Jogging and Public Health

If you've been reading The Thurber Brigade for some time you'll know that I like running/jogging. It has been the topic of numerous blogs from dealing with the pandemic to running just for pleasure. My first experience with jogging was as a punishment.

One day at gym class at Jardine Junior High in Topeka, KS, Coach Tryon came in and was pissed. He yelled at us a bit then said we were going on a “fun run.” We got into a single line and then headed from the gym to around the football field, up an embankment to around the temporary classrooms (the grounds were large) around the main building and parking lot, eventually ending back at the gym. While the other kids bitched and moaned, I loved it and would eventually do fun runs on my own around my neighborhood. 

My gym class was being punished for the ungodly sin of leaving a towel out after a class. Who actually did it no one knew. All of us had to pay though. He was teaching us a lesson. Oh, it surely was with the idea that we should throw our towels in the hamper after using them, but it was more. He really taught us that we were all in this together. Yes, it had been one evil person who left out the towel. However, we all had a responsibility to check on everyone and make sure everyone followed the rules. 

He wasn’t teaching us a bad lesson on justice. He was teaching us a lesson, via socialization, that as a society we all had to work together.

As a society, we experience these lessons all the time in different environments.  In the army, this lesson was taught to us with even more urgency as it is critical for each unit to work as a team in order to survive. We absolutely had to look out for the other guy in the foxhole with us.

Even though this lesson of collective responsibility permeates our society, it's always a shock when people ignore it.

That is what is happening with the COVID-19 pandemic here in the U.S.  almost a third of the population has ignored their upbringing, disregarded the lesson that is pounded into each of us and has instead opted out. 

People shout they want freedom and refuse to wear a mask. However, it is not infringing their freedom, it is only an inconvenience. Like making your son wear a seat belt or telling your daughter not to run with scissors. It’s for their wellbeing as well as that of the family. 

Instead of believing that we are all in this together, this small group is saying it's all about them. Their vain individual needs are more important than the wellbeing of all of us. Screw you is their unspoken motto. 

Although wearing a mask and getting the shot will help all of us get past this pandemic, this minority of people refuse to join the team. It doesn't matter that there are far worse requirements that everyone must follow and everyone does (driver's license to drive, measles shots to go to school, take off your shoes to go through airport security, etc.), because of recent political opposition, this little act of goodwill is vilified. 

It's time for everyone to put politics behind them and join the team. Work with all of us to get over this pandemic. Just as Americans joined together to survive World War II, we need to work together to end this war.

So get the shot. Wear the mask. If not, Coach Jay is going to yell at you and take you on a “fun run.”

Weight For It

As noted in a previous blog, women don’t dress to impress men, they dress to impress other women.  Oh sure, you’ll find several who will but on leather hot pants and halter top who have the aim to draw in men, but they are more the exception. However, men more than likely dress just for comfort or to express some level of society (ie, I got money, babe). 

This phenomenon is reversed when it comes to weight.

Women will try to lose weight (or cheat and wear a girdle) when they want to attract a male. If they are worried about their weight and encounter a man they want to know, they’ll actually mention the problem, but explain it in an attempt to throw the man off.

“I used to be so skinny, but gained weight right after breaking my leg/giving birth/disasterous break up.”

They will genuinely attempt to lose the weight. After they begin a new relationship whether they begin to regain again or not often varies. But that’s a different blog.

Men completely reverse the attraction issue when it comes to weight.  If they try to lose weight and get fit, it’s more to impress other men then it is to attract a female. They want to look ripped so they’ll impress other guys about how tough they are.

“You see this six-pack of abs, buddy?  Yeah, I could take you so don’t even think about it.”

That’s right, it’s that old competitive thing surfacing again. In a previous blog I mentioned how men are always competitive and women often see it as childish and aggressive. When a guy hits a gym to lift a few weights it’s so he can compete with the other males and flaunt his toughness/muscles.

Oh sure, there are some of these males who also want to attract a female. They might parade on muscle beach in front of some bikinis that are beckoning, but they are more of the exception.  As noted in another blog, women are just as superficial as men, but while we men look for hot bodies, they look for large wallets.  Even men who get fit know this, but they often want an alternate way to make an approach.

Of course, there are men who don’t want to be in this competition and are content with their beer bellies. They’ll suck in their guts when a woman walks by, hoping it will impress her enough so he can whip out his gold credit card and really make an impact.

The majority though take part in the competition, although on different levels. Some go full tilt and hit the gym, run, lift weights and really make an effort. The other spectrum are the guys who will just try to eat one less hamburger to lose a few pounds here and there and cross their fingers that when they go to play golf with other males, those males will be impressed that he still fits in his last pair of golf shorts.

So if you are a female and want to try to get on a guy’s good side, you could compliment him on his physique. He may appreciate that, but remember, he’s really trying to determine if the guy behind you thinks he's tough. It’s just like how us guys can compliment our significant other about the dress she decided on, but she’s really trying to impress that female waitress who will wait on you at the restaurant. 

Same game, just different equipment.

 

Ah, James Thurber

 

 

I'm A Runner

Years ago my family was driving around and we passed by Jim Ryan on some back road in Kansas. He was running. I thought how impressive to be running alone on some out of the way road in the boonies.  For some reason that stuck with me

When I was in junior high my gym coach got angry with my class for leaving a few towels out in the locker room and for punishment led the entire class on a so called “fun run.” We ran over rolling hills on the school ground, through the athletic fields and even past a few classrooms. I loved it.

A friend and I began to do our own fun runs. We loved running long distances, seeing various neighborhoods and passing all sorts of friends and strangers surprised by two running kids (this was before jogging was a thing).

I continued running. Obviously, I ran while participating in various sports, but also ran on my own fun runs. Jogging not just to stay in shape for sports, but because running felt good. I could think clearer. I felt uplifted. Often great ideas for stories came to me. Or maybe I was stuck on a scene and the jog would present how to write out that scene. 

I'd run around nearby neighborhoods, if I saw something in the distance that looked interesting, I'd run toward it. If I noticed a hill that looked difficult, I'd test myself. Pushing myself to make it.

After I got out of the army (82nd Airborne, where we ran as a group,  but I'd still jog later on my own) and came back to Texas, I kept running. Often would do it twice a day. I remember telling a friend that I liked running in the heat, even when it was 90-100 degrees. “It makes me tougher.” (See my macho blog)

As much as I loved sports—I got a degree in physical education—I never joined a running type team. Never took part in races. I just ran. I ran every day until I got older and decided I was getting too many little injuries from over training. As I mentioned, I loved sports, so it wouldn't be odd for me to run during two games of soccer in a day, then do a short night jog just to unwind. Yeah, that may have been overdoing it.

In 1999 I was riding my bike to the Posse East. A bar I liked to hang out at to drink beer and write stories and some of my books. A car hit me while en route.

Both my legs were broken, I had numerous cuts and scrapes and a light concussion. My left leg had a small break to the fibula.  The doctor didn't even set it. However, my right leg's tibia was broken in five places. The doctor put a rod and appropriate screws in to rejoin the bone. It's still there today as once the bone had healed, he didn't think it was worth another surgery to take it out and wouldn’t bother the leg to remain.

After about five days in the hospital (during Christmas no less) and  around ten days in a rehab hospital I went home. I could barely walk with crutches and used a wheel chair around the house.

I feared that I would never run again.

On a follow-up exam with the doctor, who just so happened to specialize in sports medicine, I asked him if he thought that I'd be able to run once the bone completely healed and I regained my strength in the leg. He said that was up to me.

And so I became determined to run again. I did rehab. I did extra exercises on my own at home. I walked with crutches longer and longer distances no matter the pain. As a gained strength, I went to a lap pool at my gym that was only about five feet deep and walked back and forth, practicing how to move my legs without the aid of crutches. I also watched movies for inspiration. No, not whole ones, scenes of running.

There was a scene in “Rob Roy” (1995) where Rob and his clan are running up a hill to escape the British invaders. The music crescendos as the men desperately scramble up that hill. It's a great scene, well, except where Rob's brother gets shot. I played that over and over. I may have seen that scene 1,000 times.

Another inspiration was a scene from “The Last of the Mohicans”(1992).  It's at the beginning of the movie where Hawkeye and his blood brother Uncas are hunting. They're hurtling through woods, jumping over ravines and scrambling up hills, again with stirring music building as they approach their prey. Yes, that probably got viewed 1,000 times too.

After a number of months, I could walk without crutches. I began with easy walks, then lengthened them. In the pool I would run (as best as I could against the resistance of the water). I finally decided I needed to try to run, no matter if it hurt. So I went to a nearby sports complex that I knew had perfect fields. Long, well-groomed grass that I knew would be like running on a cushion. I ran five feet. It was a little painful, but not excruciating. I walked a little ways and did it again. Basically, I did intervals. I advanced to ten feet, then twenty. Each day I'd extend the distance, alternating with walking. Eventually, I could do a complete lap around the field, then the entire complex.

 

So I soon was back to running. My fear that it would never happen overcome by determination and inspiration. 

A long time ago while running around an indoor track at the gym, I noticed an old man running. He must have been 80 or more. No, not a speed demon, just a steady, slow pace. Years from now if you encounter such a man, who may be one step from his grave, look closely. It'll be me.

Exercise Now!

Hey there, Coach Jay checking in again to tell you to get up off your fat butt!  Oops, sorry, that wasn't polite. Okay, everybody needs to get up and exercise during this trying time.

Yes, we all need to practice social distancing and self-quarantining, but you can't let that keep you from maintaining your health. Just like you don't stop brushing your teeth just because you are on vacation, you don't stop staying healthy just because you can't go to the gym. It's easy to goof off nowadays, to just hunker down inside and watch the tube, but you need to self-motivate while you self-isolate and get some exercise. 

You may not be able to go out and play soccer

with your friends, but you can still go and run around the block (or farther). And as long as you don't run in a group, you can still stay isolated. When you see someone jogging the opposite direction and heading toward you, one of you should abandon the sidewalk and run along the side of the road. This way you can pass each other by a good distance. And it is important to have a good distance while running because your breath may travel farther because of increased breathing.

Got weak knees or are not up to jogging? Well, walking is just fine too. However, to get a good result from walking you need to have a brisk pace and not pause. That means don’t stop to pet your friend’s dog or to discuss (from a safe distance) the TV show you are currently binging on.

Should you wear a mask while walking or jogging? Most doctors I've heard talk about the issue say that being outside dissipates the germs that come from your mouth more quickly. So as long as you keep a good distance from fellow exercisers you probably don’t need a mask.

 

Coach Jay knows how to social distance

I like jogging or walking because you get outside, and I think in these self-sheltering times that's beneficial both physically and mentally. However, I'm seeing a large number of people posting videos of their indoor workouts. Whew, they look tough. Not sure I'm in that good of shape, but keep it up. Whatever way you are comfortable with you should keep going. Stay motivated.

Don't stop there though. Nowadays a lot of us are binging on TV shows and movies. Our derrière comfortably nestled in that old couch as we watch marathons of Battlestar Galactica (SyFy channel) or some other cherished show/movie. Well, keep it up but during commercials stand up while you channel surf. Better yet, use the commercial break to walk to the far end of the house or apartment and look out the window. Do it several times before the show begins again.

We'll get back to soccer soon

So don't let your rear end and gut enlarge during these stressful times. Stand up, move around and get that heart beating. Remember, stay home and stay safe, but exercise too. 

Ahhh, James Thurber

The Fat Shaming Blog

The United States has a big problem and it's not just the narcissist we have as president.  It's huge, really huge.  It's fat.  The US is the most obese/fat country in the world. The US may not just be the most obese but also the most overweight with over 70% of Americans in that category.

You can walk down any street in our country and in front of you will be a large group of people who are waddling off to buy a 1,000-calorie latte.  When you get on a plane to fly off on vacation, you know that secretly you’re praying that a fat guy doesn’t sit next to you and take over half of your seat as well as his own.  

Likewise, when you have a ticket to a football game, you attempt to get there first before that overly plump fan arrives to try and take your allotted few inches of hard metal bench (unless you have a pricey ticket which may have separate seats). 

I know you remember an earlier blog and are saying, “Coach Jay, you’re biased because you have a degree in Physical Education.”  What you don’t know though, is that I got that degree partially because it bothered me to run into PE coaches with bellies that looked like they had tucked a bowling ball under their belts.

Okay, I’ll be honest too, I could use shedding a few pounds.  I’ve gained more weight than I’d like lately, but I’m obsessed enough about the issue to want to do something about it.

It all began years ago after I read “Fit or Fat?” by Covert Bailey.  I was working as a study hall monitor as I attempted to break into the Austin ISD click as a PE teacher.  One of the biggest points I remembered about that book was Bailey explaining one big reason why we gain weight as we age.  It’s because we eat like we're still kids.  As a child, you probably ran around constantly, driving your parents wild but naturally burning off lots of calories.  

 As we age, we do less running around.  Unfortunately, most people don’t adjust how many calories they take in daily.  In other words, people are still eating the tons of food they could get away with as a child once they have passed college or high school and have joined the workforce.

Let me interject here that—as you can guess from above—it’s a myth that you naturally gain weight as you age.  No, it’s not part of the aging process.  Although your lean muscle mass declines with age (thereby not burning as many calories as in your younger years), the real problem is that it’s part of Americans' habit to eat too much and not exercise.

One of the things I did after reading that book is that I decided to just eat an apple for lunch.  Yeah, that’s a little extreme and I began to do a little more later in life (probably why I could use with losing a few pounds now), but that was the idea.  I no longer was as active as previously, so I cut back on a lot of calories. 

There are charts that give you estimates of how many calories you should consume (also Body Mass Index charts to see where you stand) and you’ll note that it’s less as you age, and also it’s less if you’re female. For example, an 18-year-old moderately active male should consume 2800 while a female 2000.  Once you hit 55, a male should take in 2400 cals, a female 1800. 

Of course, Americans don’t do this.  They do not cut back calories, instead preferring to amp them up.  Ergo, fat Americans.

I am often perplexed when driving home late at night and notice big crowds of people in fast food places.  I always wonder why people are eating supper so late, but subconsciously I know that they’re not eating supper—they’re eating a snack that has as many calories as supper!  That’s insane!  If you want a snack then eat an apple (50 calories) rather than that 1,000-calorie double-meat hamburger covered with cheese and sour cream and maybe an extra piece of bacon thrown on top.

Of course, that won’t happen.  Greasy food is too alluring, especially compared to an apple.  It’s also super cheap.  Plus, often it’s hard to find an apple because many cities have food deserts.  They don’t have a grocery store nearby, instead they have 20 fast-food joints. 

Fast food isn’t the only culprit in our national disgrace, we also have an easier life than previously.  Now people will drive to the corner fast food place instead of walk down the street to the Mom and Pop grocery store.  Obese children are a big problem in the US nowadays partially because they find it more fun to play games on the computer, rather than tag or hide-n-seek outdoors.

Admittedly, it’s difficult to make lifestyle changes once you’ve gotten into a well-worn and comfortable rut.  However, if you are tired of folks like me trying to shame you into changing, then maybe you should give it a shot.

There are a few simple things you can do to start the process.  One is to weigh yourself every morning.  Buy one of those cheap digital scales and hop on it when you get up.  No, it won’t take pounds off you, but it will begin to make you think about your weight more seriously.  If you weigh yourself and notice you gained a pound since yesterday, it may not stop you from grabbing that donut during a coffee break that morning, but you may begin to think twice.  And that’s a start.

Also, consciously think about those calories you consume.  We were supposed to have menus at restaurants and charts at food stores showing the calories available by now, but sadly, Trump in his anti-regulation craze has delayed (if not stopped) this from happening.  So you’ll have to either guess or look it up somewhere.  Do it though.  Find out how many calories are in that Big Mac before you buy/eat it.  Like the scale idea, it may not stop you from consuming, but again it may begin to change your perception of what you’re putting in your mouth. 

Another thing to try is to find snacks you might enjoy and that are low in calories.  For example, years ago I read an article about what are the best fruits and discovered that watermelon was #2 (guava #1).  I like watermelon.  So I decided to buy a seedless one and cut it up into small chunks and have it sitting around to snack on instead of something like calorie rich chips or M & Ms. Find one you really like and snack away.

And don't get me started on exercise. Of course you need to do this (as well as watch your calories).  Not just for weight, but because it will improve your health and mental well being.

Lastly, don’t give yourself or your friends a pass.  Don’t say “she’s naturally big-boned” or “he is too busy to exercise” or any of the hundreds of apologies/excuses you or your friends may use.  Sure, some people gain weight because of medications or other unavoidable occurrences—but those are the rare occasions. This epidemic won’t resolve itself until we all resolve to fix it. 

So next time your coworker invites you to lunch at some diner or fancy establishment, counter-offer that he/she join you on a walk to the park a few blocks away and present him/her with half of your apple.  Tell them Coach Jay insists. 

She's Got Leg(ging)s, She Knows How to Use Them

Some women and numerous fashionistas seem to have declared war on leggings worn as pants.

Fashion icon Tim Gunn absolutely hates leggings and yoga pants.

There’s a YouTube video that has gone viral of Jamie Higdon Randolph (over) stressing that leggings are not pants and should not be worn as such.

The funniest anti-leggings screed though is the Australian group “Skit Box”  song about “Active Wear” which is basically a sporty-style of leggings.

On the other hand, we single males love leggings (I mention single because married men aren’t allowed to like them without the wife’s permission). They are skin-tight, make us imagine the woman as naked although clearly clothed, and even though leggings help hide some sins, for the most part they allow us guys to see what the legs are shaped like.  As a “leg man” I think they’re hot.

Unfortunately, as discussed previously, women don't dress for men. They dress for other women. So although there might be a tendency for some women to say that they are doing it to get a man’s attention, that's not the reality.

So why do women risk the social media condemnations and askance stares of other women to wear leggings?  Apparently, they have multiple reasons:

Many will say they wear them for comfort.

Some declare they do it because the leggings give them a feeling of empowerment and physicality because they are so often used for exercise and hearty activities.

 

 

They don’t want to mess up their “good” clothes when doing chores or errands.

A few really brave souls will admit they are doing it because they are too lazy to try to pick out something else (the male equivalent to wearing sweat pants).

As stated earlier, we single guys love leggings. So as far as this yearly battle (it surfaces every time fall rolls around) on whether women should wear leggings as pants, let me just conclude by saying “Please, keep it up.”

(Some angry feminists who heard that I was going to blog about leggings said I was only doing it so I could post more pictures of women in tight clothing and not to make social commentary. Um, maybe.)

Whew, aren't you glad this wasn't another one of those ornery side-steps? Back in the groove. (James Thurber would have liked leggings too).