May

30

Running has historically suffered due to a couple reasons that makes anecdotal evidence pose as empirical science.

First running benefits stem largely from its first order damage it does to your body. It is easy to see the cause and effect of first order damage. It was only in 1980 that the women were allowed to run the marathon in the Olympics. It was thought running distance would make women infertile because it simply was too stressful.

When I started running in the early 80's the now thoroughly PC magazine Runners Times was then a underground magazine. It had an article titled something like "How to Avoid the 3 "D"s, Dogs, Doors and Doctors" sub-headed "so they will not stop you from running." ("Doors" were car doors opened while they drove by a runner on the roads shoulder)

It is much more difficult to see the second order effect, the enhancement of the bodies genuinely incredible ability to heal itself.

However, it has recently been shown that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise creates new brain cells. Aerobic exercise is the only known way an adult can create new brain cells. Hence science is beginning to understand the mechanisms for the neuroplasticity running gives a person. Often this neuroplasticity is more effective than the best drugs and counseling. Depending on your age aerobic exercise deceases your chance of Alzheimers up to 50%. Likewise your chances Parkinson is decreased only by moderate to high aerobic activity.

As for running "too much". Yes there is a limit where doing too much, no matter how healthy and young you are, were the damage simply is too great and the enhancement in the bodies healing mechanisms are overwhelmed. However, for most people, it simply is they do too much too soon. They never get to the maximum benefit, because they rush the process. But also, often this over dose is the result of "needing" to exercise to heal your mind. Your psyche thinks if some helps, more is better. During psychologically stressful times, I have had to be careful not to over do my running. For example depressed people often can find great relief from fairly high mileage, say 7 to 10 hours of running per week. But often after getting that relief they try doing double that, which is too much.

Secondly, if there is already something wrong with you, the stress of running will bring it out. Have a lingering knee injury from playing basketball? A sore back from golf, or football? Running will find that weak spot. But also starting the flu, mono, first signs of cancer, run and often you will have an early warning sign. Rather, than begin the initial cause, running can make it clear something is wrong. Anecdotally, running is the fall guy… rather than the real culprit. It is only through large statistical samples does this become clear.

Finally, for the specific cases at hand and for why pull-ups every day may help more than taking a day off, I would suggest that pull-ups are great for back and arm flexibility. A complete day off could stiffen one up and I suggest rather than no pull-ups one try a hard easy day cycle. On easy days go much slower, resting between and fewer reps. And on hard days go faster. Finally rather than focus on total done at once try doing "sets" of say 6. Or say a Ladder, 2, 4, 6, 8, 6, 4, 2.

The four minute mile was broke by doing intervals: repeat quarters, with rest in between. If the training purpose is thought to maximize your ability to heal, rather than simply run faster, get larger muscles or lift more, then letting your body learn to recuperate quickly makes much more sense.

Last but not least, what does seem to compound in a marathon, is not the time but oxygen debt….that's why its called "debt". Get in debt too quickly in a marathon an you find that the course is the longest 26.2 miles (42.2k) in the world. Larry is right the best times are negative splits. Because they did not tax themselves too much in the beginning. It is often said a person can complete a marathon, if they can run a half marathon. They do this by walking quite often the first few miles and run with little or no walking near the end.

Both these ideas, I believe, have some very direct implications to a trader. For example, stress and relax for brief periods, some "tough" days, week or months to clear the mind. Even short term traders need to have long term goals that supersede the short term payoffs.


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