people toward loneliness. And not enough time, but to a lesser extent For many runners, their sport is their best “in-person” connection! They run in crews, clubs, and small packs. They involve their families and friends in races and race trips, and often reach out and invite others to join them. For others, running allows needed down time to be introspective and meditative; it helps their relationships. They are alone but not lonely when running. But there’s a risk of spending too much time running, exercising, and training alone, such that quality, unscheduled time spent relaxing and forming deeper relationships with others is minimal. I came to this realization about 2 years ago, that too much exercise time, especially JUST RUNNING, left me alone a lot. It was then that I decided to explore activities that involved others and that consumed less alone time. It led to the 2017 change in the Earned Runs’ blog ‘sign-off’ from “RUN HAPPY”, to “RUN & MOVE HAPPY” to allow for all different types of sport and fitness activities, including epic adventures, that could be enjoyed in the company of others. After reading about this survey and exploring information on the health risks of loneliness, it seems like my new direction fitness plan was a good but insufficient beginning; much more effort must be made to connect with others “in-person”. It’s scary to think that many Americans could be headed toward social isolation. Especially younger adults and students. And me. The results of the Cigna survey generated a good deal of self-examination. What unhealthy behaviors do I have that I can change now? How might I help lessen lonely feelings in others? And provided a caution to avoid assuming that people would not welcome attempts to be friendly. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTES: The article on loneliness as a risk factor for mortality is not extensively discussed here, but it supports scientific work that is warning of the dangers.(Click on the link "Download PDF" to access the entire article). Other research (only studying men) reveals the flip side, that strong social relationships contribute significantly to happiness. The Earned Runs SUMMER “BUDDY-UP” CHALLENGE V was introduced in a blog post Wednesday May 9, 2018 in response to these findings. Check it out. https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8294451-cigna-us-loneliness-survey/docs/IndexReport_1524069371598-173525450.pdf http://fetzer.org/sites/default/files/images/stories/pdf/selfmeasures/Self_Measures_for_Loneliness_and_Interpersonal_Problems_VERSION_3_UCLA_LONELINESS.pdf https://www.cigna.com https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/about-us https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/01/606588504/americans-are-a-lonely-lot-and-young-people-bear-the-heaviest-burden https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(17)30372-3/fulltext?code=lancet-site https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/mental-health-and-employment-much-work-still-to-be-done/24E945B3962556FAF66F2FAC22FD1B0F https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19252144?dopt=Abstract https://medium.com/thrive-global/this-75-year-harvard-study-reveals-the-secret-to-happiness-and-success-3cf0002510fe (Click on the "Download PDF" to read the entire article) http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691614568352 THE SOON TO BE RELEASED ADIDAS SOLAR BOOST shoe, which will launch in select U.S. stores on May 17 and globally on June 1, was based on an idea that “everyone can be an athlete, and should be treated as such with the gear they train in daily”. That’s according to an article from Running.Competitor.com by Rebecca Warren, “Adidas Solar BOOST Deliver a Holistic Running Experience.” Warren trialed this new footwear and provides her review in the article.
It seems one of the shoe’s designers. Marius Jung, restored a skewed work-life balance by taking up running and training with a group at Adidias. On the way to increasing fitness, confidence in himself improved in every aspect of life. And Jung’s life “realization” became part of the shoe’s life story. The idea is that the shoes can “encourage regular running by fostering a reliably good ride every time” they are laced up. The sun, “as the source of all energy”, inspired the name; it is hoped the shoes performance will lead to amazing runs that inspire confidence and creativity in all wearers. Cool Solar BOOST fact: the blue and orange hues of the shoe were inspired by the “transformative light cast by the sun during dawn and dusk hours”. Inspiration appears to be the overall theme. One dictionary defines the word as the “process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something”; another says inspiration is a feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something”. Mostly this is in the area of creativity, but as Jung learned, athletic inspiration and confidence can spread to other areas of life. The Adidas shoe designers’ thinking is very much in line with Earned Runs philosophy that if you train you’re an athlete. That ordinary people can be transformed, by committing to physical challenges and training to reach reasonable fitness goals, into athletes. Not everyone sees themselves in this way, but some yearn to achieve athlete status, not knowing how. Adidas says it has a shoe and Earned Runs says it has a bib for that purpose. Hopefully either one or both can provide the “boost” that assists with transforming everyday people into confident athletes. Check out the Warren article for more insights into the Solar BOOST construction and performance features. RUN & MOVE HAP http://running.competitor.com/2018/05/shoes-and-gear/adidas-delivers-a-holistic-running-experience_170775 https://www.adidas.com/us/solar THE SCIENCE FRIDAY POST THIS WEEK, May 11, will highlight findings of a survey by the Cigna Health Insurance company which sought to measure the level of loneliness across the USA. The results were unexpected.
Many, including me, would think that the most socially isolated and lonely persons would be older, above the age of 71. After all, if they once had had children, a spouse or partner, a job, and a social circle, wouldn’t a person of this age now be further removed from such supportive relationships? With retirement, health issues, losses of friends and family, children who live far away etc., they would be feeling more alone, it seemed likely. Not so. Persons aged 72+ age generally didn’t consider themselves lonely. The groups identified in the Cigna survey as feeling most lonely was aged 18-22 years, then 23-37 years. Astonishing! These are the years ‘kids’ would be in college, graduate school, or fresh jobs, sparkly-eyed and eager to be a force for good in a better world. Younger generations represent the promise of a brighter future. What does this mean for the future? The survey sited lack of ‘in-person’ contact as a major factor, and research has shown that lack of social connection is a health determinant, increasing the risk of premature death, even in youth. The SCIENCE FRIDAY post will discuss this topic in more depth. In response, Earned Runs is planning to introduce a SUMMER CHALLENGE V FOR 2018, hoping to bring exercising people into closer contact with one another. To encourage “buddying-up,” either in person (or on the phone), both to enable in-depth conversations and bolster functional fitness. Whether feeling lonely or not, motivation to reach out and connect with others while performing less than intense exercise might include maintaining your own sense of connectedness. Or improving that of others you care about, especially if they are in the younger age groups. The Summer “Buddy-Up” Challenge V plan would be to request a set of bibs and “buddy-up” stickers. All season long, the goal would be to replace at least one weekly solo exercise session with one performed alongside, or on the phone in conversation, another person, a buddy. The only situation in which the phone conversation will work well might may be on a brisk walk. I know, because I do this with my daughter and with friends. We agree that each will get out and walk when possible, when the other person calls. It may take up the time formerly reserved for a solo session (running, strength building, stretching, etc.) but it is an opportunity to connect in person. Buddy exercising at home or work can represent a big logistical challenge, especially if on the spur of the moment you plan to hop out of a cubicle and locate a suitable path/route/area for a workout. A 10+ minute exercise session might be accomplished by going up and down flights of stairs in a building with multiple floors. Or walking around the building perimeter, if there’s an available sidewalk. In years past for solo fitness breaks I would walk up and down the corridors of other departments in our building or between campus buildings to go to meetings, or use our conference room to get in a few planks. At home in good weather it’s easy to head out of doors. With a buddy, these breaks could be more difficult to arrange. This challenge won’t be easy socially. It will require reaching out to another person and asking them to share a common goal. Possibly to be inconvenienced for the sake of bolstering a relationship. If you are the person taking on the “Buddy-Up” Challenge, you can invite several people, each having to connect while walking or exercising only occasionally, for example, once a month. However, the person doing the asking will appear to be the lonelier, needier one, even though the opposite may be true. The SUMMER ‘BUDDY-UP’ CHALLENGE V will involve recording each “Buddy-Up” experience on an Earned Runs bib. By the end of the summer, 15 weeks from Memorial Day to Labor Day, there will be at least 15 marks representing 15 efforts made to connect “in-person” with others. If notations and details about each effort are also recorded, the bib can serve as a log of fond summer memories. The “Buddy-Up” challenge is a first-time trial attempt by Earned Runs. It may not help generate ‘in-person” interaction as intended, but it is worth a try. Some researchers are predicting an epidemic of loneliness that will have detrimental health effects. That youth seem to be at greatest risk is alarming. Your comments and suggestions on how to make this an effective challenge are welcome. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! |
BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device. AuthorEARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder. In 1978 I began participating in 10K road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology. I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health and longevity. Archives
November 2023
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