Month: September 2021

fitness

Everything changes; nothing changes

marthafitat55

A new study arrived this week, this one looking at the status of women in sport media. To no one’s surprise, the conclusion was consistent with other research on the representation of women. Sports media continues to be pale, male, and stale.

As an aside, I don’t know who first came up with that clever, biting summary of the state of most things in the world, but I send my thanks.

Image shows young women playing soccer on a field. Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash

I digress. The study was carried out by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES), its first since 2018. It found:

• 79.2% of the sports editors were white and 83.3% were men.

• 72.0% of the assistant sports editors were white and 75.8% were men.

• 77.1% of the columnists were white; 82.2% were men.

• 77.1% of the reporters were white; 85.6% were men.

• 77.0% of the copy editors/designers were white; 75.3% were men.

• 72.4% of web specialists were white; 78.1% were men.

You might ask why does it matter? Because it does. If we have absorbed one fact in the last few years is that unconscious bias exists in all aspects of our lives. Or as Richard Lapchick, author of the ESPN article said of the review of more than 100 newspapers and websites: “These are same outlets that determine what stories to cover, when to cover them and how they are portrayed. Diversity, equity and inclusion among the staff in our media is crucial to news being representative of our society.”

We default to what we know. We highlight, either deliberately or unintentionally, the things that matter to us. The absence of women and people of colour in sports media, or other media usually means fewer stories about the things that matter to those who belong to groups historically excluded from decision-making, content creation, and participation.

Or as Lisa Wilson, a former president of the Associated Press Sports Editors Association said: “We need those voices. We need that perspective. We need them making coverage and hiring decisions.”

The study results are mixed. While there were tiny shifts when it comes to women, the rate of improvement is still quite low and slow. Improvements for people of colour were better with measurable increases in representation among Black reporters, editors and columnists.

We also need better coverage of women in sports by women because media coverage has an impact on pay rates. Women atheletes do not receive the amounts of money male athletes receive. Josh Strupp writes:

“In America, on average, a woman makes 89% of what a man makes, despite having the same amount of experience and holding the same position. The average salary of an NBA player is $7.7M. In the WNBA, it’s closer to $75,000, so the female athletes are making about 1% of the salaries of their male counterparts. Anthony Davis makes $27M a year; one of his closest comparators statistically and in terms of dominance — Natasha Howard — makes $117,000 a year. In the case of Davis and Howard, she’s making 0.43% of what he makes.“

We also cannot underestimate the impact of seeing someone who looks like you in sport, on and off the field as it were. Role models inspire us: to aim high, to do better, to excel. How many little girls saw themselves playing hockey because of Hayley Wickenheiser? How many people imagined themselves behind the desk providing colour commentary? How many saw Simone Biles address the giant elephant in the room –mental health — making it easier for others to report similar experiences?

When I first started working training in a gym, I was surrounded by posters featuring ultra thin, ultra fit women in fashionable workout gear. I didn’t like the messages and I did not like the images. I did not see myself on those walks — not the then current version of me, and especially not even someone I thought I might like to become. If I, a white, middle class, middle-aged woman with a fair amount of privilege, felt excluded, what is it like at all for others?

Not good. As Maya Angelou said, when you know better, you do better. I hope the APSE take their report card seriously and embark on a program of real change. The Ds and Fs peppering their review really need to shift upward and turn into As and Bs. It is the 21st century after all.

— MarthaFitat55 lives and writes in Newfoundland and Labrador.

fitness · inclusiveness

Happy Bi/M-Spec Visibility Day!

Sam B
Bipride coloured heart, September 23

Happy Bi/M-Spec Pride From the bloggers at Fit is a Feminist Issue. I don’t exactly how many other of the FIFI bloggers fall into these categories besides me, but let me say it’s a good chunk of us.

Why is this relevant to a fitness blog? Well, we’ve written a fair bit about the need for inclusive fitness spaces. So there’s that. But it’s also the case that invisibility broadly has health costs. While there’s been considerable work on health care for gay and lesbian people, bisexual health issues have been largely ignored. And this is particularly true for bisexual women.

I know some readers will ask why not just “bisexual visibility”? What’s this “M-Spec” add-on all about anyway?

What’s M-spec? See here for some definitions.

“A short term for the “multisexual spectrum” aka the spectrum of people who’re attracted to multiple genders. It’s an umbrella term that can include bisexual people, pansexual people, omnisexual people, etc. or even people who don’t use a label at all. It simply means someone who can experience attraction to multiple genders, even if they’re attracted to one particular gender more than any other (for instance, liking only girls most of the time but having the occasional crush on a nonbinary person). It also fits for people who experience split attraction such as a bisexual homoromantic person. Similar to aspec but for multisexuality. It’s primarily an umbrella term.”

It’s time to broaden the tent.

Thanks Alice for this one

I told you, September 23, the bisexuals all uncloak
Christine and the nighttime patio yoga
fitness · season transitions · yoga

Christine and the nighttime patio yoga

Christine Hennebury

I love doing yoga outside at any time but especially at night in the summer. I bring out some soft lights, set up my mat on the patio, and pop in one earphone so I can follow along with a Youtube practice. *

So, right now you are probably thinking ‘Christine, that sounds great but it’s not summer any more.’

And that’s true, it’s definitely fall and I usually stop doing nighttime yoga by now. Luckily, though, I had an errand to run and I realized that it was pretty warm night for September so patio yoga was totally feasible.

A dimly-lit photo of Christine outdoors at night. A string of star-shaped lights are visible over her shoulder.
You’ll be pleased to know that my smirk works just as well at night as it does in the daytime. Image description: a dimly-lit nighttime photo of my face. My hair is held back with a bandana, and I’m smirking. You can see a string of star-shaped patio lights over my shoulder and my headphones are visible where they hang around my neck.

And it was great.

Sure, there was a chill in the air but it kind of nice actually.

And the company was pretty swell, too.

A light-haired dog is standing on the grass at night, looking up at the camera. She is illuminated by a string of lights that can be seen on the left aide.
Khalee couldn’t let me be outside by myself at night without supervision. Image description: a nighttime photo of Khalee, a light-haired dog. She is standing on the grass, looking up toward the camera. Her tail is mid-wag. My string of round lights is dangling from my hand and can be seen on the left side of the photo, illuminating Khalee and the grass.

Now that I have turned evening patio yoga into a fall activity, and since I am the owner of very many sweaters and several pairs of non-slip socks, I’m wondering just how far into the season I can get away with practicing outdoors.

Further bulletins as events warrant.

A nighttime photo on my patio string of round, white battery-operated lights are arranged in the shape of a heart on my blue yoga mat. My feet are visible on the mat below the lights,
Cheesy? Yes. But when I placed the lights down they ended up in a vaguely heart-shaped form and I couldn’t resist tidying the shape a bit. Image description: A nighttime photo on my patio string of round, white battery-operated lights are arranged in the shape of a heart on my blue yoga mat. My feet are visible on the mat below the lights, my toenails are painted green (the colour is called ‘My gecko does tricks.’

*I don’t usually watch the practice, the bright screen would kind of ruin the mood but I do listen so I can stop my mind from galloping off into thoughts of what pose to do next.

The pond again, with tiny orange swim buoys visible in the deep water. Last summer swim: a post in photos
fitness · season transitions · swimming

Last summer swim: a post in photos

catherine w3 Comments

It’s officially fall now, and usually that means my swim season is over. However, inspired by fellow bloggers, the Book Why We Swim, and the FB group Boston Open Water Swimming, I’m going to see how far into the fall/winter I can continue heading into the water. Maybe I can just keep swimming, just keep swimming…

Our friend Dory the fish, saying "just keep swimming".
Our friend Dory the fish, saying “just keep swimming”.

Last week, Norah and I went to Walden for our last official summer swim. It was a gorgeous day, low-mid 70s/22-23C and sunny. For those of you who haven’t been to Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, it is a very beautiful place, well-designed and well-maintained. This is important, because it is hugely popular with locals and tourists. About 500,000 people visit each year, according to this article in Smithsonian. However, the capacity is strictly monitored, and the Pond closes to new visitors several times a day on busy days in the summer, reopening when the numbers drop.

Here you can see the well-maintained parking areas and walkways, accessible to lots of people.

  • One of the parking lots, with a wide cinder walkway. There are smooth wood walkways with ramps, railings and cuts for walkers, strollers, and wheelchairs.
    One of the parking lots, with a wide cinder walkway. There are smooth wood walkways with ramps, railings and cuts for walkers, strollers, and wheelchairs.
  • Visitors come with their walkers, their coolers, their sun hats and their friends.

With utility comes a definite New England aesthetic.

  • There's both a wood ramp and a wide dirt path from the parking lot, visitor's center and...
    There’s both a wood ramp and a wide dirt path from the parking lot, visitor’s center and…
  • The bathrooms! They’re oh so discreet.

When Norah and I crossed the street (which has a huuuge set of pedestrian signs and lights), we walked down the wide concrete path to the main beach. In the summer there are lifeguards and ropes for the swimming areas.

  • Norah on the main beach of Walden, waving to all of you.
    Norah on the main beach of Walden, waving to all of you.
  • A side beach at Walden. There are usually lifeguards and ropes here, too.

Our favorite swim spot is on the other side of the pond. On the way there we pass other people in their favorite spots, and see lots of action on the water.

  • The walking path around the pond.
    The walking path around the pond.
  • Some staked out a great waterside spot with a towel, clothing, slides.
    Someone staked out a spot with a towel and clothing.
  • Two people are kneeling on a standup paddleboard.
    Two people are kneeling on a standup paddleboard.
  • Three swimmers, with their swim buoys, moving in the middle of the pond.
    Three swimmers, with their swim buoys, moving in the middle of the pond.
  • A groups of folks in bathing suits, hanging out by the water.

Here’s what our favorite swimming spot looks like.

  • We park our stuff around the corner from the folks on the far left.
  • The view from our spot– blue skies, trees, clear and deep water.

After swimming, chatting, snacking and addressing the problems of the world, Norah and I return the way we came. The path goes all the way around the pond, in case you want to check out the other side. Lots of people swim from there, too.

  • A view of the pond on our way back in late summer, late afternoon.
    A view of the pond on our way back in late summer, late afternoon.
  • The pond again, with tiny orange swim buoys visible in the deep water.

I finally bought a wetsuit– a shorty one– and I’ve got neoprene booties when I need them (still have gloves to purchase). This fall will be my first foray into colder water swimming. But there’s nothing like heading into the water in summer, the cool water instantly changing your perspective on a hot (and possibly trying) day. This was my last one of those for while.

What about you, dear readers? What activities are you wrapping up or changing gear for this fall? We’d love to hear from you.

fitness · season transitions

Changing seasons, changing clothes

Sam B

It’s the time of year when the weather can’t decide what to do with itself. The headlines aren’t even consistent. There’s Warmer than normal fall and Unusually warm autumn that will feel more like summer, followed by Ontario to be got by earlier and more brutal winner. Whatever.

And then there’s this week’s forecast.

It’s the season when I’m thankful for the very expensive but very effective raincoat I bought in Dunedin, New Zealand when I was there on sabbatical 9 years ago.

And there’s the variation within a single day. I’m leaving my house on my bike (sometimes in the dark) at 5 or 6 degrees but by midday it’s 25, with the humidity feels like 30 degrees. This means I’m accumulating jackets and hoodies at the office.

We’re not quite at the ‘four seasons in a week’ stage but we’re close.

4 Seasons in Canada - Meanwhile in Canada... I love experiencing all four seasons in one week!
Meanwhile in Canada, I love experiencing all four seasons in one week.

I am about to put away my summer dresses and shorts, and do the great seasonal clothes swap over. That’s happening later each year it seems.

But right now we’re about to sneak in one last canoe camping trip. Wish us luck and let’s hope it doesn’t snow!

Go Team: Small Efforts Count
fitness · motivation

Go Team: Small Efforts Count

Christine Hennebury

Yesterday, Sam reminded us of the benefits of Failing Small – making sure that we are keeping perspective when things go wrong.

I’d like to build on that and remind us all that even the smallest positive efforts count.

So, maybe you can’t do the full workout you had planned but you *can* do a few pushups and squats.

That counts.

Perhaps your plan for a home yoga session fell through because you’re tired and all you can do is lie on your mat for a few minutes.

That counts.

Or if you are trying to get to bed early, drink more water, or build a meditation practice and you do anything that inches you forward towards those goals.

That all counts.

Your fitness and wellness don’t just come from epic workouts or hour-long meditations. They are also created rep by rep and breath by breath.

Even your smallest efforts will add up.

Consistent small efforts create momentum.

Any wellness effort you make helps you to create room in your brain start thinking of yourself as ‘someone who exercises’ or as ‘someone who meditates.’ – a very valuable mindset for creating new habits.

So, while you are taking Sam’s advice to keep your mistakes in perspective, also give yourself some room to recognize the value of even the smallest success.

PS: Here’s a gold star for your efforts, big and small.

Image description: a GIF of a gold star against a black background. The middle of the star is twinkling with white light.​
Image description: a GIF of a gold star against a black background. The middle of the star is twinkling with white light.
accessibility · camping · cycling · fitness · Guest Post

Bike Tour Voting Challenges

Joy Cameron

Over the course of about ten days, I spent several hours on the phone with Elections Canada being transferred to one person after another as I tried to get correct information about my voting options, figured out how to vote by mail, and how to resolve complications with the process. I could have voted at any Returning Office before the 14th, but by the time I learned that I was in Espanola and was under the impression that I still had plenty of time to vote by mail since September 14th was listed as the deadline to apply.

Unfortunately, this is misleading since in reality it wouldn’t allow for enough time to receive the special ballot via Canada Post and then get it back to Ottawa by 6pm on September 20th. That’s right, post mark dates aren’t what count here; it has to physically arrive in Ottawa by the 20th. That sort of turn around *might* be possible, but only for those who can afford $85+ to courier it there.

Why is the government not footing this expense for all mail in ballots given the impossibility of the deadline they have listed? Disabled folx and those in remote communities (like Northern Ontario) will be disproportionately excluded by this process. How many ballots will arrive late and thereby be excluded? During the last election “11.1 percent of national ballots and 11.8 percent of international ballots were returned late” (Elections Canada Vote by Mail FAQ). Clearly this is a significant issue even outside of a pandemic.

I applied on September 9th, but even this wasn’t enough time by regular post and maybe not even by express post. My ballot finally arrived to Iron Bridge on September 15th. At that point I was in Thessalon and had been told by Canada Post that the mail left at 5pm. Express post should get it there in three days – just enough time. I packed up as quickly as possible and rode hard and fast to get there in time. 

On the way I made a quick stop at Little Rapids General Store for food. I’d heard they had lots of delicious smoked meat and cheese and I needed food anyway to get through the next stretch without grocery stores. Little Rapids did not disappoint. The smoked rainbow trout and taco flavoured cheese curds were delicious. Beyond that though, the town is a beautiful hole in the wall spot that most drivers would likely miss. I was disappointed that there wasn’t time to hike out to see the salmon spawning or take in the heritage museum. It also had lots of spots that looked great for stealth camping.

Standing outside Little Rapids General Store with dinner and on the go protein (taco flavoured cheese curds, smoked rainbow trout, dried turkey, and dried elk!)

About half way to Iron Bridge I realized that without taking the highway I’d never make it. Pro tip: avoid this stretch of highway 17 at all costs. There’s no paved shoulder and drivers will risk your life here. If I hadn’t been so emotional about the messed up system I likely would have bailed and hoped it would get there anyway. As it was, I plowed on.

My cousin didn’t have time to drop my ballot off and I knew there was no way I’d get to the their place and then the post office in time. A random kind gentleman in his driveway picked up the ballot from my cousin’s (only a few blocks away) and dropped it off at the post office across the road. I made it to the Iron Bridge post office just before 5pm! 

But I got misinformation for the bajillionth time: mail left at 3pm, not 5pm. Couldn’t have gotten there earlier anyway. I cried… not for the first time about the likelihood of my ballot not being counted. I jumped through so many hoops trying to get this ballot in – including changing my route multiple times. Right now it’s not looking hopeful – as of now it’s showing a Tuesday arrival and has no updates since it left Iron Bridge on Thursday. 

Giselle (Canada Post staff) and I crossing our fingers in hopes that the ballot arrives in time to count.

As someone who has lived in poverty since my teens, the right to vote is a huge deal. It’s how we raise our voice, call for change, and hold our government accountable. If you weren’t planning to vote today, please get moving and go vote. My vote probably won’t be counted, but yours still can (if you have the privilege of accessibility). If transportation is a barrier phone the office of anyone who is running and a volunteer will help you get there!

fitness

Failing Small

Sam B5 Comments
Reframing your day: “Instead of feeling that you lost the day after a bad morning, reframe the day into four quarters–morning, midday, afternoon, and evening. If you blow one quarter just get back on track for the next one. Fail small, not big.”

A Facebook friend shared a collection of advice recently and this was one I really loved. “Fail small, not big.” It resonated with me.

I’ve written before about the significance of failing well. It occurs to me that failing small is one way to fail well. You can admit failure without it being a failure of all the things. It rarely is. You had a fight with a friend? You didn’t fail as a friend. More likely you mucked up one interaction.

Likewise, with workouts. You had a bad run. It’s one bad run. Move on. I know the voice that says, why did you think you could do this? You’re not a runner. And all of of a sudden it’s not even just running. It’s everything in your life.

I think it’s important to take risks and to not be afraid of failure. “Failing small” strikes me as one way of letting failure in but keeping it in its place. Racing the Snipe (a small 2 person sailing dinghy) this weekend, Sarah and I had a couple of really bad mark roundings. One in particular stands out in my mind because it was my fault. But we were able to keep on racing and keep our spirits up by admitting our mistakes but not making them into a giant catastrophe. It was just a bad mark rounding. We can practice mark roundings. There’s room to get better.

October 13th is the International Day of Failure. It’s fast approaching. What’s your approach to failure?

blog · blogging · fitness

Happy 5000th post!

Sam B3 Comments

I like celebrating milestones–the blog’s birthday, the number of followers on WordPress, for example.

But today we’re celebrating a new milestone. It occurred on the weekend with Diane’s post about being back in the pool. That was our 5000th blog post.

It feels like a significant number. We’ve been here awhile and we’re trucking along. Go Team Fit Feminist!

The number 5000 on a stick, amid green plants. Photo by Marcel Eberle on Unsplash.
A little boy of color, looking through binoculars at Smoky Mountain national park. NY Times readers of color find joy outside
Black Present · fitness · nature

NY Times readers of color find joy outside

catherine w

In case you don’t get the Race/Related newsletter from the NY Times, I wanted to share a few of the lovely photos and reflections on the joy of the outdoors, submitted by NYT readers of color. They made me smile and encouraged me out the door (I’m writing this an hour before going swimming with Norah).

Leesa: I am in loving motion with CoCoBaby. Yes, I named my bike. Street hustling and sidewalk flowing every morning and every evening, with her. She brings me joy — my CocoBaby! She helps me forget my woes and absorb myself with nature: the sultry heat of the summer sun, the crisp fall air with crunchy leaves under her tires, the rainy downpour of the Pacific Northwest rains. Riding on CocoBaby is a mindful meditation of how to be present and breathe in my joy, my gratitude for life and every adventure in between.
Leesa and CoCo Baby, her two-wheeled friend.
Leesa and CoCo Baby, her two-wheeled friend.
Roslyn: My mother tells the story of how at age 3, she put me down to feel the sand on my feet for the first time at the beach and I shockingly took off, fast, racing straight toward the waves, chubby arms extended, as if I knew how to swim. I did not. But I have always loved the water.
Here, I am walking one of many paths along the Palisades, the water and New York City skyline to my right, with my favorite four-legged girl, Moxie, in tow. Paired with endless sky, I can remember how small my worries are, and I am thankful for this bit of time where it is my Moxie, the water and me.
Faith and her dog Moxie, standing on the Palisades, the Hudson River in the background.
Roslyn and her dog Moxie, standing on the Palisades, the Hudson River in the background.
Faith: One day last year I went kayaking in the bayous of City Park in New Orleans. As I shoved off from the bank, the rental attendant looked concerned.
“Have you used a kayak before?” she asked.
“Yes, I know what I’m doing,” I replied.
It struck me a few minutes later — I did know what I was doing! Because I did not grow up with any regular tradition of outdoor life, I’m a little proud of myself for learning to handle a kayak.
Faith handling the tandem kayak while her son Eli rocks some great sunglasses.

Biking, hiking, paddling: all of these bring joy and offer ways to navigate the natural world. Seeing other people loving nature reminds me of my own relationship with it. And, like all relationships, it flourishes only when we tend to it. So I’m going to wrap up now, make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and get my swim bag together. See y’all later!

Readers, what kinds of experiences remind you of your love of nature? Do you have to go far, to a mountaintop? Can you get that warm feeling in your backyard? Let us know.