Who are the Runners in your Neighborhood?

For the most part I don't consider the City of Lethbridge to be a particularly progressive place. The mall closes at 5:30 on weekday nights, every restaraunt has to offer steak and potatoes to placate the farmers, and we don't have recycling pick up. But there is one area where we really shine. Lethbridge has one of the largest running communities in Western Canada. Who would have thought that the little city locked in the Bible belt would boast one of the largest Canadian running clubs and a local race circuit that keeps you busy from March until November?! In my opinion the best part of this running explosion is the diversity within it. Thus today is my unofficial salute to all of my comrades and kindred spirits. My feet have been known to beat a path around West Lethbridge and here is a brief composite of some of the people I share my turf with:

1. The blond running girl. This girl is a machine. Everyday she beats a path behind my house along the top of the coulee. She runs twice a day usually around5 (gag) am and then again at supper time. I've seen her as far as the University which means she is routinely running a minimum of 5 miles per run. She is tall, thin and graceful in her gait. I totally admire her dedication.

2.The really fit backpack guy. This guy is another superfit runner. He does his miles with a weighted pack on his back even in the summer heat and man is he fast. Best thing about him? He always looks surprised when you stop the car and wave him across the street instead of making him stop. He gives a friendly wave and I salute back. Anyone who moves that fast with extra weight on their back deserves my total respect.

3. The long haired running mom. Everyday she is part of the neighborhood scenery. She has long dark hair and its usually tied back of her face so it trails down her back. She has really long legs and a smooth loping gait. I think the most beautiful thing about her is the look of absolute serenity she has on her face when she runs. Even when she's climbing the Bridge Drive hill.

4. The jogging housewife. This is the newest addition to our clan. She's a little heavy and self conscious. She keeps her runs to the times of day when the neighborhood is the least busy. She hasn't yet discovered the need for comfortable gear so she makes her laps in khaki shorts and Walmart sneakers. Every time I see her I want to roll down my van window and shout "go sister go, push, push, push, you're doing AWESOME!" But I think that would freak her out. I am trying to will a little bit of my runners high in her direction whenever our paths cross. I hope she finds the joy and fun in running that I have. I hope she keeps going at least for one more mile.

5. My girls. Well known around the neighborhood as the little sporty kids. Who are these people? I think is a familiar refrain around here as they see Chloe and I out for a quick 3 miles. She is all tall and rangy with long legs. She has that young person gazelle look to her and when she runs I get a glimpse of her as a young women; head held high gracefully running along the hills and my heart swells with pride. Then there is Elle. So little still but so determined to share in our family rituals. She insists on doing a quarter mile run every other day. This is a major feat for a 3 year old. She refuses to stop until she's back home. She's stubborn and head strong. She is a girl after my own heart and in the future I see her trail running, fast and not fearing the tough terrain she encounters.

6. Then there's me. Ponytail bouncing, ipod strapped on. Usually with a small black lab leading the way (love ya Balin). Whatever time of the day I can squeeze it and for however long I can manage. Usually with a smile on my face. I love my runs and the opportunity they give me to just be on my own and explore my community. Even though I've driven all of the West side in my van I always discover something new out my runs.

We are a rag tag motley crew. We all have our own routes, our own styles and our own rituals. But when you strip all of the differences away we are all runners and that in my opinion is a silent tie that binds.

Barack Obama's Red Hot Mama

Sex sells. And in 2007 sex is apparently useful for selling everything from cologne and underwear to presidential political platforms. Let's face it whether Senator Obama sanctioned it or not "The Obama Girl" and her You-tube clip have certainly boosted his campaign visibility. If Senator Obama's election camp did underhandedly sanction this sexy propaganda, it was bloody brilliant. Now thanks to one girl and her well endowed campaign t-shirt ,every average Joe strip club knows one of the key candidates in the democratic camp. Talk about cornering an untapped source of potential voters.

No doubt Miss Ettinger herself is enjoying her 15 minutes of fame as well. Let's face it while she is an attractive girl she's not Superstar quality and will never soar to the same heights as Angelina and Brittany. But in the midst of all the sexiness and political smoke and mirrors I have to wonder where the real issues are. The controversy and intrigue that Obama girl is creating is taking away from the real question that needs answering; Who is the best person to lead the United States over the next few years?

If you Google "Obama" the first sites that come up are about "Obama girl". The "Obama for President" site appears 3rd after two seats featuring Miss Ettinger and her famous video clip. When you Google "Obama girl" you get over 3 million hits. When you Google "Obama for president" you do get more, (7 million) hits but most of these are links to news clips. All of the hype makes me wonder where are Americans' priorities??

According to Mr. Obama's campaign site there are over 37 million Americans living below the poverty line and the United States is still grossly unprepared to deal with another homeland terrorist attack. Yet the sexy little minx in the clingy t-shirt is getting top billing on CNN.

Will Obama girl have her moment in the sun and then fade into a distant memory as the presidential vote draws near? Will she milk her brush with fame a la Lewinsky and write a book? (can she even write??) In the long run will all of the steaminess discredit the Obama platform or benefit the campaign push?

As an impartial and unaffected observer I am interested to see how the campaign unfolds in light of all the lust. Not since Clinton tootled on his sax on Leno have I gotten such a good laugh out of the American presidential race. I guess as a Canadian I can be thankful that no one in our political arena is remotely attractive enough to inspire an onslaught of sleaze. I mean could imagine a vixen sporting a "Harper for PM" tee??? YUCK!!

A new spin on fitness

As a young girl I was bitten by the ballerina bug and my parents were only too happy to oblige me with lessons. At the time I did ballet because I loved it and like so many other girls had ambitions of dancing professionally. What I was totally unaware of is what a great workout dancing is. I think my first foray into understanding the impact years of dance training had on fitness was when at 16 I got my first membership to a local gym. I was doing my equipment orientation and the trainer singled me out for a shoulder exercise. She couldn't get over how toned and shaped my shoulders were and asked what I did to get that definition. After some thought I realized that my ballet was responsible and told her as much. After all holding your arms in second position for some times an entire ballet class must have some effect on the physique. Anyway since then I have had a deep appreciation for the fitness benefits of dance training. (if you're still not convinced just look at the body of any professional dancer)

Today many people market dancing's benefits and you can take all kinds of dance classes for fitness purposes. A studio here in Lethbridge teaches a ballet fitness class for adults. The class requires no previous dance training and teaches students fundamental ballet moves. Having dropped in on the class a few times I can definitely affirm that it definitely will improve fitness. It is quick paced, challenging and offers students a wide variety of basic ballet steps combine with strengthening and toning fitness moves. At then end of the hour you are glistening in sweat and shining with the grace of a ballerina. It is an inventive, fun way to mix up your training and I highly recommend it to everyone looking to shape and tone their body into ballerina perfection.

You're Only As Old as You Feel

This is a picture of me and my Dad celebrating my 30th birthday in New York City. I have to admit I had a lot of "issues" with the idea of turning 30. I didn't want to end my 20s and kiss the the last part of my youth good bye (or so I thought).

As it turns out being 30 is not so bad. I don't feel any different and I think I have retained my youthful "joie de vivre". And although I will jokingly be 29 & holding forever, I have found a website that actually gives some literal advice about just how young I actually am. www.realage.com is a free website that lets you take a test to calculate your actual age as opposed to your chronological age. After the test is done they offer you tips and suggestions on how to lower your age and live a longer life. According to my "Real Age" test while I am chronologically 30.2, I am physiologically 25.2. I have magically added 5 years to my life by living well. Lifestyle choices that have lowered my real age are my decisions to exercise regularly, be socially active, eat well and manage my health. I am working everyday to keep feeling fit and young. So even though I am not chronologically living my roaring 20s anymore, it's nice to know that thanks to my good decisions I can actually be 25 & holding for a while!

Expert Advice

As a self proclaimed kinesiology geek I am pretty comfortable directing my training. Currently my training goal is to complete a half marathon this October in Victoria. Things have been going quite well and I have been confident that I will breeze through to my two hour finish time. But even kinesiology geeks need coaching sometimes! That's why I turned to a colleague and mentor for some helpful advice. Lori has her Masters degree in exercise physiology and successfully runs a small fitness operation in Lethbridge. She is fairly busy with training a wide variety of clients so I was grateful for the chance to meet with her to discuss my training. We had a very productive meeting and I was happy to receive her endorsement. It is always reassuring to hear from a colleague that you are on the right track. But most of all I appreciated her little nuggets of wisdom that will tweak my training and improve my performance on race day. I was flattered to be called an athlete by her and appreciated the time she took to answer my questions and boost my confidence.

Yes even so called kinesiology geeks like me need a little help and at times like this I'm glad that I can turn to another expert for a push in the right direction.