On this day

June 24th

Cerebellum

June 24, 2024

The connection between the cerebellum and movement has been known since the 19th century. Patients suffering trauma to the brain region had obvious difficulties with balance and movement, leaving no doubt that it was critical for coordinating motion. Over the decades, neuroscientists developed a detailed understanding of how the cerebellum’s unique neural circuitry controls motor function. The explanation of how the cerebellum worked seemed watertight.

~ R Douglas Fields from, Scientists Are Unlocking the Secrets of Your ‘Little Brain’ | WIRED

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The cerebellum is astounding. …and yet, I’m not sure what exactly I should do with this new knowledge.

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Wait wat?

June 24, 2022

Since around 2009, methamphetamines have been made with phenylacetone (P2P). Is there a chemical different causing schizophrenia?

~ “Dynomight” from, The main thing about P2P meth is that there’s so much of it

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As I was reading those two sentences, my world was just fine… until that very last word. I was ready for death, overdose, addiction, and there are probably a dozen more words that I don’t expect would fit there, but which wouldn’t make me go, “wait wat?” So i started reading…

I quickly realized this article is basically the science behind Breaking Bad. There’s also an enormous amount of “this is not good” information in there. For example, an apparently exponential-function graph of deaths is never a good thing. There’s also a bit of industrial chemistry, and a large scale sewerage treatment plant data collection . . . well, it’s worth the read.

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Practicing peace

June 24, 2021

Walking is a deliberate, repetitive, ritualized motion. It is an exercise in peace.

The Buddhists talk of “walking meditation,” or kinhin, where the movement after a long session of sitting, particularly movement through a beautiful setting, can unlock a different kind of stillness than traditional meditation.

~ Ryan Holiday from, Take A Walk: The Work & Life Benefits of Walking – RyanHoliday.net

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Running is also a deliberate, repetitive, ritualized motion.

But gosh do I hate running. There’s no peace at all. At the very least, I’m glad that I can run (in the shoes I like to wear, for the general health of my feet,) without injury. I can go a good mile—where “good” refers to the length, I’m not cheating calling the distance “a mile”… I emphatically do not mean the running of said mile is A Good Thing. I digress. I can go a good mile and I’m confident that the next day I will not be in agony. I know that running is exceedingly good for me. I sleep better that night, am in a better mood the next morning, and something about that level of effort just turns the volume down on the rest of the world for a good day or even two.

But I know people who swear that running is peaceful. …that running is meditative. …that running is an enjoyable part of their life. …something they even look forward to.

I sure wish I could figure out how to reconcile those two alternate realities.

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Adam McClellan | Know Your Numbers

June 24, 2020

On Castbox.fm — Adam McClellan | Know Your Numbers

Adam McClellan | Know Your Numbers

How can Parkour business owners use financial data to better understand and grow their businesses?

Many business owners are unaware of their financial health until they see the gaps in their numbers.

Businesses want to be successful, but you don’t know what success is, if you didn’t set some kind of goal in the first place.

~ Adam McClellan (7:31)

The conversation focuses on the importance of understanding and tracking financial data for running and growing a Parkour business. It emphasizes that many business owners overlook key financial indicators, which leads to uncertainty and poor decision-making. A major theme is that budgeting, like the rules of a game, provides structure and clarity, enabling better goal-setting and resource allocation.

The discussion explores practical steps such as tracking income and expenses, creating performance indicators, and comparing data year-over-year to identify trends. The value of making assumptions, trusting them, and consistently testing them against actual data is highlighted as essential for success. The conversation also underscores the psychological benefit of financial clarity, helping owners make confident decisions about hiring, marketing, and expanding.

Takeaways

Budgeting as structure — A budget is necessary to define goals and measure progress in business.

Tracking key indicators — Key performance indicators help measure and improve critical business processes.

Assumptions in decision-making — Assumptions, when tracked and adjusted regularly, are essential for planning.

Growth as a challenge — Businesses should set achievable but slightly challenging growth goals to stay competitive.

Confidence through clarity — Knowing financial numbers provides confidence when making hiring and expansion decisions.

Empty space for growth — Unstructured time at events can lead to organic, valuable connections and ideas.

Resources

Lehigh Valley Parkour — Adam McClellan’s Parkour business website.

Parkour Generations Americas — Organization involved in Parkour education and leadership.

Art of Retreat — Event for Parkour professionals focused on leadership and education.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Bias to action

June 24, 2020

The full definition of leadership that Badaracco gradually unfolds through literature in the course is: “Leadership is a struggle by flawed human beings to make some important human values real and effective in the world as it is.”

~ Martha Lagace from, Machiavelli, Morals, and You | Working Knowledge

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I’ve mentioned bias to action previously, but I don’t recall having every connected it to one of Machiavelli’s best-known quotes, that fortune favors the bold. (Click through for more context.) Here I’m struck by Badaracco’s choice of, “effective,” as a critical feature of leadership. Certainly without action, there can be no efficacy. (And, yes, using my words totally counts as action, thank you.) Leaders are by definition out in front. That means acting first, and that presumes being capable of acting. If my bias is towards inaction, (gather more data, think about it more, however you want to mince those words,) I cannot be a good leader.

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Thea Rae: Programming, Stunts, and Cross training

June 24, 2020

Thea Rae: Programming, Stunts, and Cross training

How can diverse physical practices and creative disciplines inform and enhance each other to foster personal growth and adaptability?

Any mind hell-bent on problem solving inevitably seeks challenge. Thea Rae discusses many things, including her movement background, coding, and stunt work. She unpacks the connections between her art, movement, aerial circus, and programming. Thea explains her varied interests: stunts, circus, cycling, climbing, and ice skating, and why cross training is so important to her practice.

Movement is also a language to me. Just as much as we can communicate with words, we can also communicate with our bodies and we can say so much.

~ Thea Rae

Thea Rae discusses her multifaceted journey through movement arts, creative technology, and life, emphasizing the significance of cross-training in her personal and professional development. She reflects on how disciplines like gymnastics, aerial arts, and ice skating have shaped her understanding of physicality and creativity. Her experience with rock climbing has also been pivotal in teaching her how to remain calm and adapt to challenging situations.

In addition to physical movement, Thea digs into her artistic pursuits, including kinetic sculpture and interactive installations. She explains the parallels between her programming and movement practices, highlighting the problem-solving mindset that underpins both. Throughout, she underscores the value of viewing movement as a language and a means of communication, shaping her approach to teaching, performing, and everyday life.

Takeaways

Movement as a language — Physical movement can communicate as much as words, offering nuanced expressions of thought and emotion.

Cross-training benefits — Engaging in varied physical practices enriches skills across disciplines and fosters adaptability.

The interplay of art and movement — Artistic and physical pursuits inform and enhance each other, creating a holistic creative process.

Resilience through rock climbing — Climbing teaches problem-solving, calmness, and persistence in the face of physical challenges.

Ice skating’s impact — Ice skating has improved Thea’s balance, core stability, and understanding of subtle movements.

Rehab and pre-hab importance — Maintaining physical health requires intentional rehabilitation and preventative exercises to stay active.

Creative problem-solving — Both programming and movement rely on structured thinking and the ability to adapt to complex situations.

Resources

New England Center for Circus Arts — A school where Thea studied aerial silks and acrobatics.

Brooklyn Zoo — A parkour gym where Thea began exploring movement in New York City.

Motiv NY — A physical therapy center that has assisted Thea with movement optimization and injury recovery.

Wonderfruit Festival — A music festival in Thailand where Thea built interactive installations.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Targeted-heart-rate workouts

June 24, 2015

(Part 26 of 72 in series, My Journey)

A while back I mentioned I’ve been experimenting with a FitBit HR and an intentional, designed, fitness program. I’ve been playing with this more. I originally didn’t like that I couldn’t just redefine all the zones to the HRs that we’re targeting.

Most, tradition/common workout programs I’ve seen have just 3 heart rate (HR) zones based on a maximum HR which is simply computed based on your age. The plan I’m working with from Mike, is significantly more complex. (Details for another post I suppose.) Anyway, the plan calls for very specific workouts, for example: “17 minutes in Z1”.

I noticed on day one, that the FitBit only has one “custom zone” that you can configure. So, I’ve begun manually setting the “custom zone” to the goal HR before some of the workouts. Once I plug in the specific Z1 lower/upper numbers, I can then set off on the workout.

On the device, there is an icon-based display that shows you quickly if you’re below/in/above the target zone. Normally, the icons refer to one of the FitBit’s built-in zones. But it turns out that if you set a custom zone, then the icon status is for your custom zone. Ok, now THAT’S useful!

The above screen grab is from a morning run where I had the custom zone set to my specific Z1 values. The graph shows the FitBit’s default zones (blue/”under”, yellow/”fat burn”, orange/”cardio”) and it overlays my custom zone as the hatched band. The bar graph even adds a value for the time in the custom zone.

In this example I set out to perform, after warming up, for 17 minutes in Z1. …and BAM! 16 minutes in Z1 by it’s measure. Now that’s a targeted workout.

Aside: The tail end of the graph was a strong-run-out, 1/4 mile. My opinion is that the FitBit sucks at picking up highend HR. Either that, or I’m a machine, and can run an 8 minute mile pace at a 151HR. …and it’s not the latter of those two.

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