Certitude, Part III

There are things in this world that I can't prove scientifically but know in my heart are true. For example, I'm certain that people who are afraid of the world and bitter about their lives are most likely to be both conservative and Republican. I can't prove it, but I'm sure I'm right.

I've recently become certain about something else I can't prove: It's better for your knees to walk wearing running shoes than to run wearing walking shoes.

Last May, I developed an enthusiasm for a routine known as high intensity interval training, which I wrote about at Hot Water Sandwich. It involved alternating short intervals of running with longer cool-down walking intervals. After a few weeks, I began to have pain in my left knee, which wasn't too troublesome as long as I was standing or walking, but was a real problem when I stood up after sitting for longer than ten minutes. The pain when I straightened my left leg and put weight on the knee was enough to make me wince. After a minute or so, the ache would subside. At any rate, as the weather grew warmer, the combination of summer heat and a sore knee led me to give up the running part of my routine.

Last week we got the first noticeable cool weather of autumn, and I realized I'd probably want to start running a little, particularly on chilly days. I decided to invest in my very first pair of running shoes, thinking that might prevent the hurt in my knee (which had diminished significantly after I stopped running this summer). I went to Academy and bought the least expensive running shoes on their shelves.

The first time I laced 'em up and started walking around, it was like bouncing on tiny trampolines. There was literally a spring in my step that I couldn't recall previously experiencing. Hmmm, I thought, maybe I shoulda tried this a long time ago.

In my neighborhood, the city recently opened a pair of trails through the wooded areas, and I enjoy the shade so much that I reconfigured my walking routes to include them. Since I couldn't measure the new routes with my car odometer, I began a series of measurements using stopwatches and pedometers, then calculating the distance based on averages and known quantities.

One of my most commonly-walked routes is 3.10 miles and requires an average of 6138 steps to complete. The first time I walked the route in the new shoes, it only took 5914 steps. WTF ? --- I knew for a fact the trail hadn't gotten shorter. Over the next few days, I started comparing the steps recorded on my pedometers to the averages I had calculated for each route when determining their distances, and in every instance, I was covering the same ground with fewer steps. I pulled out the calculator again and established that my stride had lengthened by roughly 0.6 inches, and the only thing that had changed was the shoes I was wearing. It'll take me more mileage to reach 10,000 steps, but that's a minor drawback to gain a knee that feels like it's only 35 years old again.

The USA, today...

According to USA Today, gasoline prices are soaring even though supplies are abundant. Stock prices fell after rising for several days. In Tennessee, the Titans are 0-6 and Bud Adams wants Vince Young to start at quarterback for the remainder of the season. Just another Friday in America. USA Today prints a lot of bad news, but they have a hell of a good crossword puzzle.

An idea whose time has come

I'm fairly sure this video is intended to be satirical, but I've known people who look, talk, and think like the ones discussing the commercial possibilities of restoring conservatism to Christianity. In other words, this would be funnier if it weren't so true to life.

Sullivan says...

Andrew Sullivan, another of those rare conservatives who often writes something worth reading, offers this thought in The Atlantic about the latest gambits in the health reform struggles. I'd like to believe he has this one figured out correctly.

Another of Obama's flaws

At Media Matters, the stain in America's underwear is quoted (from a conversation with Glenn Beck) as saying Obama has to make everything about himself. Imagine that: A big fat turd with an ego the size of Montana criticizing Obama's narcissism. Someone with a sense of modesty might be able to make that point and get away with it, but coming from a self-important asshole like Limbaugh, it's laughable. Or disgusting. Does that repulsive fuck ever listen to himself ?

Calories

Steve Chapman is a Chicago columnist whose politics I can't pin down. Sometimes he writes like a semi-liberal, others like a moderate conservative. This column is one of the moderately conservative efforts, and I disagree with the point I think he's making. Just because most people ignore it doesn't mean that requiring commercial dining establishments (fast food joints) to post the calorie content of the stuff they're selling is a bad idea. I admit to a personal bias on this subject because I'm obsessed with calorie-counting, and sometimes circumstances require me to buy a meal in a franchise eatery like Red Lobster or Jason's Deli. Even if I wind up consuming more calories than I'd prefer, knowing how many helps me compensate the next time I eat.

We got a gift card to Red Lobster from some relative, and decided to use it rather than regift it. I went online, found their website, and used the nutrition information section to check the calorie content of my favorite menu choices. I was able to decide what to order to meet my calorie goal in advance, and enjoyed the meal more as a result.

So excuse me, Steve, if I don't share your negative libertarian views on the issue.