Month: April 2015

aging · body image · equality · men

Whatever’s Comfortable: What would a version of this ad look like with a woman?

Sam B10 Comments

When I first blogged about how much I admire men of a certain age for their body comfort on the beach in the post Men: It isn’t junk, people started sending me a certain ad for Southern Comfort.

It’s worth watching. I hadn’t seen it as I don’t have a television.

The ad is part of the Whatever’s Comfortable campaign which Southern Comfort describes as being “all about championing the attitude it takes to be yourself, and celebrates those people who captivate us because of it.”

It’s also spoofed here in an ad for Save the Children.

In the post I wrote that I was worried about how much the world had changed for younger men and how I missed the forgiving furry bellies of older men on the beach.

Our tolerance for men’s bodies that don’t meet our standards of normative thinness is fast going away. (See Men, meet normative thinness for my reflections on this unfortunate leveling down.)

There’s no shortage of tumblrs of images of older men in speedos on the beach, usually with unpleasant commentary.

Everybody has their story. Awhile ago were talking about an Italian card game we play at my house when a friend said he couldn’t play it. Scopa reminds him, he said. of the old guys in their speedos making espresso on the beach, playing cards all day.

Coffee? The beach? Cards?

Sounds like a winning combo to me! I’d play cards with the old guys.

And I love the Southern Comfort ad. It makes me smile even though I don’t drink alcohol. But I have wondered what a woman’s version of the “Whatever’s Comfortable” campaign would look like.

Could we even do it? Would we still smile if an older woman, with an imperfect body strolled down the beach in her bikini, smiling?

cycling · fitness

Bike parking: A “good problem” that we don’t have

Sam B3 Comments

About a half dozen different people sent me a link to this story about Japan’s system of underground bicycle parking.

And then there’s Amsterdam where bike parking is also at a premium.

See Amsterdam Has Officially Run Out of Spaces to Park Its Bicycles.

The cycling mecca of the Netherlands plans to build a partially underwater bike parking facility to deal with its crush of two-wheeled commuters.

Here’s some of my photos from a trip to Amsterdam a few years ago. I loved all the colourfully decorated bicycles. The usual explanation of the flowers and bright paint was the necessity of being able to pick your bike out of the hundreds parked in any particular place.

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Me and my rental bike

 

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And then there’s my university campus, Western University. Lots of spots at the bike racks here.

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fitness · Sat with Nat

The attitude of gratitude

natalieh (she/her)11 Comments

It’s been a year since I wrote I can’t fight genetics? Looking back the themes of nutrition, medication, surgical interventions and exercise played out in my journey to be fitter. I posted a lot about the ups and downs, the ebb and flow of motivation, weight and being on and off and on medications.

I think of fitness both in the athletic sense and from a biological sense. In biology fitness is about an organism’s ability to survive and procreate in an environment. So, here I am, alive and adapting to my environment, totally nailed biological fitness!

I think much of my athletic fitness is hampered by the modern environment of office work and driving cars. My body feels best in motion but I also love a good nap or a layabout day. Both activity and rest have become a focus for me, making sure I schedule fun with friends, allow time for sitting in a hot tub after a workout and practice yoga.

Looking to blood pressure changes over the past year, it dropped dramatically from 155/118 to too low last summer but bounced back to 140/90 off medication and now 110/70 on a different medication. My pulse over that time has dropped from 90 bpm to 60 bpm. Those are nice, clear measures of fitness and wellness.

My attitude to food has changed, I no longer feel compelled to eat until bursting. Oh I still enjoy a hearty meal, I devoured a fantastic meal last night with Kim and Jessica (both bloggers here!) at a great restaurant but I don’t feel guilty about that. I take the long view on food, looking at the whole day’s nutrition and the week and I use my weight as a gross error check.

Speaking of weight, I have this graph that shows how rapidly it changed as I got therapy for over eating, down, down down it went, a blip up over Christmas then down until the past few months. I’ve plateaued around 40 pounds down from my weight this time last year.

Most importantly, my social network of supports have improved. My friends at one time came largely from my paid work and that can be a complicated gift when trying to have work life balance. Last night Jessica, Kim and I talked about how enriching your circle of friends beyond paid work is helpful. For me this is certainly true as
I’ve made many new friends this past year thanks to this blog. Blogging and cycling enriched my connection to Samantha and Tracy, both who’ve been tremendous supporters of my physical and psychological wellness. I’m very grateful.

Cycling has reconnected me to my sense of adventure and challenging myself as well as rediscovering the joy of group exercise. I’ve met many wonderful humans through activity who’ve helped me. Randonneur Dave has helped me push my self-imposed limits. We had a challenging ride in a headwind last weekend but the tailwind home was beautiful. It was my first 100 km bike ride. It felt awesome to hit that distance benchmark. It was only last September that I did my first group ride and 20 km had been my longest ride EVER. So, that’s improving and I haven’t hit my cycling distance ceiling where I feel like I went too far or too hard. I’m even planning on going on a cycling tour FOR FUN. Total madness.

I’m learning to trust cys men again, to let them in my personal space, to wonder at kind hearts and laugh at mischievous imps. I’m pleasantly surprised how fitness and therapy have allowed me to dialogue with my fears and move forward in my life.

My self discipline has responded to training too, it seems to take less will power to drive by the fast food joint, to eat at home where the food is cheaper and healthier.

So many things have changed over the past year. I’ve had some truly difficult times but they haven’t thrown me into a depression or utterly devastated me. That has happened in the past but now I feel stronger, able to recovery quicker from the upsets and have a well of resilience I can draw on for my family. I am very thankful. I had to change in order to be well and I did it. That’s pretty damn magical and I’m so very fortunate

 

body image · men

Put a sock on it?

Sam B3 Comments

The internet exploded today with news of yet another body revealing bathing suit for men, the politely named “swimming sock.” (Less polite names make use of every single penis joke you can imagine.)

And actually it sent me right back to high school when a friend of a friend set out to knit all of the boys “peter heaters” which involved getting measurements (of course!) and seeing them modeled to see if they fit properly. I grew up on the east coast of Canada where the beach meant the chilly Atlantic ocean and there was no chance of anyone wearing one in the summer. The “peter heaters” were meant for winter wear.

Back to men and skimpy bathing suits. The one on the far right is the “sock.”

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Reactions from friends ran the gamut but the most common reaction is the one that really troubles me. It’s body shaming, the boy version.

“It’s okay if some hot guy wears it but just image the fat, hairy, old guys.”

I’ve blogged about this reaction and how much it troubles me before. See Men: It isn’t junk, Women: Stop saying you don’t need to see that.

I hear this from women who I know are sensitive to criticism of women’s bodies. They would speak up if someone said that about an older woman in a bikini. What is it about men’s bodies that makes some people so uncomfortable? Is it so wrong to like a diverse range of male bodies?

And what is it with those knee length baggy swim shorts that lots of men of all ages wear? I miss Australia where men wear “budgie smugglers” (as they say) and New Zealand where men wear short shorts.

And you know what? I love those old fat wrinkly guys in their speedos. Why? I feel completely free to wear my bikini. If they can do it, so can I.

My least favourite expression comes from men themselves. “Who wants to see some guy’s junk?” Stop calling it “junk.” Please.

If you want to wear one in my hot tub, that’s just fine. It’s a body shame free zone. A fashion shame free zone too.

fitness · Guest Post · running

Run like a girl: My journey to the Nike Women’s Toronto 15K race (Guest post)

Betty8 Comments

I am a runner. It took me a long time to be able to say that. When I started running eight years ago, I would always say that I was going for a jog, even if that jog was 5 km. “Just going to jog for a few minutes on the treadmill.” “I’m heading out for a jog around the block.” It took getting a few races under my belt before I was able to reconcile my image of myself as chubby, uncoordinated kid with the less chubby, slightly more coordinated runner I had become. Why am I telling you this? Because it’s part of the reason that I’m taking part in the Nike Women’s Toronto 15k race.

The Nike Women’s Toronto 15k race takes place on June 14th on Toronto Islands. This race is part of the Nike Women’s Race Series and marks the first time that the race is coming to Canada. While the race is marketed towards women, Nike is very clear to point out on their website that men are welcome to participate as well. To sign up, participants were entered into a random draw for one of 15,000 spots. I serendipitously got around this by registering as a student (hooray!). With a $120 registration fee ($100 for students), this is definitely the most expensive race that I have ever signed up for. Am I a sucker for falling for Nike’s brilliant marketing ploys? Probably.

Not a lot of details have been released about the race but if it’s anything like the popular Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco, it will be a weekend-long celebration of women and athleticism. Rumour has it that instead of a finisher’s medal, runners will get a custom-designed Tiffany & Co. finisher’s necklace. I guess that’s where all of our registration fees are going. Participants in San Francisco loved the race so much, they felt compelled to review it on Yelp! Honestly, what other race has it’s own Yelp! review page? (In case you’re wondering, the event has an average rating of four stars out of five based on 342 reviews.) With all this hype, much of which is admittedly self-generated, I am expecting great things from this race. Hopefully, it won’t disappoint.

Back to my reason for running this race – when I started running, I didn’t really enjoy it. I did it mostly because my best friend at the time desperately needed a running buddy for her long marathon training runs. So I would tie on my old cross-trainers and meet her at our predetermined spot. She would run at a slower pace to accommodate me and carry on a one-sided conversation while I silently reminded myself to breath. And at the end of the five or six kilometers, she would leave me gasping by the road somewhere and continue on for another 15 or 20 km. Looking bad, I was a pretty awful running buddy.

Since then, I have completed a number of 10 km races, three half-marathons, two 30 km races, and as of this past fall, one full marathon. Somewhere along the way, I became a runner. I am running this race to celebrate me. With each race, I’m surprised by how far I can push myself and what I can achieve with dedication and practice. This expensive, indulgent, slightly too girly Nike Women’s Race is my treat to myself. After all the toenails I’ve lost over the years, I think I deserve a pampering run.

When I cross the finish line on June 14th, I hope to set a new personal best. After all, that’s what “running like a girl” means, isn’t it? So bring on the speed training (yay!) and the hill training (boo!). Maybe there will be massages and pedicures waiting at the finish line. My feet will be a mess.

betty

Betty is a science communicator living in Toronto. Her two proudest accomplishments are completing a full marathon without barfing and obtaining her Ph.D. She has an unhealthy obsession with pancakes and good deals. Luckily, her husband is very good at eating pancakes and finding creative storage solutions. In her spare time, Betty blogs at Eat, Read, Science where she writes about the latest and coolest science papers in a way that won’t make you fall asleep. You can follow her on Twitter at @BisousZou.

athletes · Guest Post

My Fight / Your Fight / What’s Walmart’s Fight with Rousey? (Guest Post)

Audrey4 Comments

I’ve written about Ronda Rousey a couple of times on this blog (here and here) and so it seemed like a natural thing to write about the controversy surrounding the fact that Walmart has decided not to carry her autobiography My Fight / Your Fight in stores. Contrary to what has been reported in a few places, such as this tragically alliterative piece, the retail chain is carrying her book, but only in for online purchase. It’s reported in Jezebel that the book will even be physically present in the stores’ stock rooms, just not displayed. As for why they’ve chosen to make it one of the millions of items sold online rather than one of the hundred thousand or so items sold in stores… who knows. Apparently their spokesperson will neither confirm nor deny that the content of the book has anything to do with it.

The Page Six report above said that the reason why Walmart wouldn’t carry Rousey’s book is that she’s too violent. Which, naturally, sparked lots of outrage and accusations of double standards, given that their stores carry plenty of books and media with violent content, plus guns and other weapons that one could use to perform, well, actual acts of violence. As well as this Instagram response from Rousey herself.

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So look, we really have no idea what’s behind all this, and I’m pretty curious myself. The fact that the “too violent for Walmart” idea was so easy to believe, and the caginess of Walmart’s spokesperson on the subject makes it a bit of a marketing mystery. Arguably the most dominant athlete currently fighting in the UFC today? Why wouldn’t her autobiography be a huge seller?

Wildly speculative as the initial reason was, it’s a bit of a reminder for many of us of just how tenuous the acceptability of women’s fighting actually is. It makes you wonder whether Rousey’s success is only cool because she’s gorgeous and, well, singular. I agree with Justine Randall’s post about Rousey last year, saying that she can’t be the be all and end all for women in the octagon. This is not only because the sport thrives on real competition, but because no athlete lasts forever. Even though Rousey is (hopefully) many years away from the end of her career, it’s got to end sometime, and subsequent generations of women fighters will need to step in instead. And while I’d had my hopes up for Cat Zingano, it didn’t go that way in the end.

Does anyone in charge of marketing worry that Rousey will set a bad example for young women everywhere and encourage them to strive for a life of violence? Hopefully not, because they already sell plenty of pink guns. But maybe take a few of those pink guns off the shelf and make some room for the book. There can just be one section of one aisle dedicated to bad examples for daughters. Because I really like the thought of little girls seeing Rousey’s book on the shelf in a store, and deciding that’s what they want to be. Especially if one of them grows up to kick Rousey’s butt in the ring.

fitness · Guest Post · weight lifting

Wow, I am strong! (Guest post)

Sam B10 Comments

by Christine Daigle

I did it again. I signed up as a client-volunteer in the Kinesiology class PEKN 4P22 “Therapeutic Applications of Physical Activity” at Brock this winter term (see my post about my first experience here). My team of 5 personal trainers worked hard with me and they have now wrapped up all assignments. The 6 weeks of training (12 sessions in total) aimed at improving a number of things for me. This year, the team targeted improving my strength and balance as well as my cardio (although I was left on my own to work on this one). My flexibility was not to be improved since I can already fold into a pretzel to everyone’s amazement. Although this sounds like a good thing, it is a problem see my previous post on stretching here.

Last year I had learned that I was much better at many things than I had always assumed. This year’s experience also had its stock of surprises. First, I am amazed to find out that I am in the 90th percentile in my age group for strength. Who would have guessed? Not me. I always thought of myself as rather weak and last year I learned I was stronger than I thought. That made me think of myself as perhaps middle of the pack strong. To find out that I am as strong as I am is quite interesting and makes me really proud of myself and actually want to get even stronger. Can I get to the top? Let’s see about that! Perhaps I can now that I have learned how to breathe properly while lifting. My team did a good job of teaching me that.

I also rank as “very good” for muscular endurance although I did not improve on core strength as much as my trainer would have wanted. My bad for doing a circuit training with core exercises the day before my post-assessment. What I did dramatically improve over these 6 weeks though is my balance. They made me do all kinds of stability tricks on the Bosu ball and stability board. At first I could barely stand still a second. The progress I made was amazing. I even became comfortable doing the staggered stance on two Bosu balls: one foot on each and hold! Now close one eye, close the other, close both! Funny and challenging and hard but I managed to do it. I never thought I could achieve something like this.

So what have I learned this year? That I can do it. No matter how skeptical I am when introduced to something new, I can do it. I don’t like not being able to succeed right away but persisting leads to success. Improvement, even if small in some areas, shows that I can do it and that it is entirely worth it to try and push oneself.

I will continue working out on my own until the next iteration of the course. I will continue to integrate new things in my routine and feel good about myself. And knowing I am strong, I will get even stronger.

Christine is a feminist continental philosopher who lives with spouse and cat in the Niagara Region. Biking and training are favorite activities as is gourmet cooking and reading gore thrillers when she travels to conferences, taking a break from writing her monograph on Nietzsche.

fashion · fitness

Mixed feelings about high fashion cycling gear

Sam B8 Comments

As readers of this blog know, I own a lot of bike jerseys. Most of them are team kit and they’re covered in sponsors’ logos. They’re race fitted and not the most attractive garments on the planet. Function over form, etc etc.

You might not know that as an academic, as a feminist philosopher, I’ve written a couple of papers on politics and fashion. See Fashion and Sexual Identity, or Why Recognition Matters and “Those Shoes Are Definitely Bicurious”: More Thoughts on the Politics of Fashion.

So I confess I was a bit torn when this story made its way through my various social media newsfeeds, Our Favorite Indie Bike Apparel Companies. Some great clothing there. I think fashion matters and it’s interesting, especially when connected to specific identities–such as bisexual, or cyclist, and so I’m intrigued by the idea of fashionable cycling clothing. I think it’s connected to the recent increase in women’s cycling, and to the rise of bikes as a fashion statement.

See Bicycle Chic Gains Speed in the New York Times a few years ago. There’s been lots of criticism by feminists of the Copenhagen Cycle Chic movement. My favourite is Elly Blue’s A critique of Cycle Chic. And I’ve got some worries about the heels on wheels movement too. But one striking thing about bicycle fashion is how focused it is on commuting, on everyday riding. The recent round of bike fashion branches out into sports clothing, bicycle clothing for training and racing on road, track, cyclocross, and triathlon bikes.

My favourite, Betty Designs, didn’t make the list. I’ve been drooling over their stuff for a few weeks. They even have bib shorts, in bright pink, with skulls and crossbones, and a full range of sizes from XS to 2XL.

I love almost all of it.

And I know that attractive kit matters to women. Not looking good in athletic clothing puts lots of women off taking part in sports. See No way am I wearing that!

Yet, I still resist. Why? Well, frugality for one thing. But also in my post on looking cute while working out I confessed to an ambivalence about playing with gender and appearance in the context of sports.

I wrote, “Have fun with your appearance, sure. But it’s a bit of a double edged sword because looking good while working out raises the bar. Maybe this time it’s for fun but next time you’ll think you can’t go to the gym if your favourite outfit is in the wash or if you’re having a bad hair day. What’s fun today too quickly becomes tomorrow’s necessary condition. If it’s obligatory, in my books, it’s rarely fun.”

“I’d also like some spaces, some times and places, in my life, where I don’t have to worry about what I look like. A mirror free zone. Camping has long been that for me in an extended way but I like little mini-bursts of that throughout my week. And physical activity has been one of those places of refuge. I just worry there is so much pressure on women to look good at all times that it quickly moves from fun to obligation.”

But if you’re shopping for my birthday, I do really love the Betty stuff.

From a review of Betty kit:

One of the reasons I originally joined a bicycling team was because I needed new jerseys and shorts. The kit came free with my membership. Now, a few years later, I own so many team kits it’s not even funny! Yes, they wear out, especially when you crash a lot or mountain bike, so there has been some attrition from the collection. But it’s hard to argue with highly functional and comfortable clothes designed specifically for your favorite sport.

Sometimes you just want to wear something other than your team colors. But many generic jerseys and shorts are a little too safe and boring, or they’re trying to be attractive but sort of miss the mark and look sedate and frumpy. Or, the colors are dated. Please, no more baggy 90’s light magenta, teal or purple jerseys!

Fortunately Betty Designs has the cure for boring jerseys. Behold the Tattoo Kit for Women. Printed on a raceworthy, well fitting and comfortable kit that looks great on women of all sizes, the beautiful and eye-catching artwork speaks to athleticism, smarts, bravery and strength with a nice big dose of humor and femininity. I love that Betty Designs is all about in-your-face girl power, but it’s not at all sappy, smug or cutesy. It’s more real and cooler than that, just like all the athletic women I know. The “kick butt” words across the butt is awesome, so are the skulls and butterflies on the front of the bikini bottoms.

Betty Designs knows sports. And fashion. Founder Kristin Mayer is an accomplished Ironman triathlete, talented graphic designer and loving mom. If anyone knows how to combine sport at a high level with a busy work and family life, it’s Kristin. I’m thrilled she found an outlet for her love of sports and creativity to produce such cool athletic wear.

I love the cut of the kit, from the jersey’s sleek longer torso and sleeves and full length zipper. I hate it when other jerseys ride up my back or above my shorts, that’s not a good look for anyone. The flat seams throughout the short and the wide leg band makes the shorts extra comfortable, and the chamois pad is just the right size and thickness. I’m usually pretty sensitive to seams and tags, even wearing t-shirts inside out or cutting out offending tags, and so far, no itchy spots in the Tattoo Kit.

I also love the other designs from Betty Designs. From casual hoodies, T’s, visors and hats to tri suits, athletic cut swimsuits, armwarmers and even an aero bicycle helmet, Betty Designs is about high performance as well as fashion. There are even a few bold offerings for guys. Even her website is smart looking and easy to navigate

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cycling

Wild world of bicycling options

Sam B

The past week friends seem to be sharing new bikes and bike ideas on my Facebook wall at a feverish pace. I thought I’d share some of them with you:

1. Trefecta DRT: The $25K high-tech, military-grade electric super bike

Much like the auto market saw the rise of the supercar, the electric bicycle market is seeing the rise of the super e-bike. The super e-bike is far removed from the average electric bicycle and is essentially a motorcycle hiding inside a lighter, simpler bicycle body. The new Trefecta DRT bike doesn’t even hide it that well as its military-spec aluminum frame is as much motorcycle as bicycle. That’s okay, because this folding super e-bike aims to “create the game, not change it.”

The Trefecta DRT is a high-tech e-bike built for military and civilian riding

 

2. Want to ride your bike at night and be super visible? Volvo’s reflective bike paint helps cars spot you at night

Car giant Volvo is turning in a slightly different direction for its next project, it’s called Life Paint. It’s a highly reflective spray you can apply to your bicycle and your clothes. Drivers can’t miss it. It shines a bright white color whenever light hits it. The spray is invisible and washes off. Volvo created the product and is now testing it in England, where 19,000 bikers were killed or injured in 2013. If it does well there, Volvo plans to sell it in America and throughout the world

Now not all of my friends were fans of this. One serious cycling advocate wrote, “It looks to me like another case of drivers and their supporters offloading their responsibility on to more vulnerable road users. How about building infrastructure and enforcing the laws designed to protect us? If someone in a more cycle-friendly country, let’s say the Netherlands or Denmark saw this they would fall over laughing. This is not how you encourage cycling while reducing collisions. There’s a point where my outfit and bicycle hardware doesn’t excuse someone else’s negligence – and to me, this is beyond that.point. ”

Largely I agree. I’m even unsure about ghost bikes and while I wear a helmet, I think mandating helmets hurts us in the long run. Making cycling look more dangerous than it is decreases ridership and makes it more dangerous for all of us. Safety in numbers is important, and those numbers go down when people feel that a construction vest and fully reflective bike are the baseline for safety, wrote my friend, and I agree. It also fails this little test, Is your bike safety idea any good? Still I like Nat‘s suggestion that it  could make for great body paint and nighttime streaking.

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The Volvo paint even prompted an April Fool’s day version for drivers. Spray them to make them slow down, pass safely, stop texting, and pay attention.

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3. But I love this! Toronto designed bike calls home when stolen

What might be the world’s smartest bike just got a little smarter. The locally designed Vanhawk’s Valour made waves last year as one of the most advanced smart bikes in existence, with built-in features like a gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS receiver, and blindspot detection sensors.

Now as the bike nears its delivery date, the company has announced a new feature that will be especially attractive in this city: a theft detection program that alerts the owner of its whereabouts. That’s a pretty useful feature in a city where 3,400 bikes were reportedly stolen last year.

More than that, it might offer some crucial piece of mind when shelling out for a $1,500 smart bike. Truth be told, that’s not even very expensive in the grand scheme of retail bike sales, but if you’re going to get a tech-bike, it better be able to do some things your traditional ride can’t do.

4. And for travelling there’s this cutie! This Hubless Bicycle Folds to the Size of an Umbrella

Folding bicycles are wonderful, but by and large they have to strike a compromise: large wheels and limited portability, or small pack-size but with tiny little wheels. This slightly strange hubless bike promises a solution to that problem.

The Sada Bike promises standard bicycles dimensions—it uses 26-inch wheels—but its hubless design means that, as the frame folds away, it comes apart from the wheels to maximize portability.Gianluca Sada, it’s designer, explains:

The wheels have no spokes, the system folds with a single movement, the packaging container can also be used as a backpack… It uses a system anchoring the wheels using smaller wheels held by a small frame and a specific quick clamping device. They allow you to fold the bike quickly and easily, using its special package like a trendy backpack.

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fitness

Skinny Pill? I’m Not Buying It

Tracy I2 Comments

Impact Ethics asked me if I’d like to blog about “skinny pills.” Of course! Here are my thoughts, which should come as no surprise to anyone who regularly reads Fit Is a Feminist Issue.