Clearspace Server Syndication Feed

October 11

bvcc — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:54:39 GMT

Distance: 4.1 miles
Time: 42:36

Pace: 10:23 per mile
Stretch: Yes

Weekly mileage: 20.3 miles
Cumulative mileage: 646.3 miles

Tomorrow: 8 miles pace

Comments: It was surprisingly fast for a scheduled easy run.

Baseball Brains - Pitching Into The World Series

Dan Peterson — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:33:14 GMT

With the MLB League Championship Series' beginning this week, Twenty-six teams are wondering what it takes to reach the "final four" of baseball which leads to the World Series. The Red Sox, Rays, Phillies and Dodgers understand its not just money and luck. Over 162 games, it usually comes down to the fundamentals of baseball: pitching, hitting and catching. That sounds simple enough. So, why can't everyone execute those skills consistently? Why do pitchers struggle with their control? Why do batters strike out? Why do fielders commit errors? It turns out Yogi Berra was right when he said, "Baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical." In this three part series, each skill will be broken down into its cognitive sub-tasks and you may be surprised at the complexity that such a simple game requires of our brains.

First up, pitching or even throwing a baseball seems effortless until the pressure is on and the aim goes awry. Pitching a 3" diameter baseball 60 feet, 6 inches over a target that is 8 inches wide requires an accuracy of 1/2 to 1 degree. Throwing it fast, with the pressure of a game situation makes this task one of the hardest in sports. In addition, a fielder throwing to another fielder from 40, 60 or 150 feet away, sometimes off balance or on the run, tests the brain-body connection for accuracy. So, how do we do it? And how can we learn to do it more consistently? In his book, The Psychology of Baseball , Mike Stadler, professor of psychology at the University of Missouri, addresses each of these questions.

There are two dimensions to think about when throwing an object at a target: vertical and horizontal. The vertical dimension is a function of the distance of the throw and the effect of gravity on the object. So the thrower's estimate of distance between himself and the target will determine the accuracy of the throw vertically. Basically, if the distance is underestimated, the required strength of the throw will be underestimated and will lose the battle with gravity, resulting in a throw that will be either too low or will bounce before reaching the target. An example of this is a fast ball which is thrown with more velocity, so will reach its target before gravity has a path-changing effect on it. On the other hand, a curve ball or change-up may seem to curve downward, partly because of the spin put on the ball affecting its aerodynamics, but also because these pitches are thrown with less force, allowing gravity to pull the ball down. In the horizontal dimension, the "right-left" accuracy is related to more to the "aim" of the throw and the ability of the thrower to adjust hand-eye coordination along with finger, arm, shoulder angles and the release of the ball to send the ball in the intended direction.

So, how do we improve accuracy in both dimensions? Prof. Stadler points out that research shows that skill in the vertical/distance estimating dimension is more genetically determined, while skill horizontally can be better improved with practice. Remember those spatial organization tests that we took that show a set of connected blocks in a certain shape and then show you four more sets of conected blocks? The question is which of the four sets could result from rotating the first set of blocks. Research has shown that athletes that are good at these spatial relations tests are also accurate throwers in the vertical dimension. Why? The thought is that those athletes are better able to judge the movement of objects through space and can better estimate distance in 3D space. Pitchers are able to improve this to an extent as the distance to the target is fixed. A fielder, however, starts his throw from many different positions on the field and has more targets (bases and cut-off men) to choose from, making his learning curve a bit longer.

If a throw or pitch is off-target, then what went wrong? Research has shown that despite all of the combinations of fingers, hand, arm, shoulder and body movements, it seems to all boil down to the timing of the finger release of the ball. In other words, when the pitcher's hand comes forward and the fingers start opening to allow the ball to leave. The timing of this release can vary by hundredths of a second but has significant impact on the accuracy of the throw. But, its also been shown that the throwing action happens so fast, that the brain could not consciously adjust or control that release in real-time. This points to the throwing action being controlled by what psychologists call an automated "motor program" that is created through many repeated practice throws. But, if a "release point" is incorrect, how does a pitcher correct that if they can't do so in real-time? It seems they need to change the embedded program by more practice.

Another component of "off-target" pitching or throwing is the psychological side of a player's mental state/attitude. Stadler identifies research that these motor programs can be called up by the brain by current thoughts. There seems to be "good" programs and "bad" programs, meaning the brain has learned how to throw a strike and learned many programs that will not throw a strike. By "seeding" the recall with positive or negative thoughts, the "strike" program may be run, but so to can the "ball" program. So, if a pitcher thinks to himself, "don't walk this guy", he may be subconsciously calling up the "ball" program and it will result in a pitch called as a ball. So, this is why sports pscyhologists stress the need to "think positively", not just for warm and fuzzy feelings, but the brain may be listening and will instruct your body what to do.

So, assuming Josh Beckett of the Red Sox is getting the ball across the plate, will the Rays hit it? That is the topic for next time when we look at hitting an object that is moving at 97 MPH and reaches you in less than half a second.

Bring It! (24 hours now!)

bmonk25 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:31:46 GMT

Well, the time is almost here and soon Katie, Jake, and I will trek up to Chicago to enjoy a Saturday in the windy city and finish this thing?

We had a little "thank you" gathering for all of those supporters that were in Indy last night.��It was a great time shared by all and last well into the night.��(maybe it should have ended a bit earlier ;o) We had good food, good tunes, good laughs, good games, and just good people "buddy."

The big surprise came when Katie and Jake busted out T-shirts for everyone.��I think Quinn had a lot to do with this also.��Obviously you can see them from the pictures - "Team Monk" on the front and "You Go, We Go" on the back.��And that really has been a theme for my training the past 18 months.��Team is the theme and I could not have done this without all the love and support of all my family and friends. I was counting up all the people that ran beside me during this training and thought about all the quality time we have gotten to shared together. Well over 20 of you have went stride for stride with me at some point over the last few months. INCREDIBLE!��It is so amazing and a true testament to generosity and character of everyone in my life.��I truly am blessed to stand beside you all, not just for this marathon but everyday (anyone hear that tear drop...sorry,).��

Anyway, time to pack the shoes, the glide, the bad male running shorts, and shove off. I am ready to get this show on the road...literally.

And it is time to BRING IT!

Dave Scott Previews the 2008 Ironman Hawaii

davescott — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:54:06 GMT

On one of the foggiest days to hit Kona in a long time, Dave Scott calls in with his men's and women's race previews. After checking up on Normann Stadler and Faris al-Sultan (they're both feeling good), Dave runs down the list of 2008 contenders.

Click below to find out who he thinks can make a run at Ironman glory, and be sure to check back tomorrow for updates from the course.

Silverman Chronicles: Peak Week

Active Toby — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:59:27 GMT

Overview: I'm on the precipice of achieving my season goal--completing both a 100-mile ultra marathon and a 140.6-mile triathlon.

Silverman: In peak training for Silverman and fully committed to the process. The month countdown to November 9 has begun. My swimming is coming along, cycling has improved drastically and I've learned so much through this process.

Training: The most difficult and perhaps most important lesson I've learned, which Matt Fitzgerald highlights in Brain Training for Runners, is the importance of writing workouts in pencil and not pen. This means that one should not be afraid or feel guilty for erasing/editing a training session if things aren't working out properly. At first I would feel ashamed when I didn't hit my target but now I realize this may have actually saved my season by avoiding overuse injuries, burnout and exhaustion. My training partner Ryan provides a perfect example of making the best of a training ride gone wrong in his blog from our ride last weekend. I'm hoping for the best this weekend but am now prepared for the worst

GreenLaces.org: In my continued effort to expand my horizons while lessening my impact on the environment, I've made a promise to the planet. From now on I will recycle my running shoes through the Reuse-a-Shoe program so they can be made into playground and athletic surfaces. I made my promise at GreenLaces.org and will support this grassroots movement by wearing green shoelaces in my running shoes.

I encourage you to make a promise and change one thing... So what's your promise going to be?

Recap: If you thought this year was big... stay tuned for my 2009 season preview. Let's just say things are about to get more interesting... Thanks for reading and please leave me some cool comments

TGIF!!! Team MGD 60 - PHX

Karen Ebner — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:14:52 GMT

Hi teammates - Great to "e-meet" you and introduce myself. I'm Karen and totally revved up about being a part of this team. I live in East Phoenix (44th St/Thomas Area) and spend a great bit of time bouncing around this area for "social" activities. However, I work up in the Scottsdale Airpark area as director, talent management for a digital marketing company.

Moving to Phx from NJ (GO PHILLIES!!! ) 8 years ago, I never would have imagined that I would be enjoying the life I lead today. I am all for running, biking (road/mtn), hiking, camping, team sports, triathlons, adventure/urban races....but I balance that out with "bar sports" like trivia/darts/pool/shuffleboard, cards, pubcrawls, "cruiser-cocktail-crusades" and the like.

My friends refer to me as "Julie" (Cruise director from Love Boat), since I am the 'go to' for getting things organized and tend to come up with some neat ideas. I have also been able to motivate a number of "less than motivated" folks to "GET OFF THE COUCH" which is a motto I try to promote.

In addition to a Scottsdale Co-ed Softball team, and tuesday night tempe town lake small running group runs, my upcoming events
already planned include: 10/11 Cactus Cha Cha Ru, 10/19 South Mountain
Run, 10/26 SOMA Relay-bike, 11/22 Mud Run, 12/5 Cave Creek Luminary
Run, 1/19 PFChangs 1/2

I am competitive, that is, until it takes away the fun...I like to keep it real. Seeing others have fun is a big part of this.

It would be great to meet up with everyone one of these days and brainstorm on a larger event or two that we can work on together...mucho points for all! (I am all about the more the merrier) Anyone up for this?? Anyone up for meeting next Wednesday night somewhere?

Looking forward to working and playing with all of you!

karen

10.10.08 Swim

ActiveRD — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:41:42 GMT

Today I had a nice an easy swim to get the arms and legs moving, nothing to deadly. I'm going to have a nice easy ride either this evening or tomorrow morning before the big ride on Sunday. My legs are still a bit sore from the run on Wednesday, but other than that my body feels good. My workout today was:

Warm up:
500 yds.

Main set:
6 x 100 yds. (Leave on the 1:40)

50 yds. (Easy)

2 x 200 yds. (Leave on the 3:10)

50 yds. (Easy)

Cool down:
400 yds. (Easy)

Team MGD 64 Manager - Welcome Note

brianlaw — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:16:13 GMT

Welcome to the Team MGD 64 Tampa Blog. We created this blog so you and your fellow MGD 64 ambassadors could collaborate and communicate with each other regarding all things MGD 64. Not only can you alert your peers about upcoming happy hours and social events, but also build personal relationships with your market and maybe find a new drinking buddy or two! Your market may prove to be your biggest help throughout your sponsorship because they are experiencing the same things you are.

Happy Blogging!

Cheers,

Team MGD 64 Manager

Team MGD 64 Manager - Welcome Note

brianlaw — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:15:15 GMT

Welcome to the Team MGD 64 San Francisco Blog. We created this blog so you and your fellow MGD 64 ambassadors could collaborate and communicate with each other regarding all things MGD 64. Not only can you alert your peers about upcoming happy hours and social events, but also build personal relationships with your market and maybe find a new drinking buddy or two! Your market may prove to be your biggest help throughout your sponsorship because they are experiencing the same things you are.

Happy Blogging!

Cheers,

Team MGD 64 Manager

Team MGD 64 Manager - Welcome Note

brianlaw — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:14:42 GMT

Welcome to the Team MGD 64 San Diego Blog. We created this blog so you and your fellow MGD 64 ambassadors could collaborate and communicate with each other regarding all things MGD 64. Not only can you alert your peers about upcoming happy hours and social events, but also build personal relationships with your market and maybe find a new drinking buddy or two! Your market may prove to be your biggest help throughout your sponsorship because they are experiencing the same things you are.

Happy Blogging!

Cheers,

Team MGD 64 Manager