Some of you guys out there may know that I make my living writing for various magazines. One of my articles, on the science of fear, just appeared in the July issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine. There's a forum on the NGA website where people can write about their own experiences with adrenaline--times they've been invigorated or incapacitated or something in between by a frightening experience. As masters swimmers, I suspect we can all relate to the heebie-jeebies on the blocks.
Anyhow, I invite anyone out there whose interested in fear and the turbocharging effects of the innate fear response (that is, when it's operating optimally) to take a look at this forum and possibly jot down a few notes about your own experiences with fear (it doesn't have to be swimming-centered). I'd appreciate it! My editors might even conclude they should pay me more money next time.
You can check it out at:
www.nationalgeographic.com/.../forum_fear.html
