Senator Blather explains how bailouts of bad mortgages have been a great success

Transcript of Q & A Interview With Senator Blather

Published: March 31, 2009

Following is a transcript of an interview by Schlemuel Blather and Obuntu Blather of The New Dork Times with Senator Billy Jo Blather, conducted on Monday at his office on Capitol Hill. A few of the questions have been edited for brevity and clarity, and extraneous material omitted.

Q: Senator Blather, people are wondering why the new Blather Economic Recovery Program branch of the federal government, recently gave a 350 billion dollar bailout to Blather Investments Company.

A: Senator Billy Jo Blather:

Thar was a problem wif one million of th' houses thet Blather Investments compenny bought fum Blather House Construckshun Compenny fo' 300,000 dollars etch, fo' a total of 300 billion dollars.

Blather Investments allowed cestomers t'live in th' one million houses it bought fum Blather Home Construckshun Compenny while grajoolly payin' th' cost of th' house they lived in t'Blather Investments, up until th' point whar they owned th' house they lived in.

Q: Sounds like Blather Investments took a big risk because it had a heart for Americans and wanted to help them to achieve the American dream of home ownership.

A: Senator Blather:

Thet's right. But t'git back t'th' point:

Th' problem is, thet these cestomers in these problem houses, only paid Blather Investments 100 billion on th' houses thet were wo'th 300 billion, c'd not keep up th' payments, an' Blather Investments had t'kick them out.

At th' same time as th' economah declined, th' value of th' one million houses declined fum 300 billion t'150 billion.

This hyar created a nashunal crisis on account o' as a result of th' economic revahsals, Blather Investments no longer had inough money t'buy houses an' then let cestomers live in them while grajoolly buyin' th' house fum Blather Investments through monthly payments.

Th' effeck on th' nashunal economah was sumpin like money vanishin' into a black hole in space. Sumpin had t'be done an' done quickly wifout excessive delay an' deliberashun.

Q: Senator Blather, we all deeply admire and appreciate your kind involvement in courageously taking the risks required in order to help American families to have a chance to live in houses while gradually buying the houses from Blather Investments Company through monthly payments.

A: Senator Blather:

It is true thet as a Christian juntleman, Ah seek t'lead a horspitable Christian life.

Ennyway, gittin' back t'th' issue at han', Blather Investments Compenny was stuck wif th' houses thet it bought fum Blather House Construckshun fo' 300 billion dollars, which were now wo'th only 150 billion dollars, an' Blather Investments c'd colleck only 100 billion dollars fum th' cestomers who c'd not keep up th' payments.

As a result a nashunal crisis developed wharin Blather Investments Compenny was not able t'sarve th' American public by buyin' houses fo' them, lettin' them stay in th' houses an' grajoolly buy th' houses through monthly payments.

An' so th' govment through mah intervenshun, gave a 350 billion dollar bailout t'Blather Investments Compenny, so as t'resto'e liquidity t'th' mo'tgage securities market, so we c'd git back t'th' fine old days when Blather Investments Compenny was able t'buy houses, an' allow American moms an' Paws an' kids t'live in th' houses while grajoolly buyin' th' houses fum Blather Investments Compenny.

Th' 350 billion bailout included 150 billion fo' th' loss in value of th' million homes, plus 200 billion fo' 200 billion th' cestomers owed on th' houses but did not pay befo'e they were evicked.

Q: Blather Investments Company being back in the ball game when it comes to being able to give Americans equal opportunity for home ownership, is apparently, good news for America.

A: Senator Blather:

Co'reck. Blather Investments Compenny now feels reassured thet when Blather Investments Compenny repeats th' process an' buys another million houses fum Blather Home Construckshun Compenny, when th' cestomers is agin unable t'keep up th' payments, th' govment will step in agin t'bail out Blather Investments Compenny. An' so Blather Investments Compenny feels inclined t'repeat th' process, fine news fo' th' American dream of home ownyship.

Q: Looking at Blather Investments Company and Blather Home Construction Company put together, they started out with 300 billion dollars. But after all was said and done, after the bailout they ended up with 700 billion. Looks like the Blather Companies got properly rewarded for taking the dangerous risks that have to be taken if Americans are to be given the opportunity of home ownership.

A: Senator Blather:

Th' reward was not pow'ful good 'nuff t'compenate th' juntlemen at th' Blather companies fo' all they went through due t'th' crisis, but yer basically co'reck.

It's a risky business, tryin' t'brin' th' oppo'tunity fo' home ownyship t'pitiable persecuted groups sech as th' negroes, th' homosexuals, an' th' chosen varmints, th' Jews who is dexcendants of th' Jews who rejecked Jesus Christ.

Q: Can you explain to us how the Blather companies showed that they have not just heart but also great minds, by turning the 300 billion they started out with into 750 billion, despite the financial downturn that inflicted such undeserved hard luck on the Blather companies?

A: Senator Blather:

Of th' 300 billion paid t'Blather Home Construckshun by Blather Investments fo' th' one million houses, Blather Home Construckshun kepp 50 billion as profits, paid out 50 billion in wages an' expenses t'subsidiaries of Blather compenny, an' paid out 200 billion t'folks outside th' Blather o'ganizashun, fo' makin' th' homes. Th' folks outside th' Blather o'ganizashun then corntributed 50 billion dollars t'th' Blather o'ganizashun. Th' liberals called this hyar a quote kickback unquote, but we call it loyalty t'th' Blather o'ganizashun.

Thet's 50 billion fo' Blather Home Construckshun, an' 50 billion fo' th' Blather subsidiaries, an' 50 billion in contribushuns.

Plus th' one million houses thet started out valued at 300 thousan' etch but haf fallen in value t'150 thousan' etch, thet is now owned by Blather Investments, thet is t'other 150 billion.

Plus thar is th' 100 billion we took in through th' payments made t'us by th' cestomers who eventually got evicked on account o' they c'd not keep up wif th' payments.

Plus thar is th' 350 billion bailout fum th' US govment's Blather Economic Recovery Program, dawgone it.

So th' assets of Blather Investment Compenny an' Blather House Construckshun Compenny togither is now 50 + 50 + 50 + 150 + 100 + 350 = 750 billion, wharas befo'e th' problems an' th' bailouts th' assets were only 300 billion.

This hyar is not countin' th' fack thet menny hard wawkin' folks outside of th' Blather fambly, took in 200 billion thet was paid out t'build th' houses. These hard-wawkin' folks were paid fine, is gittin' use t'doin' business wif th' Blather companies an' kin be counted on t'suppo't us in th' future.

Q: The Blather companies got a little less than they deserved for the risks that they courageously took upon themselves in order to be able to bring Americans the opportunity to live in houses while gradually buying them through monthly payments.

A: Senator Blather:

Right y'are. An' whut is even better, th' Blather companies kin now repeat th' process thanks t'th' bailout fum th' US govment's Blather Economic Recovery Program.

Varmints who complain about th' economic decline in America sho't-sightedly fail t'unnerstan' thet th' decline has led t'wonnerful thin's happenin' sech as th' bailoutta th' Blather investment companies. They fail t'unnerstan' thet corntinued decline will lead t'more sech wonnerful bailout type happenin's.

Q: Senator Blather, why is it that the Blather Investment Company received a bailout, but several other companies who encountered similar problems did not?

A: Senator Blather:

Th' companies thet did not receive bailouts, had a histo'y of politically opposin' me. They had t'be punished so as t'larn them a lesson, so thet in th' future, they will larn t'gimme th' political suppo't thet Ah need.

Q: it seems like an absurd idea, that companies that have opposed you in the past, should get bailouts from the US government's Blather Economic Recovery Program, which would not exist were it not for your hard work.

A: Senator Blather:

Exackly. Whut in tarnation yo' say seems t'be an absurdity, is indeed an absurdity.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

68 minute 5-mile run, March 29, new personal record, using quick long paces style

Friday March 27, I felt like I was coming down with a cold after the run in the rain the previous day. Saturday March 28, I got absorbed in studying the economy and did not run.

Sunday March 29:

I left the footwear as it was during the previous runs of March 26, 25, & 24. Footwear advice I gave to myself after the previous run March 26, was that the advice is the same as described after the March 25 run (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-5-mile-run-march-25-using.html ).

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot/leg: some relatively mild pain in front outside muscle of right lower leg, in second halfs of miles 2 and 4, which were walked.

Right foot/leg: Nothing significant.

Seems this continues the pattern wherein if the footwear is left the same as it was the previous run, there is improvement in terms of pain in arch of foot and lower leg.

Sunday March 29:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). Style used: C, long & quick paces, stopping to record split-times (I had scheduled myself to use style F, long & quick paces not stopping to record split-times).

Time after 5th mile: 67:55 (102:00 - 34:05 subtracted for break-times = 67:55).

Pauses were due to: having to retreat indoors to pee, get a towel (it was raining during miles 3 and 4), get another sweatshirt after the first sweatshirt became wet; removal of layers of clothing; recording of split times & pains; tying shoes & sweatpant waistband.

For the entire 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky
Far is our distance per unit of time
(NEW) Our greatness of speed is famed in rhyme
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

Before going out to run, for this first time since starting the running project that these runs are part of in Nov 2008, I stretched my legs using various stretching exercises. I did not walk around as a way of loosening up before starting the run.

Mile split times recorded: March 29 style A (long quick paces, pauses to rec split times), March 19 style E (long paces with pauses to rec split times, the day previous personal record set):

1st, run: 13:58, 15:27
2nd, walked: 13:03, 13:15
3rd, run: 13:57, 14:59
4th, walked: 12:57, 13:22
5th, run: 14:00, 14:32

Comparing March 29 to March 19, the run times declined much more than the walked times. March 15, I started tinkering around with a rotation involving different styles of running because I was frustrated by the lack of improvement in the run miles.

The amount of break-time was high at 33 minutes. But the first mile was my fastest ever since I returned to practicing long distance running in November 2008; there were only 3 minutes break-time in between the 4th and the 5th mile which was run in 14:00, 32 seconds faster than my previous fastest mile ever (not counting my fast miles of years ago); I did not feel as if the breaks had speeded me up.

Footwear in Left shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
16 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
8 layers m-wrap pad under middle & index toes +
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Footwear in Right shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 40 degrees with wind at avg 1 mph, rain at avg 0.1 inches per hour during the run (5th mile completed at 1:06 AM 3/27):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=29&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 )

'Twas a night-time run.

It was not raining when I started the run. I started wearing the lighter gray sweatshirt, long sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, sweatpants, shorts, underwear, gloves, baseball hat.

This was too warm. After the first half-mile, I removed the baseball hat, and gloves. After the 2nd mile I removed the long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material. For mile 4 that was walked, I put on a sweatshirt.

I ran miles 3 & 5 wearing only a t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, sweatpants, shorts, underpants; for mile 4 which was walked I added the heavier black sweatshirt. This was about right for the avg 0.04 inches-per-hour rainfall rate in the 41 degrees 3 mph wind in the night-time; but for the 6th mile walked at a leisurely pace, I put on the sweatshirt; I would have been too cold walking the 6th mile at a slow pace without the sweatshirt.

Advice to myself for the next run fotwear-wise: Same as that listed in the March 25 post (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-5-mile-run-march-25-using.html )

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run the next run, using style "A Medium-length-paced, emphasis on paces per minute, pauses to note split-times".

Chant to use:

'Great is our speed as we streamline the sky,
Many are our steps per unit of time,
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

Running tactics/strategy

The previous run March 26, was according to my post-run notes, "my biggest step backwards in a long time". Strangely enough, this run was my biggest step forwards in a long time.

Possible causes of the superior performance March 29: stretching the legs before the run--for the first time since I got back into running around November 2008 I stretched my legs the way I was taught to in high school; two days of rest prior the day of the run; the new line added to the chant.

Looking at the improvement from March 19 when I set a personal record of 71:35 to March 29 when I set a personal record of 67:55, I will be at my goal of 55.2 minutes for the five miles, around May 8. This indicates an acceleration in the rate of improvement.

The rate of improvement March 29 to March 19 was about five times better than what 10k runners consider to be an excellent rate of improvement.

Things have not been what they have seemed to have been: the last few days, I felt as if I had stagnated and was not going to get any faster, but the rate of improvement March 19-29 turned out to be good; March 29 running using a high rate of steps per minute I did not feel like I was going as fast as I actually was.

Possible tactical innovation: stop every half mile for a four minute break, as a way of teaching the body to get out of the habit of running at a slow pace and to develop the habit of running at a faster pace.

Reasonable economic concepts contradict the bail-out the free-trading pirate ship approach

Apparently what we have now in the United States, is a free-trading government's money being used to 'bail out' organizations that have lost money, on the grounds that such is necessary in order to save the economy.

What comes to mind--pirates on ships, employed to transfer products that could have been made a mile from the point of sale thousands of miles to the point of sale, attempting to save their ships which are leaking the fuel required for propulsion, by pouring more fuel into the engines that have developed leaking holes, as opposed to patching up the leaking holes in the engines.

Several real or potential problems with the current government approach come to mind.

Investors can lose money without any loss being incurred to the economy as a whole; investors can lose money as a result simply of realism being restored to a situation featuring overvalued assets.

Such types of losses do not involve money disappearing into a black hole in space and do not warrant hysterical over-reaction as if the money had indeed vanished into thin air.

Investors can lose their money with the result that the money they once had falls into the hands of other persons in the economy. In such cases, the argument that money should of course be obtained indirectly from the taxpayers through govt borrowing and govt printing of money, to use on 'Economic Recovery' govt spending programs, as if the money had somehow vanished into some kind of black-hole, does not hold water--because the money has not vanished from the economy, but, rather, has changed hands.

If the money has simply changed hands, one has to wonder: if the goal is to restore lending, borrowing, sales, and purchases to a high level would'nt the economically and governmentally efficient thing to do be to encourage and motivate those who now have the money to use it in ways that promote lending, borrowing, sales, and purchases?

I now (off-the-bat, see the useful CNN piece at http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/storysupplement/bailout_scorecard/ ) estimate that about a third of the 2.6 trillion dollars the US has spent so far since 2007 on unusual 'Economic Recovery Programs', about 900 billion dollars, has been spent 'bailing out' institutions that directly or indirectly lost money by providing mortages to persons who could not repay the mortgages.

In simple terms, they bought houses from house-builders, allowed persons to live in the houses and gradually pay them back the value of the house plus interest; then the persons living in the houses were unable to make the payments.

Thus we ended up with not the money disappearing into a black hole in space, but rather with the homebuilders having the money, and the investors having the houses, which via application of their famous imaginative-investor abilities, they can use to make money with after they kick out those who were unable to keep up with the mortgage payments.

One has to ask why this should result in a crisis atmosphere, as if the money disappeared into a black hole in space, requiring massive govt intervention to bail out the investors who lost money.

Given that govt expenditures are famed for being susceptible to corruption, it is incomprehensible that the govt should spend money restoring the fortunes of the investors who lost money betting on mortgage-backed-securities (polite language, 'hard-to-sell securities', much more common impolite term, 'toxic securities'), without being careful with regards to possible collusion between the investors and the homebuilders.

Various scenarios come to mind in which there is no actual loss to the economy, when overvalued assets become valued at a realistic level.

For example: investors mistakenly bet that some company will fail, but it does not; investors foolishly bet some company will succeed but it fails; investors bet that some commodity will rise in value but it falls in value; investors bet some commodity will fall in value but it rises in value; investors believe some loan will be repaid but it is not; investors believe insuring risks for others will pay off but lose the gamble; persons insured think they have insurance but lo and behold the insuring party cannot make good on its promises.

These situations can result in reduced consumer confidence and reduced investor confidence, resulting in macro-economic weakness. However, it is irrational to assume that consumer overconfidence and investor overconfidence is of course a good thing or that 'bailing out' those whose overvalued investments have become realistically valued is the optimum approach to restore health to the economy.

Tough-love conservative types used to opine that foolish men who build their houses in an improper place, lose their houses, and then find themselves without the insurance they thought they had experiencing loss and suffering, whereas those who wisely choose the location of the house they build experiencing joy, is just a natural part of life and promotes the general economic health.

Consumer overconfidence does not promote the investments and savings that are needed to produce economic growth. Consumers cutting back on spending may mean reduced sales and incomes for some people for some time; but it also means increased incomes for those involved in new added production via the use of the money that is saved.

The free-trade hyper-enthusiasts have been repeating the no-pain no-gain bodybuilding mantra (in part addressed to the gullible mentally inactive ignorant types who worship their own biceps): "free trade will cause painful adjustments, retraining of the work force, but in the end everything will be better".

Yet somehow they forget this mantra when it comes to domestic trade--a philosophical inconsistency similar to the inconsistency wherein by way of some kind of magic trade that crosses a national border is far superior to trade that does not.

When overconfident persons build up organizations featuring unrealistically high valuation of assets, and then their dreams come crashing down to earth and the overvalued assets become realistically valued--govt responding to this by intervening to restore the value of the overvalued assets to an unrealistically high level, could end up at best having no positive impact.

Such government intervention encourages overconfident or fraudulent persons to build up organizations whose assets are overvalued, because they are confident that when the assets become valued at a realistic level as opposed to overvalued, The government will step in to restore the value of the assets to a realistic level.

One has to wonder, what will happen when persons have become used to being overconfident because they think Uncle Sam will bail them out, and then lo and behold Uncle Sam cannot bail them out because nobody will loan money to Uncle Sam and Uncle Sam's money-printing-press has so to speak run out of ink? Conservatives historically have enjoyed pointing out how dependence on government leads to bad habits.

Thus you have (overconfident?) persons spending their time energy and money in complicated schemes designed to produce, or that unintentionally produce, overvalued assets which are then restored to their normal level when the assets come down to a realistic value; if the stakes are high enough the persons involved in such could be persons of superior competence.

Problem is, persons of superior competence putting their time and energy into such fraudulent or overconfident schemes is a waste compared to other ways in which the time and energy of especially competent persons can be used.

What you end up with is a transfer of resources from (humble, not overconfident?) persons who make real actual contributions to the economy by working in organizations whose assets IN REALITY rise from a low value to a high value, to (overconfident?) persons who do not in reality add to the economy through their production of assets that are unrealistically overvalued. This discourages and penalizes those who make actual contributions to the economy by way of participation in organizations whose assets increase in real actual value.

Efficient allocation of resources, involves money being put into activities that produce actual additions to the economy and thus reward the prduent investors. Efficient allocation of resources, does not involve, overconfident investors putting money into fruitless activities that produce no addition to the economy and thus also losses for investors.
Bailing out foolish investors combined with taxing wise investors, does not promote efficient allocation of resources.

Even if bailouts improve things to some extent, one has to ask, what would be the result if the trillions of dollars were used in other different ways? If you could get ten times better results using the trillions in other different ways, the fact that the bailouts accomplish a little, is meaningless.

Money spent on 'Economic Recovery' that is spent on activities which promote the replacement of imports with domestic production, can be expected to improve the US economic situation. Money that is spent on 'Economic Recovery' that does not promote import replacement can be expected to at best cause no harm.

This declared without malice for our friends in foreign lands; perhaps one day we will be friends in some world in which friendships are not disrupted by national economic policy controversies.

When every nation takes care of itself, and has a strong national economy going, you have the basis for lasting international trade pathways that improve the health of the world's economy.

Some nations can produce certain goods and services at relatively high costs of production. Other nations produce certain goods and services at relatively low costs of production. The world's economy is optimized when a given good or service is produced not just in the nations where such are produced most cheaply, but rather, in the nations where they are produced cheaply and ALSO in the nations where they are produced expensively.

When the goods and services in question are produced in both types of nations, the world's overall possession of goods and services exceeds the world's possession of goods and services when goods and services are produces only in the nations where they are most cheaply produced.

Whereas with the current momentum in the direction of producing goods and services only in the nations where such are most cheaply produced, there is a high level of unemployment and underemployment in the world, featuring persons not involved in productive activity, when the goods and services are produced in both nations where such are expensive to produce and ALSO in nations where such are inexpensive to produce, there is employment, persons involved in productive activity.

A prosperous, employed world is in a better position to achieve flourishing international trade compared to a poor unemployed world, because the prosperous and productive can buy and sell whereas the poor and undproductive cannot.

The hyper-enthusiasm re international trade involves the inefficiency of goods that could have been made a mile from the point of sale being produced thousands of miles away from the point of sale and then transported.

The fact that a strong imagination can invent situations where the restriction of trade becomes absurd and harmful to all parties involved, does not disprove these points.

When trade involving goods and services that do not need to be internationally traded is de-emphasized, the result is a beneficial emphasis on trade in goods and services which is necessary.

I do not mean to be excessively harsh with unfortunate persons who have lost money due to investments. There should be a safety net allowing for such persons to have the basics of life at a level similar to those who get SSI and SDI because of some disability.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

75 minute 5-mile run in rain, March 26, using long paces style

Thursday March 26:

I left the footwear as it was during the previous run March 25 and March 24. Footwear advice I gave to myself after the previous run (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-5-mile-run-march-25-using.html ).

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot/leg: some relatively mild pain in arch of foot 2nd half of 2nd mile; some relatively mild pain in right lower front outside leg muscle, in last quarter of 4th mile (walked mile)

Right foot/leg: some relatively mild pain in arch of foot 2nd half of 2nd mile;

Yet again the pattern wherein if the footwear is left the same as it was the previous run, there is significant improvement in terms of pain in arch of foot and lower leg.

Thursday March 26:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). Style used: E, long-paces, stopping to record split-times

Time after 5th mile: 75:00 (111:02 - 36:02 subtracted for break-times = 75:00).

Pauses were due to: having to retreat indoors to change clothing due to rain & lack of preparedness for rain; recording split-times in car due to rain; tying shoes (on last mile, shoelaces in left foot came completely undone twice); taking notes re pains, clothes, rain etc.

For the entire 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky
Far is our distance per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

No walk/stretch before run.

Mile split times recorded: March 26 style E (long paces pauses to rec split times), March 22 style B (long paces no pauses to rec split times),

1st, run: 16:00, 15:15
2nd, walked: 13:41 mild pain, 13:22 IN PAIN
3rd, run: 16:02, 15:05
4th, walked: 14:05, 13:40 pain
5th, run: 15:12, 14:54

Footwear in Left shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
16 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
8 layers m-wrap pad under middle & index toes +
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Footwear in Right shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 40 degrees with wind at avg 1 mph, rain at avg 0.1 inches per hour during the run (5th mile completed at 1:06 AM 3/27):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=26&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 )

'Twas a night-time run.

Started wearing brown waist length spring/fall-weather-type jacket, long sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, sweatpants, shorts, underwear, gloves, wool winter-type hat, in light rain conditions.

This was too warm and inappropriate for rain conditions. After the first mile I returned indoors. I removed the long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material, the sleeveless t-shirt, the wool hat. I put on a baseball hat. I took off the gloves. I found a towel and my car key and took them outdoors. Rest of the run I took the notes between miles in the car, kept pens note-card discarded clothes etc in the car.

I ran/walked miles 2 to 5 wearing only the brown fall/spring-type-jacket, a t-shirt, baseball cap, visibility vest, sweatpants, shorts, underpants. This was about right for the 0.10 inches-per-hour rainfall rate in the 40 degrees 1 mph wind in the night-time; except, in the 5th mile my hands felt cold. I skipped the walked sixth mile because of the rain.

Advice to myself for the next run fotwear-wise: Same as that listed previous run (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-5-mile-run-march-25-using.html )

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run using style "F Double-emphasis on long-length-paces AND paces-per-minute, no pauses to note split times".

Chant to use:

'Maxed/long are our strides as we streamline the sky,
Many are our steps per unit of time,
(NEW LINE) the greatness of our speed is famed in rhyme
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

The new line in the chant is based on the realization that the chants for the other styles of running contain lines asserting a high speed, whereas the chant for this style of running up till now has not contained this line.

Running tactics/strategy

The performance was my biggest step backwards in a long time.

Compared to March 22 run in a similar style, March 26 in the rain was 4% slower. This tells me that a run in the rain is a good workout even if it is slower than a run in dry conditions. Similarly a run in pain produces a workout only about 5% slower than a normal workout. Rain rhymes with pain.

Reminds me of a rhyme my mom taught me when I was a child, when the rain would pour down on our little bungalow:

Rain, rain, go to spain
come again another day

Those were carefree days featuring long relaxing rains and an OK relationship with a mother, days I'd get sentimental about if given to sentimentalism. I modify the rhyme into a new one:

Rain, rain and pain, pain
Can't wreck my running day

Possible culprits for the slow speed: rainfall, water-logged baseball hat, water-logged brown jacket, limeade I drank before starting; drinking less coffee than usual before starting; not eating before starting; length of pace becoming so long as to slow down speed.

The brown-jacket is much heavier than: sweatshirts, & the long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material. It has two layers an insulation layer and an outer layer, I expected it to do a better job than sweatshirts of keeping out the rain and it did.

The rain sort of put me to sleep (I find rain to be relaxing).

I have never consumed my home-made limeade (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/david-virgils-lime-sports-drink-1.html ) prior to running up till today when I had 20 oz before starting the run. Before the run I had an unusual version: 4 small organic limes; the fruit of the lime cut out & put in the blender (the limes created little juice), 5 magnesium pills (magnesium emphasis this time), 6 potassium pills, 4 coral calcium pills. This limeade was bitter tasting, too bitter tasting for my taste. The little pieces of the lime's outer skin, and the little pieces of the white connective tissue inside the lime, produce a bitter taste.

Prior to this I tried a calcium emphasis limeade: 40 oz water, 3 'normal' limes, 8 coral calcium pills, 3 magnesium pills, 6 potassium pills. When I first drank this limeade, I had a nightmare when I fell asleep after drinking it. But after a day or two in the frig, this limeade tasted great.

The first version of the limeade was: 40 oz water, 3 'normal' limes, 6 coral calcium pills, 3 magnesium pills. After I drank this limeade, I had a pleasant dream, opposite of a nightmare.

@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

74 minute 5-mile run, March 25, using quick paces style

Wednesday March 25:

I left the footwear as it was during the previous run March 24. Footwear advice I gave to myself after the previous run:

To allow for flexibility in padding, build 4 m-wrap layer pads for: both heels, both balls of feet, and left big toe. Adjust padding so that the heels are not so high that the result is pain in the lower legs; adjust padding so that the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding on top of the molding lightweight insole under the balls of the feet, do not exceed the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding under the heels on top of the same insole, by more than 12 m-wrap layers (because: when the difference between m-wrap-layer-thickness under ball of the foot & m-wrap-layer-thickness under the heel is 16 m-wrap layers, there is pain in the arch of the foot; when the difference is 8 m-wrap-layers there is not pain in the arch of the foot). Or make no change wait to see if there is a natural adjustment, and 'tough it out' (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-painful-5-mile-run-using-long.html ).

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot/leg: mile 1, some pain in heel; mile 2 some pain in calf, not as bad as March 24.

Right foot/leg: mile 2, some pain in right lower leg front-outside muscle, not as bad as March 24; mile 3, some pain in right big toe; mile 4 some pain in right lower leg front-outside muscle during last 50 yds of mile, better than March 24; mile 5, some pain in right big toe.

There appear to still be impact-pain problems using certain styles of running. As a result I now tend to see the wise course to be just patiently wait for the feet/legs to get used to increased padding, as opposed to reductions in padding.

Again I see the pattern wherein if the footwear is left the same as it was the previous run, there is significant improvement in terms of pain in arch of foot and lower leg. Yet these pains do not completely vanish simply because the footwear has been left the same for two days in a row.

Wednesday March 25:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). My intent was to use style D, which is short quick paces not stopping to record split times, but for a few reasons, in reality I ended up not minimizing the breaks between miles.

Time after 5th mile: 74:00 (96:02 - 22:02 subtracted for break-times = 74:00).

Pauses were due to: having to return indoors to apply hydrocortisone cream to thighs (8 mins) (rubbing against shorts/underwear problem), recuperation from pain, recording of pain-problems, removing excess layers clothing, tying shoes, tightening sweatpants, talking with, yet again, police (7 mins).

The two cops in the two cop cars came by as I ended the fourth mile and was about to start the fifth mile, because some nervous resident had called them, because they had seen me walking around. The cop said that there was nervousness in the area due to break-ins into cars.

Both policemen were white, about six feet tall, clean-shaven, black haired. One of them reminded me of Roger Moore, the actor who used to play James Bond in the movies. The other one looked like you could cast him in a movie as a Mafia hit-man.

I was thinking to myself: how did this Roger Moore type end up being a Waltham Policeman?...there are these cool-looking people, the type you'd like to become acquainted with; problem is that as it turns out they are cops and it is hard to be friends with cops.

Aside from the stress of the fear of getting into trouble, I estimate that I tend to like being around cops because their infectious good cheer and energy seems to sort of rub off on me.

Cops have advantages over people. There is camaraderie to their work. Their work is not filled with as much mental stress and drudgery as alot of people's work. They are relatively well paid. They avoid drugs and alcoholism. They are physically fit.

And so to me it seems they have this infectious energetic good cheer which is a result of the advantages they enjoy over us mere mortals; I suspect their energetic good cheer infects me.

I ran the mile after talking with the cops in only 15:02, a good time, maybe my best time ever for running a mile using the short quick steps style, outdoors on the hilly uneven concrete-type-surface.

At the same time there is the problem that friendship with police, frightens the population, because unfortunately (cops may not be to blame for this who knows), the laws are such that unreasonably cruel and unusual punishments are being inflicted on persons for minor offenses.

For the entire 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Great is our speed as we streamline the sky
Many are our steps per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

I did not walk or stretch before starting the run.

Mile split times recorded: March 25 style A, March 21 style A, March 18 style D (style A & D both use shorter, quick paces)

1st, run: 15:23, 15:15, 15:05
2nd, walked: 14:12, 14:50, 14:15
3rd, run: 15:23, 15:26 15:47
4th, walked: 14:00, 14:05, 14:23
5th, run: 15:02, 15:12, 15:40

Notice the pattern & get a point on your IQ test score.

The pattern is, that for miles two to five, the times were better March 25 compared to March 21 or March 18.

Footwear in Left shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

NEW 8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
16 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
8 layers m-wrap pad under middle & index toes +
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Footwear in Right shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

NEW 8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 35 degrees with wind at avg 0 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 12:11 AM 3/26):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=25&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 )

'Twas a night-time run.

The gray lightweight sweatshirt, long-sleeved collar-less sportshirt made of t-shirt-type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility-vest, sweatpants, shorts, gloves, and wool winter hat were too warm.

After the first mile I removed the sweatshirt, gloves, & wool winter hat, replacing the winter hat with a headband.

I ran/walked miles 2 to 5 wearing only the long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt-type cloth, a t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, and the visibility vest on my upper body, shorts and sweatpants on my lower body. This felt about right in the 35 degree night. For the sixth mile walked at leisurely pace I added two sweatshirts to what I was wearing and replaced the headband with the winter hat.

Advice to myself for the next run fotwear-wise:

To allow for flexibility in padding, build 4 m-wrap layer pads for: both heels, both balls of feet, and left big toe, and (NEW today) right big toe. Adjust padding so that the heels are not so high that the result is pain in the lower legs; adjust padding so that the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding on top of the molding lightweight insole under the balls of the feet, do not exceed the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding under the heels on top of the same insole, by more than 12 m-wrap layers (because: when the difference between m-wrap-layer-thickness under ball of the foot & m-wrap-layer-thickness under the heel is 16 m-wrap layers, there is pain in the arch of the foot; when the difference is 8 m-wrap-layers there is not pain in the arch of the foot). Or make no change wait to see if there is a natural adjustment, and 'tough it out'..

The padding under the left big toe is 8 m-wrap layers greater than the padding under the right big toe; I have not been experiencing impact-pain the left big toe but I have been in the right big toe.

8 m-wrap layers is equal to approx just one millimeter. A millimeter too much padding can be a painful disaster; so also a millimeter too little padding can be a painful disaster. I am proud of the fact that I am developing a precise understanding of footwear padding, because I need to have this kind of precise understanding in order to succeed in this aerobic endurance development project.

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run using style "E Long-length-paced, emphasis on long paces, pauses to note split-times
".

Chant to use:

'Maxed/long are our strides as we streamline the sky,
Far is our distance per unit of time,
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

Running tactics/strategy

Various reasons result in a run that was supposed to be done using minimized break-time becoming like a run in which break-times are not minimized: the need for info re pain during various segments of the run; having to return indoors; being stopped by police; feeling that there should be emphasis on increased speed combined with increased break-times.

@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

74 minute painful 5-mile run using long & quick paces style

Monday March 23 I did not run due to: things to do, fatigue, weather. Again after six days running every day a day without a run, as in the Biblical sabbath.

Tuesday March 24:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I attempted to deal with the pain in the arches of the foot problem experienced during the previous two runs, by departing from the advice I gave myself after the March 22 run, and instead increasing the padding under both heels by 8 m-wrap layers. The idea behind this was that the pain in the arches of the feet had been caused by excess difference between the vertical level of the heel and the vertical level of the ball of the foot, due to the increased padding under the ball of the foot (in both feet).

Prior to the run I put on the shoes with the added padding, and felt some pain behind the toenail of the big toe, caused by pressure rubbing against the shoe. My novel solution: I took an oval shaped bar of sandalwood soap, and wedge it into the shoe inside the shoe, to expand the shoe in the area where the irritation to the toe occurred. I left the bar of soap inside the shoe for at least an hour. Then I removed the bar of soap and put the shoe on. The result was complete lack of irritation in the affected area. I expected a good result because: sandalwood is fab subtance with a fab smell; the sandalwood soap rubbing off on the shoe provides some lubrication; the piece of soap was shaped almost perfectly for wedging into the big-toe area of the shoe.

Footwear advice I gave to myself after the previous run: "Left foot: maybe reduce padding under big toe by 4 m-wrap layers; maybe reduce padding under ball of foot by 4 m-wrap layers...Right foot: maybe reduce padding under big toe by 4 m-wrap layers; maybe reduce padding under ball of foot by 4 m-wrap layers (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/72-minute-5-mile-long-paced-run.html ).

Tuesday March 24:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked), using for the first five miles, style C, featuring an emphasis on BOTH long-length-paces AND ALSO a high number of steps per minute , taking breaks to record split-times.

Time after 5th mile: 73:54 (91:24 - 17:30 subtracted for break-times = 73:54).

Pauses were due to: recuperation from pain, removing excess layer clothing, tying shoes, recording split-times; the unusually high amount of break-time was due to pain experienced in the first and second miles;

For the entire 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky
Many are our steps per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

This is the original chant, the first chant that I stuck with for any length of time; it emphasizes BOTH long-paces and quick paces.

Aside from pain-caused-impairment, the time was unimpressive, which leads me to wonder if a weakness in this chant used for styles C/F, might be that it contains no line asserting that I, the runner, am moving at a high speed. By way of contrast, the chants used for styles A/D (short, quick steps), & B/E (long steps), have evolved to both contain lines asserting speed:

'Great is our speed as we streamline the sky, Many are our steps per unit of time" for A/D (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/75-minute-5-mile-quick-paced-using.html ); "'Long/Maxed are our strides as we streamline the sky, Far is our distance per unit of time" for B/E (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/72-minute-5-mile-long-paced-run.html ).

Mile split times recorded (split-times of previous style-C run March 17 in parentheses):

I walked slowly for about 150 yards before starting the run.

1st, run: 15:34 (14:57) pain in left calf
2nd, walked: 13:30 (13:40) pain (worse than 1st mile) in left calf and especially in right outside-of-lower-front-leg muscle
3rd, run: 15:30 (15:20)
4th, walked: 13:54 (13:50)
5th, run: 15:24 (15:15)

Footwear in Left shoe:

NEW 8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
16 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
8 layers m-wrap pad under middle & index toes +
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Footwear in Right shoe:

NEW 8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 40 degrees with wind at avg 1 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 9:05 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=24&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 )

'Twas a night-time run.

The gray lightweight sweatshirt, long-sleeved collar-less sportshirt made of t-shirt-type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility-vest, sweatpants, shorts, and wool winter hat were too warm.

After the first half-mile I removed the wool winter hat. I continued to feel too warm. After one mile had been run, I removed the sweatshirt.

I ran/walked miles 3 to 6 wearing only the long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt-type cloth, a t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, and the visibility vest on my upper body, shorts and sweatpants on my lower body; and felt about right in the 40 degree night.

Advice to myself for the next run:

To allow for flexibility in padding, build 4 m-wrap layer pads for: both heels, both balls of feet, and left big toe. Adjust padding so that the heels are not so high that the result is pain in the lower legs; adjust padding so that the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding on top of the molding lightweight insole under the balls of the feet, do not exceed the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding under the heels on top of the same insole, by more than 12 m-wrap layers (because: when the difference between m-wrap-layer-thickness under ball of the foot & m-wrap-layer-thickness under the heel is 16 m-wrap layers, there is pain in the arch of the foot; when the difference is 8 m-wrap-layers there is not pain in the arch of the foot). Or make no change wait to see if there is a natural adjustment, and 'tough it out'..

Interesting thing is that an 8 m-wrap-layer-thick pad when compressed with the fingers is only about 1 millimeter thick.

Apparently the padding has been pushed to the max, to the point where an additional 1 millimeter of padding under the ball of the foot produces pain in the arch of the foot, to the point where an additional 1 millimeter of padding under the heel produces pain the muscles of the lower leg.

Go ahead and scoff at the laborious pedantry of blog entries such as this--just remember how easy it is to end up a tortured loser, completely lost with regards to differences of a millimeter here and a millimeter there that can mean, so to speak, the difference between heaven and hell--if careful records are not kept.

Today's experience in footwear showed that I was correct in estimating that reducing the difference in elevation between the ball of the foot and the heel by increasing the elevation of the heel by just 1 millimeter, would eliminate the pain in the arch of the foot. Problem was that the added padding under the heel caused pains in the muscles of the lower legs, especially in the right leg.

This reminds me that it appears that doctors these days, have a weakness: they under-emphasize the phenomenon wherein an intervention that reduces the risk of impairment or death due to a given disease X, increases the risk of impairment or death to another disease Y.

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run using style "D Medium-length-paced, emphasis on paces-per-minute, no pauses to note split-times".

Chant to use:

'Many are our steps per unit of time
Great is our speed as we streamline the sky
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

Running tactics/strategy

Today I felt that I could feel how pain in one mile tires one out for the next mile even if the next mile is painless; I felt I could feel how pain in a previous day tires one out for a subsequent day.

In the second mile which was walked, the pain in the muscle located at the outside-of-lower-front-right-leg, was very significant. This is the muscle on the front outside of the shin that connects the ankle to the knee. Yet still the mile was ten seconds faster than the second mile, which was walked, on March 17 when I last used the style C that I used today.

Seems running at a 15 minute mile pace has become habitual for me. I wonder whether I should try an alternative: walking the second and fourth miles at a leisurely pace instead of at a competitive pace, combined with running the first third and fifth miles, at a more competitive faster pace.

Best I can recall when, a few years ago, I had the dream about going six miles alternating between a mile run and a mile walked, the idea was to combine leisurely walked miles with competitively run run miles. But what this has morphed into, is three miles run at what for me is a competitive brisk pace, combined with two miles walked at a very brisk competitive pace, plus at the end, one mile walked at a leisurely pace.

@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

Electro-physiology & 'Sports Drinks' such as 'David Virgil Lime #1'

The 'David Virgil Lime Sports Drink #1' (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/david-virgils-lime-sports-drink-1.html ), contains minerals found in the new sports drinks, which profess themselves to contain 'electrolytes' etc:

David Virgil Lime Sports Drink #1:

Chelated magnesium, Potassium Gluconate, Coral Calcium, Sea Salt

Glaceau Vitaminwater:

'Vapor distilled, deionized, and/or reverse osmosis water...magnesium lactate (electrolyte), calcium lactate (electrolyte), monopotassium phosphate (electrolyte)'.

365 Brand 'Electrolyte Enhanced Water':

'De-ionized water, electrolytes (potassium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride)'.

Relevant quotations:

"The important ions in the nervous system are sodium and potassium (both have 1 positive charge, +), calcium (has 2 positive charges, ++) and chloride (has a negative charge, -). "
-- http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html

"The Magnesium atom will lose 2 of its electrons to become a Magnesium ion with 10 electrons. (Mg2+)"
-- http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Magnesium_has_12_protons_and_is_charged_2_how_many_electrons_does_magnesium_ion_got

In other demystefied words (layman's terms), these minerals when reacting with other substances, release negatively charged electrons, and in so doing become positively charged.

Coincidentally(?) about five years ago I used the internet to study & report on, electro-physiology in detail:

The dangerous positively charged 'free radicals' in the body which disrupt the body by scavenging the body for negative electrons

The anti-oxidant substances that stabilize the dangerous 'free radicals' by contributing negative electrons to the 'free radicals', without becoming unstable themselves

The idea that internal physical electrical balance is achieved through introduction of substances that donate negatively charged electrons

The side-kick factoid that sometimes oxidants, substances that donate positively charged electrons can produce health (example nicotine &Alzheimer's/Parkinson's?)

The idea (my own new original idea?) that health can be achieved through producing in the body the ideal proportions/percentages in terms of negatively charged particles, positively charged particles, and neutrally charged particles.

Without getting deep into a review of my notes on the subject, my estimates now, remembering what I studied five years ago off-the-bat without more than a ten minute review are:

An increase in negatively charged electrons (released by molecules that do not become unstable upon releasing these electrons) in the body is what most people need;

The main method for achieving such increase is oral consumption of substances;

substances that donate positively charged electrons to the body ('oxidants') are under-rated re possible health benefits (perhaps they can be beneficial because, after donating the positive electrons, they become negatively charged and snatch positive electrons from other particles)

The wise course is to build up the level of negative-electron-releasing anti-oxidant type substances and once such build-up is achieved to combine such with moderate consumption of carefully chosen positive-electron-releasing type substances.

The state of the art is understanding the ideal proportions in terms of negatively charged, positively charged, and neutral particles and achieving this balance.

Interesting mysteries:

Do some substances behave differently than other substances in terms of how likely, for example, substance A is to donate negatively charged electrons to substance B, compared to how likely substance C is to donate negatively charged electrons to substance B?

To what extent do substances differ from each other in terms of for example, how likely substance A is to snatch negatively charged electrons from substance B, compared to how likely substance C is to snatch negatively charged electrons from substance B?

how likely are 'stable' donors of negative electrons such as'anti-oxidants', to snatch positive electrons from other particles after they have donated negatively charged electrons, and how does this differ from donor to donor?

To perfectly review the subject I would need to increase my ability to search through hard-drives in computers that are not connected to the internet. A software called Copernicus is supposed to be the best free-ware solution.

Problems is that searching a computer containing past files of more than a year ago, can be boring tiring and depressing, the kind of thing you wish you had a paid assistant to get to work on.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

David Virgil's Lime Sports Drink #1

In an electric blender mix:

Juice of 3 limes
40 oz spring water
4000 mg 'CVS natural coral calcium' (4 pills)
600 mg 'Whole Foods Chelated Magnesium' (3 pills)
3570 mg 'Walgreens Potassium Gluconate' (6 pills)
12 tablespoons cane sugar (light-brown color, small crystals)
dash of 'Redmond Realsalt Gourmet Kosher Sea Salt'
(http://www.realsalt.com/ )

I find that this drink: produces a good night's sleep; produces pleasant dreams; helps me to recuperate from the alcohol/meal combination; helps me to recover from a long jog/walk.

I now estimate the following possibilities: the calcium magnesium potassium and salt, having electrical properties, are used better by the body, when they are mixed with a large amount of water, which is a powerful conductor of electricity; the body is better able to utilize the water in the presence of the calcium magnesium potassium and salt.

Salt in a sweet sports drink seems weird. Actually, the sea salt produces a wonderful taste in combination with the sugar, lime, minerals and water, superior to the taste without the salt added. It could be a mistake to put insufficient sea salt into this drink. This lime drink with the salt, unlike the lime drink without the salt, reminds me of the taste of sugar cane juice the minute after it is pressed out of the sugar cane.

Though the world of culinary science has figured out to present to us via grocery stores, juices that taste very similar to the way they taste when first pressed out of the fruit, the world of culinary science has not succeeded in such fashion so far, far as I can tell, with lime juice.

This indicates to me that nutritional properties of limes are lost when the juice is packaged and put on a shelf; which indicates to me the importance of freshly squeezed lime juice.

We get alot of lectures about the evilness of sugar.

The sugar used here is 'cane sugar', you will definitely get an inferior taste with white sugar.

As for me personally, as a result of run/walking the six mile course alternating between miles walked and miles run, my body is different from the sedentary body.

A body needs energy such as found in cane sugar, simply to digest the foods admired by nutritionists. If this energy is not available, nutrients that might have been used to build and repair the body, can end up being used to fuel the the digestive process.

Conceptually it is possible that: in the absence of cane sugar, the body will use water or minerals for tasks that it otherwise would use cane sugar for, as a result of which water is not available for certain tasks; the presence of cane sugar improves the body's ability to make use of water and minerals; the presence of certain nutrients negates the negative properties of sugar.

For some reason as if by intelligent design, vegetables in their natural state are usually healthy for humans, and alterations to the natural state result in the vegetable being less healthy. This drink returns calcium and sodium to the cane sugar, which has been through processing separated from the calcium and sodium that are naturally part of the cane sugar.

Many people do not realize that they are deficient in terms of potassium intake. Potassium balances sodium in terms of molecular electronics. Potassium pills are price-per-unit-potassium-wise, a surprisingly cost-effective source of potassium, even though the lowly potato chip is much better price-per-unit-potassium-wise.

I did not know this when I first invented "David Virgil's Lime Sport Drink #1", but 2 tspns of 'unrefined cane sugar' (not what is used here) apparently contains 6 mg calcium and 37 mg sodium (http://www.unrefinedcanesugar.com/more.htm ).

Sugar is known to have adverse effects on health, which resembles the damage caused by fats. Apparently when lime is consumed at the same time as fats, the lime cuts through the fat and negates the harmful effects of the fat. Perhaps lime similarly negates harmful effects of sugar.

These are not the words of a credentialed specialist. I'm trying to get the reader to start thinking in imaginative out-of-the-box ways with regards to combinations of nutrients. It's hard to believe that something that tastes as good as, and is as refreshing as, this lime drink, is unhealthy consumed in moderation.

Relevant quote:

"Sugarcane: Sugarcane is one of favorite fruit season, the sugar content is very rich, is 18% to 20%. It is worth mentioning that, sugar cane sugar is sucrose, fructose, glucose consisting of three components, easily absorbed and used by the body. Sugarcane also contains iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and other essential trace elements, including iron content of the special and more than 9 milligrams per kilogram, ranking first in the fruit, the sugar cane known as “blood,” and good name."
-- http://www.love-health.org/diet_food/1075/

I felt as if I would be irresponsible and lazy if at this point I did not review the study of electro-physiology I did using the internet in 2004. See: Electro-physiology & Sports Drinks such as 'Sports Drinks' such as 'David Virgil Lime Sports Drink #1':

http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/electro-physiology-sports-drinks-such.html



@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

72 minute 5-mile long-paced run

Sunday March 22:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I left everything the same as during the run the previous evening March 21. This is the advice I gave myself after the March 21 run (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/75-minute-5-mile-quick-paced-using.html )

Results foot-comfort wise:

(feet subjected to exaggerated length of stride style of running, style B/E)

Left foot: good during run miles. Pain in arch of foot & rear muscle of left lower leg, during second half of second mile which was walked. Pain again but less pain in fourth mile which was walked. During 6th mile which was walked, top of right toe felt sore.

Right foot: good during run miles. Pain in arch of foot & front muscle of right lower leg during second half of 2nd mile which was walked. Pain again but less severe in fourth mile which was walked.

The pain in mile 2 which is a walked mile was not as bad as yesterday but significant. The pain in mile 4 the second walked mile was similar to the pain level in mile 4 yesterday.

The idea behind not changing the footwear despite the pain is that the feet will get used to the padding increase under the ball of the foot with the passage of time. Today was better than yesterday in that there was no pain during the miles that were run.

I congratulate myself for (like yesterday), putting up a good effort in the pain filled 2nd mile which was walked. I walked the mile in only 13:22 despite the pain, which set in after the first third of the mile was walked.

Sunday March 22:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked), using for the first 5 miles, style B, featuring emphasis on: speed & long length of stride, combined with a de-emphasis with regards to achieving a high rate of paces per minute & not stopping specifically to record split-times.

Time after 5th mile: 72:16 (85:54 - 13:38 subtracted for delays = 72:16).

Break-time reasons: in allowance for pain, tying shoelaces, discarding excess layers clothes.

Chants used:

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky
Far is our distance per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I;

'Maxed are our strides as we streamline the sky
Far is our distance per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

Again, I walked half a mile around the block before starting the run.

Mile split times recorded March 22:

1st, run: 15:15
2nd, walked: 13:22 IN PAIN
3rd, run: 15:05
4th, walked: 13:40 pain
5th, run: 14:54

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:
SAME AS YESTERDAY

lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
16 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
8 layers m-wrap pad under middle & index toes +
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Right shoe:
SAME AS YESTERDAY

Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 38 degrees with wind at avg 0 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 7:43 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=22&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ).

Run as the sun set, sunlight heat not a significant factor.

The lightweight gray sweatshirt, long-sleeved collar-less sportshirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility-vest, gloves, sweatpants, shorts, wool-type hat, & headband were after the beginning, too warm.

After the 1st mile, I removed the wool hat & gloves. Midway through the 2nd mile I removed the sweatshirt. Most of the run I wore only a long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material, a t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, headband, shorts, & sweatpants, which were about right for the 38 degree night-time run.

Regarding the 6th mile walked at a leisurely pace with the temp at 38 degrees: I would have been too cold if I had not put the sweatshirt & wool-type hat back on.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: maybe reduce padding under big toe by 4 m-wrap layers; maybe reduce padding under ball of foot by 4 m-wrap layers.

Right foot: maybe reduce padding under big toe by 4 m-wrap layers; maybe reduce padding under ball of foot by 4 m-wrap layers.

(Principle of podiatry: increaseD vertical top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top directional pressure in a shoe, results in increased sidweays pressure and increased heel-to-toe directional pressure).

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run using style "C Double-emphasis on long-length-paces AND paces-per-minute, pauses to note split-times".

Chant to use:

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky,
Many are our steps per unit of time
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

Running tactics/strategy

The second mile was walked in only 13:22 despite significant pain in the arches of the feet for two-thirds of the mile.

March 19 when I set the new personal record of 71:35 using the similar style E (E is long-paces, with pauses to record split-times, B used today March 22 is also long-paced, but without pauses to record split-times), the time for the 2nd mile which is walked was 13:15 only 7 seconds slower.

I estimate I am improving in terms of pain-tolerance and/or improving in terms of walking speed. Overall there were more minutes of break-time March 19, compared to today March 22.

I estimate that pain inhibits performance because: performance level is consciously reduced to avoid pain; areas of the body not effected by pain are worked harder to relieve pressure on areas of the body effected by pain, resulting in exhaustion and inefficiency.

75 minute 5-mile quick-paced run using changed footwear

Saturday March 21:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I put into effect optional recommendations I made to myself after the March 20 run.

In the left foot: I increased the padding under the ball of the foot by 8 m-wrap layers; increased the padding under the big toe by 8 m-wrap layers; increased the padding under the middle and index toes by 8 m-wrap layers; removed the 16 m-wrap layer pad behind the heel at base of heel.

In the right foot: I increased the padding under the ball of the foot by 8 m-wrap layers; increased the padding under the big toe by 8 m-wrap layers.

I wanted to be ready for the pounding my feet were going to take in the run; I knew that since I was going to be using style A, featuring short choppy paces, a new kind of pounding that would cause pain would be inflicted on my feet.

Before the run, at first in the left foot I combined the padding increases with keeping the 16 m-wrap layer pad at the base of the heel behind the heel, inside the shoe. Then I walked the half-mile warmup that has recently become customary. After walking the warmup, I felt as if the toes were very cramped and tight in the left shoe, I felt pain in the middle, index and big toes of the left foot just from walking around the block at a leisurely pace.

At this point I removed the 16 m-wrap layer pad at the rear bottom area of the left heel, which immediately resulted in the left foot feeling much better.

Principles of podiatry: increasing the left-to-right/right-to-left directional pressure in the shoe results in increased heel-to-toe directional tightness; increasing the heel-to-toe directional pressure results in increased left-to-right/right-to-left directional tightness.

The recommendations I made to myself after the March 20 run were:

"Left foot: possibly increase padding to rear of lower heel by 8 m-wrap layers again, making sure the padding is vertically low enough to have heel-tightening effect; possibly increase padding under middle and index toes by 8 m-wrap layers; possibly increase padding under big toe by 8 m-wrap layers; possibly increase padding under ball of foot by 8 m-wrap layers...Right foot: possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel; possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad under big toe.
change.(http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/75-minute-5-mile-run-using-long-quick.html )".

Results foot-comfort wise:

(feet subjected to new unusual pounding of style A run/walking)

Left foot: best ever, almost perfect first 4 miles in terms of numbness/tingliness and pain in areas of foot that strike the ground. Pain in arch of foot in 2nd and to lesser extent in 3rd mile. Slight numbness/tingliness in 5th mile. Pain in muscles of lower leg in 3rd mile.

Right foot: Some pain in ball of foot and big toe a minority of the time. Pain in arch of foot in 2nd mile. Pain in muscles of lower leg in 3rd mile.

The pain the arches of both feet in the 2nd mile was relatively severe. Towards the end of the 2nd mile I switched from the usual heel-first walking style to heel&ball-of-foot hitting ground simultaneously, due to the pain. The time in this mile was 14:50, 45 seconds slower than the time in the 4th mile which was also walked.

I congratulate myself on putting up a good effort in the pain filled 2nd mile which was walked. The fact that for a majority of the mile I felt an above-average level of pain in the arches of both feet, resulted in only a 5% reduction in speed.

Saturday March 21:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked), using for the first 5 miles, style A, featuring emphasis on: speed & a high number of paces per minute; and, de-emphasis of length of stride.

Time after 5th mile: 74:48 (90:42 - 15:54 subtracted for delays = 74:48). The time would have been 74:03 if the pain filled 2nd mile had been fast as the painless 4th mile.

Previous run using the A/D type style, March 18:
time after 5th mile: 75:10 (84:40 - 9:30 subtracted for delays = 75:10)

Pauses: extra-long breaks of approx 5 minutes were taken after the 2nd & 3rd miles due to pain in the arches of the feet; also, removing layer of clothing, tying shoes, recording split-times.

For the first 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Great is our speed as we streamline the sky
Many are our steps per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

Mile split times recorded March 21 (March 18 splits using similar method D in parentheses):

1st, run: 15:15 (15:05)
2nd, walked: 14:50 (14:15) IN PAIN
3rd, run: 15:26 (15:47) some pain
4th, walked: 14:05 (14:23)
5th, run: 15:12 (15:40)

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:

lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
NEW 8->16 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
NEW 8->16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
NEW REMOVED 16 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel+
NEW 8 layers m-wrap pad under middle & index toes +
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Right shoe:

Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
NEW 8-16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
NEW 8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 36 degrees with wind at avg 1 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 8:57 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=21&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ).

'Twas a night-time run.

The lightweight gray sweatshirt, long-sleeved collar-less sportshirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility-vest, gloves, sweatpants, shorts, and headband were too warm.

After the 2nd mile, I removed the sweatshirt & gloves. Most of the run I wore only a long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material, a t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, shorts, & sweatpants, which were about right for the 36 degree night-time run.

However regarding the 6th mile walked at a leisurely pace with the temp at 35 degrees: I would have been too cold if I had not put the sweatshirt back on; things would have been just right if I had put a warm sweater-material type winter hat on my head. The leisurely 18-19 minute per mile walk, produces a cooler body than the faster walks and jogs.

As I finished up the 6th mile around 9:20 PM, I saw some smiling young white adults & kids taking leave of the folks at the house next door after visiting them; it looked like the photos of attractive white folks getting together that they used to use for cigarette ads. I never knew the folks next door led such photogenic lives.

The social cheerfulness, the children and women, reminded me of Indians in India. Indians from India in the US seem gloomily busy with work or shopping all the time.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: Leave things the same.

Right foot: Leave things the same.

I estimate that: the pain in the arches of the feet was due to changes in the elevation of the forefeet relative to the heels, caused by the increased padding under the balls of the feet and the big toes; this change of elevation can be gotten used to as the shoe stretches, the padding compresses, and the feet get used to the new conditions; the change in elevation caused a change in the angle of the foot left foot relative to the top shoelace which reduced the numbness/tingliness problem.

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run using style "B Long-length-paced, emphasis on long paces, no pauses to note split-times".

Chant to use:

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky,
Far is our distance per unit of time
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

This chant emphasizes speed combined with long strides, and de-emphasizes number of paces per minute.

Running tactics/strategy

During the walking of the second mile, it seemed as if the speed was reduced much more than 5%, as a result of the pain in the arches of both feet. But actually as it turned out, the speed was down just 5%.

Lesson of story: One can tend to err by exaggerating the extent to which pain is impairing performance, and using such exaggerations as excuses to not make an effort, slouch through, or give up.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

75 minute 5-mile run using long-quick-paces style, 20 secs break-time

Friday March 20:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I did not put into effect optional recommendations I made to myself after the March 19 run.

The recommendations I made to myself after the March 19 run were:

"Left foot: possibly increase padding to rear of lower heel by 8 m-wrap layers again, making sure the padding is vertically low enough to have heel-tightening effect; possibly increase padding under middle and index toes by 8 m-wrap layers...Right foot: possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel; possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad under big toe. (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/715-minute-5-mile-run-using-long-paces.html )".

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot: Some numbness/tingliness in foot; some pain in: middle and/or index toes, ball of foot, and big toe, during minority fractions of the 3rd & 5th miles

Right foot: No complaints.

Friday March 20:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked), using for the 1st 5 miles, style F, the style featuring an emphasis on speed, length of pace, & a high of number paces per minute, & NOT taking breaks for the purpose of recording split-times.

Time after 5th mile: 74:55 (75:15 - 00:20 subtracted for delays = 74:55). Did a good job of avoiding breaks as I am supposed to when applying style F.

Pause was due to: a little wretching after approx 1.5 miles.

For the first 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky
Many are our steps per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I;

For the 3rd day in a row, I applied a new practice of walking half a mile around the block before starting the run.

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel+
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Right shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 34 degrees with wind at avg 2 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 6:49 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=20&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ).

'Twas a daytime run, mixed clouds and sunshine.

The lightweight gray hoodless sweatshirt, 'heavy' fruit-of-the-loom t-shirt, visibility-vest, gloves, sweat-pants, shorts, and headband were almost right. After the first mile I stopped wearing the gloves.

Most of the run I wore only: a headband, t-shirt, visibility vest, gray lightweight hoodless sweatshirt, shorts, & sweatpants--which were about right for the 34 degree clouds & sunshine environment, even if such felt a little cool at first.

However this clothing was too cold for walking the 6th mile after taking the time after the 5th mile; by the time of walking the final 6th mile, the temp was down to 30 degrees, consistently cloudy; I walk the 6th mile slowly so the body does not get as heated up.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: possibly increase padding to rear of lower heel by 8 m-wrap layers again, making sure the padding is vertically low enough to have heel-tightening effect; possibly increase padding under middle and index toes by 8 m-wrap layers; possibly increase padding under big toe by 8 m-wrap layers; possibly increase padding under ball of foot by 8 m-wrap layers.

Right foot: possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel; possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad under big toe.

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run using style "A Medium-length-paced, emphasis on paces per minute, pauses to note split-times".

Chant to use:

'Great is our speed as we streamline the sky,
Many are our steps per unit of time
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

This chant emphasizes: speed and a high number of steps per minute.

Running tactics/strategy

Running styles review:

Emphasis on Quick Paces = Style A (pauses to note split times) & Style D (no pauses to note split times)

Emphasis on Long Paces = Style B (no pauses to note split times) & Style E (pauses to note split times)

Emphasis on Quick Long Paces = Style C (pauses to note split times) & Style F (no pauses to note split times)

I did not feel thrilled re the 74:55 time of today March 20, coming after the 71:35 time of yesterday; in fact I felt ashamed. This feeling of shame grew out of a superficial view of events and was unwarranted.

Since March 8, 12 days ago, the runs in which there were the least delays/breaks were: March 20 today, 74:55, 20 seconds break-time; March 12, time 77:07, 10 seconds break-time; March 11, 78:54, 2:45 break-time; March 10, time 79:30, 10 seconds break-time.

The time today March 20 was a new personal record for runs involving less than 30 seconds in break-time, 2:12 faster than my previous personal record for such runs, which was the March 12 run.

On March 8, just 12 days ago, I set a new personal record (regardless of style or break-time) of 76:15 using 365 seconds in break-time, which was 80 seconds slower than my time today of 74:55 which involved only 20 seconds of break-time.

This break-time was hardly relaxing, in that it involved wretching. The run today was disadvantaged in that it came the day after a run that set a new personal record.

I wonder how much people impair their own performance by foolishly failing to take pleasure in, and under-estimating, their accomplishments due to a shallow perspective.

I am improving not just in terms of my ability to go fast when taking a short break after every mile, but also in terms of my ability to go fast when not taking breaks between miles.

The time today March 20, divided by the time March 12 = 0.971. Continuing at this rate of time-decline (exponential rate change, current time X 0.971 every 8 days), in 3 months, approx June 20, I should be at my goal of 55.2 minutes for the five miles.

71.5 minute 5-mile run using long-paces style--new personal record

Thursday March 19:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I did not put into effect recommendations I made to myself after the March 18 run. Instead I did maintenance, retaping where the taping of the pads in the shoes had come loose.

The recommendations I made to myself after the March 18 run were:

"Left foot: possibly increase padding to rear of lower heel by 8 m-wrap layers again, making sure the padding is vertically low enough to have heel-tightening effect; possibly increase padding under middle and index toes by 8 m-wrap layers...Right foot: possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel; possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad under big toe.
(http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/75-minute-5-mile-run-using-quick-paces.html )".

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot: Some numbness/tingliness in foot; some pain in middle and/or index toes, during minority fractions of the 3rd & 5th miles

Right foot: No complaints.

Could be the reason the right foot has been better than the left comfort wise, is that I always run around the block counter-clockwise.

Thursday March 19:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked), using for the 1st 5 miles, style E, the style featuring an emphasis on speed combined with length of pace, along with a de-emphasis of number of paces per minute, taking breaks for the purpose of recording split-times.

Time after 5th mile: 71:35 (86:32 - 14:57 subtracted for delays = 71:35), new personal record regardless of style.

Pauses were due to: removing layers of clothing that were too warm; tying shoelaces; and, returning indoors to go to bathroom (which took 7:25 minutes:seconds & was the reason the break time was extra-long today). I stopped for the purpose of recording split-times after each mile.

Bathroom break details: solid waste disposal; occurred approx 22 minutes after start; drank sips of pure half n half & ate trail food mix immediately before start to avoid stomach problems.

For most of the 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky
Far is our distance per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I;

Maxed are our strides as we streamline the sky
Far is our distance per unit of time
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

Note that the two stanzas are the same except that in the second stanza, the word 'long' is replaced with the word 'maxed'.

This is a chant designed to emphasize long paces and speed, while de-emphasizing number of paces per minute.

For the second day in a row, I introduced a new practice of walking half a mile around the block before starting the run.

Mile split times recorded:

1st, run: 15:27
2nd, walked: 13:15
3rd, run: 14:59
4th, walked: 13:22
5th, run: 14:32

The 1st mile was slower than the 1st mile yesterday during which I was using shorter length paces combined with emphasis on high number of paces per minute. But yesterday, the 3rd and 5th miles run using the shorter length paces style were much slower than today.

Perhaps wisdom may consist of an emphasis on number of paces per minute in the first mile run, and then an emphasis on length of pace in the second and third miles run.

The 5th mile was by a significant measure, my best run mile so far (not counting approx 15 years ago and earlier). It was about 30 seconds faster than my top mile times recently.

Digression re my mile times as a youth:

At Brandeis 15 years ago I ran a mile in 7:44; in 6th grade when attending the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools I ran a mile in 6:34. This 6:34 minutes:seconds 6th grade time marked me as an elite commando type looking at the standards for troops and commandoes. But I never considered myself an elite miler because a significant number of boys in my grade beat me; the boy who came in first ran the mile in 5:50. I was'nt mature enough to realize that the fact that I was a top miler may have been disguised and hid, because other boys trained harder than me or ate better than me.

End of digression.

For many days I had been stuck in this frustrating pattern wherein I could do no better than around a 15 minute mile when running. Then today in the 5th mile, I suddenly dropped to 14.5 minutes--and I did not even feel like I was going fast or stressing myself physically during and after the run.

By way of contrast there have been days where I felt as if I had definitely set a new personal record when in fact I had definitely not set a new personal record.

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel+
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Right shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 44 degrees with wind at avg 1 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 6:41 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=19&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ).

'Twas a daytime run, cloudy most of the time.

A sweatshirt, long-sleeved collar-less sportshirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility-vest, gloves, sweatpants, shorts, and headband were too warm. Half way through the 1st mile, I stopped to remove the sweatshirt and the gloves.

Most of the run I wore only: a headband, long sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, shorts, & sweatpants--which were about right for the 44 degree cloudy day environment.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: possibly increase padding to rear of lower heel by 8 m-wrap layers again, making sure the padding is vertically low enough to have heel-tightening effect; possibly increase padding under middle and index toes by 8 m-wrap layers.

Right foot: possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel; possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad under big toe.

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run using style "F Double-emphasis on long-length-paces AND paces-per-minute, no pauses to note split times".

Chant to use:

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky,
Many are our steps per unit of time
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

This chant emphasizes: speed; long strides; and, a high number of steps per minute.

Running tactics/strategy

Running styles review:

Emphasis on Quick Paces = Style A (pauses to note split times) & Style D (no pauses to note split times)

Emphasis on Long Paces = Style B (no pauses to note split times) & Style E (pauses to note split times)

Emphasis on Quick Long Paces = Style C (pauses to note split times) & Style F (no pauses to note split times)

I was surprised that Style E which I used today March 19, featuring emphasis on long strides, produced such a good result. My expectation was that style C featuring a double-emphasis on BOTH number of steps per minute and also length of strides, produces the best results.

I believe I had inadvertently used style C on March 14, when I set a personal record regardless of style of 72:44, which I beat by 69 seconds today March 19. I also used style C March 17, when the time was 73:02.

Prior to March 14 I had been using style B/E involving emphasis on length of stride, almost exclusively; I had credited the new personal record of March 14 to switching to a new emphasis on high paces per minute.

The important new personal records over 5 miles recently have been (minutes:seconds): Feb 25, 79:30; March 8, 76:15; March 14, 72:44; and, March 19 today, 71:35.

At the rate (exponential not geometric) I have been improving since March 14 five days ago, I will be down to 55.2 minutes in about 80 days, around June 7. Thus the rate of improvement from Feb 25 to March 14 was a little faster than that from March 14 to today March 19.

(relevant facts/links: 5 miles = 8047 meters; http://www.arrs.net/SA_O10K.htm )

One could say that the introduction five days ago, of rotation in terms of style of run, has not been in effect long enough to pass judgement on rotation. Or one could say, this is a type of gambit--accepting a temporary slowdown in improvement due to constantly switching between styles, in the hopes that eventually this will in the long range result in a faster rate of improvement.

Possibly, the introduction of rotation, changed my running mechanics resulting in my fastest style becoming the style featuring emphasis on long paces, whereas previous to the introduction of rotation, my fastest style involved emphasis on both long paces and also quick paces.

@2009 David Virgil Hobbs