Streaks

I'm not talking running streaks today. Those are puzzling to me, though they do show how compulsive a person can be. The more I give up on running, the more ridiculous it all seems to me, and yet I am familiar with that crazy drive. It has just escaped me lately. Sometimes I wonder if it was all one big waste of time, as I sit and binge on House of Cards episodes.

I'm in a hole. Shit luck, bad losing streak or whatever you want to call it, I'm getting tired of "fighting", which means I'm just plain tired. If I could sleep the rest of my days, I don't think I would mind all that much. Of course, when you feel cruddy, being positive isn't all that easy, and it has been one hell of a winter/spring.

I mentioned that I was sick for two months with some kind of monster flu/virus/cold, but that was just the tip of the mountain of ice. In short, things suck right now, but I suppose being on the mend is better than where I was two days ago.

God, my let foot has been a disaster since that stress fracture led me to the idiot who gave me the cortisone shots. I've forgotten what it's like to even walk normally. Allow me to rant a little bit, because I have been through hell. With me, it seems it can never be something minor; it has to be an all-out catastrophe, though it has been pointed out to me that I'm "lucky" to still have a foot at this point. The worst way to try to make someone feel better is to point out that it could be worse. "Oh, you just slammed your hand in the car door? At least it wasn't your head." Yeah, works great. I'm sure the guy squirming and yelping with the mashed hand feels a ton better now.

The story...

After the surgery, my foot was hurting. That seemed normal, right? Maybe not. I get so used to feeling shitty that it becomes hard to tell what's normal pain and what requires more attention. The doctor checked how the foot was healing a week ago Monday, and it looked pretty good. It was looking better, and the stitches were supposed to come out the following week. For two days, nothing much changed, but by the third day I was limping more. I assumed the discomfort was from the rubbing my shoe was doing, so I cut up an old pair of shoes, leaving as little friction against the side as possible. That didn't seem to help much. My foot ached and was too painful to run on, so I switched to the bike, doing mostly easy workouts. I'm VERY out of shape lately. What was concerning was this low-grade fever that I couldn't seem to shake.

I struggled through the rest of the week, and when I woke up on Sunday, I knew something wasn't right. In addition to my foot being extra swollen, it was also bright red. Infection. It was obvious, so I called my doctor on his cell phone. Man, I hate bothering people, even when I know it's the right thing to do. He was super nice about everything and called in some oral antibiotics. Before work, I took a double dose, as he suggested. Somehow I managed to get through the day, but when I got home, the foot was worse. My mood wasn't helped when, on my way home, some out of control asshole tried to cut me off and then started yelling at me, flipping me off in the process. He wanted to make an extra wide turn in a double turn lane, forgetting that there are other people on the road. The situation escalated when I didn't respond to his monkey-like gestures, so he cut me off and slammed on his brakes. I'm not sure how I avoided the accident, but I did and laid all my anger out on my horn. Some people really are complete holes and need to be medicated.

Back to my foot...

Well, the thing looked awful. It got to the point where I couldn't really put my weight on it. It looked like an over-stuffed burrito, just ready to burst at the seams. And it was an angry pink, the scars stretched and raised up against the pressure building inside. I called the doctor again, and he told me to get to the hospital. Had I known what was in store, I'm not so sure I would have gone so willingly, but it needed to be done.

(If you're eating, you might want to set your Fruit Loops aside at this point)

People tell me that I have a high pain tolerance. I think at times that's true, but prolonged pain reduces me to a wimp. When the ER doc told me she was going to have to open the wound a little, I knew it wouldn't be pleasant. When she looked at me and told me flat out that it was going to hurt, my stomach felt queasy. It already hurt, so the thought of anyone even touching my foot made me cringe. The last time I was told not this is going to hurt a little bit or this is going to hurt for a short time, but simply this is going to hurt, I was in the ER after severing a tendon in my hand. The doctor had to give me several shots around the base of my thumb, and I was told to breathe through the pain, which I did. While that was bad, it was NOTHING compared to what I went through with the inflamed foot. Holy shit. This was a bloody red, supreme kind of pain, the kind that makes you whimper and beg for it to stop in your head. At one point, I think I yelped, but it didn't stop her from poking that needle around in the wound, jabbing it up and down and then left and right. Before it was even numb, she started squeezing out the puss, which, mixed with a bit of blood, oozed down my foot in a thin line. After that and a good cry, I felt at least a little bit better.

I was put on an IV and given antibiotics. I was worn out, but my foot was achy and throbbing, too irritated to allow me any rest. It took about an hour and a half to administer the medication. I got to listen to a flock of kids who brought their friend to the ER after he had been yarfing, probably due to some kind of flu. I started to feel very alone, but not necessarily lonely, more just sad about my own situation. No pain meds when driving, so I was sent home with 4 Percocet. I took one and passed out for a long time in my cozy little bed.

So, I haven't been exercising, and I can't say I give much of a crap at this point. Maybe I will start to care when I realize how grossly out of shape I have become, but for now, all I want is for this fever to go away. I'm on one of the most powerful oral antibiotics out there, so the infection should clear up soon. I have one more draining to do today, and hopefully that will be the last of those things. The stitches are all out now, and the swelling is down too, though my ankle still hidden under the puffiness.

So yeah, shit luck. Some years are worse than others.

Letting Loose

I need a break from struggling through article writing. Editors are great when they know what they are talking about, but every once in a while, one pops up who seems to be drifting into the vast regions of Hilbert space. Having an editor who does things in a way that's different from everyone else makes writing these soul-sucking articles that much more of a challenge. 

The foot is recovering. It was a tad more painful than I expected, but I also wasn't given any narcotics to ease me into a different realm. I had to make do with over the counter generic pain pills. Other than my foot swelling and looking a little bit like an over-stuffed Weißwurst, there hasn't been a whole lot to report. I accidentally popped a scab near one of the stitches when I was rushing to take a shower before work after a hectic Sunday morning. My mom fractured her foot the day before but didn't know it, and I had to take her to urgent care the following morning. The two of us have matching limps now. I tried a jog Monday, but there's too much pressure on the stitching. I also seem to be getting a low-grade fever off and on with this. It shouldn't be too much longer before I can get back to at least jogging, but I have to wait until I can tie my shoe. Biking seems harmless. With the winds lately, I guess it's a good time to be indoors. Well, today I'm being a bum, because the fever is a bit more than I expected. I will be training again soon enough. Rough winter this year, damn.

                                                               *****************************

Recently, a couple of coyotes were shot, because one of them nipped in the general direction of a kid who was out playing near a creek in an open-space area. This seems wrong to me, mostly because it was on open space, not in the kid's back yard, though I can't say I would want any animal shot even if it ventured into a back yard. I'm not going to pretend I know what the perfect solution is to these kinds of situations, but people around here seem to be animal-rights activists only if the issue relates to their own dog that has a right to be off leash and jumping up on every living creature within three miles. Those who think otherwise are ANIMAL ABUSERS, but it's OK to shoot the dingo, right? It just seems weird that we expect wild animals to know that they should stay away from Pomeranian-sized snacks and avoid Hobbit-sized beings encroaching on their territory. 

Someone suggested beating the coyotes, and others suggested that carrying guns would solve the problem. Not to be condescending, but what kind of bizarre lesson is a beating supposed to teach the coyote? Let's see, days after the incident, round up all the coyotes in the area and, assuming the one that did the nipping is among them, give them all a good pummeling. That will teach 'em! The gun thing? "Oops, I thought your little Rusty was a bear. Sorry!" Yeah, that's a smart solution; just have everyone carry a gun on open space and shoot at anything rustling in the bushes. I'm thinking relocation of the animals when possible, wildlife education and posting warning signs about animal sighting might be better solution, but who wants to be reasonable when you have the opportunity kill or badly injure a coyote? 

I don't know. I guess I haven't changed my opinions much from when I was little and secretly hoped that Wile E would catch the roadrunner. I'm still rooting for the coyote. That doesn't mean I wanted the kid to get eaten, but I also don't like to know that two poor animals are dead because they did what was natural to them. Let's hope that the female they shot wasn't simply protecting her pups.

The Storm

It seems that when I go to blog lately, I can't think of what I want to say. I know I have been neglecting this place, but my mind has been occupied.

It also seems that the world is filling up with more arrogant people, and this diminishes my desire to participate in life. If I were religious, I might point to signs of the coming of Al-Massih ad-Dajjal. Fortunately, I tend to attribute these omens more to the imbalance and greed that capitalism tends to create and the increasing lack of social responsibility those at the top, whether in the media or in congress, have than to anything religious. I'm lucky that I have had a few opportunities to surround myself with passionate people who tend to give my sagging motivation a boost when needed, though.

I'm horribly out of shape, but I can't get over how sick I was. For two months, I was dragging myself around, and, during one of those months, I had some kind of super flu/cold thing that left me coughing, feverish and wanting to sleep for 18 hours a day. The tests from the hospital came back negative, but I heard other people with this same illness were out of commission for over a month, too. Just as I'm feeling better, I'm facing round three with my foot. Fortunately, the procedure I will get this week is not full surgery, more of an out-patient affair that won't leave me down for too long. Maybe once my foot is in working order, I can begin to train again. In the meantime, jogging 44 or 55 minutes has been my super-duper long "run" maximum. Sigh.

Even though I probably "shouldn't" feel this way, I hate asking people for favors. Even asking for my shifts at work to be covered was an effort, not because anyone wouldn't consider working but because I simply hate asking anyone for anything. I have also decided to take a cab home from the doctor instead of asking anyone for a ride. It makes me realize that part of the reason I was struggling so much with this illness was because I couldn't seem to get people to understand what I needed. Guilt is a bitch. I felt guilty for admitting that I really needed to stay in bed, so I didn't. There's this weird feeling that I don't want to owe anyone anything, too. I ended up fighting my desire to rest and went to work, met with people and tried to go on with my life as if nothing was wrong. I should have just said fuck it and slept for three days straight, taken a week off work and been done with it. A few times I got sent home, because I looked terrible and my fever was showing. Clearly I need to work on stating what I need more clearly and adamantly.  

Because I'm struggling with what I want to say and how I want to say it, I will just offer another video. This one is strange, no doubt. The animation is fantastic, though, and it's packed with all kinds of symbolism. Look closely at background images. It's a total trip.

One last thing, Boulder Youth Body Alliance will be ceasing operations later this year. This is very sad news.

Whoops

I'm not dead; I'm just sick. 

Hopefully soon I will be back with something more interesting to report. In the meantime, enjoy these hand selected videos. I've always been more of a ..cover girl, but I'm starting to get into mashups a little bit:

And of course, the best mashup evah:

What The ???

Can someone please tell me what the hell this quote is supposed to mean?



"You're having an argument with either side of your brain," O'Hare said. "This side is like, 'I'm tired. I want to stop.' And then this side is like, 'Look what you'd be giving up if you gave up right now, all the things you could achieve. Why are you thinking like that?' So in a split second, within about five strides, you've gone from, 'I'm really tired,' to, 'What the hell are you thinking? Get on it! Stop being a girl and go!' "

Big Love?

This topic has been a tough one for me to address. I will be the first to agree that the media and the beauty industry promote unrealistic standards to the public. I also agree that many fat people are unfairly treated in our society. As someone who was persecuted for being "fat" as a kid, the last thing I want to do is say anything negative about anyone who is overweight; however, I have some issues with bloggers who appear to be morbidly obese claiming that as long as they love themselves, nothing is wrong. That's like an alcoholic claiming her lifestyle is just fine, and other people are the real problems for not being able to accept who she is. Just like I won't praise Victoria Beckham for her "sexy photo shoot" when she looks about as healthy as a well-dressed cancer patient struggling to survive in a Sub-Saharan African country during a drought, I'm not about to say that being at a weight that could potentially cause severe health issues is a good thing. No matter how much Betty blogger's self-esteem has skyrocketed, her physical body is at risk. I'm all for everyone having confidence, no matter what their outer appearance may be, but there's more to health than simply liking who you are. How you view yourself is only one small aspect of overall health, and if self-image is skewed in an overly good or bad way, it makes it more difficult to find true well-being.

To be clear, I'm not addressing bloggers like Kate Harding, who writes about fat acceptance from the perspective of someone who aims for health and balance in her own life and advocates finding self-acceptance, whatever that means, for an individual; I'm focusing on those who claim obesity is not a health risk. I won't go into the ramblings of Paul Campos, because the guy continually talks out of both sides of his mouth. For example, he claims that the public admires skinny actresses like Kate Moss (who's actually a model) and Calista Flockhart but in the same breath states that they were both harshly criticized for their thinness. He also seems to pull statistics out of his ass. This article does a nice job of addressing the flaws in Paul's statements about obesity.

A problem came up recently with one of the credible sources I was going to cite, but before anyone makes any assumptions and tosses out solid information, I will explain. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) overestimated the death toll of obese people, the following was stated by the CDC's chief scientist:

"I want to make it clear that we really regret this error, and we really regret any confusion it has caused about the importance of obesity," said Dixie E. Snider, the CDC's chief scientist. "But obesity is still going to be a major public health problem and a major contributor to death."

Unfortunately, skeptics of the obesity epidemic have jumped all over the error, claiming all statistics relating to obesity are exaggerated, which isn't the case. One critic cited in The Washington Post had this to say about the error:

"I wouldn't say obesity isn't a problem, but it's nowhere near the numbers they have been throwing around," said Glenn A. Gaesser, a University of Virginia physiologist who wrote "Big Fat Lies," which questions many of the assertions about obesity.

Many of the health problems blamed on being overweight are actually the result of people eating poorly and failing to exercise, Gaesser said. "Most of the health problems associated with body fat are really caused by lifestyle," Gaesser said. 

That's like saying anorexia doesn't kill people, not eating enough and exercising too much do, or heart attacks from malnutrition kill people, not eating disorders. Obviously, in the case of obesity, death can occur from eating the wrong kinds of foods, sure, but being obese also contributes to many health issues. In other words, losing weight would make it less likely that a person would die from causes related to an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise, but is it really necessary to make that distinction? And, what about living a healthy life rather than just a long life? Technically, I make the cause of death distinction with anorexia only to point out that eating disorders contribute to many health problems that can lead to death. I mentioned before that in the film America the Beautiful, a mother tries to get bulimia listed as her daughter's cause of death on the death certificate, but doctors are reluctant to list any eating disorder as the actual cause. Her daughter died during a purge session when her electrolytes were drastically thrown off kilter. Instead, her daughter's certificate reads "undetermined" as the cause of death, because the complications related to the illness are what ultimately killed her. We all know what really killed her, though.

In bringing all this up, it's important to make the distinction between health-related issues and emotional or psychological issues. The catalyst for my ramblings here was a blog post by someone who slammed a fat-acceptance blogger for posting her thoughts about wanting to be more vain. I'm not going to post links to either blog, because the latter wasn't as noteworthy as some of the other bloggers in the "fatosphere," and the former lists vicious comments and mean-spirited put-downs that I don't support in any way. It's a fine line for me to back the body acceptance movement without condoning either pro-ana or pro-obesity sentiments. Everyone has to determine for himself what health and a healthy lifestyle are. In terms of addiction, it's like Diane Israel always says, "You know you have crossed that line when life loses its flavor." It's great to have confidence, but, for optimal well-being, it has to be in conjunction with self-awareness.

I keep thinking about this song now:

Foot Doctor Recap

My lumpy foot with X marks along the angry nerves

After several weeks of dragging my left foot around on runs and feeling very out of sorts, I finally had my appointment with my foot doctor. I'm always glad to see him, but I was nervous, anticipating at least one shot. I knew the lump on the top of my foot had to be drained again, so I had to face the needle that numbs the area before he could pop the cyst. I didn't think the doctor would discover two cranky nerves that needed a few shots each in order to calm the fuck down. The results won't be known until probably next week, so until then, I'm taking things very easy and resorting to biking again. Man, those shots directly into the nerve are a bitch. I have a pretty high pain tolerance at times, but getting a needle jammed into the foot is super intense. It's the kind of torture that makes you feel like you want to throw up, even though it's short lasting. My foot still feels a little bit off, but I'm giving it some time before I make another appointment with the doctor.

I have no idea where I was going with the above post, but since then, a train wreck occurred. Jeez. I caught some kind of catastrophic sickness that's plaguing nearly everyone. It did more than kick my ass though; it threw me for a loop, hit me upside the head, punched me in the throat and kicked me while I was down. For good measure, it stomped on my confidence and messed up my emotions too. After a week of fever, coughing, whining and feeling like crap, I'm finally staggering among the living. Next week, I hope to do more than eat, sleep and watch Netflix. BTW, how did I ever miss getting hooked on Lost? Damn, that was a great show, and I'm glad I finally saw every episode. I guess being sick is *good* for something.

The sad thing is that I've been feeling off for almost a month, because before the plague hit, I had been struggling with energy and hormonal issues. Just when I thought my period was sputtering to an end, it returned with a vengeance. I'm ready for some smooth sailing here.

Stay tuned! 

I'm working on a slightly controversial blog post, so it might take me some time. The wording in this one is a challenge, because I don't want to offend anyone. Dancing around the issue isn't my style, but I don't have to throw the information out there in a harmful way either.

This is basically a post to say that I'm still alive, even though I have felt half dead recently. It feels good to be writing a blog post instead of an article for an online media source. I'm glad to have some work, but article writing and creative writing are worlds apart. Kill creativity with all kinds of rules and too much structure, and writing becomes dull. I guess this is me letting loose.

Eating Disorder Awareness Month

February is Eating Disorder Awareness month. Spread the word that from now until Feb 17th, Training on Empty is 20% off on Smashwords.com.

Just use this coupon code:  EY53X

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/243502

Guest post

Guest post by Rebecca Abraxas:

Getting your Digestive System on track and your Health Back

Good health and nutrition go hand in hand. The food we eat and how we supplement our diet play large roles in our health. As athletes, our bodies need adequate nutrition. When we work hard, our bodies require more nutrients than the average person.
Many of us already choose organic foods, focus on getting enough protein and make sure we take the right vitamins and minerals. We pat ourselves on the back for this, yet we may not feel as good as we could. Deep down, we know we could feel better.

Here is a question I would like you to ponder: What is the condition of your digestive system? The health of your digestive system is EXTREMELY important to your overall health. It contributes to feeling good and helps with energy levels. Some signs of possible digestive disturbances are: gas and bloating, food sensitivity, allergies, indigestion, irregular bowl movements (we should be having about 2 effortless BMs a day), decreased immunity function, autoimmune troubles, puffiness in the face, discoloration in the inside of the iris, etc. Are you getting the picture that digestive issues are highly common and affect all the systems of the body?

When your digestive system is challenged, absorption of nutrients becomes difficult. This means all the good nutrients we are putting in our bodies don't help us as much as they could. How do we heal the digestive system? Here are a few places to start:

1-Eat slowly
2-Manage your stress levels
3-Take a good probiotic
4-Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, especially if you are on a high-protein diet
5-get enough fiber in your diet
6- consider the right combinations of foods for a balanced diet
7- take supplements such as L-glutamine to protect the lining of the gastrointestinal tract 

8- TAKE ALOE to soothe and regulate the digestive system, which will help with the absorption of nutrients 

9- take highly absorbable supplements (preferably liquid)

When our digestive system is healthy, other systems in the body are more likely to function at an optimal level. Health can only occur or be restored when the body can absorb the basic nutrients that we consume. When our digestive systems are functioning properly, our muscles and joints function better too.  Our hearts, nerves and brains are functioning better. Our breathing is better. Our emotional and mental health is more stable. Our endurance and stamina are better, and all of this translates into better training results.

If you are curious about a highly absorbable ALOE PRODUCT that contains many trace minerals and micro nutrients that benefit the digestive system and nourish the whole body, visit me at: 

http://lifeforce.net/index.php?mode=products&section=12&key=1

Cheers to getting our digestion on track and our health back!
Rebecca Abraxas, BS Wellness Educator, Lifeforce Member

Interview with Zachary Tipton

I mentioned some time ago that I was a DJ for a small local station here in Boulder. I can't even begin to explain how much I miss those days. There's something very uplifting about being surrounded by incredibly cool and talented people. Because the station was one of those underground operations, we were sometimes considered a bunch of misfits, but our mission was to give a voice to the community. More than promoting a "fuck the man" statement, pirate radio for me was about changing outdated regulations and giving the airwaves back to the people. Certain individuals sometimes look at pirates and assume they are a bunch of rebels without a cause, but most of us were involved in supporting local bands, helping charities and covering news that the mainstream media seemed to be missing. 

When I was involved with the station, I had some incredible opportunities to conduct interviews with amazing people. A few that stand out in my mind are: Josh Rushing, Hosea Rosenberg, Joanna Blakeman and Aimee Heckel. In addition to regular interviews, I was lucky enough to be involved in conducting question and answer segments as part of the live band sets on the air. Quite often, I was blown away by the talented musicians who rolled through the studio. I'm not sure what it was about Zach and Adam, but the interview I did with Young Coyotes was one of the most thought-provoking sessions I have done in radio. We discussed everything from music to politics. 

More recently, I caught up with Zach on facebook. I was happy when he agreed to answer a few questions. I wanted to know and share what he has been doing since the last time I saw him. 

The following is an interview with Zachary Tipton: 

Last time we did an interview, you were part of Young Coyotes. How have things changed since then?

I have worked on a full length record for about a year and a half now. I have gone through a few different names since then, but I will release this record under the name Mister Zach.

For people who didn't get to hear the first interview, when did you get into music, and how did it happen?

I remember a few records my mom had around the house: Steely Dan's Aja, Santana's Greatest Hits, and Carole King's Tapestry. I don't mind having strong memories associated with those albums, but I liked how I felt when I sang along to them. When I turned thirteen, my mom's then-boyfriend helped me purchase a bass and amp. I practiced a few hours a day and tried to slap my way into the record books. By the time I had turned eighteen, I could play a few songs on guitar and started singing for a band I didn't like. It took me years to understand how people made music, but I try to learn something new as often as I can.

How did you come up with the new name of your band?

I work at a tutoring place sometimes, and my name tag reads: Mister Zach. Over the past year, people have called me that even without the name tag. I guess it just stuck. I have heard that folks from the South use it in a colloquial way, but that doesn't devalue it in my opinion.

Again, for anyone who didn't hear the first interview, do you have other hobbies outside of music?

I love to paint portraits of the people and animals in my life. College takes up most of my reading material, but I won't go anywhere without a book.

What are some things that inspire your lyrics?

I soak up reality like a sponge and eject my experience through sound and words made by my mouth and fingers. Books help too.

What are your thoughts on how music is distributed these days? How do you feel about illegal downloads?

People need to adapt and accept the situation. I haven't found a rule of law in capitalism that says money must flow into the hands of people who create things. If I take money out of the equation, what do I have? I have a digital artifact that will make its way around the internet and will allow people from all over the world to find something I created. If we don't kill ourselves and/or the internet, each uploaded song could last longer than other formats. As an extra bonus, the possibility of a digital miner from the future finding and liking one of my songs adds a special quality to the whole process.

Any thoughts on pirate radio?

I fully support pirate radio. Everyone should have the option of expressing their opinions and tastes without imposing them onto others.

Where do you feel you are heading?

Because I have an unfortunate vantage point, chance will always supersede my actions. I love the habit of making music. Since I have that, I try not to question the future.

Zach will be releasing a new album in March. Keep up with Zach on twitter for all the details: https://twitter.com/iamthedot

Or on Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/iamthedotmusic

Young Coyotes

http://www.myspace.com/youngcoyotes

I am The Dot interview

ETA: Here it is! It is fantastic, too:
http://trainingonempty.blogspot.com/2013/01/interview-with-zachary-tipton.html

Pretty F*ing Amazing

Had to share this:

Advertising - warning, possible triggering content and images.

Late night infomercials make humans look like the most incompetent species on the planet. After midnight, people can be seen poking eardrums out with Q-tips, scratching heads while wondering how toilet paper and blankets work, exposing boobs and stomachs that can't be contained by regular clothing and attempting to hide limp penises or butts that don't look like those found on models and strippers. Plagued with chronically dull knives, we search for the one kitchen gadget that will top all others. We long for fresher body odor and healthier cereal choices. Hair: We have too much it or not enough in the right places. We are incapable of training or dogs or simply don't have the energy to take them outside, so they must resort to peeing on fake grass indoors. It's all too much, and fuck it, who can crack an egg without spilling its contents all over the stove in a flood of runny albumen and cholesterol-filled yellow fat? The world is HARD!

There's something really weird about this commercial:

These kinds of odd commercials don't bother me as much as ones that attempt to blur the lines between what's ethical and what's not. With the FCC's deregulation of ownership rules relating to the media, standards in the community have changed. What was not acceptable in the past is suddenly wildly encouraged. Fast food advertisers and fashion designers are leading the race to the bottom of the integrity barrel, but we accept what is put in front of us as normal, even if it borders on pornography, degrades humans or isn't truthful. Being the celebrity-worshiping society that we are, if someone famous is featured in an ad, we embrace it even more.

Paris advertising something

Not sure who the marketing idiot was behind this one.

We don't usually expect companies of athletic wear to behave in unacceptable ways, but it happens. Recently, a gym in Germany affiliated with Reebok ran a "Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout" ad campaign. Fortunately, there was a universal facepalm and complaints that resulted in the company issuing an apology and pulling the ad. What's surprising is that anyone thought this was a good idea. Somebody had to think up the concept behind the campaign, and someone else had to approve it before more people ran the ad.

More and more, it seems businesses are skirting any social responsibility. Robert Vaux, professor and writer, states the following about social consciousness in advertising:

"Ethical advertising refrains from appealing to "base" human emotions such as fear, greed or lust, according to Carroll College. It remains positive and optimistic, and doesn't exploit stereotypes based around race, gender, religion or age. Unethical advertising, on the other hand, will prey upon the baser emotions of its target audience. For instance, it will raise fears for the audience's health if they don't purchase the product, or rely on sexually explicit images to generate interest rather than the virtues of the product itself. Unethical advertising will also make use of socially reprehensible imagery: depicting minorities as stupid or incompetent, for example, or women as dehumanized objects of sexual conquest."

Though I have posted some images before, the following are some of the more shocking ones that have been used in advertising and fashion. Sometimes a picture truly is worth more than what can be written or said.

Again, some of these might be triggering, but I put them out there to show how far companies and the fashion industry have strayed when it comes to ethics:

A 12-year-old model made to look much older

Life Force International

I normally don't advertise products on my blog, except when promoting specific chocolates, of course, but years ago when I first started taking care of myself after years of starvation, these products helped me feel more nourished. A friend of mine is now selling them, and she wrote the following little blurb about how the products can benefit runners. Anyone interested in the many products available can contact her. The contact information is at the bottom of this post.

I really liked this product .

From Rebecca:

While running is a way of life for many women, it could be doing women’s bodies a huge disservice. Recent studies have shown that some women who run long distances have lower bone density than women who are sedentary. In fact, some findings have shown young women runners with a bone density that compares to that of a 80 year old woman. Low bone density can be a sign of osteoporosis and can lead to a high risk of bone fractures. Not fun for the active woman!

What can you do? ( because giving up running is not an option!)

1- Include more weight training activity in your workouts.
(while running is weight bearing and better for your bone health then swimming, running too much can actually reduce bone density.)
2- Eat a balanced diet that includes healthy fats and lean proteins to help create strong muscles.
3- Support your body with proper calcium and bone-building supplements.
4- Maintain a regular menstrual cycle (Irregular periods are a sign that hormone levels are out of balance, and this has a negative effect on bone health.)
5- Support your body for optimal training results: stay hydrated, make sure you are getting trace minerals in your diet,

Do your research ladies. How best can you support your radiant health while still running and Training? Any questions on where to go from here with supplement help, please contact me:
Rebecca Abraxas BS in Wellness Education /Independent Rep for Life Force International    
(rebeccaabraxas22@gmail.com)

Apologies

My creative juices are dehydrated at the moment. I'm in one of those periods in which I can't string together two coherent sentences unless they look like something found in a Dick and Jane book. I'm going to attempt to get out of my rut, but sometimes writing is really a struggle for me. Apologies for not putting as much effort as I should into my blog posts lately.

It was impossible to avoid talk of the Lance interview. People seem to be reacting strongly to the news, even though the information coming out is about as shocking as describing the sky as blue. Those who are outraged have every right to be. I don't quite understand the others who somehow feel the need to defend him in any way. He comes off as such a self-serving prick that it's hard to feel anything other than disgust for him, though I try to at least understand what he was facing when he made the many poor decisions he did. As far as this idea that he somehow changed how people think about cancer, people in the Stanground movement should not forget all the non-profits and people working daily to increase cancer awareness and raise money -- money that actually goes directly to the cause -- people like Joanna Blakeman who has been working tirelessly since her son died of a rare form of cancer years ago. If the cheater gave you some personal inspiration, that's great, but don't assume he did a ton for cancer research when there are people dedicated to doing just that and do it without recognition.  

I don't think I can address the circus better than Lauren did in her post here: Lauren's open letter to lance. To be honest, I'm just not that interested in the guy. I did sneak a few peeks at the big O interview, but all I got out of it was this feeling that Lance can't seem to fully take responsibility for his actions or admit that what he did was truly shady. Sounding like a more arrogant version of a certain someone who didn't inhale, he dribbled out some statements about how he only took a little bit (as if that makes doping any less of a crime) and went into the literal definition of cheating (Ya cheated, lance. Admit it. Stop with the fucking parsing and admit that what you did was wrong.) In the end, he rationalized a lot and tried to make it sound like the rest of us are being too judgmental without quite getting the big picture of why people are so upset. 

By the way, Lance, you weren't exactly accurate with your definition of of cheating. I know you desperately wanted to make it look like others are too stupid to understand what the word means, but, as with many words, there are several definitions. In fact, I didn't find your definition in any of the dictionaries I checked. You may want to believe that the word is limited to being defined as a person taking an unfair advantage over others, but there's more to it than that.

Be sure to note #2 in this entry. Oh Hell, just look more closely at all of them:

cheat

  

cheat

verb (used with object)

1.

to defraud; swindle: He cheated her out of her inheritance.

2.

to deceive; influence by fraud: He cheated us into believing him a hero.

3.

to elude; deprive of something expected: He cheated the law by suicide.

verb (used without object)

4.

to practice fraud or deceit: She cheats without regrets.

5.

to violate rules or regulations: He cheats at cards.

6.

to take an examination or test in a dishonest way, as by improper access to answers.

7.

Informal. to be sexually unfaithful (often followed by on  ): Her husband knew she had been cheating allalong. He cheated on his wife.

I'm pretty sick of the whole brouhaha. I don't want to listen to more whining about how Lance is a product of the "Win at all costs" system, or how much it must hurt that poor little lost Lance has fallen from hero status. I agree with Lauren that cheaters should be faced with something more than a slap on the wrist when they are caught. Suspend the assholes for life and make the ban bleed into all competitive sports, not just the one in which they were caught. There's no room in true sports for cheaters....or so I like to tell myself.

This shit makes me grumpy.

In other news, I started the day one year older. Breakfast included some samples of dessert followed by a nap. I'm heading out for a run in the sunshine soon, and I think I'm going to try sneaking beans into another recipe later. The weekend was pretty fucking sweet and ended with a yummy dinner at a great little Thai restaurant in Boulder. God, I love spicy food. It has been a good string of days celebrating.

Holy bean, Batman!

I rarely cook or bake these days. In one of my recent posts, I mentioned that I used to be a cook and then a dessert chef at a local Italian restaurant. I went through a period where I was creating healthy versions of everything from muffins to truffles at home too. Sometimes the desserts I made were a little too healthy for people. The alternative versions of chocolate chip cookies and brownies I baked were surprisingly good, even though my brother often compared them to rocks. One year, I decided to pull a prank on him on his birthday. I'm not a big prankster. When I go for one, though, I go all out, so I made him a cake. How many people can see where this is going? Yes, it was healthy, very healthy. The thing must have weighed eight pounds. It was dense and filled with whole grains, apples, maybe a grated vegetable to two and a tiny amount of maple syrup. In the past, I had always made a normal dessert for the occasion, so the disappointment was visible when my brother eyed the round brick that I brought to the table. Trying to make the best of it, he kept his mouth shut when, as he tried to cut it, the knife got stuck, though I could detect a slight smile at the corner of his mouth itching to become a full laugh. Before he worked a slice out of the block of hearty cake, I pulled out the real dessert I had made earlier: a beautiful pastry cream tart with a flaky crust and poached peaches on top. I have never seen anyone express more relief! Oddly enough, the fake cake tasted pretty good. It was more like a nutrient infused muffin, but it wasn't bad at all. The tart was fantastic.

When I go to any of the many health food stores in town and grab something from the prepared food section, I always ask myself why I don't bother to cook and bake more. Then I remember how tiring cooking can be, especially when it's done on sore feet. It's something that I would like to do, though. A few weeks ago, I saw that Chocolate for Breakfast had posted a recipe for brownies made with black beans. It sounds crazy, but I was intrigued. I always like the idea of sneaking healthy ingredients into yummy tasting foods. In fact, about a week ago, I experimented with a chocolate smoothie recipe that contained avocado, spinach and bananas. Yuck, right? Actually, it was totally yummy. So I tweaked the brownie recipe and gave it a shot. For most people, they might be on the overly healthy side, but I liked them. They taste sort of like a cross between brownies and a flowerless chocolate cake, only they are not as decadent.

In this recipe, I used half carob and half cocoa, because my heart valve leak is affected by too much caffeine and taurine. I also used less honey and added some stevia.

Black bean brownies, OMG!

• Beans, black, 1.5 cup (about 1 can drained) 
• Coconut Oil, 1/4-1/3 cup 
• Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened 1/4+ cup 
• Baking chocolate, 1 square (1 oz) melted
• egg white, fresh, 2 large or 3 small 
• Egg, fresh, 1 large 
• Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp 
• Almonds, 1/3 cup, whole 
• Semisweet chocolate, 1/3-1/2 cup large chips 
• Honey, 1/3 cup or other sweetener
• pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an eight-inch backing dish.

Chop almonds in a blender or food processor. Add remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips and blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into pan. Bake about 35 minutes until done.

Serves 12
(In my case, it serves 6. ha!)