My continuing quest to improve my posture and knee health has taken me down the weird road of re-learning to walk. I didn’t quite realize that was what I was doing until I read Breath, by James Nestor. He writes about a multi-year drought project to learn about breathing, and how it has affected his health.
Obviously, I know how to walk. What I’m less good at is walking with my shoulders back, my torso lifted, and my head and feet at optimal angles. My new habit is to walk during my shifts on desk at the pool. I wiggle my shoulders to remind them to be wide both front and back. I peek at my reflection to make sure my feet are facing forward, rather than turned out like a duck’s.
I walk backwards sometimes (most of the benefits may be overstated, but it’s a good way for me to keep scanning the pool as I move around). I walk sideways. Sometimes I stop and go up on my toes 20 times, or do little leg lifts.
A Lego image of a lifeguard wearing a red bathing suit and pinny.
Similarly, I am trying a few of the techniques in Breath. I breathe in through my nose and exhale slowly out my mouth as much as possible when exercising. Sometimes I try box breathing, especially when I’m trying to relax. Occasionally, I’ll even do a bit of yoga alternate nostril breathing. The rest of the time, I focus on breathing only through my nose, at least when I’m awake. I have not yet resorted to taping or strapping my mouth shut for sleep, though I confess to having considered it.
Mina wrote recently about some of the alternative medicine things she is trying alongside her prescription medications. I thought it was an interesting approach.
Like Mina, I’m just doing them as entertaining supplements to my physiotherapy and prescribed medications. I think they’re helping a little. If not, that’s fine; they won’t hurt me (as long as I don’t trip).
I have started this post approximately 8 million times today and I just couldn’t get any momentum.
Some topics were too small to get anywhere with and others were too big to wrap my head around on this kind-of-low-energy, didn’t-sleep-well, had-a-Covid-booster-shot-this-morning day.
And I had actually posted to the other bloggers to see if anyone had something they wanted to post today instead of me but before anyone could take me up on it, I remembered my best ways of getting things done.
a) do the easy thing
b) make it small
For this post, doing the easy thing meant focusing on writing ANYTHING instead of focusing on writing something good. I didn’t have to be profound or comprehensive, and I didn’t have to have some actionable conclusion, I could just write about how things are for me today – fitness-wise, mental health-wise, or wellness-wise.
And making it small meant that I didn’t have to write an essay, I could write a paragraph, I could post a photo, I could write a list.
So I did!
Here are three things that are making me happy today and that have the potential to bring me happiness in the longer-term, too.
1) Usually, Khalee and I walk by ourselves in the afternoon but a few times over the past week, thanks to the good weather and brighter evenings, Steve and I have taken her for another short walk together after supper.
More time with my husband, more time outdoors, a bit of extra exercise, and a definite break between the different parts of my day? I love this new routine!
image description: an evening photo of Khalee, my light-haired, medium-sized dog standing on a sidewalk next to some grass. She is looking back over her shoulder towards the camera and she has her tongue stuck out. There are two shadows on the sidewalk between her and the camera because the streetlight that just came on is behind me and my husband. You can’t tell in the photo of course but I’m laughing as I take this photo because the angle of where I am holding my phone makes my shadow-head look kind of rectangular.
2) I saved this Instagram post this morning because I loved how the ideas felts and I appreciated the simple (but not easy) suggestions about how to incorporate yoga principles into daily life.
I haven’t really put this into practice yet of course but I am trying to figure out ways to remind myself to return to these ideas repeatedly so they can become part of my routine.
An imbedded post from Instagram in which @johuttonyoga is talking about small moments of yoga in their day – trying to stay present, to deal with uncertainty, and to live yoga principles in a way that is more being than doing.
3) I’m reading Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s book Tiny Experiments: How to live freely in a goal-obsessed world and, so far at least, it’s a marvellous match for how my ADHD brain likes to get things done. I’ll be writing more about it when I’m finished reading but I wanted you to know about it in the meantime.
Yes, I did think it was funny to take a photo of my (e)book with this post in the background. Gotta find your fun wherever you can, right? Image description: a photo of the ebook cover of Tiny Experiments on my Kobo ereader. The device is propped up in front of my monitor on my desk and this post is displayed on screen. On the lower left of the monitor is a white piece of paper with text reading ‘Own Your Time’ and on the right is a sticker with a human skull and text reading ‘Pick Your Poison’ both of which are notes-to-self reminding me to choose how to spend my time instead of just letting it gallop along. My reading glasses are on the desk on the left.
Breakaway Femmes comes to Canadian cinemas in April.
Demand Film is presenting theatrical screenings of Breakaway Femmes in Cineplex cinemas across Canada on Monday, April 7. Tickets are only available at demand.film. For each screening to proceed a minimum number of tickets need to be reserved in advance at each location by March 27.
So order your tickets now!
Here’s the trailer:
From Canadian Cycling Magazine: “For six years in the 1980s, the Tour de France included a women’s race alongside the men’s: the Tour de France Féminin. It gave women cyclists the chance to compete on the same roads, face the same iconic climbs, and ride in front of the same crowds. Despite delivering dramatic victories, intense rivalries, and remarkable displays of endurance, the women faced constant challenges—including financial struggles, injuries, discrimination, and the growing influence of doping in the sport.
Yet through it all, they built something more lasting than trophies: a deep sense of camaraderie. Now, more than 30 years later, these women reflect on their time at the pinnacle of professional cycling in a new film. Their stories shed led on what their experiences mean for the next generation of female athletes. That’s what the film, Breakaway Femmes dives on into.”
Capsized is a documentary film about Emily Kynaston-Williams, co-founder of Every Body Outdoors, and her friend Lisa, who embark on a canoe adventure in the Isle of Lewis. One focus of the film is the challenge of finding size-inclusive outdoor gear and promoting adventure for all.
The film follows Emily and Lisa as they navigate the lochs of the Isle of Lewis, with a focus on Emily’s unconventional adventure dreams, including dragging a canoe across a bog.
From the film description:
“Some people dream of summiting the highest peaks, of visiting a remote island, of being the fastest to navigate a route. But not Emily. Emily dreams of esoteric adventure, and of dragging a canoe across a bog. Enlisting her friend Lisa to join her, the pair set off to the Isle of Lewis, to navigate its intricate system of lochs. But before any trip comes the prep, and part of that means finding the right kit. For Emily, this can be a tough adventure in and of itself. When outdoor shops only stock technical clothing up to a size 16, how is adventure possible for the 45% of women in the UK who wear larger sizes?”
Here’s just a few things I’m worried about: democracy, universities, economic collapse, nuclear war, trans rights, world health, future pandemics, starvation and disease in countries that relied on US aid, Canadian sovreignty.
We’re adding those to my existing base-level worry about ongoing environmental devastation due to climate change. Whenever I start to write the list, I get a prompt from whatever writing tool this app uses to alert me to the danger of run-on, very long sentences.
WELL, IT’S NOT MY FAULT THERE’S SO MUCH ON THE LIST.
What a nightmare.
Here’s a simpler list, a happier list. It’s six things I’m going to do more of this summer, the summer I’m 60 years old.
☀️SWIM
☀️LONG WALKS
☀️SAIL
☀️BIKE
☀️CANOE CAMPING
☀️CONNECT WITH FRIENDS
I love this list!
It’s hard to balance the anger, frustration, and sadness with the joy and love that’s in the world. It’s hard to balance awareness of one’s own privilege with the current state of affairs.
No wants to be the person fiddling while Rome burns. Or to fit it to our context, the person canoe camping while democracy dies in the country next door.
But I do want to be the person who notices beautiful things and makes room for joy in her life.
Also, I’m excited about summer and about eating ice cream! You?
I confess I’ve been thinking a lot about travel to the United States these days.
I’ve turned down one invitation to keynote a conference south of the border and also declined one conference acceptance.
I think, as long as Trump is in office, I’m just not going to do it.
I’ve also been thinking about about American academic colleagues in Canada, the border, and their need to visit family. It feels like the situation at the border is going to get worse, not better, in coming months.
Lately I’ve also been thinking about friends and colleagues in the US who can’t leave because they’re worried about re-entry. Trans friends and colleagues, are obviously worried but so too are friends and colleagues with student visas and green cards etc. It’s not just that I’m cut off from the US. Lots of people in the US may also feel trapped inside the country.
I follow these conversations in my academic circles but they’re also affecting music and sports. They’re both global activities that bring people together, across borders, in normal times.
“Eves of Destruction charter team manager Sloane Chomeakwich said they knew things would deteriorate when Donald Trump was re-elected as U.S. president in November, but didn’t anticipate it would happen as fast as it did.
“We could not have imagined that things would get this bad, this quickly,” Chomeakwich said. “It’s honestly very wild to watch and witness.”
Chomeakwich said the league made the “preemptive safety call” not to travel to the U.S. last month, though they had been discussing it since November.
Sonja Pinto, the representative for the Hard Core derby league team, said the decision was made in reaction to Trump signing an executive order that called for the federal government to limit gender options to male or female and for that to be reflected on official documents such as passports and policies such as federal prison assignments.
“So many of our skaters identify under the trans umbrella,” said Pinto, who is non-binary and uses she/they pronouns. “They’re worried they might run into issues crossing the border … it’s causing skaters to feel really nervous, to feel really uncertain.”
Roller derby has historically been a sport that has been more inclusive of trans people, Pinto said.
Chomeakwich, who changed their passport gender designation to X three years ago, said the league in general is “so gender diverse.”
“That’s really important as a value to our league [and] something that we’re not willing to give up just so that we can have a bit more competitive play.”
Pinto said reducing travel to the U.S. is one way that the league can support its trans skaters.
“We can choose solidarity and prioritize games in Canada.”
The league is now playing primarily at the Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt, where it is based.
In June, the Eves of Destruction are hosting the Capital City Chaos tournament and inviting teams from Washington, Alaska, California, and Oregon to come to the capital region instead.”
Early spring flowers are among my favorite things. Daffodills, fortsythia, crocuses– they are all happy harbingers of spring, even when the rest of nature is not budging (yet). Yesterday I enjoyed another early spring floral display– an orchid show at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, about an hour from my house.
This botanical garden is set on “200 acres of conservatories, formal and naturalistic gardens, a café, Garden Shop, walking trails, accessible pathways, and expansive views of the Wachusett Reservoir”, says their website. I’ve been at all times of the year, and there’s always something interesting to learn about local nature and art.
Some friends and I motored out there together and used passes from our local library to get reduced admission— two more fine features of the day.
We spent time both inside and outside, but the main attraction yesterday was the orchids. I love orchids. I grow them in my house, which has bright indirect light that orchids enjoy. And they have flourished for years. Really, it’s not me, it’s them– they seems to like it at my house.
But the orchid display in these conservatories was positively outlandish, in the best possible way. Take a look.
Here are some more.
And these.
And finally, these:
We walked around outside to a newly landscaped garden/children’s play area. My friend Rachel’s daughter Teagan enjoyed the flowers, but she really got into running around with all the kids in the area. We got into watching them.
I bought an orchid to take home with me, and it’s now settling into its new home. On my way back into the house, I stopped to talk with a neighbor about gardening– we are planning a trip a a local nursery together.
Moments of pleasure and respite. Reminders of the promise of a new season, come what may. Connections with friends and neighbors. The glory of nature. These are simple and necessary joys, open to all of us.
I have written many times about Outsourcing motivation Lately though I’ve been the one pushing us to do strength training. I enjoy it and find it easy to bring into my day.
Michel , on the other hand, is great at getting his cycling in but struggles to stick with strength training.
I was asking him if it was ok to write about his dislike. He said “I know it’s important but it’s not dislike, I really fucking hate it.”
Wow. That surprised me. So we have made the strength workouts some together time.
Adrian from Peloton is showing us a lung with some weights.
We are at 45 minute full body classes plus a warm up and stretch. We modify as needed. It feels good to have company and the time flies.
It’s nice to be able to support Michel’s goals. A bit of reciprocity on motivation feels good.
We pick classes where the instructor is a bit silly. Laughing helps.
I’ve also snuck in a few dance cardio warm ups to mess with his Strava feed. Hehehehe
Cate’s great post from a couple of weeks ago, combined with the latest over-the-top reaction to a trans athlete who hasn’t even competed since 2022 (aren’t all reactions over the top when people are complying with the rules?) led me down a rabbit hole of the harms gendered sports do more generally.
University of Pennsylvania’s Lia Thomas competing in 2022. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended about $175 million US in funding for the university over the participation of Thomas in its swimming program back in 2022. (John Bazemore/The Associated Press)
I have written about it before, here, and about Lia Thomas and other trans athletes. As a good analyst should, I am putting my biases on the table: I have trans friends, both men and women, who have gone from being suicidal and afraid to use a public washroom or change-room, to being happy and physically active. But as Cate said, and the “punishment” of the University of Pennsylvania shows, the whole trans athlete garbage isn’t really about trans athletes, especially at the elite level.
So what if we were to fight back by refusing to play along? What if we developed more all-gender sports, like we have already done for ultimate frisbee, mixed curling and many other new team sports, and which has been the standard in equestrian sport for decades? What if we changed the rules so that sports valued artistic merit, endurance and flexibility as much as they do upper body strength? What if women could do throws in figure skating, or compete in pommel horse? What if we then changed uniform rules so that men could wear sequins and women could wear pants (or at least shorts that covered more than most of the crotch)?
China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong competing during the Winter Olympics at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing. Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images
What if we simply stopped having men’s and women’s categories for things like shooting or fencing, where gender seems completely irrelevant? What if people like Katie Ledecky could compete against male swimmers? It is entirely possible she doesn’t know for sure just how much she is capable of because she races at different distances than men, and so outstrips many of her competitors that she may never have pushed herself to her absolute limits.
What if these rule changes led to much more equitable funding for sports traditionally segregated to women, or seen as too feminine (gymnastics, figure skating)?
There will undoubtedly be pushback, just like what we are seeing now against the LGBTQ+ community, from men who think they are losing something when women gain something. We will need to keep up the fight for fairness in sport. It’s a fight worth having for men, women, everyone.
Welcome to the first day of spring 2025. It was light enough this morning that I think I can start riding my bike to work. And it was warm enough that I won’t even mind riding home when I’m wet.
I did drag my hybrid off the trainer and rode to dance class. It was a bit of a disaster because I I didn’t have time to pump up my back tire, and I forgot my lock. Thank goodness I could tuck it inside the front entrance of the school.
It’s very grey out with rain predicted by the time I finish class but at least I’ll be ready for that because I remembered my rain hood (if not my bike lights).
Diane in her bright red rain hood and blue and white bike helmet. She hasn’t had time to remove the light that she never even used all winter.
I’ll get more organized before my next ride. It’s all a work in progress, and it will get better as I get back into the cycling habit.
I don’t think there’s a soothsayer around who can predict what sorts of horrific and damaging things the US executive branch and Donald Trump will do next. As a US citizen, I’m heartsick, angry and flummoxed about how to proceed (beyond calling, donating, doing good where I can).
But there’s one recent event, courtesy of Trump’s newly appointed head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr. (RFK), that I can speak to with confidence. It has to do with beef tallow.
What on earth are you talking about?
Apparently RFK is taking some time off from misleading Americans about the efficacy of the measles vaccine to hawk the virtues of french fries cooked in beef tallow.
Now, that seems random.
Yes, this is one of the random things in RFK’s brain right now.
So, what’s the story? Let’s let the Guardian take over from here.
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health secretary, appeared with a cheeseburger and fries in a nationally televised interview on Fox News – a highly unusual move for a federal health official.
The appearance, in which he endorsed the decision of the burger chain Steak ‘n Shake to cook its fries in beef tallow, comes as Kennedy has attacked seed oils and made claims about the measles vaccine that lack context.
“We are poisoning ourselves and it’s coming principally from these ultra-processed foods,” said Kennedy, while seated at a table with the Fox News host Sean Hannity.
“President Trump wants us to have radical transparency and incentivize companies like this one to switch traditional ingredients for beef tallow,” Kennedy added, before he was delivered a double cheeseburger and french fries at a restaurant location in Florida.
Hmmm… That doesn’t sound right.
Good response, yellow smiley. It’s totally not right.
Kennedy is attacking the use of seed oils (e.g. canola, sunflower, safflower oils) in fast food products. He claims that beef tallow is healthier than these oils for frying foods.
In case you’ve forgotten/never known: beef tallow is the rendered fat of animals, made from the hard fat around the organs of ruminants (cows, sheep, etc.) If you’d like to know how to make it, here’s a helpful how-to site. But pictures are worth a thousand words:
Beef kidney fat for making tallow.Tallow, ready for frying things.Nutritional info. You should know.
Now, to give beef tallow its due, various folks swear by it as a facial moisturizer (Eeeew! but you know, different strokes…) And, as a substrate for frying, it has a very high smoke point (400 degrees F/204C). But is it good for you, or even more implausibly, better for you than, say, sunflower oil?
No, of course not! Trust Jackie Chan and me on this.
But in case you’d like to hear from actual experts, here’s one, from this NPR article:
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and head of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, told NPR he’s glad Kennedy is concerned about ultra processed foods and the diet-related disease epidemic, which he calls an urgent national crisis.
But, “concern around seed oils is really a distraction, and we need to be focusing on the real problems,” he says.
The real villains, says Mozaffarian, are excessive amounts of refined grains, starches, and sugars, as well as salt and other preservatives, chemical additives, and contaminants from packaging.
“Seed oils are actually the bright spot,” he says. “Seed oils are healthy fats, healthy monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fats that are really good for our bodies.”
He notes that seed oils are well researched and have “incredible evidence” of health benefits, including studies showing they’re linked with lower cholesterol levels and heart disease; randomized trials have shown that consuming seed oil does not cause inflammation.
I might add that, for any of us interested in reducing our intake of animal products, beef tallow is pretty much at the top of the “really, stop eating this” list. Promoting it is perverse, non-health-directed, based on serious falsehoods, and designed to promote particular fast-food chain businesses.
I’m not saying that eating fat is bad. Fat is an important part of any diet. But why go to all the trouble, ickiness, health risk, and moral hazard of consuming beef tallow when an avocado would do nicely instead? I mean:
Who doesn’t want some nice guacamole? Thanks Y Virmani for Unsplash.
