5500 km is an odd number for an end of year goal, I know.
5000 is the more usual number. In 2015 I blogged about riding about 3500 km in a year and considered setting my sights higher, maybe 5000 km. See How far do you ride in a year? I didn’t make it. The next year I topped out at 4,002.1 km.
I finally hit the 5000 km mark during the pandemic, thanks to Zwift and you know, not leaving the house much. In 2020 I rode 5,326.9 km.
This year I will easily ride 5000 + again. Where I am today: 4614 km (tracked on Strava) This includes all my road cycling, Zwifting and gravel and trail riding. It doesn’t include bike commuting on my Brompton and fat biking. But likely that’s not much. My commute is under 5 km and my fat bikes rides are usually in the 10-15 km range. My Zwift teammate Jim is going to hit 10,000 km but I am trying not to be jealous.
5000 km is just under 100 km a week. I set my Strava goal as 100 km a week and I make that most weeks so where I am now makes sense. But I am feeling the need for an end of year challenge. I’d like to beat last year’s 5326.09 km. A little extra push rather than just coasting to the 5000 km mark.
6000 is too much but could I make it to 5500?
Let’s do some math. There are 48 days left in the year and roughly 900 km to ride. That’s less than 20 km a day. Seems doable. 140 km a week? Also, doable. More than I have been doing but not ridiculous.
A number of FIFI bloggers have discussed the merits and problems of fitness trackers. Wearable trackers help folks to monitor their exercise, but they also track, store, and potentially share private health data. These high tech gadgets are slick, but their wearers can focus on the numbers rather than on the feel of exercise, during and after. They digitally reward–but also pressure–building a life around 10,000 steps per day.
More and more people in my life have fitness trackers. I held out on purchasing a wrist one because of the above issues, and watches and bracelets irritate my skin and get in the way of my keyboard.
But when I heard about a 6-gram titanium OURA ring that tracks activity, sleep, and more, I caved. I don’t know how the many sensors works in this smart ring. I just know what’s happened so far for me since I got a Fitbit for my finger.
Going Dry for Better Sleep
I can sleep for hours and hours—anytime, anywhere, like a cat (or a sloth). It has been a source of pride for me, but since getting the Oura the ring’s app reports that I am consistently only getting half of the nightly recommended “deep sleep” levels. Not enough deep sleep can negatively affect memory, cell regeneration, and energy levels. So maybe I can sleep all the time because I don’t sleep as well as I could.
The Oura’s app gives advice when it tracks sub-optimal levels. It has been tested to provide relatively accurate sleet data. So, I am now following its advice by going without alcohol for a month (for the first time in my life, I will add) to see if this lifestyle change affects my sleep pattern for the better.
My Oura stays most happy with me when I move often, even for bits at a time, and one of the easiest way to keep moving on a regular basis while I am working from home is to take 5 minutes stretch and housework breaks.
I have never (in my life) been a regular house cleaner, but here I am tidying tidying, every day.
Smaller Wearable for Game Play
After a beautiful time playing scrimmage over the summer, I’m back playing indoor rec soccer. At our game on Thursday our ref stopped the game to tell my teammate she had on “illegal equipment.” It was her wrist fitness tracker. She had to remove it before the game could resume. Slowly I put my hands on my hips, Oura out of sight, then when the whistle blew kept playing.
Later this season, we have all been told no jewelry. But, with some tape it stays safe and out of sight.
The wee USB charging station on which my Oura charges every 4 days for about 20 minutes.
Sensors for What I am Not Sensing
A month ago, for a few days, I inexplicably became incredibly sensitive and grumpy. For days, I just wanted to cry, rage, and sleep. No other specific physical symptoms to indicated I was sick. What the heck was wrong with me?
My Oura noticed that my temperature was consistently elevated. So then I noticed. I followed its advice went a little easier on myself, physically but also mentally. Then, whatever was going on with me passed, and so did the temperature spikes.
Overall
My last attempt at wearing a step tracker revealed I was more motivated by people than by numbers alone. There are still the dependency issues and data risks. But right now–with only a few months into having the Oura–I have an empty bar fridge, a clean house, illegal equipment I can hide, and another way to pay more attention to my emotional health.
I have the Generation 2 Oura ring from this Finnish company (of the same name). The new Generation 3 ring (available now!) comes with more and newer sensors, and new features, including period prediction. (Slick!) So, I might just be asking for the Gen 3 for Christmas.
Do you have a fitness tracker or an Oura ring? What are your experiences?
You might see Bicycling magazine and think it’s all impossibly thin, impossibly young, men, the greyhounds of the cycling world, but these days you’d be wrong. This month’s issue features Marley Blonsky of All Bodies on Bikes. Nice!
What is All Bodies on Bikes all about? Their slogan is, “All Bodies are Good Bodies. All Bikes are Good Bikes. All rides are to be celebrated.” I like it.
All Bodies on Bikes is a movement to create and foster a size inclusive bike community. All Bodies on Bikes hosts social bike rides where everyone is welcome to move their bodies joyfully at a pace that is comfortable and safe for them.
If you use Facebook, their Facebook community is pretty active and incredibly supportive. 10/10 recommend.
Here’s a trailer for the film, All Bodies on Bikes:
Sorry to leave you all hanging for so long! When I wasn’t hanging in my hammock, I was catching up on school and much needed rest! As fun as adventuring is, it’s also tiring. I’ll be taking a break from blogging for a while to dig into exciting research projects, focus on my course work, and start drafting ideas for a book. My posts will be sporadic until I have a lighter course load in the spring. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter @JoyBringingHope.
Image Description: In the top right corner of the photo is a background with grey and white clouds with a tiny bit of blue peaking through, below it but still in the background are brightly coloured trees in red, orange, and yellow. In the foreground, surrounded by first tall grass and then a neatly manicured clearing of grass, is another group of trees that are yellow-green and in the centre of those is a forest green hammock covered by a rain fly.
Give yourself time to adjust to a hammock and ask for comfort tips. Initially I found my comfort was inconsistent, so Hennessy suggested positioning my head at the (slightly) lower end of the hammock. It worked! Now beds annoy me. 😂 A quick pre-purchase web search revealed that many North Americans are surprised that they prefer the comfort of a hammock over the comfort of a mattress. (Don’t tell Sleep Country or hammocks will start costing thousands of dollars!)
Pillows are unnecessary (and uncomfortable) while on your back, but useful when sleeping on your side – a sweatshirt works too.
Practice setting up before you actually need it — or at least leave plenty of time to set up before dark.
Falling asleep staring up at the stars is epic… I will never tire of that.
Be prepared for sudden rain even if it isn’t in the forecast.
As the nights start cooling down dew makes the rain fly necessary even when rain isn’t forecast.
Waking up to chirping birds or chittering squirrels can be fun… and rain flies provide poop protection!
Image Description: the background fills the left half of the photo with green grass, it is lush towards the top of the photo, but sparse and interspersed with dirt towards the bottom. The right half of the photo shows a close up of part of a tree trunk in the foreground. In the centre of the photo peaking around the tree and looking directly at the camera is a brown squirrel with a cluster of seeds from a cedar tree in it’s mouth.
Apple trees smell nice, but you’d better have a strong rain fly! 😆Hennessy’s held up well. 🙃
Position your hammock so that the zippered side of the bug net opens towards the easiest exit… which conveniently also allows easy sunrise photos from your cozy sleeping bag.
If you’re hammocking between posts be aware of joints where your rope can get jammed. Always use tree straps since they are easier to get out of a jam or replace if necessary.
Transcript: “I definitely just used my bicycle as a stool so I could get up here [onto the top of a pavilion beam] because my hammock rope was wedged into there [between the joints] and it required hacking with a tent peg in order to get it free. So this was an adventure for the morning. Problem solving while hammock camping.” Image description: A caucasian woman with rosy cheeks wearing glasses, a red rain coat, black gloves, and a blue helmet over a thin grey hat. I am perched atop a wooden beam at the edge of a pavilion, holding my hammock rope and a tent peg in one hand while videotaping myself with the other.
Water bottles in plastic bags are great for keeping the fly taught by weighing it down.
Watch the forecast and find covered shelter if it’s likely to be rainy *and* windy. Pavilions, bridges, and Kingdom Hall overhangs are prime possibilities. School entrances could work in a pinch, but would definitely be a privileged mea culpa option which likely has a relatively high risk of police being called. Huge thanks to my friend Eric Todd for brainstorming with me when buckets of rain were expected and the only pavilion in Espanola was unavailable!
Image Description: In the background is a grey sky, with a forest of trees. In the mid-ground is highway 6 leading out of Espanola. In the foreground is the distinct architectural design of a Kingdom Hall: a red brick building with a wide and long overhang that is big enough to fit a large SUV underneath, the ground beneath is red cobblestone. Underneath the overhang is a blue winter shovel, beside a yellow bin (presumably holding sand), beside my bicycle which is covered in a camoflage bike parka. Beside all that, just in front of the main doors to the building the edge of a blue tarp can be seen on the ground blowing slightly in the wind. On top of this is my hammock with bug net (to protect against the few remaining mosquitoes), then inside that is my sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and an emergency blanket.
Better yet, buy a big rain fly. The one mine came with was perfect most nights… but nowhere near sufficient during windy storms.
If lightning is expected look for a shelter with electricity (eg. fancy picnic pavilions and Kingdom Halls). At the very least avoid tying to the tallest trees… maybe also avoid close proximity to large bodies of water. Stay off the ground though… it’s a conduit. Shoes don’t have enough rubber for lightning protection. (Don’t ask me why. I read this somewhere online while freaking out at my nightmare stealth site.)
Bring a sleeping mat for insulation; it’s also useful if you need to wait out a storm on the ground of a pavilion or simply can’t find suitable trees.
Bring a balaclava to keep your nose and ears warm.
Bring a spare dry bag to store your dirty shoes beside your hammock.
I was away on a writing retreat with some dear friends this past weekend (our group is called the Strident Women so you can imagine what a genteel gathering it was.)
Obviously a place of utter misery. (I’m kidding, of course, our retreat location is delightful.) image description: a downward angled view of a long lawn and some trees that far the viewers attention toward the water that is visible at a slight distance. It is a sunny day with some clouds in the blue sky. There are two houses in the photo, one is between the viewer and the water, and other is partially visible on the right hand side.
I did some writing and a lot of relaxing. I needed the break far more than I needed to get words on paper at the moment, so I spend a fair bit of time reading, drawing, doing yoga, meditating, and I even managed to practice my TKD patterns a few times.
A few years ago, I would have been frustrated at myself for ‘frittering away’ a writing weekend but I have gotten much better at being kind to myself and at responding to what I really need instead of what I *should* do.
Yes, I will still smirk in a perfect time and a perfect place. Image description: a smirking selfie that I took before I started my practice outside today. I’m a white middle-aged woman, I have messy curls in my chin length light brown hair, and I am wearing a black shirt with white lettering on the sleeve. I look a bit sleepy. My headphones are hanging around my neck. Behind me, you can see a reddish door and beige wooden siding.
And I’m grateful for that shift in my thinking because it meant I could thoroughly enjoy my weekend and I could be fully present to practice yoga imperfectly on the front deck on our last morning. It was slightly chilly but it was bright and the sun was shining through the clouds every so often and I could hear the waves nearby.
It felt it would be the most perfect time and place to practice.
It was.
My new favourite leggings. They have pockets! I kept my shoes on because of the chill – another perfectly acceptable imperfect part of today’s practice. Image description: a top down view of my crossed legs. I am wearing grey patterned leggings and black and white slip-on sneakers. I’m sitting on my blue patterned mat which, in turn, is resting on the weathered wood of the deck.
Mary Anderson set herself a challenge, to cycle through her home state of Vermont on her ebike. Her goal: to visit all 251 towns in one go. Since hitting the road on October 6, she has logged 205 towns and 1,317 miles. You can read all about it here.
Here’s Mary:
Mary and her ebike
I found out about her challenge when she shared it with the Cycling Past 50 group we’re both part of on Facebook.
But I was sad to see that immediately someone declared it wasn’t much of a challenge since she’s riding an e-bike. “You’re riding along with a motor? How can that that be a challenge?”
Grrr.
Mary replied telling him she was 64 and recovering from numerous breaks and tears and injuries. But that’s not the point.
Luckily before I could even start typing a Fit is a Feminist Issue regular commentator Kimberly Van Orman was typing, “Where is it written that only “challenging” rides are worthwhile anyway? Who decides what’s sufficiently challenging? Challenging for whom?”
Later in a messenger exchange with me, she continued. “I have an ebike. Vermont is the GREEN MOUNTAIN state. I can assure you that it was still a physical challenge, too.”
So whenever I’ve been interviewed about the blog or the book I co-wrote with Tracy one of the most common questions is about motivation. What do we have to say to someone who struggles with getting enough exercise, who wants to exercise but never manages to do it?
The two pieces of advice we most commonly give on the blog are START SMALL and FIND A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY YOU ENJOY.
I was happy to see a short piece this week with another bit of advice, LET YOURSELF BE BAD.
“Why did I skip exercise despite knowing all this?
The truth is our ability to follow through on our intentions — to get into a new habit like exercise or to change our behavior in any way — actually doesn’t depend on the reasons that we might do it or on the depth of our convictions to do it. It also doesn’t depend on our understanding of the benefits of a particular behavior, or even on the strength of our willpower.
Instead, it depends on our willingness to be badat our desired behavior.
And I hate being bad at stuff. I’m a “go big or go home” kind of gal. I like being good at things, and I quit exercising because I wasn’t willing to be bad at it.
Here’s why we need to be willing to be bad. Being good requires that our effort and our motivation need to be equivalent. In other words, the harder a thing is for us to do, the more motivation we need to do that thing. And you might have noticed that motivation isn’t something we can always muster on command. Whether we like it or not, motivation comes and motivation goes. When motivation wanes, plenty of research shows that we humans tend to follow the law of the least effort and do the easiest thing.”
For me this was true of Aikido. I’m not good at Aikido. It doesn’t play to my strengths as a fitness activity. Accepting that and recognizing that I would never have a black belt or even a brown belt, was part of what allowed me to keep going. Aikido was good for me and my satisfaction in it couldn’t come from me excelling at it. I found other things to enjoy but I accepted I’d never be an Aikido rock star.
Two photos, side by side: Sam in her bluetoque, Cheddar on the walk. Text reads “Bluetoque, audiobook and after dinner dog walk.”
Christine blogged about hers first. We’re both big fans of our hats with bluetooth headphones built in. I think I even bought mine after reading her positive review because it turns out we were both struggling with the same thing–finding fully charged headphones and a hat and a dog leash, poop bags, and a dog (okay the dog part is easy). It was starting to get in the way of taking Cheddar out for a walk between meetings back when I was working from home.
Having one fewer thing to find was just what the doctor ordered. Also, between glasses and headphones and in the worst of the pandemic, masks, my ears were just too busy.
If you’ve got a 🐕 you’re out walking two or three times a day. Now luckily I’m not the only person walking Cheddar. I find with my painful knees I need something to distract me from pain while I’m out walking. Audio books do the trick.
Lately I’ve been making my way through everything Tana French has written. Some of her work I’ve read and some of it I’ve listened. Good both ways but they are excellent audio books. Currently listening to The Searcher, see image below.
Audio books have helped me increase the amount of fiction in my life. Sarah and I listen to books in the car while we drive back and forth to Prince Edward County. But mostly I listen to books while either cleaning the kitchen and/or walking Cheddar.
It’s helping me make progress with my Good Reads reading challenge even with my return to working in my office.
More bluetoque photos! Also blond dog and beautiful yellow fall leaves
These days, I’m living by the numbers. As of today’s writing, I am:
80 consecutive days of meditation
66 consecutive weeks of mediation
189 workout days in 2021
32 workout days away from my 221 number in 2021
12 classes away from winter break
184 days to go until my 2022 sabbatical
150 days until my birthday…
at which time I turn 60– another big number
We live by the numbers, which are constantly changing.
Maybe one of those old-fashioned number displays, the kind that make clacking sounds as the numbers change. By Mick Hillier on Unsplash.
Right now my life feels like a lot of sitting around, staring up at those number displays, waiting for them to flip and clack and change to reflect the next thing on my life itinerary, the next train I need to catch to whatever I’m supposed to be doing. If that’s true, then all I have to do is stand there patiently, and the new plan for me will soon roll over, clacking authoritatively.
Normally I’m too busy to stop, look around and assess where I am; I just hurry on to the next class, meeting, load of laundry, friend to see, or paper to grade. But this weekend is different. I’m at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health with my friend Norah. I’ve been here several times for yoga, cooking classes, extremely yummy vegetarian food and a woodsy break from regular life.
This time is different. The feel is different: there are fewer people (pandemic restrictions), fewer activities, and a more subdued atmosphere. In my yoga classes, I look around. People seem tired. Some of them are doing their own thing. Some are opting out and lying down, wrapped in blankets they brought with them. One woman near me was scrolling through her phone during a thread-the-needle exercise. I frowned in her direction, but in hindsight I feel sympathy. Electronics have been much of what we’ve known over the past 18 months; they’ve been our companions. I guess she felt the need to check in, even during a purported retreat weekend. I get it.
It’s hard to be in the now, live in the now, rather than impatiently checking whatever, looking to see when the next thing is. My numbers reflect my own impatience. I regularly google “how many days until May 10, 2022?” Google tells me. Thanks, Google.
I just tried googling “how many days until the pandemic ends?” Here’s what I saw:
Screenshot of results of “how many days until the pandemic ends? google query. It seems the McKinsey agency knows.
McKinsey doesn’t know. I don’t know. No one knows. All we can do is either stand in that large open space, waiting for the clacky departure board to clack, or go about our business–life– until such time as clacking occurs.
This yoga weekend, away from regular life, is making it clearer to me that those X number of days before all those things are worth something in themselves. Doing something other than waiting.
Readers, how do you spent time when you have a big event or big change coming up? Are you waiting, planning, wondering, expecting? Do you pretend it’s not happening, distracting yourself? Do you go about your business? I’d love to hear what your strategies are.
Recommended Soundtrack “I’m still standing” by Elton John
I write a lot about walking. Yup. Still happening every day and averaging 13,000 steps a day this year. That’s up from 9,800 last year. Yay!
I was talking to friends this week about that moment in your life where you don’t take pain free walking for granted. This revelation came to me in waves. First, when pregnant, more recently I had a serious bout of plantar fasciitis a couple years ago. It hurt so much!
So I’m especially thankful that I’m more aware of my feet and what I need to do to care for them.
A variety of footwear in good repair
I continue to buy good quality footwear. I’ve added variety from Keen slip on sandals with structured support to Manitobah moccasins that have a supple sole to ensure my feet get a full range of motion. I have a more supportive Keen hiking sandal as well as insulated slip on Merrel clogs. ALL THE FOOTWEAR.
I regularly inspect my footwear for wear and tear and throw them out when repairs are no longer keeping them functional. No more worn out shoes for me!
Stretching and massaging
I’m seated with my left leg extended. My right foot rests on my left thigh as I massage the sole of my right foot.
I stretch my soles, toes, calves and ankles throughout the day. I continue to use spiked balls, softer wool ones that Catherine recommended and yoga straps to help.
Even on the couch I point and flex my feet. I try to scrunch up my toes and also spread them apart. There are lots of popping and crunching sounds but no pain. Yay!
Shoe free time
Some folks wear shoes indoors to support their feet. I find having bare foot time helpful in experiencing a full range of motion in my feet and checking in with how my feet are doing. If they get cranky I slip on some Merrels I keep inside for daytime use.
Sitting and Standing
Both got my paid work and my housework, I alternate between sitting and standing to work my feet and rest them.
I am taking a Zoom choir where I stand for 90 minutes. I don’t like singing seated, there’s too much boob, belly and thigh competing for space to get my breathing right. It has caused me to realize an hour of standing is really my limit so I do sit…or even lay down to sing.
Checking in with my feet
All of this to say I now pay attention if there is tenderness or aches in my feet. I get investigative and reflect on what has changed and what steps I can take to keep my feet functioning.
Is there some ache that you have been able to turn around? What did you do? How are you sustaining the changes/supports?
