Top-Rated Running and Biking Destinations in Indianapolis

Dana Pittard, a senior executive at Allison Transmission, enjoys spending his free time competing in triathlons. As a resident of the greater Indianapolis metropolitan area, Dana Pittard has myriad options when choosing where to train for the running and biking portions of these events. 

According to experts at Indianapolis Monthly and VisitIndy.com, Indianapolis’ best running and biking destinations include:

Eagle Creek Park

Diverse routes abound at Eagle Creek Park, the country’s sixth-largest municipal park. Runners can choose from hiking trails ranging from 2.5 to nearly seven miles, while bikers can pedal down multiple paved loops.

Canal Walk

Although located in the center of downtown Indianapolis, this 1.5-mile path provides a quiet, peaceful place to exercise along the Central Canal. Individuals looking to extend their workouts can connect from the Canal Walk to the three-mile White River Trail.

Fort Harrison State Park

Nicknamed Fort Ben, this former military base is home to short trails visitors can easily string together. Recommended routes include Schoen Creek Trail, a mountain-biking/trail-running path that stretches across three miles of steep, sinuous terrain.

Common Treatments for Military-Related PTSD

Dana Pittard, the vice president of Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, Indiana, has long been an advocate for the mental health of soldiers. Dana Pittard worked extensively to prevent suicide among U.S. Army personnel.

One major contributor to the rate of suicide among soldiers and veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be treated through talk therapy and medication. All military personnel are different, and methods that work for some may not work for others.

The most effective type of talk therapy currently used for PTSD is trauma-focused psychotherapy, a broad umbrella which covers multiple approaches. Prolonged exposure therapy helps those with PTSD approach feelings, situations, and memories which they have avoided due to association with trauma, while cognitive processing therapy seeks ways to change difficult thoughts or feelings. In eye-movement desensitization, those with PTSD process trauma while paying attention to a movement or sound, such as a light or tone.

Some forms of PTSD respond well to medications. The most commonly successful are those also used for depression and anxiety. Other medications which were used in the past, such as benzodiazepines, have seen a reduction in use in recent years, as the data indicates they are not effective.

Viral Musical Being Adapted for Film and Moving to Broadway

The recipient of a master's degree in military art and science from the School of Advanced Military Studies in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Dana Pittard is a former Army officer who serves as vice president of defense programs for Allison Transmission. Beyond his professional pursuits, Dana Pittard enjoys attending Broadway plays. 

When it debuted in 2015 as a regional production at New Jersey's Two River Theater, Be More Chill received little fanfare, but now the adaptation of Ned Vizzini's novel is going to be developed into a film. While there is no attached film studio for distribution yet, the film will be produced by 21 Laps and Berlanti Productions. The science fiction musical tells the story of an unpopular high school student, Jeremy Heere, who takes a pill that results in a smooth-talking devil residing on his shoulder. The production ran for only six weeks, following which a cast album of the show was released.

In 2017, the album went viral as it gained popularity primarily among young people. As of October, it has been streamed more than 150 million times. The show's composer, Joe Iconis, still isn't sure what led to the sudden increase in popularity, but the show does tackle a lot of major issues that affect young people such as anxiety, depression, and bullying. Its online success led to a limited Off-Broadway run in the summer of 2018, and it's scheduled to move to Broadway in February 2019.

Genghis Khan’s Seizing of Battle Initiative Via Flexible Deployment

Dana Pittard is an established Indianapolis executive with an extensive background as a US Army officer. A West Point graduate with a passion for military history, Dana Pittard has authored several papers in his field, including “Genghis Khan and 13th-Century AirLand Battle” (Military Review, July 1986).

The paper examines the US Army’s AirLand Battle doctrine in the context of its most immediate predecessor, the German blitzkrieg, and, going back further, the maneuver warfare strategy practiced by the Mongol Genghis Khan and his warriors. The fundamentals of AirLand Battle are agility, depth, initiative, and synchronization. The emphasis is on harmonious and prompt action by subordinate commanders on the orders of a senior commander.

The similarities of the modern and ancient styles begin with Genghis Khan’s effectiveness in seizing the initiative in all situations through attacking, even when in a defensive posture. With scouts and spies dispatched prior to any invasion, a war of nerves was conducted by the Mongols that succeeded in keeping the enemy from joining together in a unified way. 

In an actual invasion, Genghis Khan arrayed 30,000 to 50,000 men behind light cavalry. This involved a number of columns masked by a broad front, with the formation allowing columns to be quickly deployed in situations where the enemy had greater strength than the Mongols, or when the exact location of troops was unknown. At any given moment, each column was able to decide on whether to confront the enemy or strategically retreat. 

The end result of this strategy was that precious manpower resources were preserved and held in waiting until they could be of most use in battle. At the same time, the enemy was consistently kept guessing as to which direction the main thrust of attack would come from.