For fans, the World Series is a marathon, not a sprint

Millions of baseball fans tune in tonight for the first game of the World Series. Boston Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals.  

Sports writers say it will be an interesting series between two teams and consistency.

Football fans have it easy. They must attend a great match to decide the champion of the year. For us baseball fans could take seven games over nine days to determine the champion of this year. (Or maybe just four games in five days, as happened in 2004, when the Red Sox swept the Cardinals.)

This means that fans have to approach the series as a marathon, not a sprint. Here are some suggestions to get you through the series with their physical and emotional health intact.

Power: gluttony Sunday's Super Bowl is almost acceptable because it is a day of celebration. But do night after night can give you heartburn and affect your weight. Usually if you snack while watching baseball, try some healthier alternatives to chips and dip with sour cream. Examples include whole wheat crackers with hummus or guacamole, dried fruit and nuts, or celery and carrot sticks.

Alcohol: If you drink, remain moderate. Being deprived of sleep and suspended for nine days is not good for your health, and certainly not endear him to family members or co-workers (although some of them may be in the same boat).

Dream: The seven games are scheduled to begin at 20:00 ET. This could make for some hours of the night. If you have the opportunity to take a nap on the day of the game, go ahead and do it.

Exercise: Physical activity and I'm not talking about setting the La-Z-Boy or opening a bottle of beer is a good way to get rid of nervousness before the games. A 20 or 30 minute walk, run, swim, or what can help you relax. It is also good for your blood pressure, which can climb high during a stressful game. 

Emotions: Some people may see a game of the World Series without passion. I'm not one of them. As a Red Sox fan, my mood rises and falls with the success of the team. anxious fans like me is actually rooted in evolution. The human body responds to a response from the physical or emotional threat to the "fight or flight". Adrenals pump adrenalin hormone (aka adrenaline) into the bloodstream. Makes the heart beat faster than normal. Blood pressure increases. The extra oxygen to the brain, increasing alertness. Sight, hearing and other senses are heightened. blood sugar (glucose) and fat are released into the bloodstream from storage sites in the body.

This makes sense when the threat is of short duration. But when it lasts for hours or days, the stress response can be harmful. If you find yourself getting stressed, breathe slowly and deeply for a minute or two while relaxing word like "win" can help said. 

Who knows why we are so caught up in the fate of our teams? Evolutionary biologists would tell us that the impulse to identify strongly with a group evolved because our survival depends on it. "Defend your tribe" has become loyal to your team. This can sometimes cause us to watch the games of anxiety, even angry. Once you are in this state of mind, it's hard to find fun.

I came to recognize that I love watching the games when one of my teams is not on the ground. I appreciate the talent and entertainment. And sometimes they rewarded me with a satisfying drama in vivo.

Maybe we as fans can approach this series with this kind of recognition. The Red Sox and Cardinals are two very nice equipment. Commentators point out that these guys play the game the "right way". The players themselves say it will be fun.

Let's see if we can remember that baseball's a game. This World Series should be fun to watch. So anyone who you'are rooting for, have fun watching.
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