Learning by experimenting - part 2

Jogging requires energy. Legs are stressed. Depending on the speed of jogging, you can put a toll on your legs at high speeds of 7, 8, or 9 mph.

Now the form of jogging using the entire feet to jog is different from using just the toes.

When using entire feet you are actually creating a greater surface area between the leg and the ground. This increased surface area will lead to more resistance and to consumption of more energy.

Take the other form of jogging I described above - using just the toes. In this case, you are using a very little portion of your leg to move yourself. The surface area that interacts with the ground is less and this reduced surface area means less friction.

I am not sure whether this friction phenomenon is the reason for being able to jog more miles while jogging on toes, but I certainly can vouch for a better jogging experience on toes.

The next time you are jogging, try this technique out and let me know whether I make any sense.

This is something I learnt by experimenting - end of lesson 2.

A new chapter in my history of jogging

I am happy to open a new chapter in the history of my jogging experience. It has been almost six years I tried to accomplish this feat, which is to jog at 6 mph (or greater) for 2 miles at a stretch, and only a week ago was I successful to complete it - 8 laps on a standard oval track-and-field is approximately 2 miles - in less than 18 minutes. That's 9 minute per mile and is not bad for me at all - although I had wished to achieve the goal of 7 minute per mile.

I have to clarify that I did cover 2 mile range few times in the past but only to relinquish the habit of repeating it after the fact. In most cases I changed my workout style - weights, cycling, kick-boxing, etc - that did not allow me to stick to my jogging schedule. In other cases I was out of the city visiting my parents back in India and was not comfortable adjusting to the new time table and day-night schedule. As a result, my body had to start all over when my mind lost the confidence that it could jog so many miles with out breaking in the middle. I stopped to catch up on my breath and eventually give up on the task.

It's different this time. Now I know I can accomplish the task, albeit still not that easy, and have the hindsight to help me drive in the right direction. I will have to make my mind believe that this task is just one milestone and that the milestone is already traversed. My mind should also note that I do not have to start over again. There are other milestones to reach and that means this milestone is a beaten-path.

For a week or so I have jogged 2 miles without any problem. In other words, I had no problem is repeating the feat. My body is tired when I reach the finish line, but it understands that it will not collapse. It feels energized and replenished with happiness. Great feeling.

I am very encouraged and already set my next goal, which is to jog for 2 miles in less than 14 minutes - ie 7 minute per mile. Will write about the accomplishment when it happens.

Real life facts and putting them to perspective

It's easier to put something to perspective by giving examples to explain your thoughts. Take, for example, the following facts -

"It is like measuring your blood pressure after you run for 5 miles. The blood pressure is accurate, but only for that moment. It probably is not a good indicator of what it generally is." - Andy Cohort talking about the exit polls.

I will keep adding such real life facts that will aid one to explain ideas in a better way.

Improvements

Well, we all have some characteristics that we think need to be changed or removed from our lives. Sleeping too much or eating too much, emotional instability, inability to control anger, or peeping-tom attitude are few examples of traits that we want to grapple at some point in life. We understand that these habits will lead us in the wrong direction and hinder our ability to succeed and grow in life. When a person knows what his or her limitations and takes action to overcome them, he or she would certainly succeed sooner than later. Assuming the previous statement is true, I try to analyze my personality and identify the characteristics that will need to be changed.

Below is a list that has traits that I want to change:
1) I dearly need to improve my communication skills - both verbal and written. Especially -
- I tend to give excessive information many times. I will need to change this attitude so I give enough information that the receiver does not get overwhelmed.
- I over promise. I need to be realistic and assume responsibility for only that much I can satisfactorily deliver.
- I involve in conversations that contain emotions, which in turn hinder my abilities to think straight and act properly.
2) Physical fitness
- I clearly understand the physical condition my body is in by looking at the health report (cholesterol report, in particular) that I get every six months. Not a single time have I succeeded to keep my cholesterol down to acceptable levels two consecutive terms. This fact only tells me how indisciplined I am regarding physical fitness.
3) Not trying the best
- I give up on a task when it is partially complete persuading myself that I did the best I could. I do not realize how close I am to the goal at the time I give up. In other words I accept defeat easily. I do not to stretch to the maximum. I have to continue to work until success and stop worrying about consequences and accept defeat only when I die.
4) Over confidence
- I think I can achieve a task at least tomorrow, if not today. The truth of the matter is that the task could be completed today with some effort rather than wait for another day. In other words, I procrastinate, which is a killer of success.
5) Bad attitude
- I have a notion that I have the set of characteristics that is seen only in the greatest people on the earth, when in fact I have so many traits that are bad, ugly and what-not. This wrong notion drives me in the wrong direction and directs me to misbehave with people. For instance, I would be sarcastic when I answer a question when it seems trivial to me. The fact that I miss is that my attitude ridicules the person who posed the question and portrays my bad nature.

The list has 5 items only. But the work I have to do to overcome these 5 items is tremendous. I hope to modify my personality so that I could handle life in a better manner.