Multitasking Makes You Dumber

While reading one of the blogs I subscribe to via Bloglines, I came across the following exerpt from the Atlantic Monthly:

Multitasking messes with the brain in several ways. At the most basic level, the mental balancing acts that it requires — the constant switching and pivoting — energize regions of the brain that specialize in visual processing and physical coordination and simultaneously appear to shortchange some of the higher areas related to memory and learning. We concentrate on the act of concentration at the expense of whatever it is that we’re supposed to be concentrating on… studies find that multitasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and wears down our systems through biochemical friction, prematurely aging us. In the short term, the confusion, fatigue, and chaos merely hamper our ability to focus and analyze, but in the long term, they may cause it to atrophy.

(from BadLanguage)

I was reading this at work while I ate lunch, read emails and gave my leg an ice massage. I thought I was getting smarter and more capable of handling everything, but actually I am turning my mind into mush.

My schedule is so crazy I'm surprised my mind isn't mush already. I couldn't run at lunch today so I decided I'd run before work. This means I have to get up at 5:00 a.m. In order to avoid any excuses and be most efficient, I slept in my running clothes! Everything but my shoes. My husband chuckled as I got into bed, but I knew he was really just jealous he didn't have a reason to sleep in his running clothes.

And I have found out that the stick straight fine hair that I have had since I was born is now wavy. It really makes it easier to style, and takes less time so I am experimenting with it. I think pregnancy hormones just made my hair wavy - I just say my kids curled my hair (they haven't turned it grey yet).

I don't know what to do with this new hair. I've been blowdrying it straight but didn't know what to do to make it wavy without looking crazy. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to girly things like hair and makeup. I don't even wear makeup. And I try really hard to style my hair but usually no matter what I do it ends up looking the same - it just hangs straight and frizzy at the sides of my head without any style at all. Ponytails are all I have.

Considering this ineptitude, yesterday I finally consulted with curly-haired women at work who are experts at this sort of thing. I purchased "anti-frizz" serum and mousse and they gave me a styling tutorial (I had been putting on too little serum and at the wrong time!). Today everyone commented on how curly my hair is now. I guess I did it right! It's kind of cool, considering when I was in high school I permed my hair to get it to look this way.

This blog entry is sort of stream of consciousness in that it jumps from subject to subject. See - I am losing it. My brain is starting to atrophy! I can't concentrate. AHHH!

Cause Running Makes You Smarter

The next time someone asks why I run, I'll tell them because running makes me smarter. Ha!

The answers to the Spongebob Squarepants website games are:

1. Pyramid = Q*bert
2. Patty Panic = Burgertime -I LOVED this game - we didn't have Intellivision but the kids I babysat did so when ever they went to bed I would play and play and play.
3. Sea Monster Smoosh = Dig Dug - We played this one in the grocery store while my mom shopped. I was so afraid she'd leave without me, though, that every once in a while I'd leave to go find her. Then I think we actually got the Atari verison of this.

Lately I've heard so much about the Wii I've wondered whether we should get one. My son's friend has one and that's all he wants to do - play Pokemon on the Wii.

I don't think it will happen, though. For one thing, I remember sitting for hours in front of the tube playing Atari until my wrists and thumbs throbbed and my eyes watered. I played Ms. PacMan and Kaboom constantly. I LOVED Kaboom, too. But the thing that really floors me is the price of this system - at least $300 and right now because it's so in demand you won't find it for less than $400! Games for this run about $50.00 a piece! For $80 I get an annual membership to COSI - free admission all year. For $70 I get a zoo membership - free admission all year and free parking - and Fluffy! I don't think I'm spending $500 to stay in the house and play games on my TV. Nor do I want to encourage my kids to do this either.

Next time my son asks to get the Wii or to watch TV, I'll tell him to go out and get some real exercise (maybe even running) - it will make him smarter!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Is that a light at the end of the tunnel? Is the sun parting the clouds? Did I run 3.1 miles and NOT hobble home and wince with each step????

It was 11 degress with the wind chill but I was quite warm. I had on two long sleeve technical running shirts and my new MIT jacket, with running shorts and my running pants. I had on my head band and my MIT hat. Pretty toasty! Probably too many clothes for any more than a 3 mile run.

My legs are sore but not like they usually are. And the worst thing I felt running was some fatigue. Eating two helpings of chili beforehand didn't help either. Chili burps are not very good when you are running.

I won't dare say I'm healed - but I am becoming cautiously optimistic that my shin splints will be defeated! YEAH!

Stay warm!