5. “A cycling influencer nominated for a list of top 100 women cyclists said she has declined the honour due to the decision not to include trans women. Cycling UK, a charity promoting the sport, has compiled its 100 Women in Cycling list for the last nine years, but this year decided only to include biological women following the recent unanimous UK Supreme Court ruling defining a “woman” and “sex” in law. Claire Sharpe, a cycling guide and coach from Bristol, said: “If they don’t want to ride with all women, then it’s not the kind of ride I want to be part of”.” BBC website
6. 5 health benefits of line dancing – according to science
It’s getting to be that time in the semester when the pace of exams starts speeding up. It’s less than a month to go in the term, and my students are looking more tired and anxious. They’re not up for a nice brisk walk in the woods at the east end of campus, and they’re not eating food that makes them feel fortified for the day (at least if my own past college self is any evidence). What is a person to do to help them get at least a temporary break from stress and anxiety on exam day?
Idea: name that fish.
What?
I was in my office before class and noticed this small, spongy, rubbery multicolored fish sitting on my desk. I had picked it up at a school event in September from a swag table. On a whim, I put it in my bag and headed out to give an exam.
A cute little red and yellow spotted spongy fish, definitely worthy of hanging out with me in my office.
When I arrived at class, I greeted the tops of my students heads– all were bent over their notes, hoping that a few more minutes in their vicinity would translate into a better grade.
Then I had a sudden thought: I wrote on the board:
For one point of extra credit on the exam, name this fish.
And I drew an arrow to where the fish was sitting in the eraser tray for the white board at the front of the room.
When I announced the extra credit opportunity, not many people smiled or chuckled– they were too intent on getting the exam over with. But, here is what they came up with:
An ocean of names, all from their imaginations and memories.
One student came up to turn in her exam, wearily saying, “I’m done”. I asked her if she named the fish and she perked up, saying “I’m not done”, turned around, went back to her desk, composed a name, returned to me, and said with a smile, “Now I’m done”.
For me, a smile, a chuckle, a silly distraction– these moments help provide a break during times of stress and worry, offering a some needed respite and a small infusion of well-being.
Readers, what do you do to lighten your day during this dark month of November? I’d love to hear from you.
Sometimes, things move slowly (including me) and it is a lot easier on my brain if I just accept that pace and keep going.
This is definitely one of those times.
November has been a good month (yay for birthdays!) but it has also been a month with lots of rain, lots of meetings, lots of things to get done – and a few inconvenient migraines thrown into the mix.*
So, with all of that said, here are the updates:
My Walking Challenge
I’m 37% of the way through my walking challenge and I have been enjoying the little bit of extra motivation to get moving and the little bit of extra incentive to walk a little further.
image description: a screen capture of the activity screen from my challenge app. The top of the screen is a spooky scene depicted in purple and green. (That line rhymes!) below that is a map of Salem, Massachusetts with the route marked out in blue and icons representing different people doing the challenge at whatever point they are on the route. Below that are my stats: I have covered 37% of the distance in 39% of the time I have allocated for this challenge. I have completed 18.07 km and I have 29.73 km to go. I have completed 22 days of the challenge and I have 34 remaining.
While I *could* set my tracker to include all of the movement I do in a day, I decided that I only wanted to count deliberate activity. So, my walks count and so did raking the leaves but bringing in the groceries doesn’t contribute to the challenge.
My 11 Things Challenge
Here are my things-in-progress:
Journal while sitting on the floor once a week – I’ve done this twice.
Practice those three tricky TKD patterns for at least 30 minutes (total) – I’ve done 10 minutes of practice.
Rake up some of the backyard leaves (I’m leaving some for the bugs!) – I spent 30 minutes and filled up two paper lawn bags with leaves so this one is done!
Do at least one 10 minute meditation per week – I’ve done this twice.
Find a way to elevate keyboard for a standing writing session – I’m working with my Brother-in-Law to make this happen. By the way, I’m writing this on his birthday (Nov 17) so Happy Birthday, Dan! 💚🎂
Not bad, hey?
(The reason I’m describing my progress as slow is because I haven’t gotten to some of the bigger items on my list. I’ll get there though.)
I’m awarding myself a gold star for my efforts so far and I’ll update you further in a couple of weeks. ⭐
PS: My sister shared this short video with me recently and I found it really helpful. It’s good to be reminded that the purpose of making a list is not necessarily to get everything on the list done. Instead, it can be about ensuring that you get more done than you would have without the list. Good perspective shift, hey?
*Is there such a thing as a convenient migraine? Of course not! But some migraines are more inconvenient than others. This month they have all happened when I could just stop and take good care of myself without too much of a scramble.
If you’re in Ontario, and a cyclist, you’re aware of our provincial government’s war on bike lanes.
First, the Ford government passed a bill that gave the province sweeping control over municipal bike lanes. It was called Bill 212, Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024.
An Ontario court ruled the government’s plan to remove protected bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street in Toronto was unconstitutional. The court found the province’s plan to remove bike lanes would “put people at increased risk of harm and death, which engages the right to life and security of the person.” The province is appealing this ruling.
To top it off, the City of Guelph is now considering a 2026 budget that proposes cuts to active transportation, cycling, and trail projects, including the elimination of winter bike lane snow removal. See the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation Call to Action here.
Many people normally commute by bike to school or work. However, they stop riding in November when snow and ice threaten. These days though, e-bike purchases are on the rise and winter is getting warmer. I think many people would keep riding if the conditions were right.
Some conditions are within our control. Nat and I have both bought winter bike tires. But other conditions–like safe bike lanes clear of snow– are a collective matter.
Strength and speed are my friends. They were my go to fitness mojo. But no more. The times they are a changing.
The issues I’m facing aren’t directly age-related. They’re health related, though obviously there’s a connection. Did you know that by age 60, more than half of people have a hiatal hernia? Until last month, I did not know that either.
Most people are asymptomatic and don’t need to worry about it, but that’s not me.
To be absolutely clear, I’m not asking for medical advice. I have a good doctor. I’m also definitely not giving medical advice. I’m not that kind of doctor. I’m talking about my life, fitness and health experiences. If you think you might have a hiatal hernia please go talk to your doctor.
Back to strength and speed, and changing directions.
I’ve always been good at sprinting and generally good at sports that require bursts of power and strength. In cycling, I’m a sprinter. Many people can ride further than me. Many people can also ride up hills more quickly. However, on the flats, I’m pretty good at short bursts of power.
This was recently confirmed by a Zwift (virtual cycling) assessment of my riding abilities.
My Zwift baseline report declared my strength as a cyclist was sprinting and that I should work on my endurance.
My strength:
My weakness:
I joked in that post about the likelihood of my giving up my sprinting ways. Now here I am, needing to give up intense efforts on the bike.
Why? Medical advice is to continue exercising with a hiatal hernia, but to avoid heavy lifting and intense aerobic activities. What am I allowed to do? Long, slow endurance efforts. There’s advice out there like this, “Stick with low-impact activities that do not put excessive pressure on your core. You can try walking, swimming, yoga (but only certain poses), or light cycling. ” Light cycling?!?
Also, “high intensity exercises may exacerbate your symptoms.”
Could I become an endurance athlete? Maybe.
Will I die of boredom? Possibly.
Endurance riding would undoubtedly be a reasonable winter training goal. It has the virtue of being a weakness I can work on, and that I’m allowed to work on it. Even Zwift thinks I ought to work on it.
I’ve done a few slow Zwift rides since diagnosis, and they’ve been fine. It’s hard to resist sprinting, though. It’s hard to admit that my “beast” days are over. What’s the alternative? I’ve never been that keen on the “energizer bunny” fitness archetype–you know, those people who can go at moderate pace forever, but maybe I can warm up to it. I have to start to tell new fitness stories.
“There’s a thing that people say about older athletes. They say you lose your peak performance, your top end speeds, your ability to sprint. You keep your endurance. The older athlete can go forever. We just can’t go as fast.
That’s the received wisdom and you hear it from masters athletes themselves.
But the problem is that this isn’t quite true. Studies show that older athletes who lose top end speeds do so because because they stop training for performance at those speeds. They keep the long rides and long runs but drop the speed training. Almost nobody keeps training at 60 as much as they did when they were younger. When they conduct studies and test older athletes responsivity to training, older athlete do make the same kinds of gains they did when they were younger. They just don’t feel like doing it.
What’s missing, it turns out, isn’t the phsyiological ability to respond to training. What’s missing is the desire to train hard.”
My sister and I went to the Museum of Fine Arts a couple of weeks ago when she was visiting. We had a great time meandering through the galleries, with no particular goal other than enjoyment. We met that goal easily and effortlessly. Yay!
Now it turns out that science confirms what we experienced… 🙂 A new study out from Kings College, London, found evidence that viewing art in a gallery (it has to be in a gallery, it seems) lowers stress levels. Here’s some more info:
50 volunteers aged 18-40, viewed either original artworks at The Courtauld Gallery in London or reproductions of the same paintings in a matched, non-gallery environment. Participants were monitored for heart rate variability and skin temperature using research-grade digital watches to track levels of interest and arousal.
Cortisol levels — the key stress hormone — fell by an average of 22% in the gallery group, compared to just eight per cent for the reproduction group. Those viewing original art also had more dynamic heart activity – indicating that art engages the body through both emotional arousal and stress regulation.
That’s good news for me, as I love any excuse to go to a museum or gallery. Dr. Tony Woods, one of the researchers, added this:
“Our unique and original study provides compelling evidence that viewing art in a gallery is ‘good for you’ and helps to further our understanding of its fundamental benefits. In essence, art doesn’t just move us emotionally — it calms the body too.”
You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m on it.
But maybe museums aren’t your thing. That’s fine– science has other good news for you. In a study published in October, researchers in Australia found that:
People [over 70] who listened to music most days slashed their risk of developing dementia by 39 percent compared with those who did not regularly listen to music, the study found.
Here are a few of their key points:
Always listening to music was associated with a 39% reduced dementia risk and better global cognition and memory scores.
Playing an instrument was associated with a 35% reduced dementia risk, but no significant association with CIND risk or changes in cognitive test scores over time.
Regularly engaging in both music listening and playing was associated with a 33% decreased risk of dementia and 22% decreased risk of cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND).
This was an observational study, so the results are associations, not causal links. But it was large– more than 10,000 participants– so the results are encouraging.
Listening to music was NOT, however, associated with subjective cognitive wellbeing. But hey, that’s what the museums are for.
So, science is giving us official permission get our culture on. Yay!
It started off so promising. An icy Monday morning I hopped on my commuter bike with new studded tires. They gripped through ice and wet leaves. I felt so bad ass.
The ride home was equally wonderful. A bit chilly but it felt like a win.
The Tuesday we got a good amount of snow.
Wednesday the ride in was terrible. I shared an honest video recounting how the road plow had filled the bike lane with snow banks, that it was garbage day and we still had piles of leaves in the lane too.
I felt deflated. Defeated really.
The snow has since melted.
I’m feeling positive about trying it again next week. Fingers crossed the weather is on my side.
A short video showing black painters strapped to a blue step through bicycle. There are neoprene sleeves over the handle bars.
To celebrate Hallowe’en, I read Shirley Jackson’s terrifying novel, The Haunting of Hill House (recently adapted for Netflix). Jackson’s famous story, “The Lottery” impressed me as an undergraduate forty years ago, but I had never wondered about its author’s life. This fall, a podcast led me first to the novel and then to Ruth Franklin’s wonderful biography. There I learned that Jackson had managed to write six novels and dozens of short stories while raising four children and supporting her husband’s academic and writing career; I also learned of the ill health, both mental and physical, that preceded Jackson’s death at 48. She died taking an afternoon nap. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest caused by coronary occlusion.
“If only Jackson had taken up running,” was the thought that came to mind. I know, I know—women jogging around the neighbourhood was not a thing in 1950s America, although there were superlative women runners who represented the country in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics (Mae Faggs, Catherine Hardy, Barbara Jones, and Janet Moreau won gold in the 4×100 relay in 1952; Isabelle Daniels, Mae Faggs, Margaret Matthews and Wilma Rudolph won bronze four years later). My response was a projection; in my late forties, I suffered, like Jackson, from panic attacks, and while I’m grateful to the care I received at the time, I wish that someone had suggested exercise as a possible therapy. It may be that my symptoms were perimenopausal and would have abated on their own. In any case, they disappeared when I turned fifty and took up running.
That year my youngest child left home for university. I suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands, a moment to breath and find my feet after twenty years of full-time work and children’s hockey, soccer, and music lessons—and also puppy training, dog walking, and household chores. The freedom that running afforded was an extension of a broader sense that new horizons were opening up in front of me. Jackson suffered agoraphobia in her mid-forties and was prescribed tranquillizers, which didn’t alleviate her fears and only left her feeling “stupid” (her word). In the novel she was drafting in the months before she died, Jackson tells the story of a woman who leaves everyone behind, finding a room of her own far from the demands of children and marriage. Clearly, freedom was on her mind.
Jackson drank, smoked, and ate poorly—all contributing factors in her untimely death. I can’t help wondering if exercise might have extended her life and helped her overcome her fears—if she had walked the hills around North Bennington, the Vermont town where she lived, would she have gained the sense of freedom that running gave me? Had Jackson lived to fifty, maybe she would have caught a glimpse of a new life on the path ahead.
I am grateful for the amazing narratives that Shirley Jackson gave the world. But I can’t help wishing, for her, more years of writing and the health she needed to sustain it.
(The featured image is “Vermont Countryside.” This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.)
Checking back and reflecting on what I have done is always interesting. And novel, because I’m usually that person who doesn’t look back often; I’m too busy chasing the next fun thing. Here’s what I had planned to do. How have things gone since my mid-year check in?
Camp more at the cottage property. My friend Mel was only available for one long weekend, and we had no time for hiking or canoeing. However, we did manage a proof of concept with the cats. Interior finishing is continuing to progress and the cats didn’t escape and get eaten by a bear, so this is definitely going to be a repeat project for next year, once I have electricity to run the heat and water pump.
Bike at least 2,000 km. I might hit 200. The knees are still sore, but I’m continuing to work at physio exercises to stretch and strengthen the offending areas. I have my e-bike back in service for the first time since last fall and I have gone out for a couple of longer rides. There are a few fun group rides coming up. I hope to get out to at least one, because I miss that social activity a lot. And it’s almost time to set up my bike on the trainer and see whether I’ll use it this year.
Read one book a month: goal complete and exceeded! Thank you Ottawa Public Library and your interlibrary loan service. I’m anticipating some quiet days in November and December when I can curl up in bed with a stack of magazines.
Cooking one new recipe a week, with lots of vegan and vegetarian, using what’s in my pantry as much as possible, has shifted a little again. I have decided to focus more on making sure my plate is at least half full of vegetables. I even spent a couple of months tracking what I ate (not quantities though). For the first time in years, my most recent blood tests show my cholesterol comfortably in the normal range, so yay me!
Gardening in a drought was a bit of a disaster. Enough said. I am already thinking about how to make my gardens more climate-resilient for next year.
Swimming 200km a year: I’m close to halfway there, but definitely will not meet this one. I am counting wins in that I reconnected with some old swimming friends, and made a few new ones.
Me with old friends Michelle and Lois at the lake in September. We first met in a swim program many years ago, but headed off to different clubs when that pool closed a decade ago. It has been great to reconnect and swim together again.
Crafting was all over the place: I had fun at my textiles conference and followed up with a six-week course on one of the techniques I learned. There has been no art at all, but one of my really fun challenges has been making a pair of mittens patterned after those worn by Bernie Sanders at the first Trump inauguration, using a pattern I have mostly designed on my own.
Sewing continues to not happen.
Decluttering has definitely been a mixed bag, since I have taken on the challenge of cluttering at Mom’s. Her basement is being cleared, but mostly to my house. I am struggling to keep up with moving things onwards to their final home. It all makes me more determined than ever to tackle my own stuff.
Vacation to visit family and friends in southern Ontario ended up being too short, but it was fun to meet up with all the other bloggers for Sam’s birthday.
Elder care continues to consume way too much time, and yet I know it is precious time as Mom won’t be around forever. The realities of discovering how “not independent” Mom is, after spending a lifetime seeing her as very feminist and independent is shocking. It has me thinking a lot about how to ensure my own independence as I age, and simplify all the decision-making for my kids when they need to take over. An updated list of accounts and passwords would be a good start!
Most of my friends seen to be struggling with similar aging parent challenges, on top of their own health issues. So minimal get-togethers to just hang out. We’re all too tired. Heck, I was too tired even to relax in my hammock.
I haven’t been loud with my activist voice, but I did use my voice for an adventure. I joined in the production of one of the medieval York Corpus Christi plays, finished up my costume (that June sewing deadline on my original list), and acted the part of one of the three wise men.
I’m on the right of a small raised outdoor stage, presenting my gift of incense to the Virgin Mary, accompanied by her maid servant. Another wise man in blue is kneeling on the left, and in the background, you can just glimpse Herod and a soldier waiting for their next cue.
Will I bother to update this list again? Probably not. It’s already almost the end of the year, and I doubt much will change between now and then. Besides, I could use that precious blogging time for a nap.
I will make another list for next year. My goals are always wildly ambitious, but I’m learning that checking in on them helps me to refocus and to remember my successes, no matter how modest.
A friend posted this article about the Indian Women’s Cricket team winning the Women’s World Cup.
This AP photo of the women celebrating their World Cup win is from the India Today article linked above.
“Three years before this moment, back in October 2022, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a bold and unprecedented move during its 15th Apex Council meeting. They unanimously passed a resolution to introduce pay parity between India’s men’s and women’s cricketers. For the first time, the women who wore the blue jersey would receive the same match fees as their male counterparts.”
“This triumph was not accidental. It was the result of a carefully constructed ecosystem designed to elevate women’s cricket from the fringes to the forefront. The BCCI’s [Board of Control for Cricket in India] equal pay decision was only one piece of a larger puzzle: improved facilities, better coaching structures, and the advent of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which gave Indian players consistent exposure to world-class competition. The WPL, in particular, provided an arena for rising stars to play alongside and against international icons, sharpening their skills and instilling the poise needed for high-pressure moments like a World Cup final.”
The article got me thinking about other low and middle income countries with powerhouse sports teams. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for, but discovered that Kenya has a national strategy and several funds (public and private sector) to support women athletes. Jamaica announced a fund to support women’s soccer earlier this year, just two years after the national team had to crowd-fund its way to the Women’s World Cup.
Most seem to rely on non-governmental funding, which is more about empowering women and girls rather than producing elite athletes. That is arguably a far more important goal. But as interest in women’s sport continues to rise around the world, I look forward to seeing other countries and corporate sponsors putting resources into equal funding for women’s sport.
I’m already a fan of the Olympics, where there are serious efforts to ensure gender parity in the competitions and on individual teams. Future games promise to be even more interesting, as the traditional dominance of countries that have (relatively) strong support for female athletes is tested.
