In one of the New York Times blogs, they reported on a study that sought to evaluate the effects of lean muscle mass on one's ability to fight cancer. Part of what fascinated me was that all of their participants were obese. Although they were all obese, they differed widely in how much lean muscle mass they had. The study found that having less muscle was associated with lower rates of survival.

Now, it's important to note that the study doesn't address things like whether adding muscle mass after a diagnosis can help. It doesn't address the mechanism at all for how increased muscle mass may be helping.

Still, it's one more piece of evidence that fitness is more important than fatness. Weight loss is so seldom permanent. Failure rates for most diets are estimated at around 95%. It's a better bet to go for the low hanging fruit first - increasing physical activity. Increased physical activity is also, of course, associated with lower body weight.

It's nice, knowing that running may be benefiting my health. It's not the reason I run, but it's still good to know. I don't really worry about my weight. If you put me in a race against myself, 15 years younger and 30 pounds lighter, it wouldn't even be close. The way I figure it, that means I'm doing just fine.

Your brain uses a lot of energy and needs a lot of blood. Scientists speculate that this is part of why exercise seems to improve brain function. You're essentially improving your delivery system by virtue of improving your cardiovascular capacity.

Several studies, like this one, have found that people actually perform better on various intelligence tests after embarking on a program of cardiovascular exercise. It's not just us. A group of scientists had their rats swim for an hour a day (now, there's a job you'll want to talk about at cocktail parties - rat swimming coach), and the rats' brain function improved, too. I should note that not everyone is convinced that the studies linking exercise with brain function have found real effects.

My brain, at least, is about to get its biggest workout yet.  I start my comprehensive exams tomorrow. The way the exams work, I get a question on Monday mornings and I have to turn in my 25 page answer on Saturdays at noon. This intellectual torture goes on for weeks. I will be done with the written portion on Nov. 1. My oral exams and dissertation proposal defense will be at the end of November or the beginning of December. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'm betting on the studies that argue for the good effects of exercise on my brain. I plan to take the risk and give up some of my precious and limited hours so that I can exercise. If nothing else, this should reduce my anxiety levels.

I hope I'm not betting on the wrong horse. I mean, if running is so great for the brain, how is it that there are so many idiot runners for us to gripe about?

Your sense of self-efficacy is basically your estimation of how well you can do a particular task or activity.  

When you have high levels of self-efficacy, you're more likely to actually do that particular activity.  In fact, you're more likely to take on something related to that activity that you know is currently beyond your skill level.  

Low levels of self-efficacy mean that you are likely to think that something is harder than it really is.  It may be difficult to find the motivation that you need in order to continue.

In some ways I was fortunate when I started running.  I had no idea how slow I was.  I ran a fourteen minute mile and I felt pretty good about it.  Hell, that wasn't too bad for a 33 year-old who had never run or done any other cardio activity.  Still, I had absolutely no basis for comparison.  I ran by myself.  It all worked out.  My sense of self-efficacy was high even when that might not have been altogether justified.  (And maybe it's not justified now, either!)  I didn't have any problems with motivation.  I didn't know that I didn't know what I was doing.  I just laced up my Chuck Taylors and ran out the door.  (Yes, I know.  Chucks.  What was I thinking?  My brother, a triathlete, was so horrified that he insisted on buying me my first pair of running shoes.)

So, now I swim.  Or, as I frequently refer to it , "not-drowning."  You can see that my sense of self-efficacy with this task is not very high.  In order to pass the swimming portion of my Swim Conditioning class, students needed to swim 450 yards within ten minutes.  On test day, I did it in twelve.  Thank goodness for the written portion.  I've got it down to eleven minutes now.  I'm not panting as much, you'd think I'd get faster.

Ah, well.  I suppose the only thing I can do to increase my level of self-efficacy is to just keep swimming. 

I've been noticing the past few months that, although my periods are regular, I don't seem to be having any symptoms of PMS.  Now, I'm pretty lucky, in that I've never been one to have physical symptoms.  No cramps.  No headaches.  Every once in a while I'll get a very slight backache.

However, I do frequently have the experience where I notice that my period has started and suddenly my melodramatically sad behavior from the day before makes perfect sense.

I haven't had this experience for months.  Yay!  I guess I should add this to my list of the benefits of running. 

I've read that running reduces anxiety, and certainly I feel a lot better when I'm running as opposed to when I'm not. I've been thinking lately about the many gifts that running gives me. It can be somewhat hard to explain to people who don't run.

One time when I was visiting my in-laws, I headed out for a run. My sister-in-law happened by, stopped the car and asked me in all seriousness if I needed a ride. She was completely baffled when I turned her down. I could hear her husband in the car say, "No, she doesn't want a ride. She WANTS to do that."

Here are some of the gifts I receive because I run:

• I get outside nearly every day
• I've seen wildlife I would never have seen otherwise
• It helps me manage my anxiety
• It's nice to know that even though I'm 36 (and 20 pounds heavier), I am twice as fit as I was at a sedentary (albeit thinner) 18
• It helps remind me of the utility of consistent, planned effort
• It's an opportunity for reflection
• I have something in common with a lot of people - and sometimes this pays off unexpected benefits
• It's easier to buy me x-mas and birthday gifts
• I can write something down under "hobbies"
• It's good for me physically
• Probably a lot of other things I haven't even thought of