Over the years camping for me has meant smaller and lighter equipment as I struggle with my knees and struggle with some of the longer portages on back country canoe camping trips. Sarah and I now own a very expensive tent that weighs almost nothing. We have titanium sporks. We’re those kind of campers. Affluent with aging knees.
We also have a more everyday tent that weighs a bit more and takes up a bit more space that we use for cycling trips, like the bike rally. By bike rally standards it’s still pretty small. It’s the tent that the fancy ‘feels like it’s made of gossamer’ tent replaced.
But this summer two things are different.
Obviously my knee recovering from surgery is one. I can get down on that ground and up from the ground but it’s not easy. Likewise, I’m still struggling to sleep. The other is that we want to do some trips with Cheddar. He can’t go on bike trips and canoe camping is completely out, but he can go car camping.
So when my son Gavin bought an enormous tent that sleeps six and you can stand up in it, Sarah and I had an idea–car camping! We brought all the things, including a double inflatable air mattress, so many pillows, real blankets, and a dog bed.
I love the Pinery on Lake Huron. I love the beautiful beaches. I love the sand dunes. And I have so many memories of camping here when the kids were little. In fact, to make the day extra special Mallory came up from London and spent the day with us and Cheddar. We cooked veggie dogs over the fire and played cards. We also did a lot of dog hiking
Read a whole book in the hammock while Sarah took Cheddar on an extra long walk. Heaven.Cheddar got a little wet and sandy!That’s about half of the enormous tent. Interior view. Gavin’s tentCheddar on the drive to the Pinery
Here’s photos from some of our walks.
This is the weekend I stopped using my cane, primarily because it was pointless in the sand. I just left it in the car and when we came back from camping I never went back to using it. Bye for now, cane!
Love the PineryBeach!Beautiful sandy beach.More boardwalkWooden boardwalk to the beach.Mallory in the water but Cheddar isn’t so sure. It was still pretty cold.
I will definitely go car camping with Cheddar again! We decided not to buy a luxurious large tent for now. Instead, our plan is to borrow Gavin’s as needed.
This week, we are commenting on section four, “Fat people should…”
The last six myths that Gordon discusses are:
myth 15: “Fat people shouldn’t call themselves fat.”
myth 16: “People who have never been fat have ‘internalized fat phobia’.”
myth 17: “No one is attracted to fat people. Anyone who is has a fat fetish.”
myth 18: “Fat people should pay for a second airplane seat.”
myth 19: “Skinny shaming is just as bad a fat shaming.”
myth 20: “Anti-fatness is the last socially acceptable form of discrimination.”
First up is Diane:
My biggest issue was the argument around the last socially acceptable form of discrimination. I get her point about intersectionality and the fact that people still discriminate despite the laws (which may themselves not address all issues). However, there is a real difference between legally protecting people from discrimination (which has some consequences) vs no grounds at all.
That struck home again today as I read about fat people being told they have to buy two airline seats (reported on CNN). People with disabilities no longer have to pay for a seat for someone who accompanies them (at least for domestic travel in Canada). It did take a legal fight, but I don’t get the sense that anyone is willing to take up that battle on behalf of fat people.
On to Amy:
I thought these last few myths were a really great way to close out the book. Again, I think those Maintenance Phase fans will hear them all in Gordon’s voice, and some of the discussion will feel familiar. I was really pleased that Gordon chose to close the book with Myth 20 “Anti-fatness is the last socially acceptable form of discrimination.” It can sometimes feel like that when you are in a bigger body, or at least that has been true to me. But that’s because I hold a lot of other privileges, so when I run into instances where people are treating me differently (negatively) around my body size it can feel shocking. And when no one else notices or defends it does feel like people are “allowing” that discrimination.
But I realized a few years ago when I heard an older person say that ageism was the “last acceptable form of discrimination” that there are so many forms of discrimination that people overlook, don’t notice, or actively engage in. Declaring one or another as “the last acceptable” further marginalizes people/communities that have been minoritized and doesn’t work to address systemic issues.
Here are my (Catherine’s) comments:
Gordon applies her verbal scalpel decisively to myth 15: “Fat people shouldn’t call themselves fat.” What is revealed are some harsh truths.
She says, “The logic of fat shaming… reveals itself… [saying that] It’s wrong to publicly humiliate someone for being fat only if they aren’t actually fat.” Gordon offers examples of celebrities who’ve been fat-shamed for being larger versions of previous selves (she doesn’t mention Oprah here, who is the poster-person for this odious treatment). When such targets (almost always female-presenting) are defended, it’s to say that so-and-so isn’t really fat. They don’t say that fat-shaming is wrong, but rather that the particular claim of fatness is inaccurate.
Gordon says the word “fat” really strikes fear in thin people.
The fear of being fat is the fear of joining an underclass that you have so readily dismissed, looked down upon, looked past, or been so grateful not to have been a part of…. thin people are terrified of being treated the way they have so often seen fat people treated or even the way they have treated fat people themselves.
I think there’s a lot more to this myth. Thin people call themselves fat all the time. All of my female relatives do and have done so all their lives. Visiting my family while reading this book and writing these posts has made me more aware of how pervasive and acceptable the use of the word “fat” is when self-applied by thin people, but never with actual fat people. I was talking to a relative, saying “I may be old and fat, but I can (insert some physical feat or other)”. Immediately, I was shushed, saying “you’re not fat! You’re not old!”
But I am old. I’m 61. That’s old. Not super-old, but it’s undeniably in the “old” category. It’s okay. I’m also fat. I’m a small fat, which means I have some privilege that larger fat people don’t have. But I am indeed fat. It’s not a disaster. It’s just me, as I am right now. Which Gordon says is important– that is, it’s important that I be able to name my own body. “Thin people’s discomfort with a word that has hurt them shouldn’t stand in the way of the liberation of actual fat people.”
Yeah. Huzzah to that!
Dear readers– what do you think about these myths? Did any strike a strong note with you? We’d love to hear from you.
Occasionally things happen in the world of cycling the you can’t quite believe. Like this story: “31 riders kicked out of Giro Next Gen for holding onto team vehicles on Stelvio climb: Cyclists grabbed onto cars and motorcycles up the legendary ascent.”
The video is remarkable. Like people who get a drive in ultramarathons, you can find no good explanation for why anyone thought that would be acceptable in a race.
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) June 15, 2023
I mean I’ve been tempted to get up hills on my bike by means other than pedaling and I’ve occasionally accepted a gentle push from another rider but it would never occur to me that that’s okay in a race.
“The race’s opening stage was marred with oncoming traffic and vehicles parked along the closed course, pedestrians wandering across the road, and riders navigating around traffic in the final kilometers.”
“But apparently, a regard for their safety is simply too much for the women’s peloton to ask. In a stunning combination of victim-blaming and condescension, the race’s organizer Pascal Baudron was quoted as saying, “The girls have demands that are not in line with their level. They imagine that they are on the Tour de France and that all the roads must be closed, that everything must be locked down.”
A small child in a yellow dress with hands over her eyes. It’s an image you get when you search the WordPress free photo library for “unbelievable.”
I’m in Charlottetown, PEI, for a week! With a day to myself I could do a self-guided tour with a rental car, walking, public transit, or e-bike. By my title, I think you know which I chose.
Probably inspired by other FIFI e-bike posts, I rented an e-bike for the first time in hilly, windy Wellington, New Zealand a few years ago. Here in PEI, where it is flat and the weather has been warm, the electronic motor was more of a luxury!
Elan is on her way. Rental from Rising Tide eBikes in Charlottetown, PEI, which I recommend!
It’s been long enough between rental e-bike day tours that it was good for me to plan ahead and review some self-reminders, which I’ll share:
Read some research/reviews on the e-bike rental store first, and read the waivers before you rent.
Pack hydration, some money, and a layer, as you would when you’re out on your own bike.
Take the time to ask questions about the e-bike. I reminded myself that although I ride this bike wasn’t mine. The store staff want renter safety and they love to answer questions about e-bikes.
Find the bell in the store. I yelled “on your left” at people for hours. The staff showed me where the little bell was hiding when I got back.
Pay for add-ons that will make your trip comfortable, if affordable. In my vanity, I didn’t want a basket at first, but it turned out to be incredibly convenient.
Resist the urge to leave right away for familiarization and to ensure the e-bike works properly. I used the gears and brake in front of the store first before I would need them on my journey.
Always helmet. Always lock.
Have an idea of where you want to go as well as where you shouldn’t go. There was a fun downtown boardwalk on the map, but e-bikes aren’t allowed on it. There were also some busier streets I was warned about by staff. I stuffed a print map in my sports bra for quick review en route.
People can be surprised by the speed of approaching e-bikes. I tried to be extra sure folks knew I was coming.
Keep safe. Ride during the day and on recognizable roads. Bring a charged phone. But skip the trip if you are solo and worried about your personal safety.
A small detour riding the Island Trail!
It’s always good to follow traffic rules and ride defensively. But compared to my hometown, I noticed here drivers were much more courteous to cyclists. Nearly every driver gave me the right of way, even when it wasn’t my turn. So, be aware of the vibe of your touring area when you e-bike.
Overall, if you have the time the weather is decent, I highly recommend renting an e-bike while traveling and touring! You can go further than on two legs, get some outside time, and make some unexpected discoveries along the way.
The entire PEI Island Walk trail. Great signage here!
FIFI readers, what would you add to my list? Where in the world do you recommend e-biking?
My Twitter friend Patty (@pattyboge), who is very active in the Winnipeg bike community, shared a couple of thoughts about biking and feminism this week.
First was an excellent commencement speech at Smith College given by Reshma Saujani on imposter syndrome. “Imposter syndrome is modern day Bike Face, just another attempt to hold women back. Just ride your bicycle, pursue what you want to pursue.
“Imposter syndrome is just two made up words on the page. Start pedalling, feel the sun in your face, feel the wind in your hair, feel the joy, feel the freedom, feel the love.”
Sam wrote about Bicycle Face way back in 2013. She also interviewed lawyer David Isaac in 2020 about how safe infrastructure and women on bikes. His key point was that safe infrastructure that connects to places where women want to go is key to getting women riding bikes. And it is a feminist issue because it can make cities more equitable.
That brings me to Patty’s second thought: « Women’s Rights activist Susan B. Anthony says it best ‘Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel, the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood.”
Patty’s response to all the people who pass two close and try to intimidate women to try to get us “off the road, B!&%!” is to say “we can’t and we won’t stop. Our bikes are our freedom”.
One of my favourite pictures of Patty, swiped from her Twitter feed. She is wearing a hot pink mini dress, sunglasses and a pink helmet with a tiara. She is riding a white e-bike with a front basket decorated with flowers. And of course, she has a huge smile.
I wasn’t planning to until after July 1, when my no-buy year would officially come to an end. However, two weeks before I left on a visit to see friends and family in Toronto, I noticed my nightdresses and a few of my shirts were fraying rapidly and in some cases, new holes were appearing daily.
Holey clothes may be fashionable but not for this gal. It was past time to assess needs and wants. Locally I don’t have a lot of choice when it comes to clothing and I did not want to rely on buying online in case stuff didn’t match the picture on screen, didn’t feel right, or was the wrong size.
Image description: Martha’s gold toes in five year old sandals are admired by a cute little beige dog and a very large smile.
I joined the challenge because it seemed like a good idea. I wanted to see if I could continue making mindful choices that were voluntary and not enforced through lockdown limitations. The pandemic had meant my “good” clothes got less wear so their lifespan was extended beyond normal. I tend to hang onto clothes for quite a while generally, while relying on accessories like shoes and purses/totes to extend the look.
And I did quite well, considering. I spent money three times on clothes, shoes, or accessories in the past year, each purchase occasioned by urgency, necessity, or opportunity.
Were there times I wanted to buy something simply because it was cute, or it appealed to my inner magpie? Yes, there was. Did I give in? No, I did not. Instead, I asked myself three questions based on the three criteria I had set for breaking my no-buy fast.
Would this purchase fix an urgent issue? My new walking shoes and workshop shoes mended the ankle injury.
Was this something I truly needed? New underthings qualified when the old ones did not meet the hospital test (could I wear them and still be decent?).
If the item was not urgent or necessary, was the opportunity something that was so awesome it would not likely be possible after the no-buy challenge ended? The tops I bought while travelling qualified as they fit well, they were a good price, and I had not seen anything similar at home.The dress I bought with birthday money was too good a deal to pass up for something well-made, Canadian, and spectacular.
I stole an idea from a friend of mine to help me be mindful and to remind me not to settle. Whenever she made a good choice or made a positive decision, she threw $20 in a jar. At the end of the year, she used the cash to buy herself a new piece of gym equipment or finance training, or other appropriate rewards.
I decided to track what I saved when I chose not to buy something I wanted. Rather than a flat rate per item or the full amount of the possible purchase, I decided to save 10% of the cost in my savings account. I ended up with an amount that made me really think hard about how consumerism and capitalism are both exerting significant pressure on our spending habits.
Given that I met all three criteria, I happily set a budget for my holiday. I also reminded myself to focus on what made me look and feel good. The end result: three tops, a pair of pants, three nightdresses, two pairs of bike shorts, a pair of flipflops with built-in supports, and the coolest hat ever. In fact, I refused to settle for just “fine” and only spent half of my planned budget.
What has all this got to do with fitness? A lot.
First, it’s about mental health and wellbeing. Some of us shop because it makes us feel good for a while. What else could give us that good feeling? What is it we are trying to fix with a splurge? Also, we all need to wear clothes. If you are plus size, as I am, it’s hard to find pretty things to wear. We all like to feel good and be happy, not just in our own skin, but in the clothes we wear. (Remember Roy Kent!)
Second, I have started using the same questions framed differently to think about my approach to fitness. (In fact, reframing is a technique I use quite often and will explore in another post. Stay tuned!). For me, urgency in fitness is about recovery and repair. Necessity is about building strength vs body modification. Opportunity is how can I move more often and not just in a gym.
Third, I used the lessons about tracking training sessions and personal bests to evaluate how I was doing. Outcomes and outputs matter. I saved a lot of money this year. I donated a lot of clothes. I became more creative in my clothing choices. I also hauled out my box of sewing patterns and started thinking about what I could make or get made in the fall.
Even though the no-buy challenge was not entirely purchase-free, I am more than fine with my choices. Last week’s acquisitions make me feel great especially the completely frivolous hat, which I absolutely adore. More importantly, the no-buy challenge helped me focus on what mattered to me: changing habits that led to reducing my carbon footprint and dealing with issues head-on in response to shifting personal priorities.
I’m not afraid of flying or anything like that. I just feel disconcerted by the whole ‘hurry up and wait’ nature of flying anywhere.
I feel like I’m stuck in the in-between the whole time I am travelling, and the fact that I usually have to head to the airport around 3am never helps. (Such are the travel woes of living on this island – fewer flights and limited departure times.)
So, really, it’s the perfect recipe for a cranky Christine – disturbed sleep, a lack of control over my schedule, feeling crowded, disrupted meal times, limited bathroom access, and an even looser sense of time than usual.
Image description: a photo of the plane’s wing as taken from my window. The sky is various shades of blue and there are clouds quite a distance below the wing.
I do my best to minimize how disruptive these things are for me and I do what I can to remember that travelling makes me cranky so I need to be patient with myself and with everyone else.
I think (I hope!) I’ve gotten pretty good at being patient with other people but I sometimes forget about being patient with myself so I often arrive at my destination feeling rumpled, frustrated, and fed up.
But, on a recent trip to Sudbury for a conference, I discovered that I had an unexpected ally in my desire to arrive at my destination a little less frazzled…
My wrist spy! (Content warning: the post at that link is about grief.)
Yep. My Apple watch made a HUGE difference for me in this trip.
The fact that it changed time on its own helped me to *be* in whatever time zone I was in, which helped me feel a little less in-between.
My reminder to take my meds was obviously helpful.
But really, the most useful thing was being able to see that I wasn’t getting my usual movement in – I was sitting too long, my exercise minutes weren’t increasing, and I wasn’t working toward my move goal.
When I was on the plane, those flat numbers inspired me to stretch a little instead of just sitting still. (Yes, I was careful not to disturb my seat mates.)
Three important things to notice in this photo – 1) my sneakers! With gold stars! 2) my water bottle – which was another ally in the battle against crankiness 3) the strangely mesmerizing airport carpet. Image description: In this photo, I’m sitting on a chair and I’ve taken the photo looking down at my right foot and ankle resting on my left knee and I am about to lean forward to stretch my right hip. I’m wearing black leggings and white canvas sneakers with gold stars on them. My light green water bottle is standing on the floor to my left.
By the way, if you ever find yourself in need of a way to baffle some burly young men in an airport, I highly recommend chair yoga. They were perfectly nice burly young men and I’m sure the fact that they moved slightly further away from me was merely a coincidence. 😉
As a bonus, my watch also helped me during every day of the conference, reminding me that I needed to stand, reminding me to work toward my move goal, and showing me that I hadn’t gotten my exercise minutes yet.
Continuing to track (and work toward) those things was a wonderfully familiar thing amid the chaos of travel and the fun but out-of-my-usual-routine days of the conference.
Keep up with those three things not only helped anchor me while I was away from home but the fact that I kept moving helped me to feel less tense, less stiff, and more relaxed the whole time.
I didn’t transform into the poster girl for contented travel but I was definitely less cranky.
But right now I’m recovering from knee replacement surgery and so my yoga options are somewhat limited. I’m still stiff and sore some of the time and I can only stand up for so long.
When I saw that my fancy gym was starting to offer aqua yoga, I was intrigued and read a bit about yoga in swimming pools.
People holding hands in the water in a circle. Sam’s yoga class did not do this!
“Like most forms of water exercise (besides swimming), aqua yoga is super low impact, making it an ideal way for people with joint pain to improve their strength, flexibility, and range of motion. As Katherine Winge, who is trained in Aqua Kriya Yoga and teaches in Austin, Texas, explains, “The buoyant effect of the water takes the pressure of a person’s weight off the joints, alleviating pain or discomfort people may feel when exercising. Since the body bears less weight in the water, the muscles are relaxed and therefore can be stretched and strengthened with less incidence of injury. I have seen a wide variety of people benefit from aqua yoga, including those with arthritis, hip and or knee replacements, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, muscular dystrophy, anxiety, depression, pre-natal, post-natal, post-surgery, people with difficulty balancing, sciatica, and beginners as well as people who already have a regular practice.”
When I saw mention of joint replacement, I thought I’d give it a try.
I was worried it would be just a slower moving aquafit class but it was not. The teacher seemed to be a very experienced yoga instructor and she moved us through various yoga flow sequences. I loved being able to do warrior poses again.
Obviously some poses worked better than others in the pool. Eagle pose and tree pose? Yes. Downward dog? Not so much.
It wasn’t easy but it was doable for me and my new knees. I liked that our bodies were underwater and no one could judge my very tentative bow pose. My knees can’t bend that far.
My only complaint was the sleepy new age yoga music but I’ve had that issue at land based yoga classes too.
Oh, and it’s not a complaint since the water is that temperature for people who are doing more vigorous movements in the pool (like in the aqua intensity class that’s also offered at the club) but I found it a bit chilly to be standing still. The instructor kept encouraging us to find our stillness and she commented that many people seemed to find hard to stay still but for me it was all about staying warm.
That said, I really enjoyed working my way through yoga postures in the pool. I’d definitely recommend it and I’ll be back.
In the meantime, I’ve booked more alpaca yoga for the end of September.
I’ve been marking and naming decades for awhile now.
My thirties were for family, obviously. My kids were born in 92, 96, and 98.
I decided that after that time with small children that my forties were for fun. I even had a blog partly about that that’s disappeared into the ether. It was on Friendster. Remember Friendster? When it went away without warning I lost my blog and only the posts that I’d written in another program and saved as drafts were available to me. Here’s one from 2006 on why I decided to quit Goodlife.
And this blog got its start when Tracy and I planned to be the fittest we’d ever been in our lives when we turned fifty. This blog and our fifties were about fitness.
But even then for Tracy and me it was mostly triathlon, rowing, and riding bikes. Yes we did other stuff. We both did strength training. However, it was–for me at least–mostly in support of other activities. I’ve never had goals attached to strength training. It’s never been my main thing, my focus.
My knee surgeries might have changed that for me. See A real life lesson in muscle loss and aging. Ever since that hospital stay I’ve been thinking about strength. I’ve also been thinking about strength related goals and about what my fitness life would look like if I put strength at the center.
Of course, I want to hike and bike and go on long canoe camping trips. But I see now that if I want to do those things as I age, a lot of what’s required is serious strength training.
There’s other kinds of strength too–emotional strength and resilience matters too.
I’m turning 59 this summer. That gives me about a year to think about what this means and if it’s a theme I’ll choose for my sixties. Will my sixties be for strength? Let’s see.
Where does strength fit into your fitness life?
Training for my summer body? Fuck no! I’m training for my old lady body.. Dense bones. Strong muscles. A healthy heart. Good balance. Functional independence.
I love summer water sports: swimming, paddling, snorkeling (when I can get it), playing in water (in organized fashion or not), you name it. But it’s important to be prepared and informed about safety, cost, and other issues, especially when embarking on some new twist on an old favorite.
For instance, I spent some time looking up how to rig a kayak with glow-in-the-dark lights after reading Elan’s recent post, Night Kayaking in Costumes. After doing some online research, I think I’ll just rent a kayak (maybe with some of the bloggers and assorted friends) when I’m in Ontario in August. You can read about it here, and I will certainly be reporting about it here on the blog.
In 2021 I wrote about swimming pool questions and answers from a Quora discussion. Take a look, and see if the information addresses little worries or gaps you might have had. Have a good summer Sunday, and see you all next week.
