Comments on: Am I Running Into Memory Problems?

By: admin

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:22:43 +0000

Aha – well spotted Kate. The red shoe laces were given free to all runners that year at London marathon – part of the main charity raising efforts. You have a keen eye 🙂

And I think you could be on to something there… When i run I find it very easy to focus on a select few things… My ipod is all I need when training, or even the sound of the beach or the sea is enough. it is very zen-like to run. Perhaps this articulates a lesser level of functioning and is reflected in the implicit memory tests…

I would prefer to see some research done on the long term effects of of running on the mental functioning, because I had always been led to believe the brain was enhanced by regular fresh supplies of oxygen and a fit body carrying it around.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:23:42 +0000

Or perhaps it suggests that conscious processing is impaired by the stress of running a marathon, yet this impairment leads to an improvement in unconscious (or automatic) processing by leaving fewer conscious resources available to interfere with the implicit memory task.

Another thought – why do runners in London have red shoelaces, but not in Hampshire or Dorset?

By: admin

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:27:29 +0000

Ah yes, quite right Andrew… Much like when Steve Redgrave said he’d never get on the water again after his 4th Rowing gold medal…

The time I have mostly said ‘never again’ has always been after drinking too much the night before… What’s more, it always seem to go hand in hand with memory loss too…

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:18:09 +0000

Perhaps selective memory loss is a contributing factor to marathon runners saying “never again” after the race and then coming back next year for more. I’ve heard that the same applies to childbirth! If it didn’t, maybe we would have a slowing or even a reversal of population growth.