ira’s abs—Athletic Challenges and Achievements by Ordinary People

High Protein Diets Can Make You Gain Weight Not Lose It

Mar 12

Posted by ira in diet, exercise, weight loss/overweight

Since I began this web site, it’s obvious to me that there are thousands or millions of articles telling people how to be healthy and fit: just eat “right” and exercise. So easy as to almost be boring. How many times do people need to hear or read these almost identical words of well-meant guidance? But humans aren’t logical. We are emotional and often take actions that are against our better interests. As one friend said to me over 20 years ago, “I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t want to do it. I just couldn’t stop myself.”

Maybe it takes the 10th or the 99th article to stimulate a reader to make a meaningful change in her behavior. I will keep trying. So here is another good one by author and wellness expert Kathy Freston, who interviewed Dr. Dean Ornish about diet and losing weight. You can read the whole article here after glancing at some of the excerpts below.

Everyone knows that diet and exercise play a role in how much we weigh, but many are surprised to learn what a powerful role emotional stress has in causing us to gain weight and how stress management techniques can help us to lose it and keep it off…

Good carbs are whole foods. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and soy products in their natural, unrefined, unprocessed forms. Because these good carbs are unrefined, they are naturally high in fiber as well. The fiber fills you up before you eat too much…

Diets that are high in animal protein are usually high in saturated fat, which promotes both heart disease and cancer…Fat (from any source) has nine calories per gram, whereas protein and carbohydrates have only four calories per gram. Thus, when you eat less fat, you consume fewer calories even if you eat the same amount of food—because the food is less dense in calories…

As you begin to eat more healthfully, your taste preferences change. You begin to prefer foods that are more healthful. And you connect the dots between what you eat and how you feel…

KF: What is a reasonable rate of weight loss?

DO: In most cases, no more than three pounds/week.

KF: What if we want to lose weight faster; is there a healthy way to do it?

DO: Do more exercise and meditation and eat smaller amounts of healthy foods and less salt. Regular exercise not only burns calories, it also raises your basal metabolic rate, the number of calories you burn while at rest. Thus, exercise helps you lose weight even when you’re not exercising. Do some strength training as well as aerobic exercise. Walking a mile burns even more calories than running a mile. Exercise in ways that you enjoy, then you’re more likely to do it. If it’s fun, it’s sustainable.

Tags: Add new tag, animal fats versus carbohydrates, Dean Ornish, exercise helps you lose weight when you are resting, how many pounds should you lose a week, Kathy Freston, negative emotion helps you gain weight, obesity is killing people more than smoking possibly, weight loss, why high protein diets don't help you lose weight

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Please Don’t Worry About Me, I Am Fine

Mar 10

Posted by ira in Zumba dancing, exercise, gym stuff, sports, tennis

Some readers are wondering why I haven’t been posting lately—the longest interruption in a year. I am simply out of town on spring break vacation, was preparing for the trip, was working on some intense business obligations and have been playing sports almost every day! Even went to the gym three times so far this week.

Yesterday one friend wanted to play tennis twice during the day in 76-degree sunshine, and then my daughter challenged me to join her and her friend in a Miami Zumba class. We were the only non-Latinos in the class, and it was really a sensuous, sexy, sweaty group. Lots of rolling hips and hair-whirling heads. Even the elderly women shook shoulders and twirled like girls. I love it. Spicy, like Hot Salsa. Blasting music…my ears were ringing. And a very different flavor from the Zumba class I took in Connecticut. As a result, I slept more than nine hours last evening. I was really tired.

So please be patient. I am reading Agassi’s auto bio and Brad Gilbert’s tennis guide called, Winning Ugly, so my tennis game should improve. I have lots more to tell, once I am back home on my own computer with a number of articles and stories ready to post. Thanks for your patience…

Tags: Agassi's autobiography, Andre Agassi, Brad Gilbert, tennis, Winning Ugly, Zumba

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Eye-For-An-Eye Or Turn Your Other Cheek?

Feb 26

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, sports, squash

Which do you prefer of these biblical admonishments? In your life and in sports?

There was a controversial event at the 2010 National Collegiate Squash Finals that was very upsetting and confronting for me. It made the papers, ESPN, and YouTube and also generated much commentary.

With Trinity College seeking its 12th consecutive annual victory, and leading Yale four matches to two (with five out of nine needed), the Trinity #1 player, Baset Chaudhry, the #1 ranked college player for four years, won the final point in the third game, thus winning his match and the team national championship.

Baset Chaudhry howls at Yale's Ken Chan, while Ira rises next to lady in orange sweater—2/20/10

At that instant, Chaudhry let out a howl, a scowl and three-inch-away face-down at his Yale opponent, freshman Kenneth Chan, who is at least a foot shorter. The cameras and videos recorded the moment, and the fire was ignited on the explosion that resulted.

“Bad sportsmanship,” “He lost it,” “Penalize and punish him,” were some of the damning comments. The lion against the lamb. The bullying giant versus the innocent little guy.

I was there for two days of the tournament, I know Baset, admire his talent and have seen for years what a gentle young man he is. He also has high grades that have earned him academic recognition and a job already waiting after he graduates this spring.

What was largely ignored by the media is that Chan was constantly bumping into Baset, losing from the beginning (three games in a row), and in the middle of the second game, after Chan made a difficult point, Chan let out an enormous howl up at Baset’s face that was startling, unsportsmanlike and unforgettable. But no picture was taken or published of that provoking gloating. Only one of Baset at the moment of victory giving it back to him.

Polls in the Hartford paper show that of 2000 readers, 61% think that Chaudhry’s behavior was unacceptable. A former sports coach I know agreed, as did a friend who has been a jock all his life. You are supposed to be gracious in victory, able to control yourself, especially in a gentlemanly sport like squash. Even if you are a kid in your early twenties and not a professional athlete. No excuse, no justification is possible. No matter what someone did to you before, no matter what insults might have been said (I have no knowledge or grounds to think that was the case this time), regardless if someone taunted you, cursed you, made comments about your mother or yelled in YOUR face before you yelled back in his. You’re expected to smile and be a nice guy. A good sport. Well done, old chap. You did your best. Cheerio.

I find it hard to agree, even though I was told that I am acting like a “fan” now (which I am), rather than like a neutral observer.

I mind when people not involved in something tell others how they “should” act. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2010 College Squash national finals, Baset Chaudrhy, example of bad sportsmanship, getting away with "murder", getting even, imagining experiences you haven't had, Paul Assaiante, politicians who are not punished, side-stepping revenge, Trinity College Squash Champions

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Your Chair Is Your Enemy

Feb 23

Posted by ira in diet, exercise, weight loss/overweight

Ahhh the frustrations of living a fit and healthy life. I already referred to an article suggesting that if you exercise, there is a good chance you will GAIN weight…because you will be hungrier—and eat more—after all that calorie burning. Now here are excerpts from a New York Times article by Olivia Judson suggeting that even though you exercise daily, you can still gain weight if you mostly sit the rest of the day. What a battle for those trying to lose a few pounds…

It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting—in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home—you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.

That, at least, is the conclusion of several recent studies. Indeed, if you consider only healthy people who exercise regularly, those who sit the most during the rest of the day have larger waists and worse profiles of blood pressure and blood sugar than those who sit less. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t: sitting a lot appears to offset some of the benefits of jogging a lot…

For many people, weight gain is a matter of slow creep—two pounds this year, three pounds next year. You can gain this much if, each day, you eat just 30 calories more than you burn. Thirty calories is hardly anything—it’s a couple of mouthfuls of banana, or a few potato chips. Thus, a little more time on your feet today and tomorrow can easily make the difference between remaining lean and getting fat…

…But it looks as though there’s a more sinister aspect to sitting, too. Several strands of evidence suggest that there’s a “physiology of inactivity”: that when you spend long periods sitting, your body actually does things that are bad for you… Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: burning calories in unexpected ways, how to exercise when you are not in the gym, how to lose weight in just two weeks, Olivia Judson, too much sitting is bad for your health

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Blood On The Court

Feb 18

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, ski racing, sports, squash, tennis

Yesterday after I slammed my head into the squash court wall, there was enough blood on the floor and in my cupped hand that I wondered if I had a concussion or was going to need stitches for the ¾ inch gash above my right eye.

Later while watching the Olympics, I grimaced during the three crashes I saw in the women’s downhill ski competition. And Lindsay Vonn won a gold medal in that event in spite of her pained shin, her almost-ripped-off thumb.

This morning I read about a snowboard athlete, Kevin Pearce, who wiped out in training and is in rehab learning how to walk again. Shaun White (gold medal snowboarder) has experienced a list of injuries from his sport that makes one pity his mother: He fractured his skull, broke his right hand and right foot and was knocked unconscious—all by age 11.

Now that I follow professional athletes—or even the amateurs I know—we are all getting injured all the time. It comes with the territory. But I lived for decades without messing up my body. I didn’t have broken anything, much less limps, bruises and aches. Can any of you who play sports imagine such a pain-free existence?

I can’t any longer. Though I am not taking the extreme risks of the pros, who might die or be permanently disabled from their passion to play and excel. I still can’t grasp those rock climbers who fall to their deaths with one slip of the finger. Unimaginable.

In an article about the dangers of Olympic winter sports, I read that Statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission make clear just how dangerous winter sports can be and not just for Olympians: 139,332 Americans were injured while skiing in 2007 and even more, 164,002, got hurt while snowboarding that year. And when looking at all winter-sport injuries, including sledding, snowmobiling and ice skating, 10 percent involved a head injury.

Why do we all do it, to whatever degree? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: amateur athlete winter sports injuries statistics, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Dick Button won two consecutive gold medal Olympic figure-skating titles, Evgeni Plushenko needs to compete, how many doors into a squash court, Lindsey Vonn shin injury, number of skiing injuries in US, number of snowboarding injuries in US, Olympics, sports injuries, why do we risk injuries playing sports, winter sports

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Exercise For People Over 50

Feb 16

Posted by ira in exercise, humorous stories

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.

With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.

Each day you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags.

Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I’m at this level.)

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.

Tags: exercise for people over 50, humorous advice

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Fiona L’Estrange’s Life-Long Love Of Horses And Dressage

Feb 15

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, horseback riding

Horses have been part of my life most of my life. My father rode, my mother rode. My grandfather was absolutely passionate about horses. He was the British ambassador in Honduras and was able to get heavily into polo ponies…civil service allowed you to live the grand life. He had nothing—no money, an old car. Broke his hip riding a polo pony in his 80’s. That was chips for his riding. The end.

Fiona L'Estrange and Digger before their dressage demonstration at the 2002 Belmont Stakes

So I came by my love of horses honestly. In the genes. Always ridden since under age 10. Rode at boarding school. We had a house in London, where I grew up, lots of friends who rode and took lessons, and I went with them. I borrowed a pony when I was 11 and then graduated to horses.

I still take lessons—you have to, even those at the Olympic level have trainers. You always need eyes on the goal, especially with a horse you’re piloting. That’s what makes riding such a difficult sport.

People are always trying to make the horse submit. They shouldn’t do that. They try to make the horse think like a human. It doesn’t work out so well. You have to learn to read the horse and have a working partnership. The best riders know how to ask a horse to be his best. It’s the only way to have a great partnership. It’s a great feeling, I think for both horse and rider, when a session goes really well.

When I was growing up and through my teens, mostly riding in woods and fields, we played hunting games, like egg and spoon, balancing while galloping, sack races (hopping alongside the horse). It took lots of skill, practice and training. We had bending poles races (you weave left and right around them), relay races, teams. It teaches you to work together. I participated in Pony Club……it was all huge fun.

When I was 19, I came to America. There was a bit of hiatus while I was getting adjusted. I lived with a race car driver who traveled to various tracks around the country, so I decided to get back into riding during these race weekends–then suddenly I was riding around the New York area during the week too.

I also hunted both in the UK and here. The staff wear pink coats so that you can clearly see them in the field. They keep the hunt together. The Master leads the entire field. The Whippers-in are responsible for the hounds. The rest of us are in black jackets and tan britches.

In my early 20’s, I did a little bit of hunting in Rhinebeck, NY and took lessons at Claremont Stables in Central Park (in Manhattan at 89th street) for about a year and a half—sadly it has since closed.

I had a full-time job then. I was up at 5-6 am and rode in Central Park on a thoroughbred I’d leased from an illustrator’s representative. Then I’d be at my office job by 9 or 9:30. Did that 5-6 days a week. When that horse developed arthritis, he was retired to a place that had a horse named Melly who was headed for the slaughterhouse. I bought him. My first horse.

Fiona and Digger cantering

Even though I was traveling overseas for business then to Japan and Italy, I started competing in dressage and eventing. Eventing is a real discipline—it is dressage, cross country, then show jumping all with the same horse and rider, all in one day—a true challenge for all.

I still like to gallop and jump, but not in competition. When you jump in eventing, the heights go from about 2’6” to nearly 4’. To be competitive, you also have to be concerned with speed. In the cross country phase, you go from light to dark and dark to light. You go up and down hills, all at the same speed. There are penalties for going over the allotted time.

In my late 20’s, I evolved into just doing dressage. I am mostly teaching just dressage now. For the most part, I won’t take people’s money to teach them to jump at a higher level—other trainers do it better.

After Melly died, I bought my second horse, Julian, who was largely unbroken, but turned into a really good eventer. Then two years later I sold him to a friend and bought Digger.

Digger and I have had 21 years of loving time together. I bought him as an unbroken two year old and did all the work with him myself. We entered major competitions and won major awards. In June 2002, we were invited by an Olympic judge to demonstrate dressage at the Belmont Park track in Long Island, NY, between races and just before the Belmont Stakes. A friend of mine created an audio using Shrek music, “I’m a Believer, sung by Eddie Murphy—did you realize there is a Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies? It was fabulous and fabulous fun to ride on that track in front of apparently 6 million people, both spectating and watching on tv! Actually I’ll bet most of the tv watchers were either in the loo or at the fridge!

on the track at Belmont Park

There were so many friends, travel, fun and incidences. And it was a ton of work. We did well at the Devon horse show, the biggest dressage and breeding show in the country. Four exhausting days of competition in Devon, Pennsylvania. Amateurs can compete against professionals. Once I began teaching, I couldn’t be considered an amateur. So I am competing against many Olympic riders most of which are riding horses that cost a small fortune! You can pick your classes, but not who’s in them.

In dressage classes, you compete for a score, not just 1st, 2nd, 3rd through 6th. There is no money for winning. You are competing against yourself. 100% is perfect, but no one in the history of dressage has ever reached that. The highest so far is 82%, and my best was a 71%. There are from 7-28 movements in each test, and each one is graded 1 to 10. Then it’s all totaled and converted to a percentage.

What I love about dressage is that it’s very intellectual, a thinking person’s sport. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Belmont Stakes, Claremont Stables in Central Park, demonstrating dressage at the Belmont Stakes, Devon Horse Show, dressage, Dressage appeals more to women than men, Eddie Murphy in Shrek, eventing, Fiona L'Estrange, fox hunting, horseback hunting, horseback riding, horseback riding is not dangerous, how to train a horse, Master and Whipper-in, Pony Club, practice made John Irving a better writer, President Franklin D. Roosevelt preferred hard-working people, Princess Fiona in Shrek movies, reading a horse, Richard Uhlmann, rules for teaching horse riding in Europe vs America, Spanish Riding School in Vienna, why I love dressage

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Some Readers Becoming Fitter, Finding The LIFE LESSONS Inspirational and Sending In Their Own Stories

Feb 13

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, gym stuff

There are people I know who are acting more healthfully since I began writing and talking about this site. And some have said how much they like the philosophical anecdotes about life that I call LIFE LESSONS. Now OTHER PEOPLE’S STORIES AND PHOTOS are coming in. This is great. Why not email me—or upload—your story?

Below is the most recent photo of my abs. I injured my arm around August 1st, stopped going to the gym, and cut way back on my exercising. So my muscles are shrinking. Doesn’t everyone have setbacks? We’ll see how I handle this one. But I started playing sports more and doing crunches at home. You can see progress photos above since the beginning. And then there is the guy in this video…he is my inspiration.

flashing in the snow—2/1/10

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Tags: abs, health, inspiration, life lessons

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How Risk-Averse Are You In Life And In Sports?

Feb 12

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, aging, humorous stories

Are you willing to take chances? I think I am. I’ve made investments in start-up companies, begun new books or magazines when I was a publisher, learned to ride a horse English-style at 50 and jump bareback at 52. I began serious tennis lessons at 65, and I’ve taken up squash for the first time when I was 68. But on the tennis court, I often play the safer shot and am gentler with my follow through for fear of hitting the ball too long. Then my opponent often smashes it back for a winner. No good. I must have more courage.

When it comes to food, I know people who order the same meals each time in restaurants. They admit that they are worried about not liking some unknown choice and are then stuck eating something they think tastes horrible. Or not eating it and wasting the money. And not reordering, and then going hungry. Or they don’t want to think about another decision, so they order what is familiar. A seven-day-a-week meat-eating friend told me proudly that he recently ordered trout for the first time and is now eating fish twice a week. He is in his mid-50’s.

These are little steps, but maybe they reveal bigger truths about who we are and how we play at sports and the rest of our lives. Yesterday I gambled and ordered the special appetizer the waitress had described, but not told me the price. As I said to the owner at the end of the meal, all the appetizers on the menu were around $10-13. Imagine my shock when the special one was $19! He said the waitress had made a mistake with the bill and insisted that the price should have been $17. But it certainly makes me leery about taking a chance again and ordering food blindly in his place. That price equaled the cost of some of the entrees. And I was unwilling to ask how much it cost before I ordered it. Too awkward for me.

Yesterday I also had another confront about my appearance. I have been playing many more hours of tennis and squash the past few months since my arm injury kept me from exercises in the gym. My upper-body muscles are gone or soft. I may be as fit as I was in the army at 21, when I ran five miles a day and jumped out of airplanes. But I look older. Of course I am older. So what’s my problem?

Well part of my goal in building muscle—and especially abs is to look “better”—and also younger. As I wrote in a previous post, millions of people reach for those goals by coloring their hair and undertaking plastic surgery. Very common and socially acceptable, although more for women than men.

graybeard Ira—2/1/10

But what the hell, you only live once. So tired of how gray my beard and remaining head hair had become, I went back to the hair salon for a cut and color. I was willing to take THAT chance, if not a riskier tennis swing or skiing down a steeper, black diamond trail.

What happened yesterday was a very funny development: the stylist tried a new color on my beard, and I ENDED UP LOOKING TOO YOUNG! This was a minor disaster, and she wasn’t sure how I was taking it and what to do about it. It was hilarious. My beard went from white to almost black. A clearly different color than the hair on my head. I was two-toned, like a tiger…well not that different. But anyone could tell.

the beard that still looks too young—2/12/10

This was a problem. I considered shaving it off on the spot. A friend at tennis had advised me to do that if I wanted to drop five or more years of appearance. I was almost at that point. I had taken the chance of a newer beard color, because the old one faded back to white weeks before my head hair. Now I was stuck. Of course it is only hair, it will fade in time, grow out, I am not a celebrity or going to job interviews. I am not dying. I will get through this. I will survive.

An hour later, after I learned more of what most women go through, after consultation with the owner of the salon, I had another paint brushing of bleach and coloring agent, and it didn’t look so bad. But I clearly looked more like when I was 20 years younger. And I have a picture to prove it.

my beard in 1980

The biggest problem is that I no longer recognize myself in the mirror. And I am sure other people are going to do triple takes when they see me. I will have to insist that, “I am not Chuck Norris.”

Now if I could only apply this gutsiness to my athletic pursuits, I’d be terrific. So many sports are mental games more than physical challenges. I have to take more risk…

…Ha Ha Ha Ha. I told you. Bumped into someone I work with for years—but hadn’t seen in three DAYS— and after her startled look at me, she asked if I was growing a beard! I had to tell her I have had the same beard for over 30 years, but that it was just darker than the last time we met.

Tags: afraid to take chances, aging, are you too conservative, Chuck Norris, fear of making mistakes, hair coloring that goes wrong, hair salon disasters, how safe is your sports game, humorous stories, importance of appearance, laughing at yourself, learning new sports at older age, life lessons, missing out on life's offerings, overcoming fears of being ridiculous, parachuting, riding bareback, taking chances in a restaurant, taking risks in life, trying different foods

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A Reader Writes About Hair and Abs and Food

Feb 12

Posted by ira in aging, exercise, humorous stories

Is that you Ira?

Not to worry Ira; the only reason you felt uncomfortable with your new hair, and the possible clash with your beard, is that, subconsciously, your mind could not associate your “mature” looking hair with your 30ish’ body architecture. Images of you have caused such a sensation globally that the Web is now replete with illustrations such as the one here, fashioned - of course - after your new sculpted body. You have started a new trend Ira. Next, IRA’s Eatery, featuring Mussels Marinara.

Robert Doornick

Tags: reconciling mind and body, Robert Doornick

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Squash Spree With Champion Players

Feb 10

Posted by ira in squash

Just had an exhilarating squash fest—attended matches three out of four days, and hit balls three sessions for an hour each, once with a former champion professional player and top coach. Also played some tough singles tennis in the mix as well.

Trinity wins its 11th national squash team title-2/09

Two of the viewing contests were at a New England Small College teams three-day conference, which was won by both the men’s and women’s Trinity College teams. The men’s side is astonishing, having won the national championship 11 years in a row and their last 220 consecutive matches…a record for all sports in the world. The women’s team is number two in the country, rising steadily each year from fifth place in 2007.

Trinity’s men’s team has many super-talented players. Included among them are three of the top 10 players in the country and five of the top 20. At the head of the list is Baset Chaudhry, who has earned the nation’s first place individual position three years in a row. He is soft-spoken and gentle off the court, but a formidable opponent whose win-loss career record at Trinity is 52-2.

Baset Chaudhry after winning the national squash singles title—2/09

I also witnessed a very exciting challenge match within the Trinity women’s team. The number three-ranked player, Nour Bahgat, took five games to beat the number two player, Nayelly Hernandez, and squeaked out a game-five win at 13-11 (it takes 11 to win, but it has to be by two points). In 2009 Nour was the top college women’s squash player. Injuries kept her lower on the ladder this year, so now that she is well enough to play, she is clawing her way back up to the top.

Nour Bahgat is fighting to regain the #1 spot in women's singles

Though down 0-5 in the first game and 6-10 in the second, she fought fiercely to win both. Nayelly came back in the next two games to force a very tight fifth game. The whole match seemed filled with some pushing and body contact, yelling and frustration. But the drive to win was almost visible for both players. I admire so much how athletes who are behind have the will and determination to not give up and make extraordinary efforts to overcome the momentum against them…and then they win.

The Trinity men’s coach, Paul Assaiante, was the referee, and one of his pointers to the women afterward was that the contest was a good learning lesson. They both received more experience in how rough a match can be when they compete against other school’s players.

My three, squash-hitting sessions were capped off with hard drills by Nour’s father, Mohsen, who had trained her since age five, competed in international tournaments as a youth and won the Egyptian Masters (over 40-years) tournaments each year from 2005 to 2009. He is 57 and has a long history of training, coaching teams, consulting and refereeing. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Baset Chaudhry, capoeira, challenge matches, college squash mens champions, coming from behind in sport, Egyptian squash masters champion, fierce competitors, longest winning streak in sports, Mohsen Bahgat, Nayelly Hernandez, NESCAC, NESCAC squash weekend, Nour Bahgat, Paul Assaiante, Trinity College, Trinity men's squash coach, Trinity squash, will to win

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Reader Writes That Fitness (Not A Sculpted Body) Is What Really Matters

Feb 9

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, aging, exercise

Back on December 30th, a reader criticized this site for promoting the wrong message about the importance of abs, thin bodies and hair coloring, all intended to make us look younger than we are. She said that I am a pawn in a superficial society focusing on youth, and I am spreading a teaching that is bad for the average person who does not look like a movie star or model.

I just received an email from Robert Doornick referring to that earlier post and making some other observations about fitness and good health:

The web site looks great, and continues to expand with time. You’ve started a trend! Unlike that person who speaks negatively about the wrongfulness of obligating people to look better than they can or should at any given age, I firmly adhere to the principles that aiming for a fit body has little to do with the resulting aesthetics of a more “sculpted look” - unless of course vanity comes into play, in which case that becomes a personal issue - but instead, it has everything to do with maintaining a healthier body, embracing a more active and productive life, along with equally important side effects such as a more fit mind as well. If one ends up having a more pleasing architecture as a byproduct of exercising and eating right, then so be it; lest we not forget that it takes such a well tuned body to perform in sports, lead a much more productive life and - for those of us who don’t adhere to physical exercise - enjoy a healthier and longer life.

Indeed, Advertising agencies manipulate consumers in the wrong way by using physical perfection, love and sex as appealing incentives for using or wanting products and services. In that context, the comments made by this person in your web site are indeed correct. Perhaps this same person should also be reminded that www.irasabs.com does not sell cars, toothpaste, clothing, or any other product or services. Replete with its countless and ever increasing accounts from willing participants, this implies that the clearly popular Site is about staying fit and healthy, rather than associating with a centerfold in order to drive the latest Automobile!

I for one have been working out for decades, and my body has at times looked fit enough, and at other times a bit on the bulky side. I have never lost sleep over its appearance however, and my satisfaction has always come from the knowledge that I was taking care of this bipedal vehicle so that it would transport me safely through life’s challenging roads; and even when desired, allow me to willingly take the bumps, just for the fun of it!

I applaud you for irasabs.com Ira, and for facilitating this fun enclave of like-minds. May the Force Be With You, and I mean this strictly in the gymnastic, resistive kind of way!!!

Robert

Tags: ad agencies manipulate consumers, body aesthetics don't matter, fitness and good health, fitter body leads to fitter mind, well-tuned body enhances sports performance and longer life

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Gary Gianni Rides Road Bikes, Mountain Bikes, and Spins in Cellars in Winter

Feb 8

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, cycling

I like to test myself…and then you feel real good about what you’ve done. Biking is my thing, and most people on a bike have a smile on their face.

My wife passed away after 27 years together. So one of my philosophies is to Do It Today, because tomorrow you may not be able to. That’s carried over to my biking—when the weather is great, I ride with my friends.

Gary Gianni during his first Century (100 miles) ride—

Everyone rides a bike, when they’re a kid. I also messed around with bikes in my 20’s. But I played in a band part-time for 15-20 years after that, and I had no time to ride. I got tired of that. Then a friend offered me his mountain bike in 1988, when I was 35. (I’m 56 now.) So I quit playing and started riding, just five or 10 miles. There were trails near our house that I’d go on with my neighbor, who was 10 years younger. I met more people who rode, and it just became a passion.

Next it became a bit competitive. My two boys started riding with us. It makes me smile and feels good. It’s a great means of seeing things—more than hiking in the woods and trails. It’s so much fun.

Then a lady gave me a road bike, just left it at my house one night. I started riding on the road, which is safer and better for your cardiovascular system. You can go a lot faster and keep up your heart rate. Mountain biking is more up and down, while road biking is more steady. Once you get into a zone, you can really fly. It takes over your body physically.

Hill on the RAGBRAI out of St. Olaf, Iowa—

Once I did the RAGBRAI [the Register’s (a local newspaper) Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa]. It’s a seven-day ride, 450-500 miles, a different route each year. There are 10,000 riders! Such an experience. You camp out each night after a set number of miles. So when I hit the 60-mile mark one day, there are 23 miles to go. I got into the zone, going 23 miles per hour, and I decide I’ll just go this fast as far as I feel good. I was in such a mental zone. I made it the whole way. That’s a pretty good clip.

The fastest rider I know does 21-22mph for 50 miles. You just feel good about it. You just have to do it. My girl friend Susan (see her story posted on 10/25/09) flew by me one time and went for five miles in the zone. The endorphins and adrenaline are flowing, everything seems to be right. You’re shifting nice, and you just go with it.

Susan and Gary at Pennwood, CT, New Year's Day, 2006

Then there are those times when you just bonk, and you can’t get out of your own way. Nutrition, eating well, and hydrating plays such a big part of it. You’re just tired, and your legs feel like lead, but it will pass. You’ll get your energy back. Younger riders are lighter, and they fly by you. Though there are a lot who can’t keep up with me. Physical conditioning is very important. There are even a lot of guys in their 20’s and 30’s I mountain bike with who can’t keep up with me.

In the summer, I go out 3-4 times a week. Two weekdays and Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes it’s 2-3 days in a row. It’s good to recover and back off a bit. You get a pain here and there, and you have to listen to your body and take it easy a little. Road riding takes up a good part of the day.

When we ride on roads, we usually won’t go less than 35 miles. We try for a 50-75 mile ride. If I’m going with friends who are fast riders, we travel at 17-18 mph. We live near a lot of hills, so when we go with older, slower riders, we go 13, 14, maybe 15 mph.

I once did 140 miles in a day. Four of us rode to Lake George, New York from Winsted, CT. It was 10 hours in the saddle. That’s a decent pace. Some fast guys can average 20 mph, but we were doing it for the enjoyment, just to have a good time.

A 66-year-old friend rode cross country, from Virginia to Oregon. Ten to 12 riders for 12 weeks. There were cars that hauled your supplies, sponsored riders and helped with breakdowns.

He and I also did the Border Raiders ride, named after Quantrill’s Raiders, back when there were border wars with slave states before the Civil War in the 1860’s. It’s 500 miles over eight days across four states (Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri). You go 160 miles in 100 degrees, from convenience store to convenience store. Grueling. You just keep filling up.

I’m talking with friends about doing a double century ride—200 miles—in one day. It’s kind of nice to push yourself a little bit. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Arizona Trail, babyhead rocks, bikerag.com, Border Raider's bike ride, Bunker Hill Road, Case Mountain, century bike ride, cost of different bikes, cycling, different clothes for biking, dirtrag.com, double century bike ride, Gary Gianni, Hans Rey, Kaibab Forest, Lance Armstrong, Maah Daah Hey Trail ND, mountain biking, mountain biking in East Burke VT, Mt. Greylock MA, Nassahegan CT, passionate cycling, Pennwood, Quantrill's Raiders, RAGBRAI, Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, road biking, road biking vs mountain biking, Spinervals DVD's, spinning, Susan Georgia, Tunxis State Forest CT

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What’s Your Choice: Money, Career Or Tennis For Fun?

Feb 7

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, tennis

Lindy Coco used to shovel snow off the court to play in 5 degree weather—2/4/10

My partner in tennis doubles last week was Olindo Coco, nicknamed Lindy (after Charles Lindburgh). He is 93 years old, has been playing tennis two to four times a week for 65 years, and has great reflexes at the net. He may not run after the ball like a kid, but when his racket reaches that ball, he can often place it like a pro…all right, maybe a retired high-level amateur.

What an inspiration. Hope I’m alive that long, much less hitting tennis balls. How did he do it?

It started with his multi-decade marriage to tennis, along with a 56-year marriage to his wife, Jeanette, who died in 2000. “I love the game so much that it cost me a lot of money.” To be able to keep on playing two to four times weekdays, as well as taking his kids ice skating or to the beach, he worked out a deal with his boss. He was allowed to work at home and at night as a detail artist retouching photographs for Sears and JC Penney catalogs. He was with that one company for 25 years.

Every time other firms offered him a better job for more pay, he turned them all down. “I had the perfect situation with a flexible schedule that gave me as much family time and tennis time as I wanted.” So he stayed put and honed his game. All that fun and exercise and cardio. What more could you want if you’re as passionate about tennis as Lindy is?

When he lived and worked in the Bronx for 31 years, there were eight guys as crazy about the game as he was. They played year round at Pelham Bay Park, sometimes in 5-degree weather. Even when the snow was a foot or two deep, those tennis nuts would shovel it off and compete. With one partner, Art Merrill, he won 51 straight sets.

After moving to New Fairfield, CT in 1978, he made new friends at Rogers Park in Danbury, picking up games or spending hours perfecting his strokes against the wall.

Cardio and proper diet are two ingredients for good health. So Lindy never, ever eats once he is full. He chews his food slowly, and is often the last one to finish eating. He’s been observed stopping his fork with food on it when it is two inches from his mouth. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: a life of fun instead of money, choosing your sport over your career, Lindy Coco, senior tennis players, tennis players over 60

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Guess What Most Motivates People To Lose Weight

Feb 4

Posted by ira in diet, exercise, weight loss/overweight

I saw a friend this week I hadn’t seen in two years. He looked good. Here is our conversation:

me: You look a little thinner. Have you lost any weight recently?

him: No. I’ve weighed the same the last few months.

me: Well what about in the last year or two?

him: Oh that far back. Yeah, I lost 30 pounds.

me: Congratulations. You look great. How did you do it?

him: I changed my diet—stopped eating junk food. I started exercising. Then I quit drinking. I haven’t had a drop of alcohol in over a year.

me: That’s amazing. What motivated you to do it? It takes a lot of discipline to make all those changes.

him: (totally straight-faced) I had a heart attack and thought I was going to die. Had to go right to the hospital, and had two stents put in. Only took a day.

me: (silence)

So the fear of Death is a great motivator. How come so many wait until it comes that close before we are prodded to do something about our health? Or make changes in other parts of our lives? I’m a big procrastinator myself…when it comes to taxes. But not when we are talking about that other certainty in Life: Death.

Another overweight friend and I were talking today. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: how to lose 30 pounds, how to really lose weight, the biggest motivator for weight loss

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Scary’s Abs And Bare Skin On A Bear Skin

Feb 3

Posted by ira in exercise, photos of celebrities

Melanie Brown

actor Mario Lopez has asymmetrical abs

Former Spice Girls member Mel B was known as Scary Spice when she was singing and writing songs. For a Las Vegas burlesque show, she was doing a half hour of cardio and 200 sit-ups…three times a day! Look at the results.

Tags: celebrity abdominals, Mario Lopez, Melanie Brown, Scary Spice Mel B, Spice Girls, stomachs of the stars

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2000 Cyclists Spinning To Beat Cancer

Feb 2

Posted by ira in cycling

I went into Manhattan two days ago to cheer for spinners at the Cycle for Survival. This is an indoor charity event where people can hop on a stationary bike and pedal to raise money for research on rare cancers. There were 400 teams (of one to eight riders) split between two Equinox gyms in which people would spin for a half hour or more. With music blaring, bikes close together, “coaches” with microphones saying “climb that hill,” “sprint for the finish line,” and friends and relatives waving arms and yelling, it was a very exciting, energetic and emotional experience.

spinning to fund research

Some of the cyclists are cancer patients. Most are not, and everyone’s participation is providing hope, support, and fund-raising enthusiasm. Over $2.2 million has been raised so far this year, a total of $4 million since the first annual event in 2007, all used for research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Next week 100 more teams will be cycling for the first time in Chicago.

he rode the whole four hours

Of all 500 teams, and over 2000 cyclists, only 25 are extremists who pedaled for all four hours. I was yelling for a cancer patient I know who rode solo the entire time. In good weather he rides about 70 miles a week. He says, “I cycle because it keeps me alive…because l can…because I am still here.”

A number of celebrities were cycling as well. Here is one I cheered on, Chris Mullin, a five-time NBA All-Star who also won Olympic gold twice.

NBA All Star, Chris Mullin

Most funds for research are granted to the more prevalent illnesses like breast and prostate cancer. However more than half of all cancers are classified as “rare,” because each one affects less than 200,000 people. These include cervical, stomach, brain and all pediatric cancers. It’s unbelievable that so little money is being directed to cure these rare cancers.

To learn more, visit the event’s web site, www.cycleforsurvival.org

Tags: cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Chris Mullin, Cycle for Survival, cycleforsurvival.org, Equinox gym spinning, fund-raising for rare cancer research

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The Joy Of Losing

Feb 1

Posted by ira in tennis

Have a new tennis buddy I am losing to every single time we play singles (three days). Last month he was on the court 24 days. Now that is really commitment. He also does a half hour of sit ups every morning, when he first wakes up, and then another half hour around 4:00 each afternoon.

What fantastic discipline. No wonder I haven’t yet recorded a victory. No wonder he is such a strong competitor. But when he places his shot so perfectly that I can’t even touch the ball with my racket, I am watching pure poetry. It is a pleasure to applaud such skilled execution. Maybe someday soon I will take a set. For now, I have never enjoyed losing so much.

Tags: benefits of commitment and discipline, importance of practice, tennis, when it is a pleasure to lose at sport

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Tennis/Crunch/Sport Report

Jan 31

Posted by ira in exercise, sports, squash, tennis

Finally, finally and finally, the Australian Open is over. I become too interested in these contests and spend so much time watching that other interests are short-changed. Now I can do more reading, writing and exercising.

So here is what I did in January.

I played tennis on 15 days—one more than last month—for a total of 35 hours (down from 49 in December). Almost can’t imagine how I was doing five hours a day last month sometimes, but it was usually doubles. Played more singles recently.

My abs crunches set a lifetime record and also were modified.

Jan 1: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 500 balls
Jan 5: 250+250+250+250=1000 balls (legs on exercise ball, back on floor)
Jan 9: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 550 balls (a record)
Jan 18: 250+300+300+200=1050 balls (a record)
Jan 23: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + slow balls
Jan 27: 100+100+100=300 bicycles
Jan 29: 40 slow balls

When I did 1050 ball crunches, it took half an hour. So I am experimenting with the theory of reducing the time exercising but doing the moves more slowly—when I lower myself back to the floor, I am taking 15 seconds for just one descent. We will see if this builds muscle as well or better than faster, but more, reps.

I also went skiing once, played squash twice (one session was 10 games, and I wasn’t tired), lifted some weights just once (my injured arm was able to do it), and rowed once.

Another activity that took up some very exciting time was attending five of the Trinity College squash matches at Hartford and New Haven. Trinity has now won 217 consecutive matches over 11 years, the longest of any sport. The team has also won the annual national contests 11 years in a row. I am a big fan, and love rooting for the players and coaches I have come to know and admire.

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Growing Older Is What We All Do, Like It Or Not

Jan 26

Posted by ira in aging, photos of celebrities

How is aging altering your appearance? Watching how people evolve physically is a transition that fascinates me. When I went to my 50-year high school and college reunions in the last two years, I loved seeing how people had changed. Most were mellower, some—like my friend Cindy—smiled more than I remembered, and others were completely unrecognizable. I don’t think I was so identifiable, especially with my beard. Would you have guessed it was me?

Cindy—1957

Cindy—2009

Ira—1961

Ira—2008

More important is being fit and healthy by eating right and exercising. Abs are a nice cosmetic benefit that are good for your core. Some defined muscles are also a visual treat. But toned muscles and the mobility to enjoy life and keep playing sports is the key goal…An inevitable part of the older-growing process is to wrinkle and gray (if we live long enough and don’t color our hair). I’ve observed aging with equines and canines. Now here are some famous feminines who’ve been affected by their years. MAYBE YOU SHOULD SEND IN PHOTOS OF YOUR CHANGES OVER THE DECADES. I will include them with pictures of celebrity males who’ve “matured.”

Elizabeth Taylor

Brigitte Bardot

Ursula Andress

Jean Simmons

Jean died this week

Mamie Van Doren

Barbara Eden

Julie Christie

Ann-Margret

Sophia Loren

Tags: Ann-Margret, Barbara Eden, Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, how our looks change with the years, Jean Simmons, Julie Christie, Mamie Van Doren, Sophia Loren, the aging process in action, Ursula Andress, women who've aged

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New Olympics Sports—For Adults Only

Jan 25

Posted by ira in humorous stories, sports

These new Olympics sports can only be entered and watched by people over 17:

precision vaulting

no-hand weightlifting

Tags: for adults only, new Olympics sports, no-hand weightlifting, precision vaulting, trojangames

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Catching Up And Choking Up

Jan 23

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, sports, squash, tennis

If playing and watching sports often results in our forgetting about “real life,” and the drama of sports is often regarded as a metaphor for “real life,” then how much can we adapt from sports success and failure to improving our daily lives?

A lot, I hope. When an athlete or team is way behind and comes back to win, what can we learn from that to help us also upgrade our own performance…in sport as well as possibly going from rags to riches? Or personal setback to major achievement?

And just as a player way ahead often blows his/her lead, what can we glean from that choking that will stop us from doing the same in our own athletic contests and also our personal quests? So we don’t go from castle to hovel, from happy marriage to divorce?

There is this sports announcer thing about momentum, more confidence, change in mood, reviving, rallying. What is it all about? What happens on a psychological level that obviously affects the physical level and then the score and final result?

I have seen recently a few sports situations that make me think about these changes for the better and worse (when one comes from way behind, someone else blows their big lead, right?).

So let’s explore this subject in a series of posts. First some Wikipedia definitions: A “choke” is a failure to perform in sport due to anxiety. This is a form of panic attack in which the athlete may literally experience breathing difficulty or otherwise lose physical composure. Successful champions do not choke, but are “clutch” players — rising to the occasion under pressure rather than collapsing.

In sports, clutch refers to competent and/or superior play during high pressure situations. Most often it is a successful action taken under high pressure during a game, usually at the end, that may result in a significant change on the game’s result. In the mainstream, performance in important situations is often attributed to some wealth or deficit of character that causes a particular outcome…

So I was watching a college squash match, and the Trinity player was behind one game to two. (A winner needs three games out of five.) He’d just been crushed in the third game 2-11. The score in the fourth game was 6-10, so it only takes one more point to 11 for Trinity to lose this individual match to Dartmouth. Although the odds of a Trinity comeback are incredibly remote, I have some faint intuition that this game is not yet over. But I don’t say anything, don’t want to jinx the outcome. I’m all for Trinity.

The score inches up to 7-10, 8-10. Now the fans sense defeat is not inevitable. The players must realize it a bit as well. 9-10, we are almost there. What is going on? Is the Trinity player gaining confidence? He must have more hope now than when it was 6-10. What about his opponent? From a sure or very likely win, enormous optimism, maybe even cockiness, he has to be worried, more fearful, tightening up on his shots.

Suddenly it is 10-10, the unimaginable has happened. It’s a new game. More tension, excitement, many minutes of back and forth. In fact there are six match points total, until Trinity’s Parth Sharma wins 16-14. What a turnaround! Now Trinity has the momentum, the greater enthusiasm; his opponent has to be debilitated and let down. Sharma wins the fifth game easily 11-3, and that individual match goes to Trinity.

How did that happen? How can we make that happen? In sports. Or off the court. People do rise to riches. They do get the girl. They do zoom from doom to boom?

Last year at the Wimbledon final, Andy Roddick wins the first set, goes to a tie break in the second set, and takes a huge 5-1 lead. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Andy Roddick, Antonio Salas, blowing leads, choking up, cracking under pressure, Dartmouth squash, Parth Sharma, Paul Assaiante, psychology of sports performance, Radek Stepanek, Roger Federer, sports comebacks, Trinity squash, Yale squash

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The Situation At The Jersey Shore

Jan 18

Posted by ira in photos of celebrities

This post is dedicated to ER who actually created the name of this web site at lunch one day, when I was describing my idea. He thought it was catchy, and I agreed.

Mike's great abs

Yesterday at another restaurant lunch, he told me that he watches an MTV reality show called Jersey Shore, about Italian Americans who rent a summer house together, and that one of the characters nicknamed The Situation has abs that should be displayed on my site. From what I gathered, he has this name, because as soon as he takes off his shirt and any young women see his abs, there is this “situation” in which they fall desperately in lust with him. Cute. I checked out the show for 10 minutes, saw Mike in the hot tub with a girl who fell for his muscles, and figured I had grasped the idea completely.

So here is a shot of Mike Sorrentino, who said the following:

“I’m very confident in being Italian. I’m proud to have spiky hair and I’m proud to have my six-pack. Whoever doesn’t like it, I’m not really too worried about it because everybody should love themselves. If you don’t love yourself, who will?”

Tags: Jersey Shore TV show, Mike Sorrentino, Mike Sorrentino's abs, The Situation

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Shocking Good News About Living 100 Years

Jan 16

Posted by ira in aging, diet, exercise

Here is some shocking news: According to a projection of the century-long rise in life expectancy published in The Lancet in October, 2009, more than half the children born since 2000 in wealthy countries can expect to celebrate their 100th birthday.

This New York Times article by Jane Brody continues in predictable ways: “ If so many of us are destined to become centenarians, it is all the more important to be able to enjoy those years unencumbered by chronic disease and disability. There is no virtue in simply living long; the goal should be to live long and well.”

This is certainly how I feel. My brother wrote that my anxiety about dying was what drove me to watch my diet and to exercise so passionately. I still disagree. I want to be fit and mobile as I grow older.

“But while much is known about how to raise the odds of a healthy old age, only a minority of Americans incorporate into their lives what is likely to give them the biggest bang for their buck…

“After decades of government guidelines and advice from friends, family and physicians, Americans have made some improvements in their eating habits. On average, we consume less red meat and saturated fat and somewhat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables…

“But, and this is a big but, we are a long way from consuming the kind of diet most closely linked to a low risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and dementia. That diet need not be strictly vegetarian, but it should emphasize plant-based foods over the meat and other products that come from animals that eat plants. The closer to the earth we eat, the healthier — and leaner — we are likely to be…

“The second crucial ingredient is regular physical exercise. The single most effective activity, studies have found, is an aerobic activity like brisk walking — about 30 minutes a day. If you can’t get out of the house, walk inside. Go up and down stairs, walk the hall, walk from room to room, walk in place. If walking doesn’t suit you, try dancing to music…

“So get off the couch and make this year the year you discover the joys and benefits of movement.”

The article has lots of good hyperlinks to other articles that you may find beneficial, and I will post excerpts from some of them soon.

Tags: benefits of diet and exercise, components of a healthy diet, half of children born recently will live to 100 in wealthy countries, living to 100, living well as you are living long

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Tough Guys With Tough Abs

Jan 15

Posted by ira in photos of celebrities

actor Channing Tatum is so tough he chews glasses

David Beckham's abs are like rope twists

Tags: abs, another Beckham underwear ad for Armani, Channing Tatum, Channing Tatum's bare chested GQ picture, David Beckham

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The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating

Jan 14

Posted by ira in diet

(These excerpts are from an article By Tara Parker-Pope that was originally published on June 30, 2008 and recently appeared on The New York Times’s list of most-viewed stories for 2009. I just ordered a delicious sardine sandwich with capers, onions and tomato as a result of #8.To read the entire article, go here

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.
6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

You can find more details and recipes on the Men’s Health Web site which published the original version of the list last year.

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Joe Rollino—The Greatest Strongman Ever (Pound For Pound)

Jan 12

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, aging, diet, exercise

[How do some people become so much stronger or physically talented than others? Is it just that people are born with superior physical capabilities, and you are lucky if you have those skills ? Of course you have to cultivate your potential? My doctor suggested that I can play three to five hours of tennis nonstop, "because of my physiology," while he is wiped out at the end of just two hours. Anyway one of the world's greatest strongmen died yesterday. Here are excerpts from his story in today's New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/nyregion/12ironman.html?hp)]

Joe Rollino once lifted 475 pounds. He used neither his arms nor his legs but, reportedly, his teeth. With just one finger he raised up 635 pounds; with his back he moved 3,200. He bit down on quarters to bend them with his thumb…

Joe Rollino at 10 years old and 68 pounds

People called him the Great Joe Rollino, the Mighty Joe Rollino and even the World’s Strongest Man. Mr. Rollino stayed away from meat. And cigarettes. And alcohol… He said he walked five miles every morning, rain or shine. At the height of his career, he weighed between 125 and 150 pounds and stood about 5-foot-5…

Joe Rollino—2009

He was a legend within that small Coney Island society in which few New Yorkers would want to become known as legends: the men and women who swim in the Atlantic when it is at its harshest and coldest. On a 6-degree day in January 1974, Mr. Rollino and six other members of the Iceberg Athletic Club swam into the waters off Coney Island. The freezing Atlantic was like steel: It didn’t intimidate him…

“He was known as the Great Joe Rollino, and he was great. You knew he was great just by standing next to him. He just had that humble confidence and strength. It shined.”

Sounds like a very special human. Even if we can’t come close to equalling his talents, we can learn how to be healthy and stronger like him. I’m very impressed that he acquired all that strength and protein without eating meat. When he died from a car accident, he was still fit and had lived to 104.

Tags: amazing feats of strength, greatest strongman for his size, how to live to be over 100, Joe Rollino

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Wall Street Journal Is My New Sports Hero By Billie Jean King

Jan 9

Posted by ira in exercise

Just bumped into this story encouraging regular exercise by Billie Jean King, Founder, Women’s Sports Foundation. Posted: January 7, 2010 on the Huffington Post

I’m not big on hero worship, but I may have to re-think my position.

“The Hidden Benefits of Exercise,”the cover story in the “Personal Journal” section of the Wall Street Journal (January 5, 2010), almost made me swoon (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB40001424052748704350304574638331243027174.html).

There it was — everything our Women’s Sports Foundation has been saying for decades: “Even moderate physical activity can boost the immune system and protect against chronic disease.” Yes!

Other studies show that exercise

– lowers the risk of stroke by 27%,

– reduces the incidence of diabetes by approximately 50%,

– reduces the incidence of high-blood pressure by approximately 40%,

– can reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by approximately 50%,

– can lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60%, and

– can reduce the risk of developing the risk of developing the Alzheimer’s disease by approximately 40%.

Game, set and match. Less colds and flu, too. How can you beat those odds?

I urge you to share your healthy living story with me, because it is important to me to know what you are doing to improve your life. You can write to me at BJKBlog@womenssportsfoundation.org and I will send you a link to the Women’s Sports Foundation’s new study on health called Her Life Depends on It.

Go for it and happy new year of exercise and health to everyone.

You can read more words of wisdom by Billie Jean on this site: Competition and Its Importance In Your Life(http://www.irasabs.com/?p=971 and Tennis And Life (http://www.irasabs.com/?p=952).

Tags: benefits of exercise, Billie Jean King, reduce illness, Women's Sports Foundation

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Using Abs To Sell Underpants And Movie Tickets

Jan 7

Posted by ira in photos of celebrities

Where do we acquire our idealized images from? Movies and underwear ads seem to be two big sources. So here is a Robert Downey Jr. shot from his latest movie as Sherlock Holmes and another anonymous body selling for Calvin Klein.

anonymous abs to sell undies

Robert Downey Jr as a fighting Sherlock Holmes—2009

Tags: Calvin Klein underwear ads, Robert Downey Jr, sherlock Holmes movie, using abs to sell movies and underwear

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Startling Use Of Plastic Surgery To Challenge Your Ideas About Conventional Beauty

Jan 5

Posted by ira in aging, photos of celebrities, plastic surgery

Looking fitter and younger can certainly be helped by healthy diet, exercise, sports, and muscle building. Some people also turn to hair coloring and cosmetic procedures, and this is the fourth article discussing these topics in some detail. It may be easiest to scroll down to the earlier posts, which appeared on January 2, 2010 (http://www.irasabs.com/?p=3400), December 28, 2009 (http://www.irasabs.com/?p=3287)and December 20, 2009(http://www.irasabs.com/?p=3153).

Millions of women modify their features thru cosmetic surgery, so they will look like: celebrities they admire; their own ideas of what is beautiful; or what will make them more attractive to men.

A totally different approach to altering one’s looks took place from 1990 to 1993, when a performance artist named Orlan carried out a series of nine surgeries viewed live by audiences during which her face was transformed through plastic surgery. Orlan’s “Carnal Art” was an attempt to question stereotypical ideas about beauty promoted by advertising, fashion and media professionals.

Orlan long before any surgeries—1977

Orlan—1977

You can see what she looked like in these pre-surgery pictures of her in 1977.

Years after the surgeries, she said, “…with cosmetic surgery, you can look like a Barbie doll, or some big star, or you can try to create you own inner portrait.”

One of her objectives was to embody the enduring visions of beauty created by renowned painters throughout history. She accomplished this seemingly impossible goal by surgically replicating the most cherished facial feature as it was presented in each famous artist’s most revered artwork.

Orlan after some of the surgeries—1992

For example, she has the chin of Botticelli’s Venus, the nose of Gerome’s Psyche, the lips of François Boucher’s Europa, the eyes of Diana from a sixteenth-century French painting and the forehead of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Orlan picked these characters, “not for the canons of beauty they represent… but rather on account of the stories associated with them.” Diana because she is inferior to the gods and men, but is leader of the goddesses and women; Mona Lisa because of the standard of beauty, or anti-beauty, she represents; Psyche because of her fragility and vulnerability within the soul; Venus for carnal beauty and notions of fertility; Europa for her adventurous outlook to the horizon, the future.

Orlan as Frankenstein's fiancee

Yet another surgery implanted two symmetrical bumps that look like horns in her forehead to mimic the protruding brow of Mona Lisa. Sometimes she highlights these protrusions with glitter.

Orlan with forehead bumps

The events that brought her closer to achieving ultimate beauty were celebrated and special. Each surgery was captured on video, fed to live international audiences via satellite link-ups, and exhibited in a number of galleries in Europe and the U.S.

Instead of the sterile environment of the operating room, she constructed an operating ‘theater’ in which everything was choreographed, and the space was decorated with flowers. Famous designers, such as Paco Rabanne and Issey Miyake, designed costumes for Orlan and her doctors to wear during the surgeries. Poetry was read and music played, while she lay on the operating table fully conscious of the events taking place (only local anesthetic was used) read from scripts and answered questions from viewers around the world.

In all these ways she demonstrated that there are many standards of excellence and diverse models of beauty. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: altering your face by surgery without facelifts, Carnal Art surgeries by Orlan, challenging society's conventional standards of beauty, changing the operting room into a theater, cosmetic surgery, designing surgical gowns by Paco Rabanne and Issey Miyake, Jennifer Hawkins, Jennifer Hawkins nude cover, Michael Jackson's plastic surgery, Miss Universe 2004, Orlan, Orlan's plastic surgery performances, plastic surgery, the chin of Venus by Botticelli, the forehead of Mona Lisa by da Vinci, the lips of Europa by Boucher, the nose of Psyche by Gerome, why women choose cosmetic surgery

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Tennis/Crunch/Sport Report

Jan 4

Posted by ira in exercise, tennis

On December 10th, I reported that including November 30th, I had played 32 1/2 hours of tennis in nine of the previous 11 days. This passionate, or manic, behavior continued for the next eight days, when I played tennis five times in a row, an additional 13 1/4 hours. That adds up to 14 days out of 19, 45 3/4 hours. Then I took a Christmas season, spend-time-with-family break to rest my arm and wrist, which were both pretty sore. I only played one more time for 3 1/4 hours, a total of 49 hours of tennis.

Helluva month. And my game definitely improved. Received two tennis books as gifts: The Inner Game of Tennis and Strokes of Genius, about the Federer/Nadal 2008 Wimbledon final. Both are inspirations, and I can’t wait to apply some of the new lessons grasped.

I also worked on my abs:

Dec 1: 150+150+200+250=750 ball crunches
Dec 8: 100+100+100= 300 bicycles + 250 balls
Dec 12: 250+250+250=750 balls
Dec 14: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 250 balls
Dec 18: 250+250+180(interrupted 10 minutes)+ 250 balls
Dec 20: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 300 balls
Dec 23: 250+250+250=750 balls
Dec 26: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 400 balls
Dec 29: 250+250+300=800 balls
Jan 1: 100+100+100= 300 bicycles + 500 balls

Additionally I went skiing once, ice skating once, rowed once on the Concept2 indoor rowing machine for 1000 meters, played squash once and joined adult friends for my first game of laser tag (we were destroyed by the other team of all kids under 17).

Now let’s see if I can do more weight lifting in the new year to rebuild some muscle…

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Plastic Surgery Thoughts And Top Procedures

Jan 2

Posted by ira in aging, plastic surgery

To look younger and more in accordance with our culture’s standards of beauty, some people exercise to make muscles, some color their hair and some resort to cosmetic surgery. A plastic surgeon I know, Dr. Dean Jabs, sent me this response to the December 28th article about Demi Moore’s possible plastic surgeries(http://www.irasabs.com/?p=3287):

Ira,

I think most people overestimate what can be done with surgery. People’s imaginations get the best of them. Too much Hollywood, not enough Main Street, so to speak. We can do a lot, but like I tell my patients, “My name tag says M.D., not GOD”. Lipo can contour but not reduce your body fat to 6%. Facial surgery and breast surgery can go a long way to restoring a youthful appearance and liposuction can contour…but that doesn’t take the place of a good diet and exercise, appropriate sleep and laying off the “sauce.”

Cheers,

Dean

At the end of this post are three of Dean’s company web sites, and one of them offered the following information:

May 15, 2009

Here at Cosmetic Surgery Associates we have definitely seen a shift in how people are viewing cosmetic surgery. People are concerned about the economy and are more willing to do smaller things now such as botox or fillers to maintain their looks rather than address the bigger issues that might require surgery. The recent release of statistics from our national society, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, bears this out. Here is a summary of the stats. Enjoy!

The top five surgical cosmetic procedures in 2008 were:

1. Breast Augmentation (355,671)
2. Liposuction (341,144)
3. Eyelid Surgery (195,104)
4. Nasal Surgery (152,434)
5. Tummy Tuck (147,392)

Women accounted for 92% of the total.

The top nonsurgical cosmetic procedures were: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Dr. Dean Jabs, plastic surgery, top nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, top surgical cosmetic procedures, what plastic surgery can do for you

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Celebrity Abs That Inspire Us To Keep Crunching

Jan 1

Posted by ira in photos of celebrities

Brazilian model Jesus Luz has been dating Madonna—3/09

Supermodel Marisa Miller is wearing a diamond studded bra worth $3 million

Tags: jesus luz, Madonna, Marisa Miller, Victoria Secret Fantasy Bra worth $3 million

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Different Views About High Cholesterol

Dec 31

Posted by ira in diet, exercise, gym stuff

My brother, Michael, stayed at my house a few days and said that I am obsessed with food, and that he was uncomfortable eating with me, believing that I am judging him for eating “badly.” “I like to eat what I want,” he said, “and if it means I live a couple of years less, who cares. I’m not willing to give up those foods I like so much.” My argument about how some people get their endorphin high from food instead of exercise doesn’t seem to apply in his case, because for many years he did triathlons, and at 53 still does one leg of those races. He also goes to the gym once a week or more.

When I mentioned that maybe his diet and high cholesterol numbers—I think he is near the 240-plus that I read is heart attack range—might cost him 10 or 20 years, not just two, and that he was setting himself up for a heart attack, he said that I was overreacting. He pointed out that our father had a cholesterol count of 300 and lived to 88. It’s just genetic for him, and nothing he does lowers his count. So why worry about high numbers or attempt to do anything that isn’t going change them.

HERE IS MY BROTHER’S RESPONSE TO THE TWO PARAGRAPHS ABOVE.

Ira, a couple of things as I remember them:

I observed that you are obsessed with Dying, and eating correctly is a part of that. You are obsessed over cholesterol, I am less of a fanatic. I am not “uncomfortable” eating with you, I enjoy eating with you, we have great conversations. I feel that you are often lecturing that “what works for you” should be the standard for everyone. I have read many relatively new reports that imply that the cholesterol connection has been flawed, and we have 3 generations of doctors who have been taught that this is gospel. The AMA doesn’t want to admit they made a mistake! They don’t want to tell you that cholesterol is totally necessary for proper brain function, and that the drugs they have prescribed for years may be the cause of some alzheimers patients, in addition to the known liver damage, kidney damage, and possibly cancers people seem to be having.

I don’t give up anything, but I eat and drink everything in moderation. When at your house, I eat all those great cheeses you supposedly buy for us. I never have them (unless someone gives them as presents) except at your house, or the occasional party. Are you then buying them for us, or for you?

I don’t get an endorphin high from eating, or biking, or running, or cycling, or tennis. No need to go into details about when I do get that high by the way!

My cholesterol is around 235. Doctors (who insist it should be under 200) still want to put me on cholesterol medicine to bring it down. I refuse—the fix is more damaging then the cholesterol. I am not a heart attack candidate, I am not significantly overweight, I can out run, out swim, and out cycle most of my peers, and many who are 15 years younger than me. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: cholesterol, cholesterol can't be lowered in all cases, eating bad food causes minimal damage, high cholesterol is not bad for some people, how bad are high cholesterol numbers, how important is eating for good health, obsessed with dying

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A Reader Criticizes This Site

Dec 30

Posted by ira in aging, diet, exercise, gym stuff

A woman friend said my web site is now sending out a bad and superficial message: that it is important to look good, and that your body’s appearance is ultra important. This is reinforcing our culture’s terrible emphasis on youth, looking young, and acting like anything but your age, if you are over 30 or 40. I have been seduced, she said, and am simply a pawn in the plan, especially when I am showing so many toned and fit bodies, women naked or in bikinis, and working to make my own body look younger and fitter with defined abs and hair coloring. Most people are not so muscular or thin, and the pictures on my site are insensitive, making some viewers feel resentful, insecure and unattractive.

I actually thought the photos might inspire people to work at diet and exercise to improve not only how they looked, but how they felt physically as well as psychologically. An additional benefit, I thought, was that readers would become healthier and have fewer colds and illnesses.

What do you think?

Tags: do idealized bodies inspire others to work out, emphasizing abs is superficial, fit body photos are insensitive, muscular bodies make ordinary people insecure, terrible youth culture

4 Comments

How Far Will YOU Go To Improve Your Appearance?

Dec 28

Posted by ira in aging, diet, exercise, photos of celebrities

Demi Moore’s name and body have been in my consciousness since I saw this 1991 cover.

Demi Moore—1991

She was criticized recently for looking old, especially her neck and cheeks. She responded, “I’m 47 how am I supposed to look?” Over the years, she has been fighting ageism in Hollywood, and complaining about her difficulty in landing some of the few good parts for older women. All this in spite of how young she looks.

Demi's rumored plastic surgery and expense—2007

Having just colored my hair to look younger in keeping with my more youthful body, I wondered if she was modifying her looks artificially as well? After “doing the google,” I discovered some startling stories:

“Demi Moore is rumored to have spent over $120,000 on plastic surgery over the years and over $330,000 on diet and fitness routines, including nutritionist, personal trainer, yoga instructor and kick-boxing champion. Demi Moore has had a breast augmentation in 1996 for the film Striptease, only to remove them subsequently and get a breast lift. Additionally, Demi Moore is rumored to have had liposuction to her hips, stomach, and inner and outer hips, a brow lift, numerous Botox injections and chemical peels, and teeth veneers. Most recently, the actress has been rumored to have had a knee liposuction surgery. The actress is also rumored to have had her nose done. Moore has all these procedures because she reportedly cannot bear to find any part of her body with flaws.”

HOWEVER MOORE DENIES THAT SHE HAS EVER HAD ANY PLASTIC SURGERY AT ALL.

Here are some more Moore photos.

Another Moore nude—1992

Demi's abs in movie, Striptease—1996

Demi flexing

Movie stars obviously go to extreme lengths to keep their careers alive. Yet the idea of shaping your body with the knife, Botox injection or steroids is a question many ordinary people must face all the time. You can only do so much by just eating differently and working out. Maybe you can lose a few inches around the waist, thin out your back. But doesn’t it take surgery to change breast size or eliminate deep facial wrinkles? It’s sort of cheating, but so what, if no one knows…about your nose? I grew up with hair color ads asking “Does she or doesn’t she?” Now I am reading that the perfect plastic surgeon’s work is not apparent to anyone. It looks as natural as apple pie…

My own interest in a six-pack has a lot to do with improving my appearance. I also like seeing definition in my arms. And this is mainly for me, so that I like how I look in the mirror. Of course I am proud when others who see my changes are impressed as well.

How we look—and desire to appear—has to play a major part for many who go to the gym or exercise in other ways. The path we select to come closer to that idealized vision is another story. Maybe sit ups are fine, but liposuction is off limits. Or maybe sit ups are too difficult, and liposuction does the trick easily. Cosmetic surgery can be a tough personal choice. And I know many friends who have done it. Is it okay for you? What do you think?

Tags: Demi Moore in movie Striptease, Demi Moore makeover controversy, Demi Moore Vanity Fair cover, Demi Moore's abs, exercise or liposuction, is it OK to improve your appearance with plastic surgery, plastic surgery

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Lawyer Martin Dodd Rows Daily At Lunchtime

Dec 23

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, rowing

I took up rowing about 25 years ago at the age of 32. Although the crew team recruited me heavily in college (I guess I had the build for it), I ran track and swam. I ran seriously through law school and eventually started doing triathlons, but knee surgery and a pretty stupendous bike crash got me seeking a new sport. At the time I was living right on Long Island Sound and could drop a boat in the drink right off my front yard, which I used to tell people went “all the way to Portugal.”

Leslie at about age 50—2008

My first boat was an Alden double that was kind of sluggish but beamy, stable and fun. While I always rowed it as a single, it would comfortably accommodate a passenger, and often I’d let my girl friend row me around. On a scale of one to ten, Leslie was at least a fourteen-and-a-half, and with her at the oars in a skimpy bikini, while I lounged in the stern with Heineken in hand, I soon became the envy of many a yachtsman as we plied the waters around the Thimble Islands. “What’s that guy in the funny little boat got that I don’t?” Leslie is an accomplished actress and playwright who still lives on the shoreline. We usually get together once or twice a year and go for a row.

I have since moved inland, and, while I get out into the salt as much as I can, I do most of my rowing now on the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers, as well as some lakes in Northwest Connecticut. Currently I have two rowing boats, an Alden Star and an Appledore Peapod.

Martin in his Appledore—1995

Named after one of the Isles of the Shoals in Southern Maine, the Appledore is an old workboat design modified for sliding seat rowing. It’s 16 feet long, 33 inches wide, and was the proudest creation of Arthur Martin who basically invented the sport of recreational rowing with the introduction of the Alden Ocean Shell in 1971. The boat has a real sharp entry, a lot of bow flare and is relatively flat amidships. She can be rowed single or double, carry a passenger and a lot of gear (yes, for old time’s sake, Leslie still rows) and handle incredibly rough conditions. Somebody rowed one around Cape Horn once, and there have been times when it’s started to blow that I would have felt more secure in the Appledore than my 23 foot powerboat.

An Alden Star (not Martin or Martin's scull)

The Star at 22 feet long and 18 inches beam is also somewhat flat bottomed but does not pound. Its most unique feature is a squared-off reverse step transom that supplies some hydrodynamic characteristics of a longer boat, as well as lift to keep you from pooping in a following sea. (Ed: pooping is when the sea comes over the stern—rear—of a vessel) This boat is also truly amazing in big waves. It’s rugged, and I have dropped it a number of times and run it into all manner of stumps, logs, lobster pot buoys and other obstacles, all without damage, although I did need to patch the transom once (an easy job) after my ex-wife ran into it with her little blue Volkswagen.

I have a high pressure, sit-down job as general counsel of a large engineering company, but my office is about five minutes from a beautiful stretch of the Farmington River. I keep the Star on a rack on my pickup truck, and most days when there is no ice, I drop it in the river at lunch time and am gone for about an hour. I row downstream to an old dam, then turn around and row upstream back to where I started. Things that seemed like problems when I started are mere bagatelles when I finish. As Arthur Martin used to say, “my boat is too small to take my cares with me.” The other day as I was loading the boat back onto the truck, I asked myself how much extra money would I take to go back to the high-rise law firm world where I couldn’t do my noontime rows. The answer was: “no amount of money in the world!”

A lot of people work out at lunch here, Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: advantages of kayaking over rowing, advantages of open water boat over sleeker racing boat, advice on how to row, Alden double, Alden Star, Appledore Peapod, Arthur Martin, Garmin bicycle computer for rowing, kayaking, lawyers who row at lunchtime, lunchtime workouts, Martin Dodd, rowing, rowing is good exercise and easy on your joints, rowing on Farmington River, rowing on Long Island Sound, rowing with a heart rate monitor, Strokecoach for rowing, Thimble Islands, where Ayn Rand wrote The Fountainhead

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Does Aging Bother You? How About Looking Older?

Dec 20

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, aging

This is a big subject I want to discuss in many posts.

I will show you famous people who have aged horribly and look terrible.

I will talk about people who go through incredible plastic surgery to look younger.

I will talk about the performance artist ORLAN whose medium was once her own body as she directed surgeons to transform her lips, eyes, nose, etc to look like the most perfect body parts seen in paintings and sculpture.

I will mention Botox, hair coloring, dieting and exercise to look fitter and younger.

Let’s start with a True Confession: I color my hair. Here I am in a 2008 photo that shocked and disturbed me, because I thought I looked so old.

old-looking Ira at graduation—6/08

It’s not that bad for a father aged 67 at his daughter’s high school graduation. But I was very upset. I had been going to the gym and playing tennis, each for about a year. I was OK aging, mainly because I wasn’t sick or lame or inhibited in any major way from doing the physical things I wanted to do.

Maybe I don’t have the reflexes of a 20-year-old. But I have truly felt for years that each birthday celebrated means I lived another year and am glad of that achievement and the life experience. I had some friends who died in high school, and others at older ages. So I am thrilled to still be living and learning and laughing and loving.

But as toned as my body was starting to look with all that gym work and cardio, suddenly I appeared to myself like an old man from the chicken neck up, like my father or grandfather.

Then after months of thinking and hesitating and judging the vainness of doing something, anything, I took the leap and colored my hair. Women start in their teens. Movie stars do it before they are on screen…and a lot more. Why couldn’t I do it too? Yes I was self-conscious. But I always admitted it or volunteered the truth whenever any questions or comments arose. Which was almost never. (“Damn, Ira, you look so good. How do you stay so young-looking?” “It’s easy…I exercise and color my hair.”)

younger-looking Ira—12/09

Every six or eight weeks, after my hair is looking grey and too long, I head for a haircut and some new pigment. This week when the great change was complete, I looked at myself in the mirror and said to the stylist, “Marlene you are a magician— l look at least 10 years younger…”and better, I thought. It still amazes me. Thank goodness for that blend of delicious dyes named Burnt Sugar, Butter Almond Crunch, Hazelnut and Iced Latte. Who knows why they are all food related.

I resent the Youth Culture mantra that I grew up in and live with. The society that says old and older people are not as valuable as youngsters. They may have lived longer, but those antique “gray-hairs” aren’t as attractive or hip or energetic or worth knowing. Even their wisdom and advice might be out-of-date and easy to ignore. Nevertheless, it looks like I succumbed to part of the message: it’s better to look younger.

I have a woman friend who refuses to use make up, color her hair or do anything about her wrinkles. She welcomes older age and wants to experience it as fully as she can. She is very energetic, used to be a dancer, is very physical and loving toward her children and grandchildren. She knows who she is and is not embarrassed that she looks like a grandma.

But most people don’t do that. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: aging, hair coloring for men, how do you like growing older, looking older, not valuing older people, should you color your hair, youth culture

4 Comments

Why I Froze My Gym Membership

Dec 19

Posted by ira in exercise, gym stuff, tennis

After going to the gym 6 to 10 times a month for 2 ½ years, I just turned in my key…”temporarily,” of course. Although I have gone only five or six times in the last 4 ½ months due to an arm and wrist injury, I have become a passionate tennis player: 32 hours in 9 days out of 11 and then 13 more hours in 5 consecutive days out of the next 8. That’s 45 hours in the last 19 days. The wrist hurts in the morning, before I start playing and for a few hours after. But I love the sport too much to stop. Hopefully there will be no permanent damage.

A friend who wrestled in college said that he just tuned out the aches, bruises and injuries. He felt no pain. Similarly, when I am playing, I usually don’t feel anything, except when I hit a ball in certain positions. Then the “ouch” is pretty major. Traumatic. I also have difficulty serving forcefully, which requires a lot of wrist motion, as well as certain high and net volley shots.

I thought this week I would take it a little easier, but then three different much stronger players called for partners (in addition to my regularly scheduled doubles games), and I was seduced easily into two different singles sessions and a super powerful doubles game yesterday morning. By the end of 4 1/2 hours of doubles yesterday, I was punchy. Seriously tired. It was close and tense. I saved five set points during one game I served. And my team lost by just 7-6 and 7-5. Most importantly, I am improving, even with the pained wrist.

One of the singles contests was with a man I’ve played occasionally for two years, but never won a set. I beat him 6-0 for the first time last week, and this week I won 6-4, lost 3-6 and then 5-7. Getting better. Can’t win more than two games a set from the other singles player, who serves the ball around 110 mph, according to a friend who has coached tennis more than 50 years.

But all that tennis and my hesitation to really strain my wrist have kept me away from the gym. I have some weights, core roller, exercise ball and other tools for muscles at home. Still find it hard to make myself use them. But maybe now that I am going to take a little break from such strenuous tennis playing, I will discover the will-power that has been missing. The tennis sure is fun, though. I love it. And I can also report that I just finished another set—not for tennis—of abs crunches. This is the fifth time this month. I am back up to 750 (250 each time with two one-minute breaks) with legs on the ball and 550 when I do 300 bicycles plus 250 on the exercise ball.

It’s all part of my evolution to build a six-pack and a flexible, fit and healthy body. What an adventure. I am really hooked on this journey and very relaxed about the detours and route changes on this path that is taking me as much as I am directing it.

Tags: exercising at home, finding the will power to exercise, giving up on the gym, passionate tennis, playing with injuries and pains, sports seductions, the fun of improving at sports

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Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin

Dec 17

Posted by ira in diet, exercise, gym stuff, weight loss/overweight

Here is a challenging article that John Cloud wrote for Time Magazine’s August 9, 2009 edition. (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html)
A summary of the main thesis is as follows:

“…The conventional wisdom that exercise is essential for shedding pounds is actually fairly new. As recently as the 1960s, doctors routinely advised against rigorous exercise, particularly for older adults who could injure themselves. Today doctors encourage even their oldest patients to exercise, which is sound advice for many reasons: People who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases — those of the heart in particular. They less often develop cancer, diabetes and many other illnesses. But the past few years of obesity research show that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated…

“…The basic problem is that while it’s true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn’t necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder….

“…Yes, it’s entirely possible that those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less. But like many other people, I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don’t. Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight?…”

Tags: benefits of working out, diet, does exercise cause weight gain, exercise, overweight

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Marc Sokolik Earns Another Medal Shotputting At The Senior Olympics In Arizona

Dec 12

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, shot put

[Back on July 3rd(http://www.irasabs.com/?p=1037), 69-year-old Marc Sokolik described how he is still throwing the shot put since he started in junior high school and had won a bronze medal at the 2005 Senior Olympics. At the recent Senior Olympics in Arizona, he competed again and sent in this proud report.]

I JUST RECEIVED THE SILVER MEDAL. I WAS IN MY AGE GROUP OF 13 SENIORS AND WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PLACE SECOND WITH A THROW OF 31′. IRONICALLY THE GOLD MEDAL THROW WAS 31′ 1,” SO I ONLY MISSED THE GOLD BY AN INCH.

I DON’T THROW COMPETITIVELY AGAIN UNTIL FEBRUARY.

Marc Sokolik wins the silver at the 2009 Sr. Olympics in Arizona

Congratulations, Marc. Go for that one inch increase! Along with his latest smiling award-winner photo, here is an earlier one from the previous post. I also have to include a key excerpt from his story that really describes his brilliant strategy:

Marc Sokolik keeps throwing the shot put

AT 5′6″ AND 160 LBS, I WAS TOLD I WAS TOO SMALL TO THROW THE SHOT…IN THE EARLY NINETIES WHEN I TURNED 50… I STARTED THROWING THE SHOT COMPETITIVELY… AND I HAVE JUST KEPT DOING IT. I DO NOT COMPETE AGAINST THE OTHERS, AS THEY ARE ALL BIGGER THAN ME STILL, BUT AS THEY DIE, BECOME UNABLE TO COMPETE OR JUST DROP OUT, LIKE THE ENERGIZER BUNNY, I JUST KEEP THROWING… AND BY THE TIME I AM 80, GOD WILLING, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE THE ONLY ENTRANT AND GET A GOLD MEDAL.

Tags: Arizona senior olympics, he's like the energizer bunny, how to win medals at the senior olympics, Marc Sokolik, senior shot put champion, shotputting

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Dan’s Love of Sculling Covers 54 Years

Dec 11

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, exercise, rowing

(None of the photos below are of Dan or his specific boat. But they will illustrate for newcomers some aspects of this wonderful sport.)

I have been rowing sculls in the northeast since I was 14 years old. On and off, except for one break of 15 years. It’s a great sport, a non-impact kind of exercise. You’re on the water, which gives me a good feeling, and is a nice place to be. I love going so fast.

singles rowers in foreground—notice squarish, symmetrical oar shapes

It’s great cardio, uses every muscle in your body. You use your legs, arms, feet and back. I’m usually in pretty good shape.

Actually it’s not just exercise. It’s a total experience, being part of nature. I don’t even mind rowing if it’s raining.

I row close by each summer, beginning in April or May as soon as the ice is out. I’m off the lake early October. I usually row four to five times a week for an hour and a half each time, so it’s about two hours total round trip. I go around 7 to 7:30 in the morning or 7 to 7:30 in the evening, when there is a beautiful sunset.

Mt. Tom Pond, where I row, is about 65 acres, and I can go about 0.9 mile per lap. I do 6 to 8 laps each session. After it is too cold to row on the water, I use my Concept 2 rowing machine. (see photo below)

before the stroke with seat near feet—notice legs bent before pulling the oars

A scull is a boat in which your feet are fixed in foot stretchers, and the seat moves forward and backward on wheels in a track. There are two long oars that the rower uses.

Some rowing boats have 2, 4, or 8 oars, but each rower only handles one oar. These are called “sweeps.”

racing shell—notice legs extended after finishing the stroke

I have two different boats. One is a shell (a racing scull), which is 26 feet long, 11 inches wide—pretty narrow—and weighs just 45 pounds. I use it in the warmer weather. It’s made by a company called Schoenbrod.

The other is a wherry, an English style rowboat that is sleeker than what you usually see here. It’s about 15 feet long, 30” wide and weighs about 140 pounds. I use it when the water is cold and icy. Mine is a Heritage 15 design by Little River Boat Works. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Concept 2 rowing machine, hatchet oar, Little River Boat Works, racing scull, rowing, Schoenbrod shell, sculling, shell, symmetrical oar, wherry

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Anger Creates Tennis Fanaticism

Dec 10

Posted by ira in gym stuff, tennis

I am now driven to play, in spite of wrist/arm discomfort and occasional tiredness. I am guessing that it has to do with how angry and upset I have been. (See earlier post on December 8th) I have gone over the edge. As a friend observed, working out and sports activity are the best way to vent bottled up emotions.

I have played tennis and some squash for 32+ hours in nine out of 11 days:

Nov 30–2 hrs doubles + 3 hrs singles = 5 hrs

Dec 2–2 hrs dbls + 1 3/4 hrs sngls = 3 3/4 hrs

Dec 3–4 hrs dbls = 4 hrs

Dec 4–3 hrs dbls = 2 hrs hitting = 5 hrs

Dec 6–3 hrs dbls + 2 hrs squash = 5 hrs

Dec 7–3 hrs dbls = 3 hrs

Dec 8–1 hr hitting = 1 hr

Dec 9–1 hr hitting + 1 hr sngls = 2 hrs

Dec 10–3 1/2 hrs dbls = 3 1/2 hrs

I certainly feel fit. And I am definitely improving. Sometimes I feel really tired. I was like a zombie in one session. Punchy in the head. At first I thought I might be running away from my responsibilities. Or in denial about something. But now I think it is related to my rage at some of the bad breaks or illness I and my friends and relatives are experiencing.

I also believe that I am playing as hard as I can while I can. A way to convince myself that I am not aging and deteriorating.

One 62-year-old said that he sees the guys in their 70’s moving less rapidly than he does and flubbing shots. He wonders when that will start to happen to him. Not yet. At this point, with a new knee, he makes it to the ball almost every time. But don’t we all fear the negative results of becoming older, losing agility, putting up with new aches and pains, working around memory lapses?

Yes I missed much of the fun of playing when I was younger. I had to earn my living. But at least I am making up for that now. Until it changes.

With all this effort on the tennis courts plus my aching wrist and arm, the gym has become non-existent. Is this the end of the gym phase of my life? I feel sad about even the thought of it.

Tags: anger creates madness for sports, fear of aging leads to unreasonable determination, tennis, venting emotions thru physical activity

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Re-Channeling Anger To Become A Tennis Terror

Dec 8

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, my background, tennis

I wrote earlier ( http://www.irasabs.com/?p=2240) about how I lack the killer, cuthroat instinct. How it shows on the court. I am definitely competitive and want to win and try what I think is my best. But if I lose, big deal. It’s only a game. And I am constantly saying just that to new doubles partners: “Relax. We’re here to have fun. You never have to apologize for a bad shot and say, I’m sorry.”

Observers of my tennis game have commented on my nonchalance about winning. They say my niceness shows up, that I don’t run desperately for each ball, that my net volleys are firm, but not so forceful as to knock someone unconscious if I hit them in the head. I should be tougher.

All that changed yesterday, December 7th, when I was playing and became pissed. Now I must interject that I have had some personal setbacks, disappointments, anxieties about a relative dying, friends with their own problems. And the doubles game was going slowly. I grew impatient for a speedier match, and all my suppressed negativity broke through. I was outraged, annoyed, ticked off—at the world and the difficulties of living a life. At the raw deals people are stuck with, and their daily burdens. It all busted loose. I may have wanted to scream and shout.

So I took it out on the tennis balls. I served rapidly, faster and harder than ever before. I hit powerfully for me, deep and accurately. The other team was commenting on how impossible returns were. And what was going on stroke after stroke?

I was experiencing new and rare emotions that I couldn’t recognize. I felt enraged and ornery and furious and threatening. God damn evil and dictatorial. Some caused I’m sure because a relative of someone I know had been murdered a few days before. If I’d had a hammer, I might have hit someone in the head. There was a lot of pent up energy.

So I channeled it into my game.

When it was over and a few hours had passed, I thought about who I had become. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: benefits in sport and life in being pissed, disadvantages of being nice in tennis, Dr. Jekyll, killer instinct, Mr. Hyde, re-channeling your anger, tennis

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Some More Celebrity Stomachs

Dec 7

Posted by ira in photos of celebrities

Rock star Gwen Stefani is a 40-year-old mother of two who has the rare six-pack not usually seen on female celebrities

Actor Nick Cannon has abs that show well

Tags: celebrity stomachs, famous people's abs, Gwen Stefani, Nick Cannon

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Getting Better At Something When Others Get Worse

Dec 1

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, sports, tennis

So in spite of a sore arm and wrist, my frequent tennis playing has improved my performance. I am still frustrated with poor shots, but there are now many more better ones. And by watching the lessons on the Tennis Channel—which finally arrived in my little rural town that was the very last one in the state to have cable offered at all—my serve has become more powerful and directed as well.

This is not just my opinion. In the last 10 days, four different people from much better doubles games have asked me to sub for them or someone in their group. This is a big deal. Only a month ago, when I heard that a member of one strong game was going to Florida for the winter, and I offered to fill in, I was told that “We’re not sure.” “I’m not in charge.” Etc, etc. It was polite evasion that really meant: “You’re not good enough for us. We want to find a better substitute.”

Now that same diplomat is asking me to play for him. And I feel honored. This is a breakthrough. Other people at the courts are getting the same impression, and suddenly a number of more advanced players are approaching me. I have made a certain cut. I am now “good enough” to try out with these guys. And some are already inviting me back for additional substitutions.

I told a friend how pleased I was that I was improving. He said that he was in the decline phase of his performance. He has been playing sports so vigorously for so many decades that although under 60, his body is wearing out, he hurts when he plays, and his tennis game is now getting worse. And knowing that he can’t improve, he feels his cavorting on the court is over. He’s turned to golf, where he can learn a new sport and enjoy progress and satisfaction. At tennis, he experiences decline, frustration and disappointment. It’s too upsetting to not be able to hit like he used to, place a shot where he wants it to go, make serves that are whammers instead of wussers.

I understand where my friend is at. Life is fragile. So are our bodies. This can be the exceptional case in which “if you use ‘em, you may lose ‘em.” A 74-year-old was walking around the court yesterday to warm up before our doubles game started. (I jog around the court twice to loosen my joints.) He said after the match that his aching Achilles heel prevented him from chasing after some balls. Later I received a phone call informing me that the pain intensified, and he will be out of action for months.

It’s obvious that if you leave the couch potato sofa and shake your booty a bit, you have a bigger chance of injury…though a lesser chance of heart attack from poor circulation. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: declining performance, diplomatic turndowns, frustration in sports, how to deal with lesser ability in sports, improving performance, life's constant compromises, sports injuries, tennis, wearing out your body

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Positive Thoughts Give Elite Athletes The Vital Edge

Nov 30

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, sports

We always hear about top athletes having confidence, visualizing their success, seeing themselves win in advance of the game. Here is an article that spells out (sort of) how it is done with actual case histories. Now let’s see if I can hit like Davydenko tomorrow and play at the net like the Bryan Brothers (these three tennis champions won the ATP World Tour Finals singles and doubles on Nov 29th).

LONDON (Reuters) - Elite professional sport with its unrelenting demands tests the mind and spirit as much as the body.

When the difference between winning and losing can be a fraction of a second or the unexpected bounce of a ball, encouraging positive thoughts and banishing the fear of failure is a consistent theme in the lives of successful athletes.

England cricket captain Andrew Strauss is a recent convert to the power of positive thinking, praising the controversial self-help book “The Secret” after his spell in the international wilderness.

“The theory is what you think about happens,” said Strauss in his own book “Testing Times.” “If you think positive thoughts, then those thoughts will come about.”

“The Secret” by Australian writer Rhonda Byrne, which started life as a film, has been praised as a life-changing text and criticized as pretentious psychobabble.

Whatever the verdict, the lessons Strauss drew in 2008 — positive thoughts, a winning frame of mind, visualizing success — are certainly not new.

Twenty-five years earlier, the same principles resurrected the life and career of New Zealand’s greatest cricketer Richard Hadlee.

At the end of an exhausting year on and off the field, Hadlee was close to a physical and mental breakdown.

“It may sound a little melodramatic, but at this stage I was preoccupied with the thought of death,” he said. “I was convinced I had heart trouble which in turn made me worse.”

WILKINSON RETURNS

Motivation expert Grahame Felton, who ran a three-hour course for the Canterbury team, transformed Hadlee’s life.

Felton talked about visualization, control and belief, explained that fear was negative and emphasized the importance of setting targets. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Andrew Strauss, book Tackling Life, book Testing Times, Clare Fallon, cricket, Grahame Felton, Jonny Wilkinson, philosophy of Buddhism, positive attitude's importance in sports, power of positive thinking, Rhonda Byrne, Richard Hadlee, rugby and cricket players, self-help book The Secret, The Secret, Victor Thompson

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An Antidote For Tennis Elbow

Nov 29

Posted by ira in exercise, tennis

After injuring my arm and shoulder, I wondered if part of my problem might be a tennis elbow. So I did a bit of online searching and found a very useful August 25th story in The New York Times written by Gretchen Reynolds (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/phys-ed-an-easy-fix-for-tennis-elbow/?scp=1-b&sq=tennis+elbow&st=nyt).

Therma-Band still life with oranges

The article recommends a product called a Therma-Band, which is a cylinder of rubber with ridges or indentations up and down the long side, so you can twist the thing and stretch out your wrist, forearm and elbow tendons and muscles. It feels great to me. No cure yet, but it loosens my stiffness and reduces the discomfort I feel after playing tennis and squash. Neither the orthopedist nor physical therapist had heard of it, but I bought one and recommend it totally. It’s even easy to fuss with while watching TV.

Here is what it looks like and how you use it. Hope it helps ease your aches if you have any.

how to use the therma-band

Tags: arm injuries, Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, tennis elbow, Therma-Band

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He’s Naked!

Nov 28

Posted by ira in humorous stories

At a dinner party over the Thanksgiving weekend, someone mentioned my website and how much fun it was to check in periodically. I explained to some questioners that I was trying to build a six-pack. One friend revealed that I was working on it and might qualify for a three-pack, which I challenged. To prove my point, I showed my latest progress photo that was still in my camera—the one I’d taken in the mirror.

I was startled to hear this woman yell out for the whole table, “He’s naked!” I panicked, wondering what shot she had seen if she had accidentally moved the viewer to another frame. I didn’t remember taking any nude pictures of myself. Nor having any one else do it. What the hell was she looking at? Uh-oh. I was in trouble.

I quickly reached over my hostess and grabbed my camera and saw that it was just the photo I had intended to present. You can see it at the top of the page in “My Progress Photos.” Yet for his woman, a man in gym shorts with no shirt is considered naked. Whew! Big sigh of relief. Yet I forget how self-conscious some folks are when it comes to displaying or perceiving the human form. Maybe it was the shock of seeing even a photo of a bare male chest at a dinner table.

Wonder what she thinks of the underwear ads on this site and billboards all over the country? Or when she goes to the beach in the summer?

Anyway after a closer look, she agreed that it looked like I was already in the six-pack range. Back to crunches and making extra-special sure what is on my camera when I pass it to others.

PS/Update: I told this story to someone who insisted that the woman at the dinner was just being cute to get attention. But I don’t think so. She’s no professional actress. She was surprised and blurted out the first thing that came to her.

Tags: humorous story, what does "naked" mean?

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Celebrity Abs

Nov 27

Posted by ira in photos of celebrities

Bumped into two web sites on the New York Daily News site that showed 150+ celebrities on summer beaches and also a gallery of hot celebrity stomachs. Pretty trashy. But with my new interests in good looking abs, I am right there picking out the best bods for you to see. So I will post a few every now and then. This is all in the interest of keeping us inspired to do our crunches and avoid that extra dessert, of course.

If you can’t wait to see all my selects, here are the two sites:

Beach bods:

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/galleries/_/_.html

Best stomachs: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/galleries/absolutely_hot_stars_show_off_their_stomachs/absolutely_hot_stars_show_off_their_stomachs.html

And here are my first two:

Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts

Former Abercrombie & Fitch model Arthur Napiontek

Tags: Arthur Napiontek, Ashley Roberts, fit celebrity abs, good looking star bodies, New York Daily News, Pussycat Dolls, some fit celebrity stomachs

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Exercise/Sport Report

Nov 25

Posted by ira in Zumba dancing, exercise, gym stuff, hunting, photos of celebrities, squash, tennis

David Beckham shows off abs for Armani ad—2009

I am now addicted. Maybe it’s endorphins that are kicking in. I read that they can be as powerful as morphine. I have become a sportaholic or exercisaholic. I am astonishingly fit, hardly tire, barely sweat (it is 40-50 degrees outside the indoor tennis courts I play on these days).

In just 25 November days, I have done the following:

Tennis—played 15 times, some sessions for three hours of singles and doubles

Squash—played, mostly practiced 6 times, three in a clinic, each session one hour.

Hunting—3 times, average of three hours each time

Zumba—once

Crunches—9 times, some slow, some sloppy but 500-700 most times

Lat pulldowns—6 times

I am now an exercise junky. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abs building, Armani underwear ad, becoming an exercise junky, crunches, David Beckham, exercise endorphins, hunting, squash, tennis, Zumba dancing

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Zowee!!! Zee Zumba Clazz Zizzles And Izz Zesty

Nov 19

Posted by ira in Zumba dancing, exercise

Back in Connecticut and thinking about Zumba, so I found that my gym has one afternoon class every Wednesday at 6pm. As for the 8:30 and 10:00 morning classes…fugeddabowddit. Tennis takes much less energy that I can manage early in the day.

November 11th: Same drill, pretty much as before (http://www.irasabs.com/?p=2672)—just me with 30 women. Crowded, tight black pants, swinging hips, all ages and shapes, various races—though no Spanish heard—and the instructor, slim svelte Lisa, on a dais, in front of mirrors with a headset and portable microphone, hands clapping above her head. I feel like I am on stage with a black-haired Madonna. But not yet one of her boy pets.

This was a bigger space, more room to move than in Florida at the Biltmore Hotel. Totally open. How DO those women remember the steps so quickly? Maybe they are repeated in the same order each week. This time I lasted the whole 45-minute lesson.

Thank God for my Miami Beach youth, meeting girl tourists at the hotels in the dance lounges. I still know a few cha-cha-cha moves and other Latin-flavored steps. It is much much fun, the music is loud and fast.

I am so focused on following Lisa and the adept women in the front line that I never think to look around and see how others are doing. Both rear rows were filled up by the time I entered class. I was stuck in the second row, totally viewable by all behind me. Not only am I standing out because I am tall and male, I am probably the oldest person in the room as well. Talk about being a minority.

When we were told to pair up, no one grabbed me. Eventually one brave lady was forced to be my partner. I showed her a few of my moves. (Wonder why so many others said no when I looked their way?)

But no one asked me to leave. No one laughed so loud I could hear. And no one said, “Nice going,” after class, nor patted me on the butt. Maybe that comes later. Next time I will wear a wife beater tank-top like Zumba’s creator, Berto Perez.

“Olé.”

Tags: Berto Perez, Biltmore Hotel, Madonna, Zumba dancing in Connecticut

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How To Catch And Cook A Pheasant

Nov 19

Posted by ira in diet, fishing, humorous stories, hunting, my background

Went hunting for pheasant twice last week. With a double-barreled, side-by-side, 1929 American-made (an L.C. Smith), 20-gauge shotgun that has art deco, large-leaf engravings. Five and a half hours walking in swamps, mud, cornfields, hayfields, woods, brooks and briars. Joyfully watching two friends’ dogs sniff and search for birds. There are now two pheasants and a quail in the freezer that I prepared for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ira, Blitz the German Shorthaired Pointer, and shotgun get the birds—11/10/09

Pheasants and quail caught for Thanksgiving dinner—11/10/09

Non-hunters can never know the glorious hearts of canine breeds that find those still and silent birds. These pets track bird scent with the grace of ballerinas and have almost inexhaustible energy. When close, some dogs freeze, point and wait for the bird to bolt…or the hunter to prod the prey into the air, where it rockets suddenly at 40 to 60 miles per hour. Hopefully a retrieval follows.

Other dogs, like my English Springer Spaniel, Bella, are flushers. They track and do the bump as well. You just have to keep them relatively near by, because the shotgun only has an effective range of 35 or 40 yards. The pointers can wander all over, maybe a football field away. Some will stay motionless with nose aiming at the pheasant for 20 minutes. Then the hunter has plenty of time to close in for the shot. But a flusher out of range is a real frustration. You just watch the birds fly away, and curse, and yell at your dog.

As I mentioned in my bird stocking post (http://www.irasabs.com/?p=2430), the pheasants have a much better chance than chickens raised for supermarkets. In fact on the second day, during four hours of hunting, my friend and I fired at five pheasants and a woodcock, but only took one pheasant home.

My English Springer Bella after a swim—6/11/08

Bella was lame for many months, so she hasn’t hunted for two years. She now seems healed. Hopefully we can search the fields together soon. She loves to romp and jump. She gets so excited when I take out the neck bell that helps me locate her as she scours the bushes and grasses. It is grown-up Hide and Seek.

For the birds the stakes are high. It is not a game. Yet they would probably not be alive in the first place if there weren’t hunting clubs eager to purchase them. Over 10 million pheasants are raised each year. It is an annual ritual anticipated by two million American hunters. These sportsmen welcome the challenge, the camaraderie, the preparation of the birds and the various recipes. My favorite way to cook pheasants is double-basted in raw eggs and flour, sauteed and topped with strawberry liqueur.

art deco shotgun engraving

I only learned to hunt as an adult after I moved from Manhattan to Connecticut in 1990. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 10 million U.S. pheasants raised each year, 2 million American pheasant hunters, art deco shotgun engravings, cooking pheasant with liqueur, English springer spaniel, game dinners for vegetarians, German Shorthaired pointer, how hunting dogs hunt, hunting stories, L.C. Smith 20-guage, learning how to hunt, pheasant for Thanksgiving, pheasant hunting, pointers and flushers, side-by-side shotgun

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Cyclist Frank Krasowski’s Year-Round Rides Create Endorphin Satisfactions Exceeding Food Pleasures

Nov 18

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, cycling, diet, weight loss/overweight

At the therapist the other day for my arm, I mentioned “Beth’s Story” (see November 6th post below) to Frank Krasowski, the owner of The Hills Physical Therapy in Bantam, CT. He had his own ideas about what it takes to diet, exercise, and lose weight.

“Some people are disciplined, and others aren’t. Food gives some people so much pleasure that they can’t give it up…unless there is another pleasure to compensate for that loss.”

For Frank, riding his bike on hilly, scenic roads does the trick. The sweating, the big gears, and the views he enjoys outdoors trigger endorphins into his system that easily make up for his more limited diet. “I love biking. It changes my mind set, so that food becomes fuel, rather than a source of pleasure and satisfaction. This doesn’t happen for me with other kinds of exercise.”

Frank Krasowski resting from a ride—2007

He admitted that his ability to be disciplined with food goes in spurts. And he really admires people who can stick to their own rules with consistency. He also volunteered that he rides in the winter as long as there isn’t much snow on the ground. He has all the necessary clothing layers, masks and gloves to build up the warmth needed to ride comfortably in freezing temperatures. Sounds pretty disciplined to me…

After hearing Frank’s words, I did a few searches on the net about sugar rushes and endorphin highs.

SUGAR RUSHES

Time and again you’ve experienced the intense effects that food can have on your moods. Cakes, cookies, and fudge are known as pleasure foods not only because they delight your taste buds but because they can make you feel calm and happy - at least temporarily. This sugar induced sense of euphoria comes from several chemical mechanisms in your brain. First of all, the sheer pleasure of tasting a chocolate treat or powdery donut stimulates your brain’s pleasure pathways and the release of dopamine and endorphins, the chemicals that makes you feel exhilarated. You also get a quick surge of energy as the sugar hits your bloodstream. Unfortunately, that energized feeling lasts only as long as the sugar rush. Once your blood-sugar levels drop (about an hour or two later), you’re left feeling drained and out of sorts. You become an addict looking for another hit.

Clearly, then, food can be as powerful as the most addictive drug. If you’re experiencing carbohydrate cravings as a result of taking antidepressants, you’re probably well aware of the addictive nature of certain foods. Addictive foods are almost always processed foods. (I have never known anyone addicted to lima beans.) And you probably know that feeding your cravings only makes you crave the food even more. In fact, some studies suggest that food cravings may be triggered by low levels of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins), a phenomenon that may also occur in people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs.

NOW SOME INFO ABOUT ENDORPHINS Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: adrenaline junkies, Bantam CT, benefits of endorphins, Beth's Story, causes of endorphin release, endorphins, euphoria from eating, food as fuel, food as pleasure, food can be an addiction, Frank Krasowski, giving up the pleasure of food for the pleasure of certain exercises, pleasure foods, runner's high, sugar rush, The Hills Physical Therapy

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Rudy Kellerman Races His New Porsche

Nov 16

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, auto racing and driving

Rudy’s story about his Jai-Alai life was posted on August 31st, and a picture followed on October 30th. Now Rudy has bought a new car and written about his adventures driving at supersonic speeds.

Hey Ira,

I could not resist putting my new Porsche Carrera S on the track. This was last weekend, November 7-8, at Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIC, formerly called Moroso). Here I am in front of the much faster Porsche Turbo cars.

Rudy Kellerman Zooooooooms ahead of more powerful cars—11/7/09

I have never been on this track before. I had just bought the car, as you know, and wanted to see how it handled. I joined the local Porsche Club of America (PCA). They hold events throughout the year for enthusiasts. The majority of the cars are Porsche. They are some vintage cars and some outright track cars such as the Porsche GT3.

In the beginning when they don’t know you, they assign you an instructor to guide you and show you the proper fast line. I have to say, I was very comfortable driving on the track and extracting the potential of a great handling car. You pull almost 1G when you go around the corners. And when you stomp on the brake after a long straight doing 140 mph, your eyes feel like they are going to pop out of your face.

Passing slower cars is allowed provided it is on the straights and the driver ahead of you gives you a signal. No passing on the curves for safety reason. It is not a race, but more of a driver’s education event. I had a great time until someone noticed that my tires had worn down to the cord. It was lots of fun, especially when you overtake a much more powerful car like the Porsche Turbo or the GT 3’s with your Carrera S. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: amateur car racing, Don Garlits, drag racing at Amelia Earhart Field, Hot Rod magazine, Moroso, Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday coupe, Palm Beach International Raceway, PCA, Porsche Carrera S, Porsche Club of America, Porsche GT3, Porsche Turbo, Rudy Kellerman

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Notice Your “Perfect” Moments Before They Pass

Nov 15

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, my background

I used to know Duane Michals and meet him for lunch on occasion. He is a world-famous, fine art photographer who also did commercial assignments. He is renowned for hiring models and creating sequences of images that tell stories.

I think we met in the late ’70’s, when I ran the Nikon Photo Gallery, and we were both speakers at some photo event. We would talk about metaphysics, religion, the meaning of life, the Big Bang, whether dreams or waking time was the real reality. I also owned a company acquired in bankruptcy that had published and distributed some of his books.

We had a stimulating, intellectual friendship. I remember he said that only a few extremely rare people made a huge difference over history—leaders like Jesus, Mohammed, Einstein. The rest of us were more analogous to tiny sperms who didn’t reach the egg: we were no longer needed and ended up flushed down the toilet. It was all relative, of course. He wasn’t saying that we ordinary humans should be eliminated or didn’t have some value. It’s just that our contributions paled in comparison to the handful of great changemakers.

In one of Duane’s books called Homage to Cavafy, there is a powerful image of his that has impressed me for decades. I have been thinking about it a lot since my injury this past July.

moment of perfection by Duane Michals

The caption Duane wrote under this picture reads, “He was unaware that at the exact moment he removed his undershirt, his body had grown to its perfection. With his next breath, the moment had passed.”

I have always presumed that after that instant of perfection, the body in the picture starts to decay. Just as a flower that has bloomed to its fullest begins to dry, whither and turn brown. The decaying of a human body might last 50 or 80 years until the conscious life is over and we are “dead.” It is a gradual process that we can imagine speeded up by watching flowers or insect lives documented with time-lapse photography. Then come the worms and bacteria to transform the organic residue into dust.

Humans do have second chances. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: decay and decline of the human body, Duane Michals, Einstein, fine art photography, Homage to Cavafy, Jesus, life's perfect moments, Mohammed, moments of perfection, most humans are like sperms, Nikon Photo Gallery, peak fitness

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Zumba Dancing With 26 Mostly Latina Women

Nov 8

Posted by ira in Zumba dancing, exercise, weight loss/overweight

Yup. I did it. Struggling along, trying to keep in step and move my arms at the same time. A bit like rubbing your stomach and patting your head with the other hand simultaneously. But I could do much of it. And I survived…for half of the hour.

Here is what happened. I was staying at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami and headed for the gym there to do something that didn’t hurt my injured arm and shoulders. I started stretching outside a room filled with women doing a quiet, low-light, yoga-like class. But the small area was so crowded with chattering ladies waiting for the next class that I just went inside, where there was a quiet empty space. I was doing crunches on a floor mat just fine, until suddenly all the lights went on jarringly, and women poured in talking real fast…in Spanish or Cuban.

It was hopeless to stay on the floor, so I took my mat outside and planned to leave for the machines. Then I heard a Zumba class was what was starting in a minute. I remembered a high school friend urging me to try this kind of aerobic, high-energy dancing, so I figured “What the Hell, I’m only young once.”

my first Zumba class—10/27/09

It’s a blast! Zumba is a Colombian word that means “to move fast and have fun.” Dead-on accurate. The music is all Latin, and many of the steps are taken from salsa, meringue, samba. The instructor keeps changing the steps and upper body movements. I could do the cha-cha-cha moves easily—I grew up in Miami Beach—but I found shimmying my shoulders back and forth like a stripper pretty challenging. I’m sure I looked idiotic.

Of course I had trouble keeping up with the ladies who’d done the routines before. And I was also standing right behind a post, which was the only space left by the time I’d decided to brave it. I looked around for another guy, but there was just one, in bright red shorts and shirt up near the front. He was fearless. The women were mostly younger, but some had grey hair. Many were totally out of sync, but who cared.

It was hilarious. Fantastic. I don’t think Zumba builds bulk muscle, but it definitely can lead to weight loss and body toning. One woman claims she lost 60 pounds in the 2007 Today Show video below. Zumba was created by a Miami man, Beto Perez, in 2001, and there may now be 40,000 studios worldwide offering classes to 5 million people in 75 countries. Really caught on. Millions of DVD’s have been sold. And I may do it again here in Connecticut.

I found some videos on YouTube for you to look at. Beto says on one of them that “people hate the exercise, and love the party. So we turned the exercise into a party.” I love just looking at the happy energetic people on the videos. There are four below.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Beto Perez, losing weight with Zumba, Zumba craze catches on worldwide, Zumba dancing

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Unbelievable Megawoosh Waterslide

Nov 8

Posted by ira in waterslide megawoosh

Here’s an extreme activity that I’m not sure qualifies as a sport. But it definitely involves risk, movement, skill, practice and enormous courage. At this time, it’s had almost 4 million viewings on YouTube.

Of course we all wonder how it was done, so here is an article that explains it, along with a video.

http://newteevee.com/2009/08/11/the-megawoosh-waterslide-viral-how-it-was-really-done/

Tags: Bruno Kammerl, megawoosh, viral videos, waterslide

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How Beth Lost 28 Pounds So Easily That She Is Unimpressed With Her Achievement

Nov 6

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, diet, gym stuff, weight loss/overweight

Met a very attractive woman named Beth a couple of months ago who admitted gradually as we talked that she lost 28 pounds in about a year: “From 170 to 142,” she responded matter of factly. There was no excited pride or emotional celebration in describing her achievement. She was completely nonchalant, which surprised me. Acted as if anyone could do it. I think she may be too shy to ever show me a “before” picture, but these days she looks healthy, fit and stands tall.

“How did you do this?” I wondered, “and what motivated you to start?”

Her answers make it all sound so easy…

First her sister-in-law joined a WeightWatchers Program, followed the recommended menu and started losing pounds. That inspired Beth to finally change her own life. She modified her sister-in-law’s plan to suit her own needs and preferences.

Mainly she cut out all junk foods and reduced her portion sizes.

Next she began exercising at least three to four days a week, an hour each time. She limited this effort to running on a treadmill while shadowboxing simultaneously for her upper body. She demonstrated how she throws punches in the air, and I was glad that I was a few feet away.

The frequent exercise apparently reduced her desire for non-essential calories. Now when she goes out with girl friends, she simply avoids the desserts that she used to love and crave and thought she could not possibly do without.

I asked Beth to write about her life-changing accomplishment, but she thought there wasn’t much to say. It was easy, and she looks and feels great. End of story!

But we all know that giving up desserts and other taste treats while somehow making yourself exercise three or four hours a week takes major determination, time and continuous discipline. Beth may be unimpressed with her success, but I am applauding her silently every time I think of her. What is your reaction?

Tags: avoiding desserts, change of diet, eliminating junk food, influence of WeightWatchers Program, shadow boxing, treadmill

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Flashing At The Breakers In Palm Beach

Nov 5

Posted by ira in gym stuff

This is becoming a bit ridiculous, especially when my abs are disappearing without exercise. But I want you to see the (ups and) DOWNS of ab building, as well as when my muscles were growing larger. I have friends who say you are only as good as your last book, or deal, or show. Staying fit is in the same league—you have to keep at it. There’s no stopping and retaining earlier results. Or they will slip away, and you have to make more effort once again.

Flashing in Palm Beach—10/25/09

This world-famous hotel was designed by the same architects who did the Biltmore in Coral Gables, Florida (see November 4th post) and also Grand Central Terminal in New York. Maybe I should flash in front of more famous buildings…as long as my abs grow and show better.

Tags: abs, Biltmore Hotel, Breakers Hotel, Coral Gables Florida, Grand Central Terminal, Palm Beach Florida, Sticking with exercise

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Obesity Can Be Contagious!

Nov 5

Posted by ira in diet, weight loss/overweight

(Edit: When a friend told me today that 75% of the people who were called up in the past for military service were too heavy and out of shape to pass the physical, I thought of some of the reasons obesity is such a problem, according to Shahreen Abedin’s article in Time Magazine, Thursday, Sep. 03, 2009.)

Really, an “obesity bug”? In 2007, Harvard researcher Nicholas Christakis and his colleagues analyzed 32 years’ worth of data from an interconnected social network of 12,000 adults and found that a person’s chances of becoming obese increased 37% if a spouse had become obese, 40% if a sibling had and 57% if a friend had.

Socializing with overweight people can change what we perceive as the norm; it raises our tolerance for obesity both in others and in ourselves. It’s also about letting your hair down. Past research has shown that adults tend to eat more around friends and family than they do with strangers. They shed their inhibitions about how it looks when they go back for thirds or order the alfredo sauce instead of the marinara.

Finally, there’s the idea that we like to hang with people who are like ourselves. Cornell food sociologist Jeffrey Sobal explains that “especially among two overweight people, there’s a sort of permission-giving going on. We’re encouraging each other to eat more.”

Clinical psychologist Sarah-Jeanne Salvy, who is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the State University of New York at Buffalo, refers to this phenomenon as a sort of feedback effect. Conversely, she suggests, overweight diners are more likely to tone down how much they eat in front of skinny people to avoid the stigma of overeating.

You can read the whole article by clicking on the following link: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1919885,00.html?iid=tsmodule

Tags: Jeffrey Sobal, Nicholas Christakis, obesity is contagious, Sarah-Jeanne Salvy, Shahreen Abedin, we eat more around friends than strangers, we eat more around overweight people than skinny people

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Swimming With Memories and Murders

Nov 4

Posted by ira in swimming, tennis

Here I am beside the biggest hotel pool in North America, 22,000 square feet, at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, built in 1926. It’s fun to swim in these 700,000 gallons: never crowded and when you do a few laps, you feel like you have been somewhere. Usually I do just the butterfly, but this time the shoulders hurt from my recent injury, so I stayed with the crawl and backstroke. Not really much of a workout. But something. And a welcome antidote to the very humid 85+ degree weather. The picture of me by the pool was taken just after an hour of exhausting tennis practice. I am still dripping from the heat. In Connecticut that week, I had played tennis outdoors in 36 degrees!

Biltmore Hotel's gigantic pool

after hot tennis, a cool pool at the Biltmore—10/09

According to one article I found, “That pool played an important role in helping the Biltmore through the nation’s economic lulls in the late 1920s and early 1930s. People came from all around to aquatic galas with synchronized swimmers, bathing beauties, alligator wrestling and Jackie Ott, the boy wonder who would dive from an 85-foot platform and slip through a circle of fire into the pool.

Before he was Tarzan (in the movies), Johnny Weissmuller was a swimming teacher and broke a world record at the Biltmore pool. Weissmuller was fired for running naked through the hotel one night. His female fans put up such a fuss, the hotel management hired him back.

The man famous for swinging through trees is only one source of entertaining stories at the Biltmore. The hotel had a gangster reputation, too. Mobster Thomas “Fatty” Walsh was murdered there while an illicit casino was in full swing. His ghost continues to scare occasional guests on the 13th floor, according to hotel storytellers.”

The hotel’s own web site boasts that “The Biltmore was one of the most fashionable resorts in the entire country in its heyday, hosting royalty of both the European and Hollywood variety. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby were frequent guests. In fact, everyone who was anyone - from politicians like President Franklin D. Roosevelt to notorious gangsters like Al Capone.”

Last year when I stayed there, I saw John McCain (campaigning for President) leave the hotel in an SUV caravan that had been sniffed by dogs and included snipers with sunglasses.

Tags: Biltmore Hotel, Bing Crosby, gangster Al Capone, gangsters at the Biltmore, Ginger Rogers, Jackie Ott, John McCain, Johnny Weissmuller, Judy Garland, largest hotel pool in North America, Mobster Thomas "Fatty" Walsh, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, swimming, Tarzan, tennis, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor

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Senior Athletes Who Inspire All Ages

Nov 2

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, bodybuilding, cycling, running, shot put, surfing, swimming

I learned about a book called The Wonder Years that celebrates senior amateur athletes “who never slow down.” Of course these are rare individuals who have their health, the will to persist, and the physical capability to still compete. Very inspirational. They are truly blessed. The USA Today article follows the pictures. The photographer Rick Rickman’s words apply to us all: “…no matter how old you are, you can be active and engaged in life and have a whole lot of fun and not be this fragile, decaying entity.”

The first portrait is of a Catholic nun who began exercising at 49 and has since finished 20 Ironman triathlons in Hawaii and over 300 more around the world. She is 79! There is a video about her accomplishments at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUp9v8A46dk Check out 66-year-old Clifford Cooper’s October 31st post below about his upcoming Ironman dedicated to his brother who died of Alzheimer’s.

Sister Madonna Buder has completed over 325 triathlons

Margaret Hinton has competed in numerous national games. “I can tell that some of these people came here to socialize. That is okay, but I’ve come here to take home the gold.” Eve Fletcher began surfing more than 50 years ago. “I don’t think you can be too old to be stoked.”

shotputter Margaret Hinton

surfer Eve Fletcher

Jane Hesselgesser was a concert pianist and Bill Cunningham was a soccer player and a double for Frankie Avalon. Now in their 60’s and 70’s respectively, they compete as a pair in bodybuilding events around the world against couples 20 years younger.

bodybuilders Bill Cunningham and Jane Hesselgesser

Senior Athletes Still a ‘Wonder’ at Their Age

By Reid Cherner, USA TODAY
7/23/09

Growing old might be a contact sport, but it shouldn’t be a competition you need to lose.
That is the premise of The Wonder Years: Portraits of Athletes Who Never Slow Down, a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Rick Rickman.

The official photographer of the Senior Olympic Games, Rickman has profiled everyday athletes who many think were past their expiration date as competitors. From surfers to runners to swimmers to body builders.

“These are people who, for the most part, really have no misconceptions that they ever are going to be athletic superstars,” Rickman said. “They are people who love to stay fit and healthy and competitive. Most of them started training late in life, and it has been a wonderful thing for them.”

When a high school student asked the photographer if he had any remorse taking pictures of people doing activities “that might hurt them,” a book idea was born. “I was so taken back I didn’t know how to answer at first,” he said. “I realized that there is this strange perception about aging in this country. I think in the process of growing old and gathering days under your belt, you can decide for yourself whether to be active and engaged and vital all the way to the end.

“I hope (the reader) takes away the fact that, no matter how old you are, you can be active and engaged in life and have a whole lot of fun and not be this fragile, decaying entity.”

Tags: Bill Cunningham, bodybuilder pairs, Catholic nun loves the Ironman, Jane Hesselgesser, Margaret Hinton shotputter, Reid Cherner, Rick Rickman, senior athletes, Senior Olympic Games, Sister Madonna Buder, The Wonder Years, USA Today

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The “Sport” of Driving Sporty Cars

Nov 1

Posted by ira in auto racing and driving

I have in the past driven cars with others on a race track. Everyone knows that auto racing is a major sport to do and to watch. It’s exhilarating and life threatening.

Although you don’t have to have the shape or fitness of a bodybuilder or professional athlete to steer and shift, let me tell you that it takes lots of focus, nerve, coordination and strength to turn that wheel on the curves. It’s hot in your suit and helmet, and within 20 minutes I had open blisters on my gloved hands.

I swear that's me in there—9/06

However I didn’t feel safe enough to take the sport seriously. I could never trust the other drivers on the track. So now I cruise on country roads at speeds under 80 (or 70), and hope that the cops won’t catch me when I exceed those ridiculous signs limiting speed to 40 mph. Jeez!

Why do they make the laws for the old folks over 60. Not all of us that age are plodding along with limited visibility and reflexes. I love the ups and downs of our rural Connecticut hills, the smooth meshing of gears I shift manually, the long sweeping “S” curves that roll me gently side to side.

I’m still motorcycling for goodness sake. I can dodge those deer and squirrels really well. But I definitely limit my driving thrills to the public roads.

So when I again leased a new car last week, I took it for a spin past autumn leaves. But there were two things different this time: the color and the acceleration.

the latest family car—11/1/09

What do you usually choose? We have had a slew of Audis up here, because we have read and found first hand how good they are in the snow. Their all-wheel drive may be the best, and I want all of us who drive it—including my daughter—to have the safest ride possible. But we usually pick conservative, practical colors like black, gunmetal gray, silver and midnight blue. Totally predictable, dignified, undistinguished, and finally boring.

Something in me changed this year. Could it be my age? An altered ego? A yearning to appear younger? I used the power of my purse to overrule my daughter and picked bright red. “Brilliant red” is the official name of the color. “Fire-engine red” is what the salesman called it. “A magnet for cops writing tickets” is what a 22-year-old warned. “I love it” is how my son reacted.

On the other hand, I picked the least powerful car offered. Although I would prefer a stallion for myself alone, I don’t want my daughter and the others who drive it to have more oomph than they need. Tickets I can put up with. Accidents I can’t.

So there I was tooling around in the car a few days ago for the first time. Can you believe I didn’t test drive it? After happily leasing more than six Audis over the years, I was confident it would perform well enough and just let someone else deliver it while I was at a college reunion in Florida.

Dino hiding in fall colors

Wow does it move! I have to tell you how shocked I am. This car’s stats claim it goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 6.7 seconds. Definitely a peppy pony. To put this in perspective, I have driven a 1972 Dino Ferrari, and it doesn’t reach 60 in less than 7.0 seconds. A Jaguar XKE from 1965 takes at least 7.4 seconds. So this minimal horsepower car (211) can really jump away from lights and pass those slow and pokey puppies. Whatta gas. What fun. There I was having a blast, whipping down the roads and enjoying the last reds, yellows and oranges of autumn colors. I was well camouflaged and fit right in.

And so far…no tickets.

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Helluva Week For Physical Stuff—From A (abs) to Z (zumba)

Nov 1

Posted by ira in Zumba dancing, archery, diet, gym stuff, hunting, squash, swimming, tennis

Back home to normal life: signing checks, initiating roof replacement, selling a horse. But still awed with the increased physical activity of the last week. I will post specifics later of my time:

hot tubbing with Palm Beach girls,
eating enough desserts in Florida to gain five pounds,
swimming in the country’s biggest hotel pool,
tennis playing/practice (four times in six days),
squash practice twice, including a one-hour group lesson,
ab crunch workouts twice,
practicing archery for upcoming hunting of wild turkeys,
two gym visits for mi latissimi,
Zumba dancing with 26 mostly Latina ladies,
skipping Connecticut meals and exercising enough to lose five pounds,
driving a newly-leased, “brilliant red” car like I was on the race track, and
making 25 green-headed, red-faced, white-ring-necked pheasants feel drunk, so they wouldn’t fly away as I set them in bushes.

I am determined to rebuild my abs and play better squash and tennis, and this burst of body energy better jump-start the effort.

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“Because I Can, & He Cannot”

Oct 31

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, cycling, running, swimming, tennis

(left to right) Clifford, Richard and Stephen Cooper—1999

Our Mother’s license plate said “My 3 Sons”. The picture above is of the 3 of
us. 2 are still playing tennis & celebrating life. The 3rd is not. He died from
complications of Alzheimer’s. Richard was 59 when he was diagnosed, he died
when he was 67.

At 66 years old, I have qualified & will participate in the 70.3 Ironman World Championship, November 14, 2009 in Clearwater, Florida.

I have chosen to acknowledge the spirit & memory of my Brother by
dedicating my training & participation to Honor him & raise awareness
to help find a cure for this dreaded disease.

Contributions in any amount are welcome (but increments of $730, $70.30,
$35.15, or $17.575 might have more meaning) should be made in Honor of
Richard, c/o Team Cooper, http://alz.kintera.org/runforthememory/ccooper

You can follow my effort on line at
www.ironman.com/WorldChampionship70.3. Bib # 506
I will be sure to feel your energy & I know Richard will be watching.

“because I can, & he cannot”

contact me at:
cliffordacooper@optonline.net
41 Westover Road
Litchfield, CT 06759

Tags: Clifford Cooper, cure for Alzheimer's disease, Ironman World Championship, Richard Cooper, running for Alzheimer's, Stephen Cooper, Team Cooper

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How To Make A Pheasant Feel Drunk

Oct 31

Posted by ira in hunting

(For those who hunt pheasants, it is necessary that there be pheasants to hunt. Few are wild in most states, so the birds are purchased and hidden in the fields. This article describes the hiding experience, called “stocking.” To see what happens next, the hunting is explained in this more recent report: http://www.irasabs.com/?p=2803)

This is a secret known by many of the nation’s 2,000,000 pheasant hunters who chase after 10,000,000 pheasants raised on U.S. farms. These red-faced, green-headed, white-ring-necked birds are then sold to hunting clubs, hidden in bushes, sniffed out by specially trained dogs who point and flush, so that men with shotguns can pull triggers, down the game, and utilize much-talked-about recipes to cook delicious meals. In the United Kingdom, 35 million pheasants are raised annually.

ring-necked pheasants

So I want you to imagine how many times a year what I am going to describe takes place. It is a primitive practice as old as the wind that is totally unimaginable to almost all city dwellers, suburbanites and the majority of rural inhabitants. It has shades of voodoo and witchcraft, talking in tongues and reading the runes.

As the sun headed for the horizon on October 30th, I put on my high-calf boots and heavy gloves and headed out with a friend to “stock” pheasants in fields for the hunters who would search for the birds come Halloween morning with their spirited dogs and menacing guns. There were 10 birds to a cage, a mixture of brilliantly feathered roosters and dully-tan, camouflaged hens, and we would transport four cages to four different locations (five to 30+ acres each) in a soon to be mud-spattered, white, 4-wheel drive pickup truck.

Bouncing on rocks and over dips, avoiding the scratching brambles and who-knows-how-deep puddles from two-days-ago rain, we drive cautiously on bush-hogged trails, across streams, through shorn cornfields, and in pastures. We are looking for scattered sites to hide the birds from tomorrow’s predators. Our mission is to place 40 birds down gently in the woods, under bushes, beneath fallen trees. And keep them there. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: how to rock a pheasant, preventing placed pheasants from flying, stocking pheasants

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Watch Caroline Collapse, Cry and Fight Back

Oct 31

Posted by ira in tennis

This was high drama—an amazing, unforgettable inspirational finish of a tennis match at Doha, Qatar. I saw it on TV (Oct 29). You will rarely see such a moving and shocking performance. Watch at least the first 90 seconds, no more than six minutes. Ignore the poor quality—it doesn’t matter. Caroline Wozniacki came in second at the 2009 US Open in mid-September, is No. 4 in women’s tennis, and at the 2009 Luxembourg Open (ended October 25th) she quit a match one game shy of victory. The 19-year-old Dane retired with a hamstring injury while leading Anne Kremer of Luxembourg 7-5, 5-0.)

Tags: Caroline Wozniacki, Doha Qatar tennis tournament, effects of cramping, major determination to compete, overcoming pain, will to win

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Stalling Aging By Working, Using Botox, And Dating Younger Men

Oct 31

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, humorous stories

My high school classmate, Kay Rosenfeld, had some thoughts to add about reunions in response to the words from the woman who wrote just below.

Whoever you are — and you’re not one of my classmates because I’m one of Ira’s — I agree with just about everything you’ve said.

There are people that age and then there are those who grow old. I choose to be one of the former — and don’t plan to retire ever. Work keeps the faculties sharp and having to get up in the morning and look human inspires me to keep on looking good!

A little tastefully applied Botox (and whatever else) doesn’t hurt either.

Oh, yeah, one more thing — a younger man as a significant other will keep you on your toes (or whatever position you like). Works for me.

Tags: aging, benefits of younger men for an older woman, growing old, Kay Rosenfeld, reunion responses, working is good for your faculties

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One High School Reunion Is Enough

Oct 31

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, humorous stories

Here is a comment to my October 30th reunion post below from a reader who asked to remain anonymous in case her classmates visit this site:

Funny story, Ira.

I went to my 45th high school reunion…the only reunion ever for me….and the men looked like Dick Cheney and most of the women looked like old hookers or visitors to Disneyland. There were exceptions (and I was one, of course)….two of my women friends looked better than young. Plastic surgery and fitness can be a great thing. People who were at the top of their game looked the best. Many “retirees” looked really old and had nothing to say. I was surprised that there were so many people I didn’t know existed in my elite high school world of advanced placement. What a pain in the ass I must have been. I found myself making apologies to boys I broke dates with to go out with other boys 45 years later. I couldn’t believe they remembered that shit since i couldn’t even remember their names. All in all I think I spent high school aspiring to be the Snowball Queen and getting the hell out. One reunion is enough.

You are looking fabulous.

Tags: Dick Cheney, Disneyland, high school reunions, people aging poorly

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I Am Not That Old

Oct 30

Posted by ira in humorous stories

A friend from high school sent me this a few months ago. After just returning from my college reunion and seeing some classmates for the first time since 1962, I thought of this story. Then I saw the pictures some took of me, and I have to admit that I would never have recognized me if I was one of the other guys. So here goes…

YOU EVER BEEN GUILTY OF LOOKING AT OTHERS YOUR OWN AGE ANDTHINKING, SURELY I CAN’T LOOK THAT OLD? WELL…..YOU’LL LOVE THIS ONE!

MY NAME IS ALICE SMITH AND I WAS SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH A NEW DENTIST. I NOTICED HIS DDS DIPLOMA, WHICH BORE HIS FULL NAME.

SUDDENLY, I REMEMBERED A TALL, HANDSOME, DARK HAIRED BOY WITH THE SAME NAME HAD BEEN IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS SOME 30-ODD YEARS AGO.

COULD HE BE THE SAME GUY THAT I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON, WAY BACK THEN?

UPON SEEING HIM, HOWEVER, I QUICKLY DISCARDED ANY SUCH THOUGHT.

THIS BALDING, GRAY HAIRED MAN WITH THE DEEPLY LINED FACE WAS WAY TOO OLD TO HAVE BEEN MY CLASSMATE, AFTER HE EXAMINED MY TEETH, I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ATTENDED MORGAN PARK HIGH SCHOOL .

‘YES, YES I DID. I’M A MUSTANG! ‘ HE GLEAMED WITH PRIDE. ;

‘WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE?’ I ASKED

HE ANSWERED, IN 1975. WHY DO YOU ASK?

‘YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!’ I EXCLAIMED.

HE LOOKED AT ME CLOSELY.

THEN THAT UGLY,

OLD,

BALD,

WRINKLED,

FAT ASS,

GRAY HAIRED,

DECREPIT,

SON OF A BITCH ASKED….

‘WHAT DID YOU TEACH?’

Tags: crying on the inside, laughing at yourself, making fun of aging

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Jai-Alai Enthusiast Rudy Kellerman and His Buddies

Oct 30

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, jai alai

Amateurs who love jai-alai can play at a half-size court (fronton) in Miami, and that is where Rudy Kellerman described his journey from teenage watching and betting to playing twice or thrice a week in his late 60’s. You can read his August 31st story below (http://www.irasabs.com/?p=1713), and he just sent in this picture with some of his fellow players:

Rudy Kellerman (center) with jai-alai friends—10/09

Those yellow baskets, called cestas, catch and throw the ball (a pelota) against the front wall at speeds up to 180 miles an hour! You better duck when you play this game. And it is a fabulous workout, Rudy tells me…

Tags: amateur jai alai, cestas, fronton, jai alai, Miami Amateur jai alai, pelota, Rudy Kellerman

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Tennis and Exercise Reports

Oct 29

Posted by ira in exercise, gym stuff, squash, tennis

I just returned Wednesday the 28th from Florida, where I attended a college reunion. I will comment later on what I saw when I looked at people I hadn’t seen since 1962. First a report on the month’s physical activity, which was hampered by the high-class problem of being away 22 days.

Gym Work—I avoided it like I used to, as if it were a punishment. And Surprise! Surprise: my abs have practically disappeared. No wonder. I worked on them diligently April, May, June, July…then went to the gym just three half-hearted-30 minutes-each visits in August, September and October. Just used the lat pull down machine. Once in Boston and twice in Miami. How did I ever go to the gym 6-10 times a month? I did do crunches at the gyms or at a hotel. But the quality is very poor—when doing bicycles, my elbow doesn’t always touch my knee after about 60 or even 50 on the last two sets. We’ll see how long it takes me to get back where I was. I really miss seeing some definition each time I shower or brush my teeth.

Oct 5: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 200 chairs

Oct 10: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 200 chairs

Oct 14: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 200 chairs

Oct 16: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 250 chairs

Oct 18: 30 minutes of slow, good crunches and lat pull down in gym

Oct 21: 100+100+100=300 bicycles + 200 chairs

Oct 27: 100+100+100=300 bicycles plus lat pull down in gym plus first Zumba dancing class

Oct 28: lat pull down in gym

Oct 30: 150+150+150+200 ball crunches

Tennis Play—Six contests plus an hour against a wall in Miami. Includes two singles matches in which I beat a contemporary and played well against a 40+ in a Florida pickup game.

I was awful after a two-week break and jet lag. But I hit a lot of good strokes yesterday after Wednesday’s wall practice. When it clicks in, the game is terrific. Also made it to the squash court for an hour of practice. Just agreed to attend a squash clinic on November 1st.

Tags: exercise report, tennis report

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Why Does Winning Matter So Much?

Oct 20

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, my background, tennis

I grew up with a father who played golf for “the fun of it.” He loved being outside, walking the course, enjoying the sunshine. His score wasn’t that important. Sure he wanted to do his best, maybe beat his personal records. But he loved the social and physical experience above all. Much more than besting his fellow players.

These days I bump into tennis opponents who “play for blood.” They are dominated by the need to win at all costs. They become enraged if they miss a shot. They yell at their doubles partner if he hits a ball into the net. And they will hit to the weakest player on the other team over and over and over, rather than mix up their placements to their opponent’s side of the court.

What is that all about, I keep wondering? Sure I do my best to win, run hard after each ball, focus on serves, well-placed shots, return unexpected gets. I strive throughout to hit where they ain’t. But if I lose a point, I frown—sometimes I curse—and get ready for the next shot. If my partner blows an easy one, I recall that I’ve missed a slew too. If we lose in a long rally, I shrug, smile and praise the victors. I am glad for all the excitement, good exercise and harmless tension.

For me it is all just a game. I can’t seem to get too upset on the court, when other less fortunate people are losing their jobs, watching storms destroy their houses or being maimed by suicide bombers. But for some locals I know, these sports entertainments are not just a game. It appears they are contests to assert dominance, build ego, establish superiority, enhance personal stature and to prove that they are better than I am. At least I think that might be the real aim of their victory.

I know that I am competitive when I run after the ball that no one else might have retrieved, practice in between matches for hours with a ball machine, against a wall or hitting serves. I took two-hour lessons almost every week for a year to improve my performance in the beginning. I believe I am clearly serious about becoming a stronger player. And though I have only been playing less than 2 1/2 years, and some of my competitors (aged 45 to 93) have been playing regularly since they were kids, I can often hold my own and earn their respect. At least they will play me weekly or call me to be a substitute. So I am good enough to give them a challenging game. Or beat them.

But I just don’t have that killer instinct they do. I am never out to draw blood. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: athletes who become angry and enraged, playing for blood, sports as just a game, sports just for the fun of it, taking no prisoners, the importance of victory in sport, when you lose, why people have to win, winning

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Top 10 Tips From A Personal Trainer

Oct 19

Posted by ira in diet, exercise, gym stuff

Lots of good specifics here, but #8 celebrates one of the main reasons for this site: “We are not supposed to get weak and incapacitated as we get older. It is not true that we should stop being physically active as we age. Instead we should continue with cardio, resistance training and core building for a lifetime. Tennis, swimming, golf, yoga and power walking can be done forever.”

by Kari Henley, President of the Board of Directors at the Women & Family Life Center
October 18, 2009

Personal fitness is one of my ongoing challenges to balance in life. Last week, I wrote about how I am a “workout flunkie” and my pursuits of neighborhood fitness - with the help of personal trainer, Terry O’Hara. Most of us can’t afford a personal trainer, yet the ideas, support and insights are real gems that have me rethinking the investment!

This week, I want to share her “Top Ten Tips” - and I’ll bet you will be surprised they have nothing to do with money, struggle or pain:

1. Your mental image of yourself defines what you will work toward. What is your reason for getting out to exercise in the first place? Is it so your clothes fit better, or to be able to ski this winter without dying on the slopes? Developing a strong mental image that is specific and positive will help motivate and guide your decisions.

2. Nobody eats enough good food. This one is huge, as most of us are on a perpetual diet, and pride ourselves by not eating, or skimping along with a minimal meal in order to splurge later. Wrong! “By 1pm, you should have already eaten breakfast, a snack, lunch, and be getting ready for another small snack,” said O’Hara. “You need to take a counter intuitive approach to your diet and until you start eating, the diet cycle can trap you.”

3. Your body adapts to everything. This applies to your diet and exercise, or lack of it. If you start walking a route in your neighborhood and think you can just do that forever- wrong! Ever noticed you start on new cardio equipment at the gym and it is hard to get through 20 minutes, but after a month you are hardly out of breath? That means it is time to mix it up and do something new. Try rowing, or stairs.

4. The word “Carbs” is a misnomer for dieting. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: change your exercise routine, do pushups, eat more good food, eat some carbs, Kari Henley, know your body fat percentage, personal fitness, personal trainer, stay physical as you age, Terry O'Hara, top ten fitness tips, your goal defines you

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Which Do You Prefer: Living Longer Less Happily Or Dying Younger After Many Pleasures?

Oct 15

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, diet

monkeys fed different diets—2009

Here is a provoking article from the NY Times (July 16, 2009) about two monkeys around the same age. The younger-looking one on the left has had 30% less calories than the aged-looking one on the right, who could eat all he wanted. But author Richard Cohen thinks the healthier-looking, younger-seeming monkey has had a boring and less happy existence. So should we let ourselves eat another piece of cake?

Cohen also doesn’t “…buy this gain-without-pain notion. Duality resides, indissoluble, at life’s core…Life without death would be miserable. Its beauty is bound to its fragility. Dawn is unimaginable without the dusk.” What do you think?

THE MEANING OF LIFE by Roger Cohen

What’s life for? That question stirred as I contemplated two rhesus monkeys, Canto, aged 27, and Owen, aged 29, whose photographs appeared last week in The New York Times.

The monkeys are part of a protracted experiment in aging being conducted by a University of Wisconsin team. Canto gets a restricted diet with 30 percent fewer calories than usual while Owen gets to eat whatever the heck he pleases.

Preliminary conclusions, published in Science two decades after the experiment began, “demonstrate that caloric restriction slows aging in a primate species,” the scientists leading the experiment wrote. While just 13 percent of the dieting group has died in ways judged due to old age, 37 percent of the feasting monkeys are already dead.

These conclusions have been contested by other scientists for various reasons I won’t bore you with — boredom definitely shortens life spans. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: boredom shortens life spans, extending life, importance of quality of life, laughter extends life, meaning of life, process of aging, restricted diet benefits, slowing aging by eating fewer calories

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Women Have Abs Too…Of Course

Oct 14

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, horseback riding, photos of celebrities

Here is a magazine cover of Gina Carano, the top female mixed martial arts fighter. Look at those muscles! And on the right is Fiona L’Estrange, who developed her abs and biceps on her horse farm by riding, dressage training, daily chores and yoga. Very impressive…

mixed martial arts top female fighter, gina carano—10/09

fiona's abs came from horseriding and farm chores—2007

Tags: abs, benefits of farm chores, ESPN body issue, Fiona L'Estrange, gina carano, horseback riding, mixed martial arts

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Two Stomachs in Sweden

Oct 12

Posted by ira in humorous stories

On the left is a statue in front of a castle of a guy and girl kissing. Obviously he is very stoned. No stupendous ab definition, but he is having a great time. On the right is a guy in the tunnel beneath the same castle. His abs are disappearing from lack of exercise, but he is also in Sweden having a great time…

stoned Swedish couple kissing passionately—10/10/09

how easily those abs disappear with dis-use—10/10/09

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Fitness Difficulties When Traveling

Oct 12

Posted by ira in diet, exercise, gym stuff

Just returned yesterday from 11 days in Sweden, where I enjoyed different herrings, the history, old architecture, a boat tour, happy people. I stayed in Stockholm, two country manor houses (classified as castles) and the airport. Eating healthy and exercising regularly were impossible.

Can someone advise me how to travel and stay fit?

ira visiting stockholm—10/5/09

None of the places had an exercise room; the airport hotel had only treadmills. One castle was literally 20 miles from a gym. In Stockholm I was so busy sightseeing that I never searched out a fitness place. The one nearby that the hotel recommended offered spa, cafe and pool and cost $70 a visit! I just looked. I did do crunches in my room two days before breakfast and without any stretches. That was it. Pathetic.

dwindling abs in stockholm—10/5/09

Of course I could have done more exercises in the room, but my sore arm kept me from doing pushups. And between de-jet lagging, staying up late, and getting up just in time for breakfast, which stopped being served at 9:00 in most of the places, I didn’t fit in anything else. I was also too full to do exercises after eating and in a rush to get out and see the sights.

The good news is that I walked miles looking at the buildings and palaces, the gardens and museums. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: eating healthfully while traveling, exercising when traveling, happy Swedish people, keeping fit overseas, Stockholm tourist sights, Sweden, Swedish diet

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Some Famous Celebrities’ Chests

Sep 30

Posted by ira in photos of celebrities

I keep bumping into impressive upper bodies…there is even a list of the 10 best male chests. It’s got to be partially tongue in cheek—check out some of those who used their influence to somehow make the cut. I also included a mixed martial arts fighter identified as Stephan Bonnar. Now he really has some abs to inspire guys like me.

mixed-martial-arts fighter stephan bonnar

will smith

christian bale

daniel craig

jesus luz

bill clinton—needs to work on his abs

sacha baron cohen—is he wearing a V for virility?

Tags: bare chested he-men, bill clinton, christian bale, daniel craig, famous chests, jesus luz, mixed martial arts, sacha baron cohen, stephan bonnar, will smith

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Playing My Best Tennis After Weeks Of Terrible Tennis

Sep 29

Posted by ira in sports, squash, tennis

In spite of my injured right arm and shoulder, I have continued to play tennis and practice squash. In the last two months, my game steadily deteriorated to terrible, and then recently it became (for me) sensational. I am ecstatic today, after playing the best tennis of my life. How did this happen? Here is a little account of my journey from awful to fantastic.

I was doing real well in July, until I injured myself I believe in the gym. That month I played and practiced tennis 14 times and squash once.

August was busy and sore, although I played/practiced tennis 10 times and hit squash balls (no games yet) with a friend twice. September has seen me on the tennis court 12 times and the squash court three.

My tennis game had suffered enormously, and I was very discouraged. I guess the injury had some influence, but I didn’t feel any aching while playing (just after for a bit) and wasn’t aware that it was affecting my performance. But I constantly hit the tennis balls long or into the net. My serve was weak, and I had a negative attitude. My team lost more sets than I could accept easily. As relaxed as I am about losing, I was really fed up.

Then a number of things changed, so that in the last week, I have played the best tennis ever. My team has won six out of seven sets: 6-1, 6-0, 6-1, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. I must confess that I have had three different partners in those three matches. But my playing has been superior…for me, and compared to my previous results.

My net game is vastly improved and the backhand volleys are often powerful instead of dinky. Many of my volleys are gentle, finessed at side angles that are impossible to return. My forehand strokes are harder and IN THE COURT. I was always hitting the ball too long, over and over. And my backhands are better, although there is still plenty of room to add power.

So what happened? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: change your tennis grip, improving performance, Novak Djokovich, overcoming discouragement in sports, Roger Federer, squash, tennis, tennis pointer to improve your game, the importance and benefits of practicing any skill, Todd Martin, use your hips to give you power, watch the ball before you hit it

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Exercise Update

Sep 29

Posted by ira in exercise, gym stuff

Since July 30th, I have only been to the gym once, because my right arm and both shoulders started aching. I thought it might have been “tennis elbow” or that I had hurt myself doing pull ups. The orthopedist said it was a mild case of whatever it was, and that nothing appeared torn. I needed rest and time. In spite of that advice, I continued to play tennis and practice squash, noticing that the aches were minor after each match.

ira balancing on one foot on the trampoline—9/23/09

I have also been to a physical therapist five times for two hours each visit. In addition to arm exercises, I am now doing lat pull downs there and working a lot on my right ankle, which has not healed completely since I sprained it on May 12th and interrupted my racket sports for over a month.

One exercise requires me to stand on my right foot for two minutes while throwing a five-pound ball to the therapist who throws it right back to me…but I am standing on a trampoline! This is very hard. It stresses and strains the whole leg. Amazing how much I improve with each session as the muscles strengthen. The therapists can hardly stay up on one foot when they try it, and they are on the solid floor.

During this injured, two-month period, I lost my momentum with exercise workouts, became lazy and undisciplined and basically stopped almost everything. For no physical reason, I eased up on my abs workouts, which could have continued without any problem. I only did crunches four times in all of August. Pretty sad and really bad. I had been doing a minimum of eight times a month.

September has been better. Disgusted with my inaction, I started the crunches again and have actually set records. I worked on the abs eight times: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abs, balancing on one foot on a trampoline, bicycle crunches, crunches, crunches with legs on large exercise balls, physical therapy, setbacks from injuries, setting crunch records

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Why Positive Thinking Just Doesn’t Work

Sep 28

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS

After writing about the effects of thinking positive on my tennis game the other day (September 22nd), I was amused by an article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-bishop/why-positive-thinking-jus_b_278572.html)by Russell Bishop, Executive Coach, and Performance Improvement Consultant that refined the concept of how to improve your performance. Below are some excerpts that express the author’s specific point of view:

My experience has shown me that no matter where you are, what you have endured, or what your current level of circumstance, you can almost always do something to improve the quality of your experience, even if you can’t do much about the quantity of it…

Positive Thinking Doesn’t Work

…Positive thinking alone is unlikely to change much of anything in the physical world. You can sit there and hope, pray, project, imagine, fantasize, visualize, make up great affirmations and just about any other kind of positive thinking idea you can imagine, and not much will change —at least not without actually getting involved, without taking some form of action towards what you want more of in your life… Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: need for action, positive thinking, positive thinking doesn't work by itself, Russell Bishop, thoughts alone don't accompish the goal

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Buzz Cohn’s Humorous Ski Racing Adventures

Sep 26

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, humorous stories, ski racing

Buzz Cohn loves to ski and wrote the following:

My 45-year passion for skiing continues with at least annual trips out West—the last being to Copper Mountain in February 2009. In the 1980’s I attended a ski racing camp which sparked my interest in NASTAR racing & culminated in my receiving gold medals at 3 major resorts at the age of 52. [NASTAR (NAtional STAndard Race) racing is a program where recreational skiers of all ages and abilities can test their skills on courses set up at resorts.]

Ira asked me to write about some ski racing adventures. Since it’s more entertaining to hear about someone’s foibles than triumphs, I’ll relate three experiences under the categories of: My most embarrassing moment, The dumbest thing I ever did & Best unintentional put-down.

buzz cohn racing—1992

Most Embarrassing Moment: I was at the starting gate at the top of a NASTAR course. Wanting to achieve the shortest possible time, I decided to do what the “real racers” do in leaning forward, with my shins & feet most posterior so that they would be the last part of my body to trip the wand. The wand in turn would start the clock. An additional maneuver you’ve seen the pros use is to jump out of the gate to start acceleration. In performing the jump-start, I did it so forcibly that my boots came out of the ski bindings. I landed several feet from the starting gate, flat on my face in the snow with my skis still remaining in place behind the wand.

There were 15 to 20 racers in line behind me who were polite enough not to cheer or laugh. I quickly reconstituted my equipment & reduced self esteem, re-entered the starting position & began the descent through the course - this time being more than happy to sacrifice the 1-1.5 seconds a more aggressive start might have gained me.

Dumbest Thing I Ever Did: I was in Taos, NM during midweek & the only racer at the top of the NASTAR course. It was laid out in such a way that I could not see the course from the lift, nor the whole course from the top. I disobeyed the tenet of taking a slow, non-timed run beside the course to check it out. Every course I had been on before or since (& what you see on TV) levels off after the finish line or even goes uphill a little.

As I was feeling especially aggressive, I did a regular timed run initially, at full speed. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: buzz cohn, Copper Mountain CO, how not to ski a run, how not to start a ski race, NASTAR, ski racing, skiing, Taos NM

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Think Positive

Sep 22

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, basketball, sports, tennis

I want to explore what it means to be positive…in Life, and especially when one is playing sports. The other day at tennis, I was discouraged, because my partner and I were losing 2 games to 5. Then Frank said to, “Think positive.”

His words reminded me of my father, who had been president of the Miami Beach Optimist’s Club. I was raised hearing constantly about the importance of good thoughts, how they really influenced your behavior, your actions and the results. If faith can move mountains, if visualization helps you reach your goals, certainly there might be power in positive thinking.

So Frank and I came back to win 7-5. And the next set, when we were behind 1-4, we “got” positive again and achieved another victory from behind.

I am always hearing how so much of competitive sports is based on confidence, on self-belief, on the player’s attitude. But I always wondered how you get a good attitude and acquire all that confidence? Don’t you have to have the success first, and then again and again, and then that gives you the confidence and good attitude? I asked the same questions about some of my successes in life—I often had the upbeat attitude—and the best answer I worked out was that I was just lucky. I acquired some of that attitude from genetics and the rest from favorable upbringing or life experiences.

When people say “Relax” or “Stay calm” in stressful situations, I am not sure that really works. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: believing in a goal, confidence leads to success, good attitude, how to stay calm, positive thinking, power of words alone, winning at sports

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Josh Sobel Eats Scorpions, Snakes And Sea Horses While Getting Fitter And Losing 20 Pounds

Sep 21

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, basketball, diet, exercise, weight loss/overweight

To put it simple, I felt like shit when I got up in the morning. My back ached, my legs hurt and my body didn’t feel like it belonged to a 21-year-old. After I reflected the obvious, I concluded that being overweight and out of shape would become a thing of the past! I had never been on a diet, and I knew that it would be hard to change my eating habits, but I was committed to feeling healthier. That’s how it started. After talking with some friends, some of whom were personal trainers, I was told that the most important thing would be transforming from ‘Static Josh’ into ‘Active Josh.’

Static Josh—1/09

I started simple: I changed my eating habits and started exercising. I became a man of habit. I tried to eat the same meals over and over again, and made it a point to exercise every day. My diet was boring, and I struggled to stick with it, but I started feeling better after Day One. Every morning I started the day with an egg white sandwich, followed by some turkey and salad for lunch, and had fish or chicken for dinner. I would often allow myself to cheat and have something sweet at the end of the night; I don’t think I would have been able to live if I
didn’t.

Active Josh 20 pounds lighter—8/09

The diet wasn’t that hard to stick to. After I was able to shake my diet-coke habit (aspartame is highly addictive), no one could stop me. I began climbing the stairs of my 17-floor apartment building and playing basketball in the park. I recalled how well I used to play basketball as a kid, but when I tried to play this summer, I realized how out of shape I was. A game to 11 would leave me gasping and limping for water. Fortunately, I had my roommates who would soon double as my personal trainer and nutritionist. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: addictive aspartame in diet coke, basketball to lose weight, climbing the Great Wall of China, eating snake and scorpion and sea horses, Josh Sobel, losing weight by exercising and changing diet, New York Restaurant Week, stair climbing for cardio

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Mountain Biker Susan Georgia Struts Her Stuff At Case Mountain In Manchester, Ct

Sep 16

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, cycling

Sue is still biking away and recently sent in another photo of herself on the trails of Connecticut. This time it is at Case Mountain in Manchester, Ct. Check out her story posted below on August 25th: http://www.irasabs.com/?m=20090825

Susan Georgia pausing on the trails at Case Mountain Ct—8/09

Tags: Case Mountain, cycling, Manchester Ct, mountain biking, Susan Georgia

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Extreme Sports—Jumping Without a Parachute

Sep 15

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, plane jumping without a parachute

People are sending me examples of sports enthusiasts who are really over the top and on the edge—of killing themselves. Here is the first one:

Tags: extreme sports, jumping out of a plane, jumping without a parachute, risking your life for thrills and fun

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The Truth About Getting Flat Abs—It May Be Impossible!

Sep 15

Posted by ira in diet, gym stuff

Here is an article a friend sent me from Singapore that suggests not only how hard it is to make a six-pack, but that it may be impossible to lose enough belly flat to reveal your abs if you don’t have the right genes—no matter how much exercise and diet you do. The article also has many other links that are useful.

By Paige Waehner, About.com
Updated: April 3, 2009
http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/a/flatabs.htm

I get many questions about getting flat abs, but one email stands out. This reader wrote: “I’ve been working on my lower belly pooch for about 2.5 years and it still won’t go away even though I have a good diet.” That email made me realize how long many of us persist with these types of goals, even in the face of failure.
Despite the facts, many people still think they can get flat abs if they do enough ab exercises. They think, if they’re not achieving that goal, they must be doing something wrong. The truth is, getting six-pack abs is hard and, if you haven’t seen yours yet, maybe it’s not what you’re doing that’s the problem.

The Myth That Wouldn’t Die

If you’ve been doing crunches forever and are wondering why you still don’t have flat abs, you’re no doubt operating under what I consider the biggest myth of weight loss: That you can do an exercise for a certain area of your body and get rid of the fat there. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: About.com, cardio, changing your goals for building some body parts, difficulty of reducing fat in one area, exercising just one body area, flat abs, how to eliminate belly fat, low-calorie diet, Paige Waehner, six pack, strength training for entire body, why flat abs elude you

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After Two Hours Of Physical Therapy

Sep 15

Posted by ira in gym stuff

Working on strengthening my right arm and right ankle, both of which were injured and still ache. This picture was taken after two hours of therapy—my third visit in the last week. Last night I did 650 ball crunches (150+150+150+200), which was the 4th time crunching in the last 8 days. I’m trying to make up for lost time. Only went to the gym once in the last 6 1/2 weeks—lots of discomfort there. Anyway, the abs didn’t disappear.

abs after physical therapy—9/15/09

Tags: abs, crunches, therapy after injuries

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Rudy’s Muscles

Sep 15

Posted by ira in diet

When Rudy Kellerman is not playing jai alai (see his story on August 31st http://www.irasabs.com/?m=20090831), he likes to do other things involving muscles…oops, I think he means mussels. He actually sent me this high-protein recipe:

Ira, I thought I would share my recipe for mussels with you. This is a quick and tasty meal, all protein. You can have it over a bed of pasta or on it’s own as a soup to dip your favorite bread. It should take you less than 15 minutes to make and you can impress your significant other. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: high-protein meal, jai alai, mussels, Rudy Kellerman

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A Reader Writes:

Sep 12

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, diet, gym stuff

On Aug 28, 2009, at 3:42 PM, Michael Bluejay wrote:

Hi Ira. I always think of you when I use the crunch machine at the gym. I still don’t have visible abs but I think I’m close. My first problem was that I had a lot of weight to lose, but I lost nearly 20 pounds in the last 2.5 months, so I’m close.

On Sep 11, 2009, at 4:12 PM, Ira wrote:

Hi Michael–Congratulations on your progress and thanks for the kind words. Is it OK if I post them on the site?

You should write a story of your own about your fitness efforts. You know it doesn’t have to be a before and after tale…it can be a work in progress just like mine.

On Sep 11, 2009, at 9:23 PM, Michael Bluejay wrote:

Sure, feel free to post my comments. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abs, crunch machine, dealing with other people's reaction to one's health efforts, diet, gym, losing weight, vegan, vegetarian

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I Can’t Believe It!

Sep 11

Posted by ira in exercise, gym stuff

Just did some bicycle crunches: 100+75+75+75=325 followed by 225 ball crunches= 600 total. My record before was three sets of bicycles, 100 each time, plus 200 ball crunches after a two-minute break. This is the third day in five that I am crunching. Good progress. Could have done more on the ball, but don’t want to hurt myself. I’ll get there…

The most amazing fact is that it only took 16 minutes. I should be able to knock these out like crazy. We’ll see.

Tags: abs, crunches

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Tennis Report Since My Injury

Sep 11

Posted by ira in tennis

At least I didn’t quit playing sports while I was avoiding gym workouts: I was on a tennis court 12 times and a squash court three times. The aches and discomfort were definitely bearable. However my tennis game suffered, and I became very discouraged.

Unfortunately this weakened fitness period coincided with two doubles tournaments I entered and did poorly in. In the September 4th effort, my team lost all three matches and came in 17th out of 18 teams. A slight consolation is that two of the teams we played ended up in first and second place, the tournament winning duo including a tennis coach, and the runner up had a player who’d been ranked high in New England 40 years ago. The third competitor also boasted one of the top club players in the area who competed successfully in high school and college.

The best news was being told that my serve was the weakest part of my game—a total reversal of the earlier praise by others that my serve is my best weapon. So I will put more effort into improving it—should I make Andy Roddick my serve hero?

This particular competition was very interesting. Called a Court Prive, it is played on nine different private courts. After each match, which is concluded after one team wins eight games, you drive to the next location. The organizers spend quite a bit of time arranging for the courts, the players and the teams, which were mostly mixed. But they were out of women by the time it was my turn for a partner, so I was one of the three teams comprised of two men. All great fun, and a joyful sunny party afterward. The warm weather is greatly appreciated, because this has been among the wettest summers in recorded history. One black cloud was that I heard some of the losing players were a bit gruff at times. I want to talk later about the importance of winning at amateur sports.

One of the major happy distractions recently is the hours I have spent watching the US Open. Very exciting. I am totally addicted. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Andy Roddick, Champions Cup, Court Prive, improper racket grip, losing at tennis, overcoming discouragement, refining your tennis game, Todd Martin, US Open addiction

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I’m Back After 40 Days and 40 Nights

Sep 9

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, gym stuff, my background

That is how long since I went to the gym. What an intermission. Lots of excuses, soreness, travel, family responsibilities, and my own ordinary human nature. As I confessed in the posts about my background (see “my background” posts on April 4th), I have a history of not being disciplined about exercise, never went to a gym before two years ago and rarely played sports regularly.

I did injure myself (I think it happened when I was setting personal best records doing pull ups), went to a nurse, took anti-inflammatory pills, met with an orthopedist, and now a physical therapist. I’m told it could be a lot worse than it is, and I am almost sure to heal with a few weeks of special exercises for my right forearm, elbow and shoulder. (I did tear my right shoulder in three places back in 2006).

There is really no physical excuse for not doing abs work like crunches. There has been nothing wrong with my abdominal area. Nevertheless, I did crunches just six times. Three of those efforts were during the first two weeks of August (max of 750), and the latest was today, when I ground out only 350, mostly the more difficult bicycle type.

During this 40-day period in the workout desert, I could have lifted weights with my left arm. But I basically stopped. It was all mental. Too pressured and too lazy. And then too guilty. Could barely even write on this site. As much as I quote that “two steps forward, one step back” mantra, it’s painful to accept it. I hate it. Thinking about the Nadals, Picabo Streets, and a thousand other top athletes who get injured and push through their setbacks to return to their game and shine should be an inspiration. Well I am trying to be inspired.

Here’s the breakdown of my limited home crunch exercising: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abdominal exercises, abs, athletes who overcome injuries, avoiding the gym, crunches, injuries are deadly for gym rats, inspiration for overcoming adversity, Nadal, physical therapy, Picabo Street, setbacks

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Rudy Kellerman’s New Lease On Life—Jai Alai

Aug 31

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, gym stuff, jai alai, sports

I find myself, yet again, sitting and waiting at the doctor’s office. It’s been nearly a year now of visiting doctors. I remember my parent’s routine, back in what they called their ‘golden years’. It consisted of going to the bank, attorneys and doctors. My wife, who is younger and in great shape no longer accompanies me on these medical visits. She tells me that I am a hypochondriac.

professional jai alai player

Three years ago we both began working out with trainers. After a year, I looked terrific. I could do 1000 jumping jacks broken up by sets of free weight lifting of over 100 lbs. I was looking and feeling great but always looked at training as a chore and a bore. You constantly get bombarded by society with the idea that exercising is the thing that one must do to maintain good health. Probably true enough but boring.

I started to notice I could no longer sleep on my right shoulder. I had terrible pain which was becoming increasingly worse, most likely stemming from old skiing injuries. The results of repeated falls skiing the black runs in Aspen during my youth had finally taken its toll. I stopped training and started with the cortisone shots that eventually led to a medical procedure to decompress the right shoulder. That was my first operation, save for the time that I had to have my finger reattached after a bad motorcycle accident. Not bad, I guess, for a 69 year old guy to have stayed out of hospitals for all these years. I had resigned myself to the fact that the extent of my active sporting life was going to be in rehab clinics. Soon I was off to the JCC pool to meet with an aqua therapist. Next I developed a painful new condition in my leg that eluded diagnosis for nearly a year. This led to appointments with a series of different medical specialists.

One day, having nothing to do while waiting to be seen by the latest Dr. of the month, I picked up a local newspaper. Leafing through it, I noticed an ad… “Free Jai Alai Lessons”. Wow! Jai Alai, a game that was so popular in South Florida back a half century ago. As teenagers back then, we would try to sneak into the ‘frontons’ where the pros played at night. These were the days when guys played football or baseball after school and rode bicycles as a form of transportation. Moms did not drive you to soccer games back then. There was no soccer and no SUV’s in those days. We did not stay home to play with electronic devices. We were lucky if our parents had a Hi FI or a Stereo. And we weren’t allowed to touch them. We were always outdoors playing sports or delivering the newspapers after school. It was a great life.

view of pro jai alai court

Some of us who had just gotten our license would borrow the family station wagon. We would all pile in and sneak into the ‘fronton’ to watch the professional Jai Alai players. Most of them were from the Basque country, a part of Spain. They played with their ‘cestas’, a wicker basket and hurled the ‘pelota’, a ball the size of a baseball and as hard as golf ball, against a granite wall at 180 miles an hour. It was played in an enormous indoor court 180 feet long. It was fun to watch not only for the exciting ‘partidos’ or games, but also for the chance to bet on the game and sneak a beer. Some of us went out and bought used cestas and played with a rubber ball on hand ball and racket ball courts. It was so much fun. It was an exotic and exciting game. The girls would come and watch us play after school against the wall of the local Catholic church.

Some of us got to be so good that we were invited to play amateur league in the regulation fronton where the pros played. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: aches and pains from exercise, amateur jai alai, cesta, exercising is boring, frontons in Florida, golden years, jai alai, new lease on life, pelota, Rudy Kellerman, rules of jai alai, skiing

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Comments on Rudy’s Jai Alai Story

Aug 31

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, jai alai

After I posted Rudy’s story on this site, Rudy also posted it on another web site for his high school class, and a number of comments resulted there. I wrote those classmates and asked permission to also post their comments here. Below are their original responses and sometimes their words of permission:

Floyd Stern Sep 2, 09:
I’ve got a $2 ticket on you to show. Excellent article. I enjoyed it. Tell your wife that hypochondriasis shows maturity and good judgment, at our age.

susie siegel schwartz Sep 4, 09:
Great… Love it. I can remember going to St Pats and watching you all play.
I loved your story. I agree with Phyllis, you should write a blog.
Since we retired I took up Tennis. Yes I have sports injuries all the time but so what.. I just figure you have to pay to play
Just keep being active and laugh as much as you can
Love Susie

What ever you want to do with my comments about Rudy. He is so funny, hasn’t changed at all since we were kids. It is great to see that you are friends.
I am starting to use weights for my (osteo) bones. Also I would like a little tiny bit of definition in my arms.
This is a very fitness oriented area.
I think most people at our age should be pro-active about their bodies.
Love the site…S

Linda Widrich Weitz Sep 2, 09:
You are so cute, Rudy! Your lust for life is delicious! I remember loving the game - it was always so exciting to watchl Today I can only recall one name, Orbea, and he wasn’t even my favorite . Thanks for the memory. It was a great bit on Rudy!
MWAH!…Linda.

Steve Katz Sep 4, 09:
Great piece Rudy.I tried playing in those years,too. Read the rest of this entry »

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Susan Georgia Bikes CT Trails and Risks Riding the Rim of the Grand Canyon

Aug 25

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, cycling

I don’t remember not being on a bike. I was the third child—and the first girl—and grew up playing football. I was one of the guys, and if my mom couldn’t find me, she’d look up the nearest tree.

I was always riding over lawns and in the woods. In high school, I was captain of the soccer team, was on the swim team, and softball team. I was a very jock-type person. I have always been athletic. I also like kayaking.

Then I acquired the taste for mountain biking, which is basically trail-riding in the woods. It is wonderful…and at age 48, one of my favorite things to do. There are not a lot of girls who do it, and it was an instant attraction.

Susan Georgia mountain bikes the Grand Canyon rim—2008

I work in a doctor’s office, and I often arrived with my bike in the car. At the end of the day, I would ride on a level trail around a nearby pond.

My love for the sport really picked up after I met Gary four years ago. He is 56 now and has been riding seriously for a long time—doesn’t even get on a road bike unless he’s going for at least 50 miles.

Anyway he introduced me to much more aggressive mountain biking, which involves steeper trails with lots of rocks and tree roots. The rides are longer, say 15 miles, and the biking is more technical. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: bicycling, cycling for charity, girls who mountain bike, Kona, mountain biking, Nassahegan biking trails, Ride for Autism, riding the rim of the Grand Canyon, Susan Georgia, women who mountain bike

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You Need Constant Practice To Improve Sports And Stage Performance, Leadership Skills And Living Your Life, Says Aikido Master Richard Strozzi-Heckler

Aug 25

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, aikido, sports

These excerpts (mostly about sports) are from a longer, broader article by Richard Strozzi-Heckler, author of seven books, master of aikido, and founder of Strozzi Institute for embodied leadership training, which incorporates physical methods as well as cognitive approaches. The complete article can be found at http://www.strozziinstitute.com/resources/articles/you+are+what+you+practice/

You Are What You Practice

“We are what we repeatedly do.” –Aristotle

By Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Ph.D.

…To get good at something it’s necessary to practice…Researchers say 300 repetitions produce body memory, which is the ability to enact the correct movement, technique, or conversation by memory. It’s also been pointed out that 3000 repetitions creates embodiment, which is not having to think about doing the activity, as it is simply part of who we are….

Compare this with a recent ad on television that promotes weight loss with the promise that, “You don’t have to change your life, you only have to take a pill.” We live in a culture that sells the quick fix, instant gratification, and get it all right now, on a daily basis. While we may understand, at least intellectually, the importance of practice when we casually comment to our children that it’s necessary to practice when learning to play the piano, type, write in cursive, or drive a car, it’s largely an idea that’s unexamined.

The media and entertainment industry create the illusion that by simply stepping into the right car, dressing in the latest fashions, or dyeing our hair a certain color, our goals will be instantly attained. The idea of committing to a practice to achieve mastery or personal fulfillment is not a highly endorsed idea. When we’re constantly fed a diet of “Fast, temporary relief,” there is very little incentive to consider a practice as a way to positively take charge of our health, behaviors, relationships, attitude, or over-all success in life, to say nothing of developing leaders.

The notions we do have of practice are through the realm of sports or the performing arts, where perhaps we’ve had some experience, or at least enough familiarity (mostly as fans), to know that it’s a requirement for success.

Yes, we understand that athletes and performers practice, but what is invisible to us is how much they practice. They continue to practice during the entire season, during the off-season, and even while they’re in a championship series or in a heavily booked performance cycle.

In a recent interview with Ellen Degeneres, you could hear the audible gasp of the primarily adolescent female audience, as Britney Spears reported that it’s not uncommon for her to practice her singing and dance moves 12 hours a day; Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: aikido, Boston Celtics, Britney Spears, effects of practice, Ellen Degeneres, George Leonard, importance of practice, instant gratification, Larry Byrd, leadership skills, many repetitions for mastery, mastery of a skill, Michael Jordan, practice, quick fix, Richard Heckler, Strozzi Institute, who we are

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Irreverent Flashing At The Tennis Hall of Fame

Aug 25

Posted by ira in tennis

Went to Newport, Rhode Island to watch the tennis tournament there for older champions, players who have won some majors and been ranked number one (or in the top 10) in the world in the 80’s and 90’s. It’s all on grass—”the ‘real’ kind that’s very fast, not what they have at Wimbledon now,” according to one of the founders of this Champions Cup contest—and the venue may be the oldest for tennis in America…or anywhere. From 1880, I believe. Very beautiful and very green.

I couldn’t resist an irreverent flash there in spite of hardly working out the last three weeks, gaining weight (almost five pounds), and being told that I had to button up my shirt within seconds after this photo was taken.

irreverent flashing at Tennis Hall of Fame

If you look closely, you will notice the people in the background who play tennis dressed in clothes they might have worn 100 years ago. All very quaint and wonderful.

Tags: abs, Champions Cup tournament, grass tennis courts, International Tennis Hall of Fame, tennis

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Injury and Laziness Set Me Back Big Time!

Aug 25

Posted by ira in diet, gym stuff, tennis

Haven’t been to the gym since July 30th. What the hell happened? Where is all that discipline that others are resenting (see post on August 17)? How could I go at least six times a month for two years—and eight times a month since I started this site—and give it all up so completely?

Here are my excuses. I strained so hard setting new records for chin ups and pull ups, that I hurt my shoulders, forearms and right elbow. The tennis and squash that followed probably didn’t help. But I played through the aching. I needed to stay away from the machines and weights in the gym to recuperate. However I still could have done my crunches. Yet I didn’t. After just three days of them in two weeks, I stopped.

Traveling eight days and having visitors and events at the house another four may have kept me from the gym. But crunches take less than half an hour. So there is no excuse. Just laziness.

Saw the doctor and am now wearing a tennis-elbow, velcro wrap. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: gym, Jim Courier, lack of discipline, Mats Wilander, sports injuries, tennis, tennis elbow

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Tresa Stephens Feels Texas Pressure To Eat Too Much Bad Food, All The Time

Aug 18

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, diet

In response to the jealousy and resentment my eating discipline is generating (see post on August 17th), Tresa Stephens described the pressure she experiences to overeat junk food back home:

I think that the pressure others put on us to jump on the band wagon and eat absolute dietary garbage is unfair. Especially considering I just read an article in Time Magazine (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html/) this month about how exercise isn’t as important as diet when attempting weight loss. So many Americans are obese and apparently just hitting the treadmill doesn’t cut it when it comes to cutting fat.

I know I’ve also encountered opposition while dieting myself. In the south, you’re expected to eat ALL THE TIME. The inability to digest greasy, enormous, fattening portions is basically considered a sign of weakness or illness. Admittedly, when I was younger I hardly noticed the pressure that people put on me to finish the very last bit of whatever tasty, deep-fried/re-fried/stir-fried/chicken-fried face-sized piece of whatever I had on my plate, but since moving off to college in New York (land of expensive portions no bigger than your fist) I’ve opened my eyes and assimilated to the New York diet. I eat less (probably because I can afford less) and therefore make wiser decisions when it comes to what nutrients I’m spending my hard-earned dollars on. Since moving to the city I’ve noticed I eat fewer fatty foods and generally just feel healthier.

The only problem arrises when I return home to visit my family. They expect my old eating habits Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: desirability to eat large portions of food, diet, family pressures to eat, feling healthier with good diet, junk food, large portions, obese Americans, social pressure to eat, Time Magazine article about exercise not leading to weight loss

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Jealousy Of My Diet Discipline Hits Me In The Abs

Aug 17

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, diet, weight loss/overweight

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. So I am making all this progress towards fitness and better health, and some people around me are really upset and pissed.

The reports are coming in gradually in roundabout ways, but here is the basic story. My ability to be disciplined in avoiding high-cholesterol foods is contrasting with others’ inability to cut back on their own caloric intake. So they are embarrassed and annoyed by my success. They don’t want to hear about it, and I have been asked not to talk about my diet, my web site and its content in their presence.

When my cholesterol numbers were just one digit away from the heart attack zone, and I was scared I could die, I suddenly stopped eating high cholesterol foods. I thought possible instant death was a pretty good motivator. I mean we aren’t talking here about a few extra pounds of cute chubbiness. I was terrified.

No matter. It’s offensive and insensitive at some people’s dinner tables for me to be saying “No” to cheese or creamy soups in their’ presence. It would be better if I just ate what I consider life-threatening foods that are offered. Even in restaurants, I shouldn’t be asking about the ingredients of certain dishes. All this discipline I am displaying is really not nice. It’s even very inconsiderate of those in the room who are not able to avoid foods that are making them weigh more than they would like to weigh.

Talk about social pressure. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: being sensitive to others who are overweight, diet, envy over others' discipline, friend not being supportive, high cholesterol, jealousy at others' success, misery loves company, risks of dying from high cholesterol, shaming people who can't lose weight, social pressure of successful dieting, some vegans force their views on you

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59 Is The New 30

Aug 16

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, golf, sports

Article from the NY Times, 7/29/09 by Thomas L. Friedman. (Summary: Tom Watson’s golf run at the US Open was freaky unusual — a 59-year-old man who had played his opening two rounds in this tournament with a 16-year-old Italian amateur — was able to best the greatest golfers in the world at least a decade after anyone would have dreamt it possible. Watching this happen actually widened our sense of what any of us is capable of.)

Last April I took a break to caddy for the former U.S. Open champion Andy North when he teamed up with Tom Watson to defend their title in the two-man Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament in Savannah, Ga. So it was with more than a casual spectator’s interest that I watched in awe on Armed Forces television from Afghanistan as Watson made his amazing run at winning the British Open at age 59. Watson likes to talk about foreign affairs more than golf. So to let him know just how many people wanted him to win, I e-mailed him before the final round: “Even the Taliban are rooting for you.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: affirmation of life, golf, golf is about character, golf is the sport most like life, inspiration, Tom Watson, U.S. Open

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Exercise Report—More New Crunch Records…Like 750 Total

Aug 15

Posted by ira in exercise, gym stuff

Good news and not-so-good news. My right arm may be strained, near the elbow. Too much tennis plus squash? Too many pull-ups, push-ups and chin-ups?
No idea…but my abs aren’t affected. So I did the following:

August 3—100+100+100=300 bicycle crunches plus 250 crunches on the ball. Up from 500 total, which puffed the muscles out for my recent photo.

August 8—175+175+200+200=750 crunches with legs on a couch…a new record, up from 700 total.

August 15—100+100+100=300 poorly executed bicycle crunches plus 200 crunches on the ball.

Did fit in 35 push-ups non-stop one day and then 49 another. But didn’t keep at it. Could do no more than 20 on another day, and then 45 on another.

Haven’t been to the gym since July 30th. Mini-vacation with friends, guests on two consecutive weekends, family events, and lots of racket sports have been the choice instead. Uh-oh. I am falling over the cliff. How do I get back on track with a sore arm? Eight times in a month is looking pretty distant, more like impossible.

I feel guilty and down about my lack of exercise.

Tags: crunches, gym exercises

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Changing your Diet Big Time

Aug 13

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, diet

My daughter loves her steak (with ketchup) eats pounds of cheese, and chicken too…until recently. She read a book called Skinny Bitch, which has been criticized for being misleading. It supposedly advises readers how to lose weight, but it is apparently a treatise promoting veganism—no animal foods or animal products. It describes how cows and chickens are raised and killed, and the description is so gross that the message worked: she gave up eating meat and cheese and much of her chicken too. What a powerful story.

Now she is eating hummus a lot, vegetables and fish. She looks for organic or free-range fowl. Quite a transformation…I’m awed that it happened so fast.

With the news about animal cruelty in my mind, I looked up some undercover videos on YouTube revealing how animals are raised and killed. They were worse than I remembered from my earlier experiences, which included a photo assignment in a cattle slaughterhouse, watching pigs being beaten before the knife came out, and talking to a large-scale, chicken-farmer salesman decades ago. No wonder some readers are giving up meat.

(A little comic relief from the fictitious doctor quoted in my August 11th post:

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?  
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient  mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
 A: YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!! Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you? )
  

A friend has been talking up veganism for years. The meals with her have been very tedious—don’t eat this, that’s bad for you—and also funny: “I’d like a salad, please (to the waitress), but please don’t include any green peppers, because they make me pass gas!” Who asked? Yum-yum, now let’s eat, thinking about the dangers of eggs and the flow of chewed food through her digestive tract…all the way to the end. But this friend also warned me wisely about saturated fats Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: animal cruelty, avoiding eating animal products, avoiding meat, benefits of avoiding dairy foods, canola oil, how animals are killed, saturated fats, Skinny Bitch, veganism

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Tennis and Squash Report: Victory At Last! And Then I Was Smashed.

Aug 12

Posted by ira in squash, tennis

In spite of sore muscles near my right elbow, I have been playing some racket sports. Now that I am back to my old serve, I am improving my game.

August 3rd—an hour of hitting with a beginner.

August 6—4 hours of tennis. Slaughtered my regular opponents in doubles and singles. Then lost two doubles sets with the age-50’s group, but made a good showing.

August 8—1¼ hours of squash practice and games. Getting back into it. Won 3 out of 4 with a former opponent who used to always beat me…although she hadn’t played in a year.

August 9—1¼ hours of squash practice. Really starting to whack the ball well and place it too.

August 11—Tennis victory: beat the old guys (93 and 86) both sets, 6-4. 6-3. A real achievement. So my team has now won three sets out of 12. Those guys can place and lob so beautifully. Decades of practice. Though they can’t run fast or far, they can still reach the ball and return it perfectly over and over. My own game was definitely better, with fewer long balls and some amazing “gets.” My partner played really well too…so we beat ‘em both sets at last. What an effort!

One benefit of an arm that hurts is that I am guessing this ache is the result of not hitting the tennis ball properly. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Frank Adams, squash, tennis

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I Love This Doctor’s Ridiculous, Wonderful Advice

Aug 11

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, diet, gym stuff, humorous stories

Chris Curtis sent me this advice from France.

I Love This Doctor.
He has the right slant on things….hehehhehehehh

 Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?  
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… don’t waste them on exercise.  Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer;   that’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Tags: benefits of alcohol, humorous advice, importance of eating meat, importance of vegetables, sit-ups are harmful, why exercise is bad for you, why fried foods are good for you

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Muscle Advice For Older People—Strengthen Them Or You Will Fall!

Aug 10

Posted by ira in exercise, gym stuff, sports

From a NY Times article, 5/13/08 by Gina Kolata (Summary: Healthy muscles are those that have been worked, stressed and pushed to their limit so that they have enough power and strength to get you through life, especially as you grow older…Older people often fall because they are too weak to brace themselves)

DR. PAUL D. THOMPSON, a 60-year-old marathon runner and chief of cardiology at Hartford Hospital, stood in front of a medical audience recently and began his talk with a story about himself.

“I’ve been lifting weights since I was 12 years old and look at me,” he said. Dr. Thompson is small and wiry with not a bulging muscle on him. He speculated that he must have a genetic inability to build muscles, no matter how hard he works at it.
But are his muscles healthy?

It is not the kind of question most people ask themselves. But muscle researchers say it is important because muscle health is emerging as an important part of overall health. And, they say, when it comes to muscles, bulk does not matter. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: difficulty of building muscle bulk, Gina Kolata, how to maintain endurance, muscles for older people, need for weight lifting, Robert H. Fitts, testosterone builds muscles, why older people fall, William J. Kraemer

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Vladimir Putin Needs To Work On His Abs Too!

Aug 7

Posted by ira in LIFE LESSONS, OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, gym stuff, horseback riding, hunting, photos of celebrities, swimming

vladimir putin needs work on his abs—8/09

The Russian Prime Minister is an incredible athlete, so it may be nervy to comment on his physique. Nevertheless, now that I am aware of a good ab from a not-so-great ab, I would like to suggest that he work on his stomach area a bit as well. And you can look at my post of June 17th to compare President Obama’s mid-section with that of the Russian leader: The Battle of the Stomachs…much better than the Battle of the Bulge(s).

Vladimir Putin has buffed up his action-man image and raised the pin-up stakes among world leaders by posing barechested for another set of holiday pictures.
Photographs were published yesterday showing the Russian Prime Minister stripped to the waist riding a horse through rugged terrain during a brief holiday in the Siberian region of Tuva. Wearing only green fatigues, his eyes hidden behind reflective sunglasses, Mr Putin also showed his gentler side as he fed the horse from his hand after the ride.

The former KGB officer, a mountain skier and judo black belt, is a fitness fanatic who regularly starts his day with weight training in the gym and swimming in his country residence outside Moscow.

putin butterflying—great arms

Mr Putin, who will be 57 in October, showed off a set of rippling arm muscles as he demonstrated his butterfly swimming stroke. The photos will inevitably trigger mass swooning by women all over Russia — as well as unfavourable comparisons of their husbands to Mr Putin’s manly physique. They will also confirm the Russian Prime Minister’s status as a gay icon.

Mr Putin camped overnight and went whitewater rafting down the region’s fast-flowing rivers, according to Russian news agencies. Other pictures show him walking through fields with a hat similar to that worn by Indiana Jones, the Hollywood adventurer. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Obama's mid-section, Obamas abs, putin fitness, Putin horseback riding, Putin hunting, Putin swimming, Putin weightlifting, Putin whitewater rafting, Vladimir Putin

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Can You Get Fit in Six Minutes a Week?

Aug 6

Posted by ira in cycling, exercise, gym stuff, running, sports

Excerpts From an article in the NYTimes, 5/24/09, by Gretchen Reynolds. [Summary: Six minutes or so a week of hard exercise (plus the time spent warming up, cooling down, and resting between the bouts of intense work) had proven to be as good as multiple hours of working out for achieving fitness. The short, intense workouts aided in weight loss, too.]

The potency of interval training is nothing new. Many athletes have been straining through interval sessions once or twice a week along with their regular workout for years. But what researchers have been looking at recently is whether humans…can increase endurance with only a few minutes of strenuous exercise, instead of hours? Could it be that most of us are spending more time than we need to trying to get fit?

The answer, a growing number of these sports scientists believe, may be yes.
“There was a time when the scientific literature suggested that the only way to achieve endurance was through endurance-type activities,” such as long runs or bike rides or, perhaps, six-hour swims, says Martin Gibala, PhD, chairman of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. But ongoing research from Gibala’s lab is turning that idea on its head. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: efficient fitness programs, gym, increasing endurance, interval training, Martin Gibala, McMaster University, shortening exercise times, swimming

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A Reader Comments on Various Exercise Approaches—Ellipticals, Rowing, Treadmills, and Home Gyms

Aug 4

Posted by ira in gym stuff

Rudy Kellerman asked me to get in touch.

*The ELLIPTICAL CROSS TRAINER gives you less bounce to the ounce:

For every ounce of weight you lose, for every calorie you burn off, for every globule of fat you get rid of— the elliptical cross trainer machine will give you less bounce per ounce. Big deal, you say? Well, it is a big deal when you consider the pounding your body takes as you rack up miles on your trainer machine. Just talk to a jack hammer machine operator. He’ll tell you about shake, rattle and roll and the dangers of getting all shook up. Remember, you’re using trainer machines to give your muscles a workout, not the delicate organs inside.

That’s why, if running on trainer machines is included in your wellness or body-building program, a good trainers review will recommend elliptical trainer machines best for you. Because of the bio-mechanics of the elliptical shape, there’s less stress at every position of the elliptical path, without the sudden “drop-off” found in circular paths. This “drop-off” is like walking along, not realizing there’s a step down, and then your whole body goes ker-plunk and out of whack!

Without this stress anywhere along the machines elliptical path there’s a smoother ride for your internal organs inside. While outside there’s a greatly reduced physical impact on the joints of the body— mainly the ankles, knees and hips. Now, with these bodily areas taken care of and protected, you can put your attention back where it belongs. On the rest of your body.

Use a ROWING EXERCISE MACHINE oar else:

Oar else you’ll have to exercise much harder and longer to get in good physical shape. Not counting the pain, or the strain you might get from other exercise machines. A rowing exercise machine lets you exercise almost every muscle group in your body. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: best way to exercise with equipment, elliptical, gym, home gym, rowing machines, treadmills

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How the Food Makers Captured Our Brains

Aug 2

Posted by ira in diet, weight loss/overweight

Here are various excerpts with some of my own insertions from a New York Times article written by Tara Parker-Pope. While my quest is for a six-pack…

…the result of Dr. David Kessler’s quest is a fascinating new book, “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite” (Rodale).

(Kessler was the head of the Food and Drug Administration.) He is perhaps best known for his efforts to investigate and regulate the tobacco industry, and his accusation that cigarette makers intentionally manipulated nicotine content to make their products more addictive.

In “The End of Overeating,” Dr. Kessler finds some similarities in the food industry, which has combined and created foods in a way that taps into our brain circuitry and stimulates our desire for more.

When it comes to stimulating our brains, Dr. Kessler noted, individual ingredients aren’t particularly potent. But by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full. Read the rest of this entry »

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Here’s How Chris Ivey Trained To Do 103 Pushups in 2 Minutes To Earn First Place in His Navy Boot Camp Competition

Jul 31

Posted by ira in OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES, gym stuff

After graduating high school in 2005, I gave college one semester and withdrew to join the Armed Forces. I had wanted to join the military since my early teens for personal satisfaction and to continue our family tradition. I went to a recruiting office and met with recruiters for the Marines and Navy. My mother begged me not to become a Marine, because of their tip-of-the-spear philosophy in war. Between how she felt and the encouragement of my cousin, who would end up enlisting with me, I ended up choosing to be a sailor instead of a soldier. It was mid-January ’06 when I signed my contract to leave for boot camp in early March; it gave me 2 1/2 months for training.

Chris Ivey showing his stuff—Spring 2009

In high school I was active, athletic and weight-lifted frequently. However, since graduation I had rarely worked out. This meant I was going to start from scratch to become boot-camp ready. My plan of attack was to stick strictly to calisthenics; more specifically, running, pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups and dips. The high frequency and lightweight exercises were going to keep me lean, strong and quick. Perfect for the functional strength I would need. Also, at 6’2 and 180 lbs, I was not trying to lose any weight. In fact, I was trying to gain 5-10 lbs.

I joined the local gym, even though I did not use the machines, and found a secluded corner to do my push-ups in. I had a basic principle to my workouts: max out every day. Where as some may say to themselves, “I have to only do 100 push-ups before I can get out of here today,” I never put limitations on my exercises and would just do as many reps as possible in my gym session. I started off by doing as many sets of 30 push-ups as I could. In the first several days of working out, my sets were adding up to between 90 and 120 push-ups. I was also doing sit-ups, pull-ups and chin-ups at this time. Sit-ups were between 100 and 150—a 100 set and a 50 set. I would rotate my pull-ups and chin-ups between wide-grip to normal chin-ups and normal pull-ups; all in sets of 10. They were adding up to 30-40 overall reps. After my routine I would run a mile on the treadmill to cool down.

Chris Ivey in boot camp—2006

The first two weeks were pretty brutal. I was working out 4-5 times a week and was constantly sore, but by the second week I was seeing gains. The lightweight and high repetition workouts were great for definition, which was becoming evident. Gaining weight was not happening easily, but I was at least maintaining well. I kept at my simple routine and philosophy of maxing out.

After the second week, reps increased rapidly across the board. By my fifth week I was up to 400-600 push-ups in a session. The reps had slightly evolved: I would warm up with sets of 50 until I had finished 150 total. I was rotating my push-ups between close-grip, normal and wide-grip. My pull-ups and chin-ups were totaling 90 and 120. Sit-ups were ranging from 200 to 300. In terms of running, my least favorite activity, I was still doing between just one and two miles for my cool down. It was around this time that I hit a plateau, and increases in reps became pretty much non-existent. By now I also had gained 5 lbs.

Before I knew it, I was catching a plane with my cousin—we ended up going through boot camp together—and two other local recruits to Great Lakes, Illinois for Navy boot camp. I was very fit by now, but still a little anxious about what was to come. After arriving, we were put into divisions. My division was #151, comprised of 40 girls and 40 guys. We also had a brother division with the same proportions of girls and guys. We split the bunkroom with the guys from the other division and did nearly everything together. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: boot camp, chin ups, Chris Ivey, gym, Navy, pull ups, push ups, sit ups

4 Comments

Terrible Tennis And My Glass Is Half Empty

Jul