Health Benefits of Marathon Running

Marathon Running pic
Marathon Running
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Sharyn O’Halloran is a published author and award-winning George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economics at Columbia University. When she is not teaching, writing, or researching, Sharyn O’Halloran keeps fit by running and competing in marathons.

The concept of the marathon comes from the story of Pheidippides, a soldier who ran the 26 or so miles from the Greek town of Marathon to Athens to announce victory over Persia in 490 BCE. After announcing the victory, he fell over and died. Though the long-distance journey was fatal to Pheidippides, running marathons can have many health benefits.

Runners tend to lose weight, especially during training season while they are working towards the longer run. With proper form, running can protect bones and joints, and evidence has shown that runners are less likely to have diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Runners also see many mental health benefits, including reduced depression. Marathons have a social and community aspect which can greatly improve a person’s general health, and long-distance running is itself quite meditative, which can help release stress. Marathons are also very difficult and require a lot of training to get through safely, so completing one is a major accomplishment and may boost one’s confidence.

An American Woman Wins NYC Marathon for the First Time in 40 Years

 

Shalane Flanagan
Image: usatoday.com

For more than two decades, Sharyn O’Halloran has worked as a professor at Columbia University in New York City. She serves the school as a George Blumenthal professor of political economy and a professor of international and public affairs. An avid runner, Sharyn O’Halloran was accepted to participate in the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon.

For the first time in four decades, an American woman was the winner of the New York City Marathon. With a time of two hours, 26 minutes, and 53 seconds, Shalane Flanagan topped the women’s field ahead of Mary Keitany, a Kenyan marathoner who won the race in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

The 36-year-old Flanagan was the second-place finisher in 2010, which was the last time she participated in the event. Prior to the 2017 NYC Marathon, Flanagan hadn’t run competitively in a marathon since she finished sixth place at the Rio Olympic Games.

Miki Gorman was the last American woman to win the New York City Marathon. She did so in 1976 and 1977.

Politics, Process, and American Trade Policy

Politics, Process, and American Trade Policy
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An instructor at Columbia University since 1993, Sharyn O’Halloran currently serves as a George Blumenthal professor of political economics and a professor of international and public affairs. In addition to her accomplishments as a university educator, Sharyn O’Halloran has written dozens of articles and multiple books, including Politics, Process, and American Trade Policy.

Published by the University of Michigan Press in 1994 as part of its Michigan Studies in International Political Economy series, Politics, Process, and American Trade Policy examines the formation and continuation of American trade policy through the lens of organizational economics and neo-institutionalism in order to highlight the weaknesses of conventional historical economic models, such as the pressure-group model and the presidential-ascendancy model. Offering new insights into both early and contemporary American trade policy, this book rejects scholarship that presents trade policy as disparate and ad hoc, instead offering a uniquely unified framework for thinking about the ways in which public and private institutions create and develop trade policy.

The Academic, Civic, and Economic Benefits of Educational Inclusion

Sharyn O’Halloran

Sharyn O’Halloran serves as the George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economics at Columbia University. Outside of work, Sharyn O’Halloran remains involved with her community through several organizations, including New York Appleseed. New York City has among the most segregated school systems in the country, and this organization fights to change this fact.

Diversity and inclusion in the classroom have many benefits for all students. Academically, more diverse school systems have higher rates of college enrollment and higher average test scores. Diverse schools can help close racial achievement gaps while giving all students the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they need for success later in life.

Civically, diverse classrooms reduce racial bias and help eliminate common stereotypes. Students in racially inclusive school systems have greater self-confidence and demonstrate stronger leadership skills. Also, students from these school systems tend to seek out integrated environments throughout their lives.

Economically, racial inclusion is an effective and inexpensive way of improving academic performance. Students who learn in diverse environments are better prepared to take part in the increasingly diverse global marketplace.

Legal Action Center Pushes for Better ATI and Reentry Programming

Legal Action Center
Image: lac.org

Since 1993, Sharyn O’Halloran has taught at Columbia University as the George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economics. When not working, Sharyn O’Halloran supports several local organizations, such as the Legal Action Center (LAC). This nonprofit advocates on behalf of people with HIV/AIDS, criminal records, and struggles with addiction.

Recently, the LAC filed a position paper pushing for better alternative-to-incarceration (ATI) and reentry programs. New York State has become nationally renowned for its programs, which have helped saved millions of dollars while also reducing prison populations and curbing crime rates. Historically, these programs have received strong bipartisan support.

The LAC paper calls for the restoration of more than $2 million in funding cuts from these programs in the Executive Budget and actually seeks additional money to strengthen the effort. This funding could help provide critical addiction and mental illness treatment, offer skills training to improve individuals’ ability to find and retain employment, and create new avenues for reconnecting with families and for finding permanent housing after involvement with the criminal justice system.

2017 TCS New York City Marathon Awards 16,211 Bibs to Registrants

New York City Marathon
Image: tcsnycmarathon.org

A graduate of the University of California at San Diego’s doctoral program, Sharyn O’Halloran works as the George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economy and a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University in New York City. An avid runner, Sharyn O’Halloran participates in numerous races. In early 2017, received acceptance into the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon.

When the first New York City Marathon began in 1970, runners raced entirely in Central Park. Participants paid $1 to enter the race, and winners received inexpensive wristwatches as well as recycled bowling and baseball trophies. Six years later, the race expanded its route to include the area’s five boroughs. Since then, the marathon has grown in number of runners and partnerships, including a collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which joined the efforts in 2014.

In March 2017, runners found out if they were selected to run in the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon, scheduled for November 5. As the world’s largest marathon, it received the largest number of registrations in its history with 98,247. This represents a 20 percent increase compared to 2016. Of those who entered, 17 percent, equal to 16,211 runners, received a bib through a drawing. An additional 34,000 runners will garner entrance through other means, including running on behalf of a charity, achieving a qualifying time at a sanctioned race, or finishing nine New York Road Runner races and volunteering at one in a one-year span.

The Decade of Behavior Award

Sharyn O’Halloran

A chaired professor of political economics at Columbia University in New York City, Sharyn O’Halloran holds a bachelor of arts in economics and political science and both a master of arts and a doctorate in political science from the University of California, San Diego. In 2005, the American Political Science Association named Sharyn O’Halloran recipient of the Decade of Behavior Annual Research Award.

A partnership between approximately 70 behavioral and social sciences organizations, the Decade of Behavior celebrated its official launch at the Cannon House Office Building amid hundreds of Capitol Hill professionals on March 25, 2000. This multidisciplinary initiative concentrated on promoting the ability of the behavioral and social sciences to meet pressing societal challenges.

Beginning in 2000 and ending in 2010, the Decade of Behavior featured a different theme each year. The Decade of Behavior Research Award honored the accomplishments of up to five professionals who made significant contributions within these annual themes. Any of the roughly 70 organizations that supported and endorsed the Decade of Behavior were able to nominate potential awardees.

The Arthur Liman Policy Institute

Arthur Liman Policy Institute
Image: lac.org

Experienced in economics and political science, Sharyn O’Halloran has served as a George Blumenthal professor of political economics at Columbia University since 1993. As a community-minded individual, Sharyn O’Halloran lends her support to several charities and community service organizations including the Legal Action Center.

A nonprofit law and policy organization that fights discrimination against people with criminal records, histories of addiction, or HIV/AIDS, the Legal Action Center opened its doors in 1973 under the direction of Arthur Liman. In 1998, the Legal Action Center honored its founder by launching the Arthur Liman Policy Institute, a state-of-the-art research group that significantly expanded the Center’s public policy work through a combination of publication and education.

Major initiatives of the Arthur Liman Policy Institute include helping people with criminal records reenter society, examining the relationship between welfare reform and recovery from chemical dependence, and studying the effects of syringe exchange programs on regional drug use and the spread of HIV. It also has analyzed the effectiveness of New York State’s controversial Rockefeller drug sentencing laws.

APSA’s 2016 Annual Meeting Heads to Philadelphia in September

APSA’s 2016 Annual Meeting
Image: https://www.eapsa.org

A professor of political economics, Dr. Sharyn O’Halloran teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses at Columbia University. Dr. Sharyn O’Halloran also participates in activities hosted by the American Political Science Association (APSA).

In 2016, APSA will host its 112th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Taking place at the Philadelphia Convention Center on September 1-4, the forum will cover topics related to the theme of Great Transformations: Political Science and the Big Questions of Our Time. The conference will encourage attendees to reflect on major challenges impacting social, technological, economics, and environmental spheres, as well as approaches to studying large and complex processes. Attendees should also expect discussions on comparative politics and new norms and policies.

APSA is accepting proposals for papers and roundtables. In addition, it seeks short course and workshop ideas that encourage hands-on participation. These activities should embrace adult learning principles while offering information that enhances knowledge in professional development or a subfield. The call for proposals is open through January 8, 2016.

Ultra Marathon Training Tips

Ultra Marathon Training Tips
Image: worldrunning.com

A Columbia University professor, Sharyn O’Halloran, PhD, teaches political economics. A dedicated runner in her spare time, Sharyn O’Halloran has completed an ultra-marathon.

An ultra-marathon is considered anything longer than 26.2 miles. If you intend to run one, consider these tips.

Keep drop bags organized. An ultra-marathon allows racers to have one or two bags filled with personal items along the route. Two-time national 50-mile trail champion Michele Yates recommends breaking nutritional bars into bite-sized pieces in advance and placing them in bags to ease accessibility. Using bags with clear pockets also helps identify gear and food quickly.

Run two long days in a row. Running back to back long days prepares the mind. Specifically, it gives you a chance to prepare a plan of action for running on tired and sore legs. When planning these training days, determine how long you expect to take to complete a race and divide the hours between the two days. You can vary the hours as well. For example, if you think you can finish a race in six hours, run three hours one day and the same time another day. The next week, complete four- and two-hour runs on back-to-back days.

Try out equipment before a race. An ultra-marathon requires additional gear, such as headlamps that aid in visibility when starting and ending a race. It is important to get comfortable with these items before a race. You may find you will need other essentials, like a bandana to keep your headlamps from becoming uncomfortable.